Point of interest
April 2024
First post...
Welcome to my creative journal!! How I hope this'll work is that I'll be uploading my research, inspirations, gallery visits and findings that I've gathered over the month here along with some overall reflections and some plans for future studies and plans.
Having this blog will be an interesting way of documenting my work, and online archives are secure stores for information for when I want to access my work again! In the grand scheme of my career, work could get lost, forgotten and replaced by newer projects, so this will be useful in the long term too.
Most of my efforts this month have been spent constructing the website, exploring my local art scene by talking to gallery owners and gathering social media pages. My aim to to build connections with like-minded practicing artists, networking is essential to building your creative career, but also a wondeful source of inspiration.
I've also been attempting to get back into regular reading! Books are an important tool for expanding general knowledge but also as a source of inspiration for creativity. I'm the type of person to immediately jump online for ideas and I'd like to be able to broaden my pool by having alternate references I can turn to.
Also, there are physical and mental benefits of reading like strengthening your neural pathways that can lead to stronger analytical skills and an improved memory, reducing stress and blood pressure and providing metal stimulation that can help combat deteriorating mental diseases.. good for you.
Current Reads
"On Anarchism" by Noam Chomsky. Probably not the best book I could have chosen to get back into reading, but it was on sale at rough trade... an interesting read, I'm not that well read on political theory but this book is esentially an introduction into Chomsky's theory, covering the foundations of his ideology with a focus on the legitimicy of power and potential benefits of collaborative and collective shared responsibilities within community. One of my favourite quotes so far has been regarding the functionality of anarchist resistance outside of youthful rebellion, "No form of politics is worth our time until it helps struggling epople get what they need, sustainably and reliably." As someone who's always viewed political theory as a looming barrier you already have be knowledgable in to even atempt to climb, sometimes throwing yourself into that wall is the only way you can find yourself trying anything.
"Aboriginal Myths: Tales of the Dreamtime" by A.W Reed. "Aboriginal Myths" provides intriguing dialouge and context on great Aboriginal Myths, tales of the Dreamtime include stories of creation by the hands of Great Spirit, and one of my favourite being the Southern Cross Yaraan-doo - the first deaths.
"The Golden Treasury" by C. Day Lewis" A collection of the best songs and lyrical poems of the English language, serving as a wonderful inspiration source, although some of the poems fly over my head...