every waking moment

taking this year out was a necessity for one very good reason: i needed money to continue my degree and had run my own funds dry. having a mortgage hurts when there is no regular income. having a regular income often, and usually, means having a regular job. after more than twenty years, the penny finally exploded: i didn’t enjoy the constraints of 7-7 or 8, 9 10 etc. (believe me, 9-5 doesn’t exist). so i launched into my new creative cycle of life.

this year i am helping my boyfriend/partner with the companies he started before he gave up his city job. in as much as i work around the clock to research and create my projects at college, so the same applies for these companies. this is necessary for their survival. and our survival is dependent on their success. in brief, this is what they do:

petrolhead nirvana: creates driving tours for petrolheads. we find the best roads in the uk, europe and the east-side of america and take a limited number of clients on the trip of a lifetime. we also organise car meets and events, and work extensively with a number of charitable organisations to raise funds.

the building systems company: borne out of the despair of finding unethical and unreliable builders for a personal project, this is a company made up of hand-picked builders and craftsmen. it specialises in refurbishments, extensions of all kinds and new builds. we work to create sustainable and ecologically friendly homes, using technologically advanced systems that produce low-output energy.

tiger two: a social media company that provides intensive online courses in social media for the uninitiated and knowledgeable alike, appealing to large corporations, small businesses, start-ups and one-man bands. it also provides a consultancy service on retainer. (this company under its ‘tiger two’ name no longer exists, but more to come on that in a separate blog.)

all of these companies are going through ‘growing pains‘ (like teenagers who are awkward within their own bodies) – their success and potential is without question, but it’s how to move them forwards and build further on their already substantial foundations. this is what i have been working on for the last six months (more details in blogs to come) and this is why we regularly work long into the early hours from monday to sunday. it really is taking up every waking moment.

of course, it won’t always be this way. one day we’ll ditch the laptops and phones and have an uninterrupted holiday together. à deux. but that’s a long way off.

manifesting the procrastinated

ideas need attention, action and nurturing. don’t keep them locked away only to get rusty and suffocated by over-thinking.

as an artist, i’m always reminding myself that being successful in something isn’t always about other people liking what you create or making money from it. it’s about creating something that’s true to you and your ‘self’, producing something that you believe in passionately, with passion.

i have recently had several lengthy discussions with other students at LCC who are completing their final year. they worry about their final projects in terms of subject, context and execution: will the results be good/different/impactful/interactive/innovative/meaningful enough…will it, quite simply, be enough? and all the while, the concepts remain locked in thought.

the process of procrastination is enough to deter anyone from doing anything. as an idea expands and develops in the mind, its evolution may never reach the point of manifestation. artists and designers alike experience this. as does any creative person. indeed, whether one is creative or not, this is unlikely to bypass all but the most mulched-minded individuals.

the point is this: take the risk. if you don’t do, you won’t know; if you don’t experiment, you won’t make mistakes; if you don’t try, you won’t succeed; if you do nothing, you’ll end up with nothing. you’ll merely be imagining. and worrying. and ditching what could be a genius idea in favour of another that is safe. conservative. more mainstream. i’m not saying there’s anything wrong with mainstream – it has its place. but so does processed cheese and i’m not an advocate of processed cheese.

so don’t worry about failing – failure simply means that what you tried didn’t work. so find another way. because sooner or later, someone else will come up with the idea you carry around and develop it themselves. and wouldn’t that be annoying? explore the unprecedented and ingenious. if you don’t try something new, you’ll always be mediocre. mediocre? what a horror of a thought.

saving our analogue heritage

about 3 weeks ago i acted as the student rep for our DPS year. during the course of the meeting, i discovered that a number of courses were being suspended or cancelled at LCC. so i wrote to voice my concerns. my notes were presented to the next meeting with representatives from across the college for students, tutors, technicians and administrative staff alike. i later discovered that the new dean had also read my comments. they are as follows, and we’ll see what effect, if any, they have in due course:

dear ralph

it was good to meet you on tuesday and very interesting to be part of the meeting. as promised, here are my written comments relating to the course portfolio review.

1/ i am particularly upset to see that the BA book arts & design and the BA surface design courses are to be closed. analogue and hand-made disciplines and skills are part of LCC’s inherent and intrinsic heritage. with the disappearance of these two courses will come the inevitable closure of print facilities. this will further impact other analogue courses and i fear for the disappearance of such courses and print facilities in the future.

what sets LCC apart from any other arts college and university is the incredible wealth of both print facilities and tutor and technician knowledge. reducing the courses available in this context only serves to facilitate the death of the analogue skill-set. there is currently no other college with these incredible and extensive print facilities and rather than deem them as unnecessary they should be considered a huge asset to the college and UAL’s university. they are a major selling point and LCC has long been renowned for its elevated status as the best printing college, not only in the UK but revered around the world. surely it is worth further investment rather than divestment.

aside from the practical application, the print rooms offer a truly unique space for creative collaboration, inspiration, interaction and energy between students, technicians and tutors on a multitude of pathways, and thus is one of the few, if only, spaces in the college where all present can inspire each other through mutual passion for their trade; where students at every level in their learning process can communicate and learn from each other, help and advise each other and where ideas and confidence grow through conversation, visual manifestations and support. these rooms are where colour theory becomes practice, where the difference between opaque and transparent becomes apparent, where techniques are developed and mastered through trial, error and triumph. it is a physically demanding environment that incites the imagination and offers a multi-sensory experience through touch, sight, sound and smell.

let’s not forget that LCC, as a print and graphically-based college, relies on historical context of the graphic arts. graphic design was initially produced using print beds and print presses, and having amassed a beautiful and extensive collection, by eventually ridding ourselves of these facilities, LCC would effectively be advocating the lack of importance, need and effectiveness of hand made works of art. even within a growing digital world, LCC needs to encourage and endorse the diversity of richness obtained through analogue arts. what is available on digital applications can be learnt by anyone who applies themselves. the results are no better than what has been programmed into each application. conversely, any form of hand-made printing is unique to the artist or designer and every piece of work is ultumately created through his/her own hand. there will never be another one made by another artist in that way. the same cannot be said for digitally-produced work.

looking objectively at the current CSM upgrade of building facilities, although this has limited print facilities by comparison, it also has an extraordinary new environment in a well-connected part of central london. it is worth considering that a student looking at options between CSM and LCC would gravitate to CSM based on their new facilities and situation alone, and that print facilities would be an additional bonus. if LCC were to engage in fully supporting the analogue arts, and further contribute to their continued courses, it would set the college apart as the leader of both analogue and digital graphic design. i consider the closure of analogue-based courses a great danger for the college and one that would, in the future, render LCC as being ‘just another digitally-based college’ in a tired building on the elephant and castle roundabout.

2/ with regard to the proposed new courses, what research has been carried out and what were the results to confirm that these courses will be filled with any better capacity than those considered for suspension? these results should be compiled and made available to any member of staff and student at LCC. please confirm the same.

thank you for your kind attention to this. i strongly urge you to pass this on to a student or other representative if you are unable to put forward my comments yourself.

with very kind regards

fru

altruistic acts

during the summer, i spent ten days at the beautiful stanford hall in leicestershire, working for a charity called LIFEbeat. this is a non-profit making, secular, independent organisation, welcoming young people (14-18 years) from every conceivable background and religion in the UK. they work in partnership with schools and youth organisations and offer a week away from normal life.

tsvetelina and i had completed a training course a couple of months earlier in june and, after we had scavenged everything possible from LCC at the end of the summer term that was recyclable and reusable, i packed up the car as if it was a thirsty sponge and we drove off for an adventure.

we joined around 20 other staff members and, as a group, had around 36 hours before the young people arrived, barely enough time to devise and plan workshops, prepare the campsites and equipment, set up marquees, workshop spaces and materials, familiarise ourselves with procedures and timetables, letalone eat, sleep and – oh yes - breathe. these were perfect circumstances in which to get to know staff whom you had only just met and would be working so closely alongside. tsvetelina and i were part of the ‘art barn team’ and devised and facilitated our own workshops as well as supporting many other workshops during the week.

when the kids arrived, the atmosphere changed from light-hearted, organised mayhem to something more intense and edgy. on reflection, i cannot determine whether this was good or bad, probably because i was quite nervous. but it was different. crazy, alive, and challenging. i’m not going to pretend it was easy, flowing and smooth. it wasn’t, although it was very well organised. the ratio of staff to young people was a little under 1:2, but if you let your focus drop for a minute, all hell could (and sometimes did) break loose. with most of these kids, attitude was everything: cool, distant, abrasive, negative…well, as teenagers, fronts are to be expected.

LIFEbeat utilises a phenomenal model of creative teaching that built confidence in every single young person there, breaking down barriers through community living, team work and family groups; through associated experiences, ideas and taking risks by daring to do something new. as facilitators, we showed them how to use creative mediums such as art, dance, music, singing, writing, debate, nature, exercise, meditation, exploration and self-expression as an alternative to the digital environment they were so familiar with.

wait – yes, really – this was a week with no mobile phones, ipods or electronic devices of any sort. whatsoever. yikes. brilliant.

it was extraordinary to see the transformations that took place. these young people were enlightened to their own abilities and shown alternative and positive approaches to the everyday, helping them to form their own opinions and deal with subjects that were relevant and mattered to them. they were an integral part of decision making, trusted to be dependable, taking responsibility for their actions, learning to respect and accept others’ differences. friendships were forged that would once never have been considered, with integration between what were initially ‘obvious’ groups and interaction with the staff too. misbehaviour that had caused disruption and disputes within groups dissipated during the week, resulting in focussed and dedicated teenagers with a new appetite for creating and entertaining through use of their imaginations.

for the staff, it was immensely hard work with tiny pockets of sleep each night. it was also absorbingly emotional and intensely gratifying at every stage of every waking hour. we had huge responsibilities in looking after the group, with parenting and mentoring roles, guidance and patience, a listening ear and genuine interest for each participant, leading by example and not being afraid to make an idiot of yourself sometimes.

from the outset i knew this was going to be a very testing time for me, and i discovered this to be true for every staff member present. but when you see the astonishing results and realise what a difference you’re making, even if it was to just one life, then it’s worth pushing through the discomfort to reach the outcome.

suddenly, as quickly as they had arrived seven days ago, all the kids left on a coach. relative carnage remained with a silence over the grounds.

and then we tidied up. oh, and had a party.

we (tesvetelina and i) took many beautiful photos, and i spent a considerable amount of time editing them before posting them onto the LIFEbeat facebook fan page. click on these links to have a look at some of them:

LIFEbeat pictures 1

LIFEbeat pictures 2

blog-stasis day

yes yes, i know. it’s been months since i first and last blogged.

i might consider changing my name to frenetic, an adjective that barely scrapes the busy entity that is my life. this life is good, varied, rich and absorbing. it leaves me with little time for reflection. and because everything needs balance, today i have created stoppage time; today is blog-stasis day. perhaps tomorrow too, for a while at least.

i shall be returning with news on proactive measures, discussion points, expansion strategies, exhibitions, charity work, volunteering, mentoring, networking, applications, the impact of the everyday and all the bits in between.

meanwhile, consider the image below: the marque of a universally loved-hated eating establishment glamourised in its glitzy las vegas setting, a striking brand against the darkness, a place i never frequent and yet i could not take my eyes off this as a piece of beautiful art when i drove past it and clicked the shutter button. so, for disliking everything it stands for, this brand has briefly redeemed its ‘golden arches’ for its pure alluring value here. and i never thought i would have a good word to say about mcdonald’s. perhaps i should be applauding the advertisers instead.

blog virgin

this is my first ever blog entry.

days are packed and racing away. and i thought i might get just one lie-in. but no. that’s not happening.

the last few weeks, briefly:

editing and designing an investment proposal for a hypercar; creative and strategy meetings with architects for potential collaboration with a building company (building systems company – BSC) and a private property investment fund; research of and meetings with social media companies for partnership opportunities with tiger two (TT), an online social media company; many discussions with petrolhead nirvana (PN) (a driving tour company) on their strategy for next year (included marketing, redesign of media pieces and output, introduction of new luxury tours, collaborators and partners, sponsorship opportunities, overheads and feasibility of new tour support cars).

was editing two of my short films to submit to onedotzero competition, but couldn’t finish them in time. also wanted to take flat copy pictures of some existing artwork to send to a couple of galleries, but cannot dismantle the frames without destroying them (they were bespoke). perhaps some gallery visits are in order.

went to the RCA final show which i found disappointing in the communication art area. but, to cheer myself up, i visited a friend’s stand who turned out to have three patents pending in product design, two of them financed by the RCA. and ikea is interested in one of them. amazing.

i returned a week ago after 9 days of unbelievable driving with petrolhead nirvana (PN) on their alpine north tour (drove a 360 spider for those interested). travelled through france, germany, switzerland, austria and italy. i was the official photographer, plus ambassador for the company and tour manager, so massive involvement with the clients. great camaraderie between 24 virtual strangers, now all very good friends. here are a few of the (several thousand) pictures i took:

alpine north tour 2011

followed this up with a PN meet at the ace cafe in north london, where petrolheads meet every month. i’m looking at new strategies for this to promote the company’s tours to better effect. it’s also a brilliant place to do the networking thing (much as i hate that expression).

since i’ve been back, i’ve exhibited a film/installation piece with tsvetelina tomova at an exhibition called ‘the space between’ in canary wharf (private view was last week and setting up took ages); edited my several thousand pictures from the driving tour; was invited by a website called ‘glossom’ to showcase my art and quickly received an invitation by the brick lane gallery to exhibit at their ‘art in mind’ series of exhibitions in august/september (fantastic networking, considering they ‘stumbled upon my work’, as they put it). tsvetelina and i are currently developing our own art-based workshop for LIFEbeat, a charity that helps 14-18 year olds with confidence and creative expression: we’re off to camp for 9 days in leicestershire at the end of this week to facilitate and help run the ‘art barn’ part of the programme.

also been in hospital and supporting my partner after an eye operation. it’s all go.

there’s a lot more but it will keep for next time. i’m on the run…

fru