This first Friday saw me tired and very cold. The truth is that yesterday it was raining when I walked back and forth from the car to drop off my tools and material and I got it all: I was wet, damp, cold and shivering for most of the day. Last night, in my little room in the bed&breakfast I barely slept, I was still feeling cold regardless of the very long and hot shower and I felt unprepared and like I didn't know whether I was coming or going.
Anyway, I made a list of things to address for my next weekend: I want to have an extra pair of shoes in the car, a little hot water bottle with me at all times, food I can easily eat anywhere, etc. I am sure that next week will be better!
So, this Friday we started working on our work-based learning, addressing our skills, direction, purpose, resources, goals, criteria, targeted actions, and of course time-scale.
rƏflƏction
I personally found this extremely important. I am aware I am 53, a mature student, and even if I consider myself an artist, and a good one! unless something unforeseen for now happens, I don't see myself among the likes of Tracey Emin, or Antony Gormley, or the ones I like and admire. So, what's next for me? This reminds me of a session I had with Alex Zawadzki back at Blackburn College when she asked me a vital question: who are going to be your clients? And this has been actually one of the most important questions anyone has ever asked me.
As a writer, I noticed that my job - and the only one I need to be able to do - is writing. As an artist, my job is to create. There are people out there who are amazing PAs, agents, and producers whose role is to assisted and promote artists. That is not my role.
So, my priority? It's to find the best agent, producer, curator, manager, gallery owner who believes in me. On my part, I will need to visit galleries, meet people, mingle with people, talk to people all the while amending, updating and working on my CV, website, social media presence and the like.
From a practical perspective, of course, I want to work on exploring the concept of space and void and volume, looking at curating, keep on looking at connecting my different interests in a harmonious cluster. And also, potentially, looking at volunteering in museums and galleries and maybe archaeological exhibitions.
From an educational perspective, my idea is to extend the same via an MA and a research-based PhD. Because of this, I am trying to apply myself to these two years as if they were propedeutic to the progression and laying the foundations of my research by focusing my assignments in that direction (leaving, of course, some empty space for the absurd and the uncanny!). All of this was part of a mini and extemporaneous tutorial with HT before we meet and discuss next week.
The afternoon was left for our mandatory session of life drawing. I felt comfortable and somehow glad I could stop and just draw. Of course, I am not good in the way I would like to be but I am at university as a student, i.e. I am here to learn!
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This is the end of my very first week. I feel spaced out, extremely tired and at times overwhelmed. But I like it, gosh, I like it!