Thoughts - 15th April 2010

15th April 2010 - 4am

I know it's too early but I do have some very creative ideas at this time of the morning so I picked up my notebook and started scribbling.

Worried about how naff and unresolved this idea might end up being. It will be a lot of work and might not come together. Perhaps 300 odd images is just lots of work with no final outstanding image - that someone might be interested in buying. Do I need to think about reducing the number of pages and making the books a hard cover rather than soft cover.

Will have a chat with Pete about ideas today and see if he has any advice. I will print off copy of statement of intent as well as a mock up of about a dozen pages of one of the books to take with me.

Watched "Goldsmiths - Is it Art?" Their final show was about selling their paintings and getting work. The point of the FMP is to pull together all the things learnt and being to create a path to the future you want to have in photography. But as I am planning to go on to do the Degree perhaps it can wait for the show for that. Perhaps the FMP needs to be something that I love and enjoy. I know that some of my images sell and that people like. These images are not liked at College and wouldn't cut the mustard for the outcome of an assignment. They are two different markets.

I need to get some more Moo business cards prepared for the FMP show. Perhaps the reverse will have the stand design on it along with some of the nicer images used in the books eg 'handmade' and 'EPSON' using different colours on the back. Think they do 50 cards for about £12. I will need a business card holder as well as the book holder/shelf.

Evening:

Chatted to Pete about the disconnection between the 4 books. He suggested ABCD as books will contain alphabets:

A = Ashby Amsterdam

B = Burton Belper

C = Coalville Cardiff Crewe

D = Derby Donington

Think the point of my choosing Amsterdam Burton Ashby Moira in the first place was missed they were not quite as arbitrary as first thought. Amsterdam is an international city where the impact of design and the use of helvetica can be seen everywhere. The idea was to compare that and show how it has worked its way down to places as local as Ashby, Burton and Moira.

However I quite like the ABCD idea and with all flights being banned for at least 2 days because of the volcano in Iceland and because I ought to try and be a little careful with money for this and because I do want to be in the country on 6th May in order to be able to vote then I think sticking to mainland UK is a better idea.

Cardiff will give me the chance to capture helvetica in use in a foreign language which was one of the main reasons for visiting Amsterdam.

Have got my enthusiasm back for the project now. I will go with the ABCD idea and I'm sure my sister will be happy to come to Cardiff with me rather than Amsterdam.

Also during the afternoon I went to see a Business Advisor. She had quite a few ideas about FMP show which I shall start working on. I will begin test trading after FMP show (20th June) and I need to put together my preferred ideas for how to start marketing myself before my next meeting with her.

Here's another worry - am I taking on too much for this coming year - or is it the kick up the ass I need:

* FMP then Degree

* Mayor

* Test Trading

* Work and preparation for family party

... time will tell.