Wickedness

Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious attractiveness of others - Oscar Wilde.

I have been very good today. Lent camera equipment to a friend; endured the weirdness that comes from sitting in the hospital waiting to have my head xrayed and been shopping in a shop that I've never shopped in which doubled the time it should take. Had an interesting and fulfilling day.

Walking

"All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking" So say Nietzsche.

Artists and writers alike attach great worth to this and celebrate their inspiration derived from taking a stroll. It is a way of giving your time wasting some validity. Yet it does work because I know that I have my best thoughts at that moment when I wake up when my head is clear and my thoughts have free rein.

Henry Thoreau said: "Me-thinks the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow."

Taking a step outside of your normal habits gives room and space for the mind to think things through. We are designed to thrive outside - not at a desk; high ceilings or the sky (even better) prompt unrestrained thoughts; the rhythm beaten out by the sound of our feet hitting the ground brings on a trance-like state which allows for dreams and thoughts to work; our brain functions better when walking - it's the whole multi-tasking thing as long as the two activities are different enough.

The main benefit I can see is that you are getting away from the problem - to step out of the house, or away from the desk, gives you chance to see around the problem; to find the inspiration.

"Going out," John Muir wrote, "was really going in."

Right I'm off out for a walk then :-)

Family Book - update

The Overton Family Book
What a project.

I did say in my FMP blog that I would be working on this over the summer. I have been to see three aunties and an uncle so far to scan their family photos. This has been great fun. I have found images of my Mum and Dad and of me that I had never seen before.

I love this one of Mum in her sexy boots. This is at Auntie Gwen's wedding in 1968.

The big task is to try and find an original un-sun-bleached version of this photograph for the front cover.


It is the only family photograph that has all 13 brother and sisters on it. Usually Norman was behind the camera but in this image Dorothy has taken the photograph so that he can sit down with his brothers and sisters. In the meantime I shall try to see if I can get some of the detail back by tweaking it in photoshop. The best thing to do would be to go and see Uncle Norman and see if he has the negative of the original image.

I have decided that the book should be 10" x 8" but that i shall lay it out landscape rather than portrait. I am going to create it using Blurb software as I had success with that creating my three helvetica books for the FMP.

Linky to the three Helvetica books is to be found here.

Greetings Cards

Have decided that I can make some greetings cards with images I have of Moira that might be of interest to be sold in local outlets. For example the local Post Office, Moira Furnace, Conkers, Tea Shops and Cafes.

I made some prototypes to see how they look all packaged up and decided that the paper quality wasn't good enough. I have ordered some 230gsm paper and that arrived at lunchtime. I will start printing some off ready to take around to outlets.

The feedback so far - from family and friends - is that they are really quite nice. Honest feedback will come from the outlets!

Some of the card images:

Moira Pit Wheel

Sunset over Ashby Canal

Moira Furnace

Weddings

Went to see my Aunt and Uncle yesterday and my Aunt said: "It's a shame you don't live around here".

"Why?" I asked, almost touched.

"Because," she said, "I have 2 work colleagues that are getting married this year".

"Well I'm only an hour away" I said as I handed over 3 or 4 business cards.

Now this is exciting. I shall update my website so that it includes information about weddings and also an idea of pricing just in case people do find their way to my website and want an idea of how much things might cost.

Final Thoughts - 1st July 2010

1st July 2010

The exhibition is down - it's all over.

College has finished I seem to have come out with distrinctions all the way.

Here's hoping for the student loan stuff to sort itself out and for me to be able to start the Digital Media Production Degree in September 2010.

Over the Summer I am going to look for some part-time work, including photography work. Bring it on.

Thoughts - 24th June 2010

24th June 2010

Came into college to see how the exhibition is fairing. Apparently some items have been falling off the walls each night - mostly those that have been stuck to the wall with double sided tape.

My books look well thumbed which is a good thing. A few postcards have been picked up and perhaps one of two of the leaflets but not as many as I had hoped.

Will top up the postcards and leaflets today as I have brought spares in with me.

I have a couple of friends coming in to see the exhibition this evening. Tomorrow I will be bringing in my sister to see it all. I wont be staying at college as there seems to be very little to do apart from play games and I have lots to do which I can better do at home.

On Wednesday (30th June) we are breaking up the exhibition and it is our last day at college on this course. I will need to be here to collect my books and if the holders are still in good condition I will take those home otherwise they will be straight into the bin.

I am now trying to find out more about the University course... when we start... how many days per week... which days... when do we find out if we are getting a student loan... how much do I get...

Over the next 12 weeks I am test trading and getting advice from a business consultant. The summer is going to be fun. I have already opened my Business Account in Ashby.