Creativity & Transition Belper

I was sat on my sofa, reading the transition network website guidelines for the stages of transition and involving families, when I realised the most obvious thing I hadn't done... Tell people about my growing involvement with the transition network. (Duh!)

For the last few months I've been working on a project for Transition Belper and what started out as a fun project that I could use my artistic skills with local children is turning out to be a bit of a life changer. I've always tried (and regularly failed) to live ethically and environmentally friendly so joining in with the transition network is an obvious step. 

Transition movements look at ways to address the two subjects of climate change and peak oil and how we can continue to live with a dwindling resource and how we contribute to climate change. 

The project is to create artwork for the railings at the Belper Train Station and to create a mosaic that will be built at Belper Goes Green Festival. I'm still hoping we have the funds for the mosaic and we are winging it a bit, but I still have a belief that it will happen. 

This has had an effect on my lifestyle recently as I've given up my car (my biggest oil user as I rarely do things like fly) and an awakening to using local and alternative sources. I'm currently enjoying the bus ride to my part time job which means I get to walk through my local park most days, whether I'll still like it in winter remains to be seen! 

I also recently agreed/volunteered to be the Creativity & Wellbing coordinator and our first meeting is on the 3rd May. My aspirations for this group are that we ultimately make artwork that reflect the issues around transition, have some skill sharing sessions and hopefully some up skilling. I know that I would love to learn how to crochet, something very simple but is a total mystery to me! 

As well as this I also start training as a forest school leader in May which I'm really excited about. Outdoors, kids, playing & learning, creating, mud. What's not to love! 

One of the drawings from Herbert Strutt Primary School for Transition Belper. 

Outdoor Easter Crafts hanging in the living willow dome. 

Mango Cards, Trees and Wild Garlic.

I've recently embraced a new experience that was forced on me. 

I'm from a background belief that a sign of success is having a decent car. It indicates to the rest of society that you have achieved enough earnings in life that you can afford to run a highly expensive object. 

A recent mot failure and consequential visit to the car dustbin left me with two options, rush out and buy another rusty money pit or embrace the challenge of no car. 

Needless to say, my kids are horrified by this prospect. 

I'm a few weeks into this experiment and I'm currently enjoying it. I get to walk across my look nature reserve most days, taking photos of interesting shadows, shapes and sights.  Some days I listen to my headphones, other days I listen to the birds. Last week, I picked wild garlic that we ate for tea. 

I've had no shortage of lifts from friends and colleagues, either because they have spotted me walking to the bus station or because I've asked for a lift to a specific event. I've been awed by people's kindness at times. 

It feels a more sociable experience than getting in my car, locking the doors and driving myself alone to my destination. 

It's made me think about my own carbon footprint and what I am doing that impacts on the earth. 

It's given me the space to consider where I fit in society and how I often feel isolated and remote because my viewpoint is different from those around me. 

I have discovered I want to live a lifestyle that is alternative, where I don't feel obliged to buy into the capitalist system which makes me unhappy. 

I want to stay awake and smell the wild garlic. 

Sod it, I want to smell it, eat it whole and let it grow another million years so my descendants can do the same!

You Know You Are a Real Artist...

When you start getting con men emailing you and as I've received mine today, I am officially a real artist. 

It's like getting that telegram from the queen on your 100th birthday, or your driving license at 17, giving you the freedom you spent the last few years angsting over.  An iconic landmark! 

Here's my lovely email from Mike Conley with his impeccable English. 

Hello and good day

       please i saved the details of the link to where i saw your woks online but i have lost it,so please i would so much appreciate it if you could assist me and also please i would like to know if i could make a direct purchase of your works from you,if so thanks so much for taking time to read my email and i patiently await your response.

Regards

Mike

It's a proud moment and I'd like to thank my family and friends for their support over the years leading to my success. 

New Years Revolution

Like most people, I've set some New Years resolutions, goals, intentions, aims... Call them what you like but they are there to help us improve out life. 

I've tried to make mine specific and achievable. No 'get fit and loose weight', but getting fit includes running a half marathon, loosing weight includes going to slimming world and I have an aim in mind. These are my more boring ones, but they're mine so I will do my best to stick with them. 

The ones that I'm more likely to let slide are the creative challenges because these are the ones that really ask me to push myself. To do one collage a week so that I have 52 pieces for an exhibition, these will reflect my year and what is happening for me emotionally and physically. I also need to find an exhibition space. 

I think I may need support with these, so here's my idea. To meet up with friends and take the baby steps needed to fulfil all my life goals and dreams for the coming year. I don't want to be sitting here next year with a feeling of regret because I let the dreams go. 

I've also picked a word for 2014 to stick by and that is to be Authentic. 

I'll be putting the idea of a meet up to talk about reaching for our aspirations out on social media, if you fancy joining me, let me know. 

Sunday challenge

A bit late on the Sunday challenge as I went to the cinema last night with my daughter and didn't have the time to stop and think. 

This weeks challenge really is a challenge as it involves going outdoors and in this weather that's not always pleasant, however, wrap up warm and it should only take 20 minutes, if the kids are off school, take them along to. Grab a note pad and pen and head out to a green space. It also means taking time out from all the rushing around. 

I've taken this idea from The Wild Project,  which gives lots of ideas for things to do outside. At this busy time of year, it's easy to get lost in the maelstrom of self employment/part time job/family/Christmas tornado, so take yourself out to the nearest green space and sit for 20 minutes and just listen. Focus in on some of the sounds that are near by, what are they saying? Are they speaking to you or to each other? Draw or write down what you hear. 

 It's raining where I am today, so I'm going to save this until tomorrow. Let me know how you get on and I'll be posting about my stop and listen challenge too. 

STOP MOANING!

Usually aimed at myself, the phrase, stop moaning does appear quite often in my inner monologue (often along with, 'I can't do this' and 'my lungs are going to explode and I'm going to die') and I get quite sick of myself. 

So I decided to challenge myself to the positive thinking mindset of not complaining, moaning or whinging for 24 hours and invited others to join in. 

I think I did ok today, nearly slipped into a quick moan at work, but stopped myself, just in time. 

It's harder than it sounds, because the real challenge is to stop the inner moaning. The stuff that isn't verbalised that is a diatribe of negativity is the real battle. 

It's that negative nag, the monkey mind, that keeps us in a destructive dialogue with ourselves. 

My challenge for the rest of the week? To stop taking notice of the inner whiner.  

Micro mosaic pendants

I've recently been exploring micro mosaicing to make pendants. 

I've used millifiore glass, ceramics and recycled pieces of jewellery.

I've really enjoyed making these, they are a pleasurable item to make that feel lovely to hold. 

There's still a few available although they have been selling really quickly. In looking forward to how visitors to the upcoming craft fairs will react to them.