The Flow

When I listened to the TED talk last week by Martin Seligman, he talked about levels of happiness. He talked about three levels that can lead to a happy life. The Pleasant Life - where you get as many pleasures as you can get from external sources, the hedonistic lifestyle. The Good Life - where he talks about stepping into the flow, you become absorbed in what you do and time stops and you become unaware of your feelings. The ultimate is of course the Meaningful Life, where you know your strengths and you use in the service of something higher than you are.

I have definitely have been in the Good Life today, time stopped and I became thoroughly absorbed in my art making, music was playing and I stopped worrying about what I was or wasn't feeling.

So I have come out of my studio at half six on a Sunday evening having been lost in the flow all day, and it feels like a very good life.

Bee House Plaque

I recently finished this commission, the brief was to design a house plaque with 13 bees on it, I really enjoyed making it and am really pleased with the results. I used glass, mosaic tiles, beads, and handmade dichroic glass for the bee bodies, made by Dee from Ju-San.

A tiring week...

I've had one of those weeks where you don't really feel as though you've done anything, but actually have done lots of little things, but they only appear big when you add them up into one big job.

But at least we had a lovely walk on Wednesday which ended in a real ale pub called The Smithfield in Derby, rather run down and neglected, but lovely beer.

Been very very busy...

I've been really busy this week, I had a meeting with the council about funding for the Abandoned Projects and the feedback was really positive. I've got a meeting with Business Link in two weeks to build up Corridor Arts as a social enterprise and am going to a business networking thingy next week. It suddenly feels like things are progressing! I've also applied for a residency with an arts organisation that I'd love to get, but will have to wait and see.
I've written an editorial this morning, made 5 small sculptures this week for the Pickfords House exhibition and started the Equestrienne Mosaic. Its amazing how much you can fit into one week when there is just me to look after!
So heres the first image of the mosaic as it builds up to a finished piece.

SNEAKY PEEK...

Just a sneaky peek at some of the detail on the first sculpture for the Aesthetics of Africa exhibition at Pickfords House in October, It's a good start but still lots to do in the next couple of weeks.

Martin Seligman on positive psychology | Video on TED.com

Martin Seligman on positive psychology | Video on TED.com

Natalie Merchant Equestrienne Music Video HD

And this is the song that inspired the drawing below.