A creative day

For lots of people Saturday is the first day of the weekend and consists of supermarkets, shopping centres, ferrying children around to sport/music/dance etc.. But when you're unemployed, it's not that different from any other day of the week. Yet somehow it feels different. No idea why. Just that habitual imprint of "weekendness" I suppose.

So I've tried to make the most of this Saturday. I got my 'cello out and did some long-overdue practise: something technical, something unfamiliar and something familiar. I think it's a pattern I'll try and stick to. I remember I had a minus1 recording of Brahms' E minor Sonata, well the 1st movement, anyway. So I stuck it on the ipod dock and played my way through it. I'd forgotten how passionate this movement is. How deliberate every single note is. Even with my practise mute on I suspect most of my neighbours were "treated" to an impromptu concert!

Next I got my pencil and paper out again and resumed the Klein Studios drawing classes. I have progressed through lesson 8b now and have a technical still life composition thingy. Apparently I can't draw ovals level, but other than that I'm fairly happy with it for now, although the photograph could be clearer:

iTunes *@!?*^!

My plan to play some WoW last night was fiendishly foiled ... well, I couldn't remember my password and the Blizzard site was down for maintenance so I couldn't request a new one. Instead I watched the last 2/3rds of The Day After Tomorrow, which was better than I was expecting.

So this morning I got myself ready for Week 1, Day 2 of C25K. Got my kit on, went to sort my playlist out and discovered my entire library was absent without leave from iTunes. Thankfully it was all still there on the hard drive. God only knows what foible iTunes was exhibiting, but there it was, 1 Frank Turner album and NOTHING ELSE. But I did an on the go playlist on my 'phone and headed out into the not-quite-drizzling morning. This time wasn't as horrendous as I was expecting, thankfully. My plan was to get back, shower, play a little WoW now my account was accessible again and then head out the the Three Horseshoes to be interviewed by Laurence Tilley for the Rugby Artists' Group newsletter! It was at that point I discovered that, not only had my music gone astray but ALL MY APPS AS WELL!! Needless to stay no foul, undead deviants were slain. Instead I frantically tried to put my 'phone back into it's well-loved state. Of course, all my Angry Birds scores have disappeared ... AGAIN!

However, such frustrations were mollified by a splendid lunchtime spent sipping beer, munching pub grub and being interviewed by Laurence. Had anyone told me a couple of years ago I would be interviewed for an artists' group newsletter I would probably have said something unrepeatable in an incredulous manner. But there I was. And a better lunchtime I haven't spent in a good long while. Excellent company. And yet again I am being persuaded to consider whether I really need to learn to draw if the art that inspires and fuels me is spontaneous, energetic and passionate. Hmmm, it's a good point. I suspect my drive is that I hate being told I can't do something. For some inexplicable reason I want to prove my art teachers of 25 years ago, wrong. What is that about?

Grit your teeth

Today has been grim. I set myself the goal of writing up as much of my School Orientation Experience (SOE) as possible. This is the latest bit of TeachFirst paperwork and is making my brain feel like it's gone through a shredder. The observation week was great, and I took all the necessary notes etc. etc.. But I'd forgotten just how painful I find writing up. I am definitely a practioner rather than a theorist. The act of committing my thoughts to written text is almost physically uncomfortable. I've looked for all sorts of distractions, have needed to get up and walk around, make a hot drink ... but it needed to be done. Sadly it's not finished, but I've done nearly half, so that's a good start.

As for the other stuff, well I found another online drawing course last night http://www.klinecreative.com/free-online-art-lessons.htm and I've made a start. The first couple of lessons have been simply about pencil control, so lots of drawing straight lines, but the bloke on the video is engaging and so far I'm enjoying it even if the practise is tedious. But I guess like anything "no pain, no gain". So as promised, here are my first, uninspiring exercises.  I'm sure it will get more interesting ...

And my other great discovery today was a whole set of YouTube videos exploring the traditional music of nearly 150 different countries! I've been needing to get my head around various world music traditions, as it is a big feature of the current GCSE and A Level Music syllabus but was hardly touched on when I was at school and university. For those of you who are interested, take a look at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA3A1D292BFB1B6DF. It has everything from Bavarian um pah pah music to the music of Myanmar and Tajikistan. Fab resource with some very nice photographs to go with it.

Tomorrow I have to steal myself for C25K day 2. I hope it's not going to be throwing it down in the morning. In the meantime, I'm off to escape in the magical World of Warcraft as my reward for being a good student today.

Free and single

Ok, just to clarify, that's "free" as in without cost because this Bank Holiday weekend got me thinking. What do you do when you're single and unemployed? Oh and the weather is determined to ruin any possibility of anything outdoors? It's a tricky one, but I figured I wasn't the only person on the planet to have pondered the question, so I turned to a good ol' Google search. It was quite an eye-opener! To start with there's a significant gender split.

No prizes for guessing the top male suggestion for having spare time on your *ahem* hands! Their lists seemed to be about earning money and not having to spend it on a date, hitting the gym, playing Xbox ... Whereas the female lists were about pampering yourself, meditating, turning your music up and dancing around your flat. Are we really so 2 dimensional?

But here is a list I've come up with:

• Do the C25K thing and actually feel fitter
• Get back in to my art journal
• learn to draw
• research world music for next September
• practise my 'cello
• find local art exhibitions (and actually go to them)
• play on the wii
• play WoW
• get making again.
• arrange craft days with friends
• go swimming (ok, not free but affordable)

There's probably more, but that'll do for now. Any suggestions always welcome :-)

Back to the drawing board

Those of you who know me, know that I love to create. I make jewellery, steampunk creations, paint stuff etc. etc. But I've never got comfortable with drawing. Friends tell me it's not important, and I guess they're right. But coming from a musical background I know that I play 'cello better because I learnt my scales.

I have occasionally done some representative stuff that I'm not too ashamed of, and drawing is one of those things I have been reliably informed anyone can learn ...

There's a really interesting youtube feed that I'm planning to use http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDE90A0B005052EFB so tomorrow I start. Expect to see my exercises and experiments soon :-)