The weeks that were: Mar 29th - Apr 18th
Magnolia at CPH Botanical Gardens - photo by Lars.
Working on…
I finally have a painting on the easel! Well, one I abandoned shortly after starting because Things… demanded my attention. And, strictly speaking this should be in the ‘thinking about’ section rather than the ‘working on’ section, as I have to make a start on it but I’m hoping I can chivvy myself into action by telling you I’m working on it (self-exposure as a productivity tool, anyone?). Truth is, I haven’t done any proper painting for AGES and I know I have a thick crust of rusty skills to break through before I can produce anything I’m happy with. The resistance is strong with this one, but it’s just paint, right? At some point the desire to get my hands dirty and re-engage with the sensory pleasure of it all will win. And once that happens, everything is set up and ready to go so I can jump straight into it.
Thinking about…
Productivity. A few people lately have commented on how prolific I seem, and how much they think I do/produce, which seems so funny to me because I feel like I do very little day-to-day, and I rarely crack a 20-hour week, usually only managing 10-15 hours of work before fatigue, pain, or overwhelm drag me under again. It’s really got me thinking about how I actually work and how so much gets done even though I feel like I spend most of my time in bed, or just plain old procrastinating.
I know I work in a very monotropic way, so I work on one thing until it’s finished - sometimes whilst hyperfocused and eschewing all else including eating, sleeping and peeing, sometimes at a more human cadence. I’m definitely a sprinter, though, not a plodder, so I tend to get a lot done quickly and then very little for months and months. I’ve never really analysed it before, beyond feeling vaguely frustrated that I’m not a robot and can’t maintain a consistent output. But now I’m thinking it warrents a bit more exploration/excavation - there might even be a YouTube video in there somewhere. Do let me know if that’s a rabbit hole you want to go down with me.
Reading…
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I know Morgenstern is something of a polarising writer, but I adored this. Everything about the world-building just ticked all of my boxes, and I loved the analogue machinery, clockwork, Rube Goldbergian thread that ran through the whole thing. I have never wanted to run away and join a circus more.
Watching…
I have loved John Waters since I was a teenager. Everything I ever read about him or watched by him made me feel like he was a kindred spirit. I adore his take on bad taste, I love the way he subverts expectations and pokes fun at the establishment, and I particularly love his treatment of the odd and the other, BUT I had never seen a full film. I think I left it so long because I was worried I wouldn’t like them, and by not watching them I could keep any disappointment at bay.
This year, however, I decided to pop my cherry and actually watch the films, and reader - I fucking love them. So far we’ve only watched three (Serial Mom - which has a L7 cameo *gasp*, Hairspray - where I fell hopelessly in love with Ricki Lake, and Cry-Baby - which is completely, utterly, deliciously batshit), but every single one has hit like I hoped they would. They’re funny, rude, stupid, clever, warm, brilliant, camp, satirical, and political. I can’t wait to dive into his trashier earlier work too - bring on the filth!
