Limbo

I have to move out of the house- at short notice, before I've barely unpacked. Either that or get married/engaged.

Organized religion sucks.

10,000 hours

10,000 hours is roughly the time required to achieve mastery over a subject (given you initially have some raw talent). That's approximately 20 hours a week for 10 years. I read this in the guardian at the weekend- basically, what distinguishes the very successful from others is not that they work much harder. But rather they work much, much, much harder. There are other factors there of course- favourable, supportive environments, starting young ( which allows you to reach that level of expertise early enough for you to successfully apply it), etc.

It's not necessarily a question of talent (obviously some raw talent is needed), but essentially a question of work ethic/obsession/drive.

I was thinking about this a few months ago when I visited some artists I had studied with- one guy in particular has recently had significant breakthroughs with his painting. What was the difference between him and the rest of us? He didn't break his study- foundation to degree to masters to Phd (which he's near completion). That's 9 years of continuous work in a supportive environment.

I have to work at it. Stop fecking off around the country/world so much. Apply myself, because I do want to be an artist.

The good news? I pretty much have a studio lined up for January with several painters. The association and space to produce. I cannot stress my excitement.Hare Krishna

It has come to pass

I have moved to Brighton! More or less, as in I have some stuff here, the wardrobe is full of my clothes, we have curtains and drawers... I'm currently looking at studios so I can start painting again, and also for a part-time job (so I can pay for my studio). It'll take a bit of time to get fully settled, but things are looking good and it's nice to be in the house. I'm looking forward to some sort of stability and routine with work, art and life in the ashram.

Check out my reupholstered blanket box! posh int it?? ...Shelves next!

Gypo

The last couple of weeks have seen me in Leeds, Wolves, London and Ireland... I've somehow found myself on a mad catch up mission, which has been fantastic if not exhausting (the traveling, not the time spent with loved ones). I spent almost a week with an old uni mate, Kyla, living in her gorgeous little cottage that backs onto woods- ?? And its in the heart of Leeds! We spent the time talking art, playing the guitar, walking in the woods with Bon, eating amazing veggie feasts... she took me on a sound journey, introduced me to some friends, and one night we trekked into the woods and built ourselves a fire. This was a little creepy at first- Kyla had a solar-powered torch that kept cutting out on us, and the pitch darkness coupled with the noises of the woods was all a little too Blair Witch! ... I relaxed after a time and enjoyed the ambiance.



Tell you what I really enjoyed... Stomping around in boots! Ah man, it's a whole different experience not worrying about your shoes... mud is good! I'm going to get me a pair of walking boots and dirty them bad boys up.








On one of the days we journeyed down to Wolverhampton to catch an exhibition some friends Becky and Ad were in- The Something Collective, showing in Birmingham. Amazing venue, a decrepit old club house donated as a space before being refurbished. Ad's work encouraged the usual laughs (intentional and loving) and Becky's work is herself manifested on paper... sweet, romantic and nostalgic. The evening was spent in a pub back in Wolves, with more artists, talking art, toasting Ad's birthday and the numerous appearances his art had had in the local and national papers. I have to say I do get a good feeling in Wolves, and I do miss my friends there. It's so important to have supportive friends doing or attempting to do a similar thing- I need a scene. A crowd of artists to share experience and ideas with.

Train back to Margate, that evening booked a flight for the following night to Shannon, Ireland. Myself and Camila escaped England for three days, hired a car and stayed in the Burren. We soaked up the beautiful countryside and the unusually good weather with long walks up mountains and around the coast. We also met many cousins and relatives of mine which made for lots of laughter... most of the time. I love them all- want to live there some time... soak it up. Paint landscapes. As usual the air was nourishing, and the sky felt close- I swear the clouds are lower in Ireland.

A few days in London allowed me to catch the Rothko exhibition at the Tate Modern- it was impressive. There is a definite spiritual aspect to his work that commands some respect- what a subject to tackle! The transcendence of the material. Its a hard thing to do- make art that speaks of the good stuff- much easier to tackle how shit things are in the world, the meaningless and the ugly. The exhibition was crowded so I couldn't meditate on it too much, but it is a wonderful show. It feels significant- see it if you can.

Whilst in London I was also a judge for a Photography competition at the Kalayaan- Centre for Oversees domestic workers... a charity set up to advise foreign men and women who are abused by their employees. Modern day slavery so to speak. Anyway, after a photography workshop, the domestic workers were invited to take and submit images they felt represented something about their lives in England. It was quite an interesting thing to be involved in and some good work surfaced. One guy shone. The prize has to be a voucher (not cash) which may enable him to continue with his artistic pursuits.

For now, I'm back in Margate... preparing for the move! Aaargh! Bite the bullet. I'll be there next week.

Brighton Rathyatra

Just got back from Brighton after a few days of being krishna'd! It was lovely, although I've come back with a cold. The Rathyatra fell on a gorgeous hot Saturday- the mood was chilled and full of love and goodwill. I met several old faces from the Manor. Feeling very positive about moving into the ashram. It'll be a real experience- intense I'm sure, but you know, you learn pretty quick in extreme situations. The thing I am most nervous about is the fact there are so many visitors to the house, all week. I like my space... But hey ho. I'm not bound by anything, and I have many escape routes in place (friends dotted around the city).

Malaysia/Thailand

Just got back from the shortest trip I've ever had in Asia! My brother had his second wedding there, so family from Ireland, the Philippines and England gathered for the celebration. It was intense! A lot of fun, a bit of stress- hard work organizing everyone and trying to facilitate desires. The parties were great- everyone was up for dancing and having fun, including the brides side. I must confess to not enjoying the actual wedding ceremony- very ritualistic.

Best thing about it?? The Transexual Peacock dancers! They cleared the path for Rene to ride in on his white steed...


It was fantastic meeting my Uncle Boy, Ate Terry and a cousin, Joanne from Fili- family I hadn't seen in 18 years... Uncle Boy taught me how to swim properly, and Joanne is pretty special. We have the same ideas about life, the universe, love... well, the same line of inquiry! We agreed to visit the Philippines in 2010- I'm learning Tagalogue in preparation... I can say 'I'm going to sleep, I'm sleeping, she's sleeping, what?, I am Kristen, Good day how are you, Im fine, yes, no, dog, fat, beautiful...' getting there!

After the wedding myself, Bel, Stuart and Fiona (an Irish cousin) headed to the island Penang- stayed in a 5* hotel (only room we could get due to school holidays) and lived it up for a few days. The last 4 days we went to Krabi, Thailand- snorkelled, swam, had massages on the beach... it was lovely.

Back home now, preparing to move to Brighton at the end of the month.... My feelings about life are positive.

Stonehenge

Last Thursday I went to Brighton for a big program- Dina's spiritual master Mahvisnu Swami is visiting. We had a big feast that evening and a good class. Actually it was really nice- I was paying close attention, to try and suss him out and he really impressed me. He is very gentle, humble and leads amazing kirtan. It was a lovely evening.

The next day we hired a minibus and drove down to Stonehenge for the summer solstice. Sky and Louise came also which was great- hadn't seen Sky in over a year and its always a joy being around Louise. We sang, chanted, danced all night in the spitting rain- weaving our way through the crowds as we circumambulated the stones. It was ecstatic and fired up all night! Probably my best experience at Stonehenge to date. I think the rain kept everyone calm... Also bumped into several faces from the old wilder Krishna Centre that used to be in North Rd, Brighton. It was a charged experience.

New Blog

I have been inspired by some close friends to keep a record of my experiences with a blog- I guess it will only be for close friends and family to keep track of, if they so choose... Facebook and myspace are far too exposed, and I don't really want everyone knowing my business. Neither do I want to offend anyone by a mass purge.

So lets hope I keep this up. (I have about 3 years of catch up on my journal- which is JUST for me)