October 2015 – Good Enough Diary

Here is today’s blogpost – synergized from my band’s blog (I’m hoping to get all my blogs together….). I am living this wonderful phenomenon, when all the things you vaguely meant to do “sometime” are suddenly moving up the queue, because you’re doing a big “thing”, and they have become necessary…. . Hence a day with promotional materials, editing video, discussing (getting) a website. Time to sleep, as 6 am brings more of that! 🙂

The Living Songbook

Here we are, yet again at the drawing board of “how do we promote”? There are bigger questions behind, wider implications: gigs are coming up and we have to let people know about them. We have to keep confident in what we’re offering, keep the spirit up and the communication.

For all of you, London-based: we are participating in Humanimalism, a stunning immersive musical directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair of Team Angelica. Rehearsals were/are incredibly fun, and now we’re getting to the good part! Get your free invite by emailing guestlist@teamangelica.com, and get yourself to Theatre Royal Stratford East on Friday and/or Saturday… 🙂

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Hey! Remember me? I’m this person, who – long time ago – started this blog with a project: posting every day 30 days. After the project ran its course, quite happily so, she let it go a bit. And a bit more. And suddenly, the blog had little in the way of posts, and even less interaction. Hardly an uncommon story.

I’m back. I want to be. Not only I’m thinking of a Bigger Better Page TM (does anyone know how to transfer archival posts?), but also I want to blog every day, even if its just a sentence. I’m a writer. It’s not all I do (hence the sentence idea), but if in the entire day there is not a thought or an event worth mentioning, I’m failing in my purpose as an artist.

Why all this fire? Well, I work one of those jobs. We call them… “day jobs” (as in art can only be done at night) – “resting jobs” (because they require no effort) and, most grieviously, “money jobs” (this is so bad I won’t even comment on it). I am often fed up with That Job. I do it and am good at it; I recently wondered whether I apply the same work ethic to my own projects (the answer is, was, no, hence being back on the blog). Not only I’m not in a position to quit and Do Art, I applied for a position that will take me further into The Job.

Oh god.

There are reasons for me to go Further. First of all, I’m bored in my current position, and more responsibility would feel better; secondly, I’d definitely earn more money; lastly, I hunger for some sort of recognition that working odd-jobs hardly ever provides. Except, all these needs would be better served by a well-constructed, focused creative career.

I’m not staying asleep, anymore. If I have to struggle, let it be – creative.

Google searches: Breast stroke technique (disappointing. I need to learn underwater breathing before improving the rest…)

I went swimming today, after a long-ish break (haven’t gone since Edinburgh Festival). Giddy from the in-the-water euphoria, I deliberated how swimming is a perfect sport for a writer. Which it is! At least for this writer… 🙂

But still. You can do it with minimum equipment (granted, if you want fancy gear, don’t let me stop you!), your sweaty body gets immediately refreshed and it’s easy on the joints. Back pain reduction also doesn’t hurt (a PUN! Okay, let up, I’m still giddy), you get abdomen muscles with minimal fuss and repetitive movement can be soothing (that bit is personal, it would be annoying for some).

And the most important thing: WATER.

I love, love, love being in the water.

Lying on the water is a favourite; it’s beautiful to let it just carry you, feeling the minute changes of currents, that even an artificial environment like a pool will have, water sloshing this way and that, with gentle waves from your fellow swimmers coming your way. *** But swimming itself, conquering the space with the strength of your body alone – such a perfect counterpoint to writing, as well as a representation of it! You are the steering wheel, the sailor and the ship (to misquote a Polish poem). You are the inspiration, the work and the editor. You are the moving, straining body; an ever mobile, reaching mind.

You are the child in the womb; the grown human being, daring to look life in the face and comment.

You are everything at once.

And you get a lot of new writing ideas in the shower, after….

*** just make sure fellow swimmers aren’t giving you the evil eye, because you’re in their way…!

Month: October 2015

The Learning Songbook – how to be creative

Hey ho, get to work!

Back to Mother Water (#swimmingwisdom)