Waiting, Law of Attraction and a collaboration offer

This morning we arrived early at the studio where Dan has private teaching on a Thursday. We were talking in the car and realised that we were discussing a relevant topic and decided to record it to turn our conversation into art practice.

We were discussing the Law of Attraction and the notion that what you put your focus on grows. We are finding that we are talking a lot about not having enough time. We mention it all the time and we are even making a project about it. But could it be that by talking about it all the time and focussing so much on not having enough time, we are perpetuating the cycle? Could it be that we need to make space to allow for having more time? The more time we think we have, the more we can create and the more time we will have?

If anyone is reading and listening to this, there is an offer to you at the end of the recording. Love Sharon and Dan

School run chronicles

Made a start on recording a narration of the school run. I was nervous about how it would sound and what I would say so I’ve been procrastinating. But today I’m early and so I decided to stop and set up the phone to start recording. I recorded a narration of the journey from Bisley to Oakridge. It’s the start of the creative process. I’ll see where it takes me.

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To do or not to do that is the question

When I’m working at home, I feel a constant tension of what to focus on. Do I focus on art practice or should I quickly pop that wash on the line while it’s nice and windy? Shall I write this blog post or put the shopping away? You can guess which one I chose as you are reading this. My future self is not going to like this choice when I have hungry children later needing their dinner asap. Oh well, at least we will have dry washing.

Slow conversations in a bookshop

I have come to Cirencester to work for a bit while I wait for Dan who is working nearby. I came into Waterstones to look for something for Dan’s birthday next week (shhh!) and to work in their cafe. I’m on a slow day. I’ve only got a couple of hours here so it is tempting to log on and crack on. I say “only’” I could say I’ve got a couple of hours here. I’ve got the time I’ve got. I could view it as short or I could view it as long. I hardly ever have 2 hours on my own in a cafe. What a luxury.

In my slowness, I stopped to chat to 2 different assistants who work here. One of them received an Amazon parcel while we were chatting about books and Waterstones’ ‘Smart Thinking’ shelves. I laughed and asked him if it was books? He laughed. No it was his cleaning products for home. We talked more. They didn’t have the book I was looking for (Under Pressure by Carl Honoré). I bought another book and spoke to a second assistant. We reflected on the fact that in this day and age we need a book to give us permission to slow down and do what we know instinctively is good for us. She told me that she walked slowly to work today and the birds were singing particularly loudly. She told me that when she was a child she kicked around at the local park. We talked about how nowadays children are rushed from club and class to club and class. I told her about Steiner kindergarten and how my youngest child has just started school, hence my wandering on my own on a Thursday lunchtime. Her children have recently left home. She is finding the empty nest hard. She has a 9 month old granddaughter who isn’t quite crawling yet. She told me how she looks after her.

Then in the queue for the toilet I spoke to 2 more ladies who were browsing cook books. I said that I love cookbooks and think that they can’t be replaced by online recipes. We talked about recipes and how interesting cookbooks are. I helped another lady with the heavy toilet door.

So much activity and interaction. I feel buoyant and I’m smiling. I ‘only’ have an hour left of my work time but my short time in this shop has already been so rich. I’m inspired.

Slow reading

Given that many of our projects and a lot of our thinking is about time, we are starting to build a small pile of books relating to time. Trouble is we don’t have time to read them. We often listen to podcasts or books while we are doing something else. It’s time to take time to do some reading about time.

Slave to the rhythm

Listening to the radio again whilst at work cleaning offices. Grace Jones’ Slave to the Rhythm is playing. Another song about rhythm of life. We want to be active participants in the rhythm of our life rather than a slave to it. This early stage of research is about noticing. Then after the noticing comes the action.

I had a grandfather on my father's side
He's ninety-five years old
His great-grandfather came from Nigeria, from the Igbo tribe
I don't look like my mother and I don't look like my father
I look exactly like my grandfather
And I act like him
Do you act all the time?
Not all the time, no

You work all day and men you know
The wheels must turn to keep the flow
Oh, oh, oh

Build on up, don't break the chain
Sparks will fly, when the whistle blows

Oh, oh
Slave to the rhythm
Oh, oh
Slave to the rhythm

Work to the rhythm, uh-huh

You build on up, don't break the chain
Sparks will fly, when the whistle blows
Fire burns, heart beats strong
Sing out loud, the chain gang song

Oh, oh
Slave to the rhythm
Oh, oh
Slave to the rhythm

Oh, oh
Slave to the rhythm
Oh, oh
Slave to the rhythm

Never stop the action
Oh, never stop the action
Never stop the action
Keep it up, keep it up
Never stop the action

Slave to the rhythm

Keep it up, keep it up
Never stop, never stop
Keep it up

Work to the rhythm

Slave to the rhythm

Live to the rhythm

Love to the rhythm

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Trevor Horn / Bruce Woolley / Stephen Lipson / Simon Darlow

Slave to the Rhythm lyrics © Unforgettable Songs, Sony/atv Music Publishing Allegro (uk), Unforgettable Songs Ltd., Perfect Songs Ltd

1:2:1

We had an idea to each do something creative at 1:21pm wherever we were as a way of connecting whilst being apart. It didn’t work.

We kept forgetting. We didn’t know what to do. It didn’t seem to have meaning. Why? What was hard about it.

But some interesting things happened. Sharon made a coffee and took time to sit and drink it for 10 minutes whilst doing nothing else. Dan took 4 seconds to take a photo and his colleagues and students (who are all artists and creatives) were asking him what he was doing and were intrigued and impressed by his creativity.

This is the rhythm of my life

Driving home from the morning school run and this song is on the radio. I pulled over and recorded the end of it. It seems apt. “This is the rhythm of my life.”

What is the rhythm of our life? That is what we are exploring in this project. Do we have control of it? Sometimes it feels out of control. So fast that we are running to keep up. We don’t want to live in that rhythm.

The Rhythm of the Night

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Lyrics

This is the rhythm of my life, the night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night
This is the rhythm of my life, the night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night
This is the rhythm of my life, the night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night
This is the rhythm of my life
This is the rhythm of my life
This is the rhythm
This is the rhythm of my life, the night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night
This is the rhythm of my life, the night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night
This is the rhythm of my life, the night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night
This is the rhythm of my life
This is the rhythm of my life
This is the rhythm

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: J. Bertoli / L. Palmiro / Tony Varone

The Rhythm of the Night lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group