TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Monday, October 4, 2004

9:41 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Happy Birthday Ben!!!!

It's a beautiful sunny day outside and I've been for an early morning walk, which is part of my new routine necessary to have the energy and time to get everything done these days, and now getting into preparation for the final bridge piece. In the studio this week with Russell, finishing them all to sparkling, radiophonic broadcast quality. We have a listening session on Friday, and they will be aired in December. It's been good having the distance of a months break in between, made it very easy to hear which bits needed to be cut, and re-shape some of the rougher sketched montages. Now I'm pretty happy with them all. It will be such a relief to finish something of this scale and complexity - didn't realise when I started just what I was getting myself into. But I like the medium, it's very different to writing, you can get your teeth into ideas and play with sound - two of my favourite things! and I have ideas for some more radiophonic features in the pipeline, which will form a triptych of journey pieces. Crossing bridges, floating in the Baltic sea and getting lost in the forest. What does that say about me, I wonder.......

It's a strange bubble state I'm living in, I do look up occasionally to see what's happening in the rest of the world, but the news is usually all bad, so it's more satisfying and sanity-enhancing to keep working with this intense myopic focus on my immediate projects. There are some long-range plans as well, but for this week just getting through each day and getting the work done is all I can do.

My lovely cousin Kim tells me she reads this journal when she needs a break from politics - writing up to 18 articles a week for the local newspaper - hi Kim!

It feels so self-indulgent sometimes to be completely dedicated to my own creative work - but then, as Julia says, using your creativity is your gift back to the universe. or words to that effect.
And hey, we're living in a country where there is NO arts policy, it's certainly not on the agenda for next weeks election - and so in a way I guess it is politically subversive to actually spend your time, energy and focus on artistic pursuits. The idea of contributing to the cultural capital of the nation really doesn't even make a blip on the radar -now if I could swim or run really fast, or jump really high that would be something worthwhile.

Maybe I can buttonhole the Prime Minister when he leaves the building today, and have a rant at him - there was a big white stretch car out the front, number plates C*A and flock of discreet dark suited men talking into their sleeves, hovering around the doors, pacing on every level and huddled with the regular ABC security - we don't have many people that 'important' in the country, so I'm guessing it was little johnny.
Now, back to the Indooroopilly Bridge, which is about to lose 4 and a half minutes.