TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Friday, August 12, 2005

6:03 PM
Posted by jodi rose

attempted typing with red gloves on - please excuse any nistakes.
after a trying start to the day, dealing with inefficient beauraucracy (is it ever any other way?) things picked up in the afternoon. had a long meeting and chat with michael at syd uni acoustic research lab, about a surround sound piece I'm starting, talked composition, sound, aesthetic organisation, sci-fi, creativity and research. very inspiring - and incredibly generous with his time and expertise - it's really an incredibly joy to have contact with all these fantastic people who seem to want to help me :)
meeting with sarah last night to discuss details of our data mapping flex sensor performance - more details forthcoming closer to the event, but it will be beautiful and strange and fun. walking through erskinville on the way to her place, found a magnetic whiteboard still in its wrapping with a note saying: ok to take. and I had just been thinking earlier in the day as I unpacked and sorted my studio, finding all the magnets and cards I used to have up - I wonder where that magnestic whiteboard has got to? so there you go, instant synchronicity at work.

Was getting a little beside myself and overwhelmed at all these slightly ludicrous projects I keep generating - asked for some help and it is certainly pouring in from all directions. One of my key philosophies in life is that if you can think of something (and then keep dreaming it, imagine it in specific detail), then you can make it real.... with a little help from your friends....

Key supporting belief is that people want to help - someone organising a festival said to me last month; oh they're a commercial organisation, I just assumed they wouldn't want to help (I was having a meeting with these people that week - and they turned out to be incredibly willing and able to assist the project I was discussing) - anyway, I said: never assume people don't want to help. If they can and it makes sense to do so, then it's incredibly energising and satisfying to give something of your own resources and energy and experience to people doing 'out there' creative work. I'm finding that myself, as people start to ask me to do stuff - if they're passionate and genuinely dedicated to what they're doing, and I can help, I will. Remember to set clear boundaries, on both sides of what you expect from each other and what you can actually give. Although still alert for signs of developing 'famous artist syndrome' where you expect anyone in your orbit to instantly carry out your whims. not quite there yet, but do have to remind myself that other people may sometimes not have an overwhelming obsession with creating art from bridges in a wide variety of forms.

The other key to my philosophy is: persistence. imagination. persistence. courage. persistence. self-belief. persistence. faith. persistence. joy. persistence. focus. and you guessed it, persistence.

so, that's the pep talk for today. got my letters written and posted, stay tuned for the results. reworking the writing I'm doing to extract it from the pseudo academic model I never quite got the hang of, and go in what I'm reliably informed is a 'creative non-fiction' direction.

(mis)quote of the day from simon schama in landscape and memory: experience the world through the archive of the feet.
or words to that effect.