Getting ready

As May approaches days like today make me very nervous. Today as I ran, my legs hurt and my general energy was low. Possibly my liver is still processing alcohol from friends wedding, more likely, I have encountered a plateau in my training. Better now than later I reassure myself.
My whole body feels a weight of worry, a mild underlying anxiety about the enormity of what Hiatus is. And because dwelling in worry is so awfully uncomfortable I am considering ways in which I might effectively lessen (total alleviation seems impossible) this feeling. Essentially I am asking myself, what can I do today to prepare? What does it mean to prepare? Who else might I assist to prepare? Is it possible to prepare too much?
In thinking about preparedness, I leave you with some interesting thoughts on why it is that we don't prepare as much as we might, should or could for natural disasters...

Here comes the rain, rain, rain, again.

Rain, Rain (Cher)

Why am I here if youre there

So far away its not fair

To be without you like this

I miss you more than you know

The nights are long

The days slow

Without the warmth of your kiss

Wish you were back here with me

Cause out my window

All is see is

Rain , Rain In The Sky

Everywhere I Look My Eyes See

Rain , Rain Fallin' Down

Crying As It Hits The Ground

Rain , Rain In My Heart

Every Day That Were Apart

Rain , Rain

Falling Rain

The sun is strong when youre near

But when you're gone it disappears

Behind an ocean of blue

The telephones not good enough

It cant reach out it cant touch

Me like the way you do

Wish you would knock at my door

Cause only you can stop this pouring

Rain , Rain In The Sky

Everywhere I Look My Eyes See

Rain , Rain Fallin' Down

Crying As It Hits The Ground

Rain , Rain In My Heart

Every Day That Were Apart

Rain , Rain

Falling Rain , Rain

Rain , Rain

Only Rain , Rain

Maybe Ill go outside

And walk beneath the clouds

Pretend its you thats watching over me

This isn't the only thing that comes

Between us now

Baby soon well be together

OOOO

( Everywhere I look I see rain )

( Everywhere I look I see rain )

Rain

( Everywhere I look I see rain )

Everywhere I look I see rain

( Everywhere I look I see rain )

Rain

( Everywhere I look I see rain )

Rain

( Rain , rain in the sky )

( Everywhere I look my eyes see rain )

Rain

( Rain falling down )

Down

( Crying as it hits the ground )

Dont ,

( Rain , rain in my heart everyday that were apart )

( Rain , rain )

Rain

( Falling rain, rain )

Rain

( Rain, rain )

Everywhere I look I see rain

Everywhere I look I see the rain

But I dont see you

You're not near me

I need you

Every day that we are apart.

Rain, rain

It'll never be the same

If you dont stop the rain

Something for Valentines Day...

How can love, distance or helplessness be created for an audience to experience?

I have been reading romance novels, trying to experience and understand how others are in love. I know these stories are highly sensationalised, but I do find it interesting the formula that these novels tend to subscribe to.

Woman and man meet. There is a strong, mutual sexual attraction, yet they hate each other at first. The man has dark curly hair, blue/grey/green eyes, a strong jaw, proud nose and muscular shoulders. The woman has a fiery mane, long golden tresses or raven black curls, darker than midnights shadow. She has a twinkle in her eye, a defiant air and a heaving bosom. She is a strong woman who snares his attention and when the crowd parts, his breath catches and his heart races and she glows, throbbing with divine light. 

So they meet on several occasions, have sex to varying degrees, use the word 'possessive' a few times and at the end of the story they get married and say 'I don't want anyone else ever except for you'. Both are lacking in self-confidence in regards to each other and are prone to irrational fits of rage when jealous.

I've read Wild West romances, Highlander romances, Medical romances, Mediterranean romances, Historical romances, Viking/Navy romances, Vampire/Alien/I've-Got-Supernatural-Powers-And-I-Love-You-Babe romances - the list goes on and on.

This image is part of an unfinished painting I've done of Fiona, where I've tried to capture the the drama of romance novel book covers. If the heroine is not looking into her lovers eyes, she is gazing to the distance, thinking of someone (perhaps someones?) far far away....

Re-thinking a hiatus

The idea for Hiatus was born out of a perceived and possibly very real hiatus I was experiencing in my art making in 2010. 2010 was also a year full of natural disasters. Watching the media report these, I paused wallowing in my hole and tried to feel something for our suffering world. That's correct, I tried to feel something. You'd think I'd have been immediately overwhelmed with empathetic sadness even anger, but no.... I FELT NOTHING. You see, for me, there was an aching gap, a hiatus that I just couldn't seem to bridge in order to identify with or relate to my friends in lands afar. 

The premier of Hiatus in May 2012 is nothing less than a bold, refulgent and POSITIVE gesture toward bridging the gap. 

A hiatus is often but NOT ALWAYS, a sad thing. 

Understand your audience (and give them imaginary chocolate)

In the Sunday Magazine, Ruth Devine recently published an article entitle How to make people listen. In 6 steps she expertly described how to "speak up and make yourself (and your needs) heard."
We were certainly inspired, especially by point 1.

Understand your audience

People won't listen unless they believe there's something in it for them. "Assume they are, at best, indifferent to you, and at worst , hostile and hungry even ravenous," advises Sydney sales guru Ciaran McGuigan. "Then overcome that by understanding who they are and what they're concerned about."

We think that you, the audience of this spectacular new performance work to premier in May, may be a bunch of lovely souls concerned about the world, love and chocolate - just as we are. 

If this is so, please raise your hand and wait for a family size block of Cadbury to fall  from above. 

Lovely.

Some departing words...

Follow love and it will flee, flee love and it will follow. Gain strength, courage, and confidence by looking fear in the face and say to yourself, swim in circles in a large fantasy world but don't waste energy! Face life now! Remain faithful when nobody's looking, endure pain when the room is empty and bravely stand alone when you're misunderstood. 

Inspired

I am inspired by that which is conceivably not ‘up for grabs’ as inspiration. I am inspired by disaster. Please hear me out or rather, please hear out the following words of Rourke (The experience of Being inspired, 1984) which may help you to understand how I dare to be so quietly inappropriate.

The experience of being inspired enters one’s awareness with the recognition of a vital force or power…One feels at home, where one has been out of control, able to act, a sense of being empowered…

The power is impelling. It moves or drives the inspired person toward a certain goal. It presses for action. It incites new ideas. It urges one to embrace its cause. The power is so compelling. It demands the total attention of the inspired person. It commands absorption in the moment of its emergence. It leaves the inspired person with a “must,” a “have to,” a “pressure.”

The felt-illumination integrates in such a manner that one feels directed. The sense is that of seeing what one must do, knowing how to do it, and having the will to carry it through. One feels like a runner on a definite course who has no doubt that the race will be finished because one is running on a mysterious or spiritual inner strength.