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I'm a mother and an actively working creative person.
Spot the oxymoron.
I had a long discussion with Andy G-K about this, and I know that it is something which other parents/carers have struggled with: so many other responsibilities that the creativity gets crushed under the weight, and you end up not playing or writing anything.
What I am proposing is a creative break for those of us who feel ourselves blocked at the moment. Read below for caveats:
It will be a break to fill up the creative banks so that we can draw on them again. Many of us are seriously overdrawn in that department.
It will be a chance to find some stillness, peace and mental space to place one's creativity in context.
It will be an opportunity to discuss the creative process with others and stretch ourselves.
It will be a time of hard work - maybe workshops (emphasis on the *work* here, OK?), maybe jamming, maybe open readings.
It will be a time of criticism. I'm not prepared to put this much work into something and come out with crap - we need to be harsh with one another.
It will be a chance for co-writing, support and being with others who understand how soul-crushing this situation can be.
It will be open to everyone from anywhere. Country borders are not important. Money for airfares is moderately more so...
It will not be a "teach yourself an instrument" or "teach yourself songwriting" break. If you don't play, or don't have a body of work to bring to the table, this isn't for you. This isn't a time for getting going - it's a time for *unblocking*.
It will not be a "girly get together". I am not limiting this to women, although we do seem to bear the brunt of the childcare/caring responsibilities which is the major problem I am addressing. If you are male and blocked through lack of headspace and creative input, you are welcomed.
It will not be a catered holiday - even if we end up eating chips every night, no-one will be forced into cooking or cleaning. I can happily survive on sandwiches eaten from paper plates for a *week* if it means I get writing again.
It will not be open to children. It *may* be open to partners, but I'm not convinced - depends on the partner's influence over the individual's creativity. Tim is an open door to my creativity, but I'm aware that some people have a different relationship which may work against the unblocking process. I suspect that partners may be required for childcare in some situations, so will be excluded. There is nothing to stop us doing this again with a different subset of people if it works the first time.
I propose that it be a weekend at a holiday cottage somewhere in the Midlands. Why the Midlands? Because I'm organising it, and I want it relatively close. Plus, it's cheap here.
Anyone interested?
Spot the oxymoron.
I had a long discussion with Andy G-K about this, and I know that it is something which other parents/carers have struggled with: so many other responsibilities that the creativity gets crushed under the weight, and you end up not playing or writing anything.
What I am proposing is a creative break for those of us who feel ourselves blocked at the moment. Read below for caveats:
- What it WILL BE...
It will be a break to fill up the creative banks so that we can draw on them again. Many of us are seriously overdrawn in that department.
It will be a chance to find some stillness, peace and mental space to place one's creativity in context.
It will be an opportunity to discuss the creative process with others and stretch ourselves.
It will be a time of hard work - maybe workshops (emphasis on the *work* here, OK?), maybe jamming, maybe open readings.
It will be a time of criticism. I'm not prepared to put this much work into something and come out with crap - we need to be harsh with one another.
It will be a chance for co-writing, support and being with others who understand how soul-crushing this situation can be.
It will be open to everyone from anywhere. Country borders are not important. Money for airfares is moderately more so...
- What it WILL NOT BE...
It will not be a "teach yourself an instrument" or "teach yourself songwriting" break. If you don't play, or don't have a body of work to bring to the table, this isn't for you. This isn't a time for getting going - it's a time for *unblocking*.
It will not be a "girly get together". I am not limiting this to women, although we do seem to bear the brunt of the childcare/caring responsibilities which is the major problem I am addressing. If you are male and blocked through lack of headspace and creative input, you are welcomed.
It will not be a catered holiday - even if we end up eating chips every night, no-one will be forced into cooking or cleaning. I can happily survive on sandwiches eaten from paper plates for a *week* if it means I get writing again.
It will not be open to children. It *may* be open to partners, but I'm not convinced - depends on the partner's influence over the individual's creativity. Tim is an open door to my creativity, but I'm aware that some people have a different relationship which may work against the unblocking process. I suspect that partners may be required for childcare in some situations, so will be excluded. There is nothing to stop us doing this again with a different subset of people if it works the first time.
I propose that it be a weekend at a holiday cottage somewhere in the Midlands. Why the Midlands? Because I'm organising it, and I want it relatively close. Plus, it's cheap here.
Anyone interested?
