Writerly Shizz

[writerlyshizz]

Pop Up Library: The Joy Of Books

July 15, 2019

Over the last couple of decades, I’ve been carefully curating a special collection of books. My collection of books. Life, being that unpredictable ride we’re all on - sent me tumbling in a direction where I decided that I need to let go of the books. Not because I no longer care for them, but because I haven’t been using them. I’ve been moving around like a nomadic ping-pong ball. My book collection deserves so much more than the dust that has gathered on the covers in my storage space.

That Light bulb Moment

I decided to donate my collection; I spent an age looking for a decent place to leave my books. Then I bumped into my ex… and I’m still trying to get over my urge to give him all I have (habits and all that). We dragged the books out of storage and with the help of two Ikea trollies, they ended up back at what used to be our home.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the future of my books. And the future they deserved. I didn’t feel like I had done them justice. I pounded hard on the treadmill (getting ready for my first marathon later this year, whoop whoop) and then the idea came to me… as I couldn’t find somewhere worthy for my books - I should create one! One thought leads to another and before you know it, the idea of a popup library formed.

The pop-ups will be in wide-open spaces, and my hope is to get kids reading more (especially during the summer holidays when kids tend to have too much time and too little to do) …they’ll have access to a wonderful collection of diverse books, and who knows where that will lead. One nugget, one line, one sentence… sometimes that’s all it takes to propel you in a completely different direction. As the saying goes, you may have to return the books, but you get to keep the wisdom.

As I write this, I’m hiding away at the British Library and I’m also thrilled to be the newest member of Library in Covent Garden. And to add to this library-themed day, I’m super pleased that I’m putting my idea out there in the world. Hopefully, I’ll see you and a whole bunch of other curious minds at a popup library soon!

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

Shine Night London Walk 2019

July 5, 2019

At the start of the year, I picked a word that would hopefully be the main theme for my year. That word was ‘Adventure’ and so far, this year has been nothing short of a massive unexpected, fun and silly adventure.

As we move into the second half of the year, I’m still pushing for more adventures, this time I’ve signed up for a marathon… I’ve never done one before - heck, I’ve only done 5Ks before. But it’ll be fine, as I’ll be power walking it AND it’ll be extra beautiful as London will be shining the way to the finish line for me and all the other brave souls taking part.

It’s all being done for a wonderful cause, Cancer Research UK. From now up until the marathon, 10% of all artworks sold will be donated to Cancer Research UK. My little page can be found here and my goal is a modest one of £10 per mile and there are 26 miles in a marathon (nope, I didn’t know this until I signed up :)).

I’ve got till September to get my ass into shape, wish me luck!!!

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

You Are A Perishable Item

July 3, 2019

Here’s the artwork that I had out in display back in 2017 at the Boundary Road Gallery with Studio Arts 3.

Looking back at what my life looked like as I spayed those words on vs what my life is like today - it’s clear that I have heeded the warning contained within the artwork. I know that life will pass you by in a blink of an eye if you let it. Life is for living, and I’ve decided to live it as playfully as possible… and I encourage everyone else to do the same! :)

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

War Paint

July 3, 2019

For a long time, I‘ve been torn between how to separate all of my various bits of work.

One month I’ll decide it’s an excellent idea to have everything I make in one place - they can all live in harmony. And then the next month, I’ll worry about things not seeming streamlined and that no one would really understand my work because it’s all over the place… this is one of the reasons my website keeps changing (or so I tell myself!)

This month, I want to all my work to live together, happily ever after (hopefully!). As such, this section will be dedicated to my photography work. Maybe I should call it my visual arts work? Some of my images are ‘pure photography’ and others are my images sprinkled with a little somethin’ somethin’ extra.

It all started when I had an exhibition lined up in 2017 and I wanted to create something extra special so I decided to channel how I was feeling at the time into the work… I bought a can of spray paint and vandalised my images. The result was a triptych called ‘you are a perishable item’.

Since then, I can’t seem to stop myself from vandalising my work - both old and new! And that’s where War Paint comes in. I decided to see what would happen when I unleashed myself on my London Fashion Week work - I loved how the images came out.

Yes, some might feel they’re a bit strong, perhaps even a bit confrontational but then again my work and I have already been called pugnacious, so perhaps the final artworks should really not be that surprising. Either way, I hope that you too enjoy the outputs from one of my new-ish favourite ways of working!

[writerlyshizz]

Human

Did you choose to be born, or where to be born?

No? Neither did I. So, why do some feel like they have a right to restrict ‘freedom of movement’?

Yes, I’m talking to you May & Corbyn.

Yes, I’m looking at you, Trump. And no, I haven’t forgotten about you Boris and Farage.

So so many oppressors of freedom.

So afraid they’ll lose control, lose power, lose their place that they don’t think twice about denying others theirs.

It’s almost as if they fear a level playing ground, where the whole world is equal, where everyone has a say.

Did you create this land or that from scratch? Did you place the magma or mantle under the crust of this Earth?

Did you decide how fast this planet should spin?

No. No, you did not.

Everyone born on this planet is entitled to the Earth, equally.

Freedom of movement is a basic human right for all.

We will not be prisoners to the land which we happen to be born.

We will roam and we shall explore.

We will create our own destiny and we will create children who will do the same.

My freedom is not yours to take away.

My dreams are not yours to diminish.

My future will rest upon my grit. My determination. My compassion.

I will not be shackled to any one land.

You did not create this planet, therefore you do not command me or my soul.

- Sonia Levesque

[writerlyshizz]

And So To Bed.

June 26, 2019

I became the proud new organiser of a meetup group called  PHOTO-GRAPH last year. Well, today I'm about to close down the group.  Would I say my tenure as the leader of the group was a success? Hell no.  But I also believe that one should fail often but fail fast and learn from those mistakes. There's no point in hanging on just to prove a  point and force it into some sort of a success. Because sometimes the opportunity cost, isn’t worth it... I must be growing, because even though this is an attitude I know I should employ as it makes sense,  it's not easy to walk away from something knowing that you hadn't achieved what you had originally set out to.

In the case of this group, there had seemed to be a lot of ill will hanging around, and then I found out about the 132 banned members. I  figured that I could change things because as I wasn't involved in all  of that, alas, it seems the history of the group has left a slightly  negative stench, which I do appreciate but and even though I had decided  to take over as the organiser because of the nostalgia I had for the  early days of the group, I don't wish to fire fight my way through all  future events.

At first, the potential appears to be there - 1.3k members is no small feat but after reviewing the performance of the group over the last five years it's clear to see that the majority are non-active members. And after 6 months of ownership I have come to the decision that if I do wish to continue as a leader of a group, I want it to have my stamp and my ethos all over it. With members who don't have reservations at the back of their heads due to the ill will associated with the brand.

And so, I have made the executive decision to put PHOTO-GRAPH to bed.

I'm going to sign off using a phrase one of the founders of an organisation I used to work for liked to use, and in this case, it seems very fitting...

Onwards and upwards.

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

Instagram And Art And Rants

June 24, 2019

It seems like everyone is moving from the real world into the on-line world.

Today, if you're an artist and you don't have a website and you don't have an Instagram account then do you even exist? (Yes, ya do...  but the internet overlords would like us to think otherwise).

I started taking Instagram seriously a few years ago, when I  figured out that IGland wasn't going anywhere any time soon, so I might as well plant my own little flag there.

The big question is, how much do you share of yourself vs the work? It's something that I've tried to balance, however sometimes I do feel that I might be over sharing a little too much. What starts off as harmless updates and community engagement quickly can descend into chaos and constant need for approval from the ether.

On the plus side, one of the things I most like about Instagram is its ability to act as a sort of live survey. You get to see the type of posts individuals like, for instance, I'll know that I've had a  minimalist visit as they would have showered their love on a few posts  with a lot of negative space and then sometimes I'll see that someone  has liked a range of images but specifically skipped one that should fit the type of images they're into - clearly, they're not a fan of the  omitted image.

Of course, you also have the ever-changing algorithms that likes to throw the odd spanner in the works... but not until you've figured out how the old algorithm works, doh! Right now, IG seems to be on a major ‘pay to play’ kick whereby posts are not being shown to all followers which means that if you care about metrics you need to pay to get your post out to people. It’s their platform, so they can change the rules as and when they wish - but I dunno how much I’m into the whole pay to play thing personally.

At the moment the Instagram profiles I use most frequently is my main @hello_levesque - which over the years has turned into a place where all sorts of posts go up - BTS, finished pieces, cement works,  written works and photography. But I worry that the photography is getting drowned out but all the other work I have on there, so I'm also on @wolfgphoto a bit more and I'm trying my best to ensure I stick to only adding photography related works there, more specifically fashion photography.

Strangely enough, this morning I received a notification letting me know that a photo of a building I had posted was doing 90%  better than the rest of my most recent posts... thanks IG. Does that mean that I'm going to change what I had planned and start posting a  whole bunch of architectural photos on @wolfgphoto? Nope. But it is a  good time for me to remind myself that IG is one of many TOOLS at my  disposal to get my work out there, but care needs to be taken to not  disproportionately spend time on any social media platform, because  regardless of how fun it is, and how much we hear about 'social proof'  being important... the actual artwork is more important and must always  remain the primary focus. And while having a following on social platforms certainly doesn't hurt, it’s not the be-all and end-all.

Okay, all done for today's mini-rant (which is aimed at current myself and my future self who no doubt will spend a little too long in  IGland)!!

Perhaps when I’m feeling a little less ranty, I’ll share some tips on IG for those of you who are interested in coming over to the dark side :P

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

Can One Have Too Many Projects?

June 23, 2019

In any one day, I can be working on up to what feels like 20  different projects... sometimes, I do focus in on one project - but this only tends to happen if I have a deadline! Most times, I'm constantly moving between all of the various projects I've got going on at that time... almost like a hop-on hop-off tour... the reason being, I get bored easily. I find it difficult to stay put on one idea or one way of working for too long. Variety is the spice of life and all that!

So a quick rundown on some of the projects I'm currently working on:

War Paint: Taking a piece of work from my archive and messing around with it... essentially infusing some of my older work with more meaning and a new lease of life... think of it like recycling but with my photography!

Cement Party: I'm thinking about what my next cement pieces will be. The shapes, colours and textures. I'm also thinking about smaller pieces too (I always wanted to experiment with wearable art!)

Video Painting: When I was at the 'How The  Light Gets In Festival' I discovered there's a thing called video  painting... it looks a whole lot like a lot of what I have laying around  on my hard drives, therefore, it makes sense that I should explore this  area and figure out how I feel about video painting.

Around the world in 80 weddings: Kinda does what it says on the tin. Although, I do have a sneaky suspicion that this idea came about as it seems like a handy dandy way to run off again, as I always do. Nevertheless, I'm in the research phase of this one, I'm going to see if it has any legs!

Levesque x AI: Artificial intelligence is an area that really excites me... let's just say I won't be surprised if one day in the distant future I end up married to some form of AI. At this stage, I'm consolidating all of the information I have gathered from various events - mainly How The Light Gets In, CogX and Wired Pluse  AI @ the Barbican. My aim is to attempt to collaborate with AI to create art. I can't wait to see what we can come up with, together.

PHOTO-GRAPH: This project is an event-based project. Towards the end of last year, I became the organiser of a London based photography meetup group, called PHOTO-GRAPH.  

Maybe at some point, I'll follow this up with another post on the other projects which I haven’t mentioned yet (not because they're top secret... but because I want to switch from blog writing to art-making! :P).

Until next time,

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

Marvel & Loss

June 20, 2019

I grew up watching the Spiderman and X-men cartoons and have been a solid Marvel fan ever since.

In my book 17, there's a line which references the overabundance of orphan main characters in cinema and Marvel is no stranger to casting a brooding orphan as a lead in its comics.

Stan Lee and Marvel have given those who have lost loved ones along the way, an indirect and entertaining way to briefly revisit their grief and fight alongside a larger than life superhero, in the comfort of a dark auditorium filled with others, some of whom are silently doing the same.

I watched Avengers Endgame the week it was released in the UK and found that overall I was satisfied with the final instalment ending a decade long phase. Until then, it hadn't dawned on me that I'm sharing a 10-year milestone of my own loss along with the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

I recall being super excited after seeing the first Iron Man movie at the Cineworld on Kings Road. At the time, it was such a refreshing take on the way superheroes were portrayed on screen, I think back and realise that when I was watching Iron Man that day, I didn't know then that the best days of my life were already behind me...

But also, AC/DC, I mean come on, they had me at 'back in black'. Speaking of which, I enjoyed how Endgame circled back and paid tribute to the start of the MCU, opening with some loud and rebellious AC/DC.

Something I hadn't anticipated (spoiler alert) was all the time travelling trips which saw some of the Marvel characters spending some bonus quality time with parents they've lost along the way. I found myself in envy of their opportunity; yet underneath my scowls, I really enjoyed those scenes... they were a joy to watch.

If I'm being honest, I feel like I've had my fill of comic book movies for a while. So, I think I'll get off at this stop and probably won't be as invested in phase two as I was with the first lot of films... But alas, there's a new generation of moviegoers who need to do their growing up with Marvel by their side.

Excelsior, indeed!

[writerlyshizz]

Art & Privacy

June 18, 2019

I had popped on to Blurb to check my dashboard and a pleasant surprise was waiting for me... 12 copies of my book '17' had sold since I  last checked on it.

And while all of the previous sales where ones where I was able to identify the reader and thank them, I could not track who had bought these.

It's the first time I've felt weird about my work out in the world.  It's strange, my books have sold, my personal thoughts and feelings are sitting on someone's coffee table, day bag or shelf... But I know nothing about some of the people who are consuming my work. Isn't that a strange thought?

Usually, I always know who'll be at the other end of my art - mainly because they have commissioned me. And at craft shows, well, you sell directly to the collector. But this, here... there's just silence.

I do appreciate that Blurb has to keep its customer information private, but none-the-less... I still feel really weird about it. I  guess even if I had complete control over the selling of the book, I  wouldn't necessarily know details on who the reader would ultimately be  (for instance, if I was fortunate enough to sell to a book store, like  Borders (RIP)). I wonder how other writers feel about this. Perhaps, I'm just being a bit too delicate over the matter and I'll eventually get over it. And I suppose if I was that concerned about how reads my book or consume my art then I should have absolutely nothing out in the public... but I do believe that art is there for everyone to experience.

Welcome to the ramblings and the inner workings of an Artist in Progress :P

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

Behind The Book: Shinning A Spotlight On 17.

June 17, 2019

17 was not the book I wanted to write, but it was the book I was compelled to write.

Actually, I don't think so much that I wrote the book, rather the book came flooding out of me... beginning with a violent roar.

What I wanted was to produce a coffee table photography book and what  I ended up with is a million miles away from what I had originally set out to do. But I'm pleased I went with the flow and let the book spill out... It seems 17 was the book I needed to write. For myself and for all the others, who are just like me, scattered far and wide, all going through this experience in silence and alone.

As I hadn't set out to write about grief and freedom, I didn't have a  layout and I hadn't decided on the subjects surrounding grief that I  would touch upon. But once the book started to take shape, I was amused by the other areas that popped up around grief - anger, envy, humour and guilt.

So in the end, I think 17 is (to put it in the ponciest way possible) a journey into and around the universe of grief because sometimes it does feel like you're being thrust into a place quite separate from where everyone else resides.

I could have finished the book, saved it to my hard drive and forget about it. But over the years I've discovered that creating is only one part of the art process, the other (which is equally important) is unleashing your art into the wild. Art has to be made and it has to be  consumed and it must be experienced, by both the makers and others for  it to be fully realised... and until a work of art, be it a book or a  poem or a photograph or a painting or a musical piece or what have you have been through all of the aforementioned stages, well, it's just a  work in progress.

I feel like I should start a new hashtag: #makeworksharework

[writerlyshizz]

Reality Check

June 14, 2019

To dedicate your life to art is not the easiest path for most to follow - yet I would also argue that those who do follow this path tend to do so more out of a compulsion than a choice… at least that is how I feel.

I’m no longer at the fork in the road. No, I’m moving in the direction that my soul has compelled me to. But, every now and then I do turn around and wonder if I should try to go back. Back to safety, back to sameness, back to the mundane. Doing the head in the sandbox type tasks that use to fill my days over and over again, until I wake up or I  die. But calling that safety feels like doublespeak. For it is not safe, it is just an illusion of safety.

Therefore, I march forward and at full speed and will continue to do so, till I run outta road. I don’t quite know where I’m going, but  I know that I’m not staying where I am nor am I heading backwards.

Is this foolish of me? Probably. Do I have a choice? …I don’t feel like I do.

Do I know how this will play out? Helllll no. But then again, if I did… it wouldn’t be so exciting!

[writerlyshizz]

The Pieces Are Coming Together

June 13, 2019

Morning!

As I mentioned last night, the pieces are coming together.

For over a year now I've been meaning to do workshops, to share the joy of playing with cement but it was never quite right. I  couldn't really figure out the 'why' behind it all, so it sat in a  corner of my mind just waiting for me to figure it all out.

It has taken me a long while and if it wasn't for 17 (the book I released last month), I do believe the workshop idea would still just be an idea.

Sometimes I really do feel like I'm failing upwards! 😝😂

The post that dropped on IG:

The Good Grief Workshop

I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be opening the doors to The Good Grief Workshop on Saturday 29th June 2019 (2.30 to 4pm in  Central London).

The workshop came to life after the wonderful response that  I'd received on my book (17), which is about grief and freedom... I feel honoured that readers reached out and told me their stories and shared with me the poems and letters they had created after being inspired to work through their own grief.

So, the next natural step seems to create a safe place where more people can express, share and turn their grief into art.

The workshop will involve writing prose and playing with cement! Spaces are limited to 5 people. DM if you would like to join -  it'll be fun!!! 🎉

[writerlyshizz]

Behind The Art: Shinning A Spotlight On Frank

June 12, 2019

This was my first ever piece using cement. When I say my first ever, I  don't mean the first-ever prototype that came out well or the first piece that I was satisfied with. Nope, I mean THE very first piece of anything that I had produced with cement. It just so happens that it came out perfectly formed somehow.

The whole reason for me using cement in my art practice was simply because I had spray paint leftover from my previous project, which was a  photography trio that had metallic embellishments. I saw an opportunity to experiment and try something a little (a lot) outside of my comfort zone and so I started to think about materials that I would like to use.

I had written off clay, as I went to a workshop a few months prior and didn't really like how the clay felt. I'd love to work with neon lights... but I don't think you're meant to spray paint those! Working with steel would require me to get a blow torch and I don't quite trust myself with one of those (yet), and then the idea of cement popped up. I  couldn't find a reason to not give it a go... and I guess, as they say,  the rest is history.

I made Frank at a time when I was feeling like I needed an escape. I  didn't quite feel like myself but I was unsure of what to do with that information. The whole process of working with cement and moulding into something that didn't exist previously felt liberating and gave me a  sense of control. As I decided how thick the consistency should be and where to add contours, when to add extra layers on and where to use which spray paint - I started to feel more like me. I found myself again in the act of creating, it was all in the process. There's so much joy in making a thing with your hands. Turning a whole bunch of nothings into a something. Perhaps this is how chefs feel about cooking? Anyways,  after Frank, I was hook line and sinker into playing with cement on a  regular basis.

Oh, and this piece is called Frank because as I was spray painting the piece with the metallic gold, I was listening to Frank Sinatra on  Spotify!

[writerlyshizz]

Day Book Vs Night Book

June 12, 2019

I know this is meant to be a sort of 'daybook' but most of my most profound ideas find their way to me in the wee hours of the night, so perhaps my daybook is more of a night book. your way... aside, here's what I've been mulling over as I lay awake, here in my bed, in the middle of the night.

Art X Grief.

In my world, things come together in a rather random way. I  guess I shouldn't be surprised by this since I've been leaving a lot of room for entropy in my life.

My brain has decided to concoct a workshop out of pieces of previous ideas: an anthology, a cement party and a subject my work keeps coming back to, grief.

I shall explain more fully when I've had more coffee and the sun is shining but what I wanted to say right now is, never forget to let entropy do its thing. And in order for it to do its thing, you need to let go a little - sounds easy but it's far from fun when you feel like you're free-falling into nothingness, that is until a  revelation comes and then everything makes sense. Actually, perhaps the letting go isn't the hardest part, it's the waiting that's really terrifying. But if you hold on for long enough, sometimes there's a  reward at the end. Actually, it's a bit like riding a rollercoaster!

Okay, more shall be revealed tomorrow!!

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

5th View Courage

June 10, 2019

So, today might be the day I perform works from 17 for the first time.

I say maybe because I might go mute and be paralysed by fear,  not because I feel like the world will end if it all goes wrong, that's not logical at all. If I end up not performing tonight, it will be because I was physically unable to bring myself to move, perhaps even breathe. Yep, that has happened to me many times before... in many different scenarios.

I can't say that I suffer from stage fright though - when I was a kid I used to perform all the time. I was a dancer and a bloody good one at that. I was winning competition after competition. Solo and group ones. In London, in Blackpool, at school internally and externally up against other schools. And in Year 4 I landed the lead role at the end of year school play.

But this one time, I went mute on stage - I was meant to perform a duet and before we went on stage there was an abrupt song change. I wasn't prepared for this AND I didn't know all the words to this other track. I was racing to try and learn all the words. But as opposed to being able to sing the entire song, instead I wasn't even able to sing the parts I did know, I went mute. Tres awkward. However, I  did learn an important lesson - the world did not end and I wasn't the clown of the town or anything like that. A few kids at school were curious as to why I didn't sing and came up to me and asked me about it.  Other than that, it wasn't a thing.

I can't help but wonder how tonight will go down, perhaps there won't even be an opportunity for me to perform, who knows. Well, what I  do know is that I've been over my material and as I wrote the bloody  thing myself I won't have an issue with recall (also, I have copies of  my books with me :P ), I've selected a few poems that I'll read (maybe)  and I'm currently sat at Waterstones writing this post partly to  distract myself and partly to prepare myself... along with two 5th View  Tiramisus (btw, excellent cocktails - if you ever find yourself at  Waterstones in Piccadilly, I highly recommend you try it).

So, if I do perform poems from my book for the first time tonight, where will that be? Good question. Perhaps bad question as the answer makes me feel even more nervous about the whole thing. There's an event at Mortimer House, a private members club that I have recently joined. Every month they have a Speakeasy event, which is dedicated to the written word. This will be my first time attending the event... and depending on the outcome, perhaps my last (ha!).

See you on the other side of tonight...

Sx

[writerlyshizz]

Silly & Serious: Using Cement In Poetic And Playful Ways

April 14, 2018

My first ever sale was to a wonderfully delightful lady who's an avid art collector and a Central St Martins alumni. It's kinda amazing knowing that pieces created by your own two hands now have a life of their own, they get to inspire and delight others... that's very, very cool.

I immensely enjoyed seeing people engage with the collection... I had no idea just how popular the doughnuts would be! I guess that's a good little lesson - forget about what the 'trends' suggest... make the stuff that makes you light up (I made the doughnuts simply because the idea of concrete doughnuts made me laugh and seemed like my kinda silly) ...and if the rest of the world likes it, well, that's the cherry on top! If you spend enough time with me, you'll find that I swing between super silly and super serious.

If the doughnuts represent my super silly side,  the concrete balloons represent my more serious side. These pieces (like the one pictured here) interest me, as it is concrete but it is fragile. It is made up of cement (my new favourite material - ya know,  just in case you couldn't tell), water and air... in the case of the piece to the right, my own breath. Cement is one of the main ingredients that make up our urban concrete jungles and as such, it tends to have a  bad rep.

I want to show the magical side of cement by creating delicate and  thoughtful pieces which hopefully, among other things, is a gentle  reminder that we only have a limited amount of breaths while we are  here, therefore we should treat each and everyone as the precious things  they are and do our best not to waste too many. Just as a side note -  I'm not in any way, shape or form condoning the holding of ones breath... I have it on good authority that it don't really work like that... unfortunately! :)

Anyways, here's to many more fun and playful experiments...

Sx