This month is relentless. I’ve already been a sweat fest shooting 3 weddings, had to speak to the po-po about some troubling unwanted attention, packed up half the flat, move and unpack it all at the new gaff (cheers to the Showtec fellas for loading it all in for me). And then of course I said I’d take part in the residents exhibition at Drill Hall which I had zero sorted for. Flying by the seat of my pants a bit just now. And the school run, taking the wean to football practice etc etc etc….

Anyways, the exhibition is open from today for 10 days and I’ve come in all guns blazing with some scrappy little mismatched bits of chaos. I could have used some neatly framed old seascapes I’ve got at home but that felt a bit safe and boring so instead I’ve taken the title, A Closer Look, a bit too literally and I’ve got a kind of scrapbook of some of the ideas from my personal work on the website and recent adventures, chats and the like. It’s all a bit of a mess so apologies to my new neighbours for lowering the tone. They’ve all got some beautiful work for sale. And then there’s some sketchy stuff of mine you can touch and interact with like my wee dancing flipbook, some of my writing and a messy little concertina book. It’ll all no doubt fall apart before the end of the run but it’s a more honest hello to everyone at my new place and hopefully makes folks smile. Don’t judge me, I’ll put something a bit more polished into the next one, promise.

It feels good to have a new space. I was quite positive about working from home again over the summer cos I thought I’d get loads of beach time but it’s been rank out there mostly when I’ve not been working. My bed and my desk being a couple of paces apart isn’t going to work when the flat is baltic, it would just be naps and no arts. It’s been a good reminder that just sitting tight and not stressing will let the good stuff come to you when it’s ready. My new neighbours are all really friendly and talented folks so I feel like I’m in the right place this time around.

The leaves on the trees around our gaff are starting to turn and I am not ready but I never am. Again the seasons change, that weird feeling that nothing and everything have changed since the last season. Summer disappears in a blink every year for me as it’s busy work time regardless of having taken on way less wedding work than the last couple of years, it’s still juggling all the things and never enough sunny days on the sand with pals.

I was kinda raging to miss so many festivals this year. I didn’t get to stalk Todd Trainer around Barcelona, didn’t get hugs off islanders or get stealing nitrous oxide off teens in a tent in the Breacon Becons. BUT enough gripes, I’m actually really excited about all the new beginnings coming this Autumn. I’ll have enough space to make more of my red room escapades which are stacking up ready to shoot. I’ve got 3 more wedding jobs next month then the rest of this year is open for some play and portraits. If anyone needs some brand stuff or product shots, portraits or whatevs doing give me a holler. Might even get some paint out and make a proper big mess.

Despite the hellscape out there and the drama that some folks seem intent on throwing in my direction I feel pretty zen. I think we’ve all got a filthy habit of reaching out to folks when we’re at low ebbs because it’s human and our inner weans just want to know we’re lovable even in our messiest or most shutdown states but there’s a huge difference between reciprocal space and hounding someone who doesn’t want to know or pushing at folks’ boundaries in unhealthy ways. I’ve caught myself lately apologising when I wasn’t due to, that leftover feeling from internalising other people’s madness and shame, feeling like a burden for asking for decency, can be hard to shake. It’s all just energy and we get to transmute it into whatever we like, the magic of human creativity. I’ve some Autumn adventures with much loved distant pals coming soon and I’m itching to get shooting in the new space and making it a disgusting.

As always, THANK YOU to the pals who keep me sane and here’s to new adventures and fresh starts x