I have decided that I would like to do something significant, interesting and fulfilling in 2010. Unfortunately I have left it rather late to start the decision making process, and I'm not very good at making decisions anyway, so I thought perhaps you guys could help me out. Come on, it'll be fun!
Some things I have ruled out:
- Pasta collage (lacks scope)
- Flower pressing (could go a bit flat)
- Learning to play the harp (probably wouldn't work with offcuts of 4 x 2 and some fishing line)
- Finding love (too ambitious)
- Carving a miniature chess set from mice teeth (hard to source supplies)
Some things I am genuinely considering:
- A visual (comic strip) journal
- Poetry
- A novel
- A year long letter writing campaign with no particular agenda other than to see where it takes me
- A year of doing kind things for people
- Volunteer work
- Changing my name and pretending I'm someone else in a futile attempt to escape the unbearable drudgery of being me
- The New Trash Radio almanac of rare vinyl recordings
- A series of short films
- Actually using the camera equipment I spent £3,500 on
- Finishing Creative Year
I think that covers the most plausible options. My problem is that I cannot make up my mind, sometimes relinquishing what previously felt like firm conviction at the drop of a hat. And I don't even own a hat. So, if anyone would care to offer an opinion I'd be very interested to hear it.
What the hell should I do next year? You decide!
[Applause. Fireworks. Everybody waving. Credits. Voiceover announcing that Songs of Praise is running five minutes later than scheduled.]
9 comments:
Do everything! I can see how sourcing mice teeth as a vegan would be time-consuming - a bit like a fruitarian waiting for the goods to drop.
May I suggest volunteering and one or 2 others. You will meet great people volunteering, may find love but will feel good. If you finish Creative Year (and who does not want to see that completed), just do it in the background and once complete perhaps do drops of 5 or 7 creations over a month or 2.
That's my input for what it is worth.
ps: you could change your name Randy McLong and become a porn star to really shake things up.
I would LOVE to see Creative Year make a return, but not if you're going to be sitting up half the night again, trying to get something together for the next day, and ruining your life over it!(Been there, done that, had the nervous breakdown!). Occasional posts, as the muse inspires, would be welcome - otherwise the comic strip, of course, as we all need cheering up - and provoking - these days!!
I would come out in favour of a series of short films, but the post-credits 'teaser' in Creative Year No. 75 leaves me cautious as to their direction.
I'd say a novel, because it's the kind of thing you can do without too much commitment and without needing to feel any guilt at not finishing it (most people never do), but that does also mean it's a less well defined 'project' than the others, so mightn't fit the bill in quite the same way if you were looking for something you can set against a benchmark or target, like Creative Year was. I think you should start writing a novel anyway, if you want to, but I'm not sure it's necessarily a dedicated 'project' as such - another effort might make the better project, and the novel might be better for not being branded as such from the off.
Poetry and kind things can both be done irregularly, and without overt commitment - why not just do them anyway, and formalise some other project as well?
If you were to continue Creative Year, I think you'd probably have to come up with a new set of criteria for yourself. You've proven you can produce a post every day, and your rationale in bringing it to an end after six months was sound. If you were to start it again, I think you'd need a different target to that which you had previously.
I think the letter writing might be the most interesting in terms of commentary; if you're choosing a project on its blogging potential, it would probably be that one. The volunteer work offers similar potential, though unless the nature of the work changed every few months I think the commentary might tend to move away from what you've learned and towards simple anecdote before the year was up. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, certainly not in terms of an ongoing blog, but if you're looking for something to bookend the year, with a start and a finish, and a narrative running through it, the letter writing might be better.
Ultimately, though, I'm from Yorkshire, and hence feel obliged to suggest that you use the camera equipment you spent so much money on. How bloody much?
Bloody hell, look at that - I've made a fence big enough to sit on...
I think you should try the letter writing campaign.
I had a brief go in 1998 - it's hilarious when companies' etc reply. You can also blag free stuff. I got chocolate vouchers for being 'outraged' at the Opal Fruits/Starburst saga.
Top tip: When writing, use a fake title after your name - it gets their attention and they seem love all that nonsense. Be warned, though, it is slightly illegal.
Thom - porn is one of the few things I haven't considered, despite my obvious qualifications. Food for thought.
barriejohn - your concern is rather touching. Don't worry, I think I know my limits now.
Matt - I think Thom was one step ahead of you on the video front. Thank you for your other thoughts, though I don't agree that a novel can be undertaken without firm commitment. Not the sort that I'd want to write, anyway.
MJB - Thank you. I'm going to address your points in a follow-up post.
I agree with Thom that you should definitely volunteer, for all the reasons he listed. I like the idea of finishing Creative Year too.
One idea would be to make a wheel with all the options on, which you could spin. You don't have to choose the option on which the pointer lands, but it'll give you a clearer idea of how you feel about these options (e.g. are you rooting for the pointer to land on one in particular? Or maybe you'll realise you were subconsciously wishing for us all to choose one specific thing in these comments?)
Ariane's idea is brilliant! When you are faced with multiple choices, and really can't make your mind up what to do, it can really clarify the situation if you plump for one, randomly, without committing yourself, and see how you feel about it. It often gives you a clue as to your real feelings, which may lie buried under a lot of other thoughts. The spinning wheel makes this so much simpler!
Aw, thanks Barriejohn!
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