Hey man, slow down

I'm back, and having cleared from my throat the debris of another failed project I'm feeling strangely optimistic and ready to do something new.

I have learned, from a second attempt at daily visual blogging, that nothing of any real worth can be done in a hurry. As much as I'd like to believe that it's possible to create meaningful pieces of art in a conveyor belt fashion every evening, it's not. They might look okay, but you're basically peddling a succession of half-formed ideas that could almost always be improved upon. When I came up with the story project I imagined that the posts would be very simple - mostly photographic - and nowhere near as time consuming as Creative Year had been. It seemed very manageable and I felt confident that I could see it through to completion. The early posts reflect this simplicity. Inevitably though, I then felt an obligation to improve and offer something of greater substance and found myself in that middle ground again. The format was restrictive and I felt that it wasn't going anywhere or saying anything.

I realise that I'm getting a reputation for being a quitter, but really I just care about my output. There is something appealing about daily posts because you very quickly amass a large archive and give the impression of being hugely productive, but less frequent and more considered work is definitely a better option. How many of your favourite pieces of art, and I'm including music and film in that bracket, have been thrown together without much care? None, I would imagine. We all appreciate things that take true effort and we always acknowledge it, subconsciously or otherwise.

So, whatever I end up doing, I want it to have more value. My creative output isn't a hobby that I fit in around my life because I don't have one; my artwork is the only thing that I'm likely to leave behind.

I'm going to keep posting stuff as and when I do it, and I'll start with this portrait I've just finished of Emma Stone. In a radical departure from my usual subject matter, she is an attractive young actress. I don't think portraits are my calling but they're quite fun to do when I'm between other things.

If it interests you, there is an accompanying time lapse video here.