Out of the shadows....

Writing is drawing the essence of what we know out of the shadows

Karl Ove Knausgaard, Norwegian author, quoted in the Guardian and Writers News - May 2013 www.writers-online.co.uk

Procrastination Workshop

Phew!

Finally the week is nearly over and I seem to have done most of the things I set out to do; which is to clear the decks and tick off as many jobs off the 'To Do' list as is possible!!

I have wrapped up my Lincoln Inspired contribution, as I have finally finished sorting out all the photographs I took over the week.  As one of the festival photographers we were responsible for sending a number of 'shots' to the organisers after each event was over.  I was also able to upload a few instantly to facebook via my phone while the events were actually taking place. 

As well as sorting out all the photos from Lincoln Inspired, I have also managed to sort out all the photographs that have accumulated on my laptop over the last month or so.

My other blog http://grumpymumtobe.blogspot.co.uk/ details how busy we have been with regards to school places, parent evenings and children's parties over the last month or so.  I have also been suffering with my back; which poses problems when trying to sit at the computer for long periods of time.

Since the end of March I have been unemployed.  This has meant a trip to the Job Centre and the need to sign on every other week - even though I am not actually entitled to Job Seekers Allowance (but that's another story).  Although I have used some of my time for applying for jobs and attending an interview, I do now have more time for writing when Jamie is at pre-school.  However, being a 4 year old, he is very demanding when he is at home.  Unfortunately, Nana has been away for two weeks and now she is recovering from an operation, so there is no chance of babysitting from her for a week or so. 

So now I have made plans for the next two weeks.  Next week I intend to concentrate on my photography as I have a huge 'To Do List' and have not spent as much time as I would like on the Camera School Modules.

Then the week after next I intend to finally sort my Ideas list; which will also include a bit of a spring clean.....The plan is to fire up the imagination and then dive back into pitching, pitching, pitching articles.

Camera School - Module 1 - Landscape

Decided that if I was to begin to take this photography hobby serious, I had better do something about it.  O.K, so I joined the ShutterChimps which has pointed me in the right direction, and being an 'Event Photographer' during Lincoln Inspired certainly made me take lots and lots of photos and really think about composition etc.    Obviously I cannot afford another course such as the one I did with Going Digital last year www.goingdigital.co.uk/   so I enrolled on the Practical Photography Camera School www.photoanswers.co.uk/Camera-School-2013/. 

Basically this means subscribing to the magazine for 6 months (I did get a free tripod and spirit level!) and each month there is a module to complete.  This month it was Landscapes.  Sorry to say that I did not have nearly enough time to read and digest all the course work before I had to submit my image.  This is my image below:

 

This picture was taken in Puzzlewood  www.puzzlewood.net/ in the Forest of Dean.  Can't say I am totally happy with it as the greens aren't green enough for my liking.........Must try harder for module 2!

Lincoln Inspired Childrens Day

Had a fantastic day at the Lincoln Inspired Children's Day.  We went to a StoryBook Days www.storybookdays.co.uk/index.html  'Where the Wild Things Are' morning; which included making a mask and a cake!  Then the Bookstart Bear made an appearance as part of a Teddy Bears Picnic and then finally we went on a Bear Hunt.  Fantastic end to this years Lincoln Inspired.  I hope to be able to contribute more next year - fingers crossed!!

Alison Dunne at Lincoln Inspired

Was very disappointed that I had to miss the Poetry Workshop with Alison Dunne, to go to an interview and then not get the job, especially after I found one of her poems on the Internet:


If You Don’t Want To Be In A Poem Don’t F*** A Poet

Your limbs will be verbs, your skin will be nouned.
The unbroken line from shoulder to hip
will be a sentence run beneath her lips.
The place she rests her cheek when you’re half turned

will be a stanza full of tenderness.
Your voice will mark the rhythm of the work
and how she hears your breathing in the dark
will be the drumming heartbeat of the verse.
Then she will make an animal of you
a bull maybe, a compact muscled thing

a metaphor for how you will not bend
to her or do what she wants you to do.
And then will be the sound of lines breaking.
And then will be the full stop at the end.

http://ivoryfishbone.wordpress.com/

Lincoln Inspired Artists of Note

Day Two and Dale and Andy from http://thewarbirds.co.uk/ played the Lincoln Drill Hall at lunchtime.  Lovely sarnies!! 

Lincoln Inspired - Walking with the Dalek



Day one kicked off with a Dalek 'flash mob' parading through the streets of Lincoln to publicise Lincoln Inspired www.lincolninspired.co.uk/