Time elastic
I can’t believe it’s been 7 months since my last post. I somehow got distracted by my thoughts.
The past year has been different, to say the least, with everyone being impacted in one way or another. It’s easy to get bogged down with all the confusion and despair.
Despite having had restrictions on my ability to work, a loss of opportunities, and an uncertain future, I have to say that I have been able to find a sense of calm that has eluded me for many years.
With nowhere to go, and not much to do, the ever churning machine has abated somewhat.
I don’t want to get pulled down the path of division and fear, or desperately grasping at what once was.
We live in the here and now, and must keep moving forward.
The lockdowns have given me time to think about what is valuable to me, and what is not.
As a somewhat introverted person I find the world a noisy place, and we often get dragged along, moving too fast, in rush to produce more stuff that we probably don’t need anyway. More, more, more. But why?
Why do we define ourselves by how much we produce and how hard we work?
I want to slow down, simplify, and do more with less.
To that end, I have spent much of my time reorganising my studio space, thinking about new projects for the coming year or so, and clearing out old work that is surplus to requirements.
To burn or destroy old pieces that don’t have a place clears a path for new ideas, and reduces the mental burden.
The fear of loss, or of it being a mistake, is also quite invigorating.
Aims for 2021
I’ll be 50 this year, so I think it fitting to begin a new chapter.
I really like the idea of the slow life. I wonder if it is achievable in modern chaotic society, but I’ll do my best to try. I have spent so much time ‘competing’ and trying to prove something, for whatever reason, and it left me burnt out.
The tattooing will slowly be edged to the sidelines over the next few years. I have some biggish tattoo projects on the go, but I think for new work I’ll only take on smaller pieces and shorter sessions.
Sustainability is something that has always been in the back of my mind, and I want to pay more attention to the materials I use in my artwork, maybe even the nature of the artwork itself.
I do try to use reclaimed and recycled materials where possible, but I’m also wanting to explore more natural, degradable materials.
A move to making more semi-functional objects might be on the cards, possibly returning to metalwork and exploring furniture.
And finally
The pandemic and resulting lockdown(s) has had me thinking a lot about society and community.
For some reason, I have never really found a community in which I felt at home, and most of the time I preferred to be out on my own. Maybe it’s my difficulty with clearly communicating with people. Maybe it’s because so many things feel superficial to me, I don’t know.
But the isolation of lockdown has made me feel like my true self, and I’m not the only one. It has made me feel a greater affinity for community, I just don’t know which community that is.
What I do know is that I want to move forward, less centered around ego, and somehow be able to give something back, be part of something bigger.
Wishing you all good health for 2021 and beyond.
nigel palmer 