Hello. I’m Alex and I’m in Luton for the next 26 days. I’m a little
late to starting to write this blog and I’m catching up on day one … on
day two of the residency. I’ve been procrastinating. How do I start?
(the classic line) How do I talk about what I am doing, have seen, and
have felt?! I’ve been thinking a lot and writing is a lot slower than
thinking… It’s hard to start.
I have never written a blog. I write emails, essays, applications, and text messages. I’m used to writing really quickly or really slowly with a long time to edit. I don’t know what my blog voice is.
I’m going to start with a list of statements.
I am in Luton for 28 days
I have a schedule that I must follow
I must write about my experiences every day
I am partnered with an organisation called Revoluton
Quiet Down There has commissioned me to do this project with Revoluton
I am staying in an Air B and B in which all the rooms in house are Air B and B rooms
There is an artwork hanging in my room that says ‘stay wild’
There is a noisy road outside my window
I have a miniature kitchen in my room
I think I will have a lot of ideas for art projects
I have already been late for two things on the schedule (arriving in Luton and watching the film tonight)
I want to be disciplined to write.
I have got an interview on Tuesday via Skype with another residency
I am thinking about 5 other projects
I am thinking about applying for another project while I’m here
I will miss my boyfriend and my life in London.
I will turn 35 next Sunday 1st March
I am really glad I have a phone and can ring my friends and family
I have got a minor obsession with the Netflix show Sex Education and it was really hard for me to not watch it when I arrived back from the day today. It is also good that I am away and I can watch it all, as my boyfriend didn’t really like it so now I can watch as much as I want without compromising and watching something else.
I am really happy I bought some food today on a break in my schedule so I can make packed lunches.
How honest should I be in this writing?
How can this writing be helpful?
How do I want this writing to be received?
What’s the point of this writing?
Do I write and make notes whilst I am at events?
Do I write the blog in my breaks in the schedule?
I have a bike that I love, and I brought it from London where I live. I have some bungee cords to tie bags onto the rack of the bike and I used this for my food shopping earlier.
I live on a boat on the river lea. The river lea also runs through Luton
I am an artist who also is an educator
I teach on a foundation course in art
I see workshops as art practice
Revoluton have asked me to research the theme of ‘joy’
I am interested in political potential of joy
I brought several books with me. They are Dancing in the Streets A History of Collective Joy by Barbara Ehrenreich, Akenfield by Ronald Blythe, Being Ecological by Timothy Morton, and The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane
I am wondering how to write this
I am a middle class artist who lives in London
Why should I be a voice for experience of Luton? What do I have to contribute?
Is it easier to write about somewhere if you don’t live there?
Writing lists is easier than writing paragraphs
I think structure will be good for me, and am happy that I have a schedule for the next month
I think I’ll go to things that I may not normally go to
I think writing this will be a challenge
I am exploring what it might mean to be present in a place and how the internet affects my relationship to place
I am looking forward to learning something new about myself
I have a Skype conversation tonight about another project with a friend
I studied a BA in social anthropology and the question of who is writing about who and what is it for came up a lot. Social anthropology as a discipline is rooted in a history of colonialism (to write about is to dominate and was used as a tool to do so). After university I travelled and wanted to create projects exploring place yet I was conscious of the problematics of a singular voice writing or making work about place - particularly as a passing through traveller. I started a project called The Knowledge Shop, which was a mobile workshop space set up in public spaces in which I invited passers by to draw a picture about the place we were in. Drawings from other places I had travelled to were also shown in the space. I wanted to not use spoken or written language (particularly English language) and I wanted to explore how drawing might express things that words may not. I also wanted to show multi authority viewpoints on a place. http://alexandraparry.co.uk/index.php/project/the-knowledge-shop/
Here I am 12 years later in Luton with a blog aware of this platform given to me to talk about my experiences. I’ve been grappling with this. So I’m going to include writing about myself that I wouldn’t normally share. Perhaps this a fair exchange because I am publicly writing about a place, and therefore I should do the same to myself?
DAY ONE
I arrived in Luton
It’s really windy and my bag feels heavy. I’ve got one bag on my back and another strapped to the bike
I don’t know the roads and they are busy
Is it going to be easy to cycle here?
There’s a beautiful church. It’s chequered and surprising opposite a huge mall.
I’m tired as last night my boyfriend opened a café and I stayed too late.
I already feel behind and I’ve just started.
Are people friendly in Luton? Of course they are! But I don’t know anything and its dark and my battery is running low on my phone.
I arrive at my Air B and B, codes for the room and front door. It has very white walls, and there is an artwork in my room saying ‘stay wild’. Its warm and I immediately feel raggedy in my clothes, which probably smell of wood smoke, probably have a stain and a hole. I am very happy I have a house shower! Not a boat shower! I meet Marta, a Polish woman who is in the UK about to do an acting course in London and she lives in the property more permanently - she is not Air B and B’ing . She is incredibly friendly and she has her friend round in the kitchen. It feels good to have a conversation and hear about what she is doing.
I’m already late, so I leave to walk to the hotel near by. I call my boyfriend on the walk over there. I have been asked by the schedule to buy a coffee and cake but they don’t have cake so I buy a tea and my dinner. I write a letter to QDT as requested. It’s a slightly rambling letter about my hopes for the residency, but it feels good to write. In the background is Saturday night entertainment TV. It’s brilliant. It’s a competition about dance and I recognise the host singer Alesha but I dont know the show. There is a sound clash of music as some other music is playing in the bar. But I’m loving the TV. I think this is joyful. I love this genre of TV. The genre of TV where people who aren’t famous show their talents. Masterchef, Bake Off, and Goggle Box (well I think so). They are all brilliant dancers in this show. I feel really good. I see people arriving, lots of groups of people. I think people are excited about coming to the hotel. Its quite glamorous and there’s a spa. I love seeing people dressed up, lipstick … perfume. I sit on my own suddenly conscious I am sitting on a table meant for 5. I’ll move if a group needs the table. I’m happy in the bar. I made it to Luton! I’m writing the letter. I’m doing the task. Drinking tea. Eating dinner.
Back in the Air B and B I watch 3 episodes of Sex Education on Netflix. It’s difficult to stop watching it. Its 11pm – I know I need to stop watching.
I have never written a blog. I write emails, essays, applications, and text messages. I’m used to writing really quickly or really slowly with a long time to edit. I don’t know what my blog voice is.
I’m going to start with a list of statements.
I am in Luton for 28 days
I have a schedule that I must follow
I must write about my experiences every day
I am partnered with an organisation called Revoluton
Quiet Down There has commissioned me to do this project with Revoluton
I am staying in an Air B and B in which all the rooms in house are Air B and B rooms
There is an artwork hanging in my room that says ‘stay wild’
There is a noisy road outside my window
I have a miniature kitchen in my room
I think I will have a lot of ideas for art projects
I have already been late for two things on the schedule (arriving in Luton and watching the film tonight)
I want to be disciplined to write.
I have got an interview on Tuesday via Skype with another residency
I am thinking about 5 other projects
I am thinking about applying for another project while I’m here
I will miss my boyfriend and my life in London.
I will turn 35 next Sunday 1st March
I am really glad I have a phone and can ring my friends and family
I have got a minor obsession with the Netflix show Sex Education and it was really hard for me to not watch it when I arrived back from the day today. It is also good that I am away and I can watch it all, as my boyfriend didn’t really like it so now I can watch as much as I want without compromising and watching something else.
I am really happy I bought some food today on a break in my schedule so I can make packed lunches.
How honest should I be in this writing?
How can this writing be helpful?
How do I want this writing to be received?
What’s the point of this writing?
Do I write and make notes whilst I am at events?
Do I write the blog in my breaks in the schedule?
I have a bike that I love, and I brought it from London where I live. I have some bungee cords to tie bags onto the rack of the bike and I used this for my food shopping earlier.
I live on a boat on the river lea. The river lea also runs through Luton
I am an artist who also is an educator
I teach on a foundation course in art
I see workshops as art practice
Revoluton have asked me to research the theme of ‘joy’
I am interested in political potential of joy
I brought several books with me. They are Dancing in the Streets A History of Collective Joy by Barbara Ehrenreich, Akenfield by Ronald Blythe, Being Ecological by Timothy Morton, and The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane
I am wondering how to write this
I am a middle class artist who lives in London
Why should I be a voice for experience of Luton? What do I have to contribute?
Is it easier to write about somewhere if you don’t live there?
Writing lists is easier than writing paragraphs
I think structure will be good for me, and am happy that I have a schedule for the next month
I think I’ll go to things that I may not normally go to
I think writing this will be a challenge
I am exploring what it might mean to be present in a place and how the internet affects my relationship to place
I am looking forward to learning something new about myself
I have a Skype conversation tonight about another project with a friend
I studied a BA in social anthropology and the question of who is writing about who and what is it for came up a lot. Social anthropology as a discipline is rooted in a history of colonialism (to write about is to dominate and was used as a tool to do so). After university I travelled and wanted to create projects exploring place yet I was conscious of the problematics of a singular voice writing or making work about place - particularly as a passing through traveller. I started a project called The Knowledge Shop, which was a mobile workshop space set up in public spaces in which I invited passers by to draw a picture about the place we were in. Drawings from other places I had travelled to were also shown in the space. I wanted to not use spoken or written language (particularly English language) and I wanted to explore how drawing might express things that words may not. I also wanted to show multi authority viewpoints on a place. http://alexandraparry.co.uk/index.php/project/the-knowledge-shop/
Here I am 12 years later in Luton with a blog aware of this platform given to me to talk about my experiences. I’ve been grappling with this. So I’m going to include writing about myself that I wouldn’t normally share. Perhaps this a fair exchange because I am publicly writing about a place, and therefore I should do the same to myself?
DAY ONE
I arrived in Luton
It’s really windy and my bag feels heavy. I’ve got one bag on my back and another strapped to the bike
I don’t know the roads and they are busy
Is it going to be easy to cycle here?
There’s a beautiful church. It’s chequered and surprising opposite a huge mall.
I’m tired as last night my boyfriend opened a café and I stayed too late.
I already feel behind and I’ve just started.
Are people friendly in Luton? Of course they are! But I don’t know anything and its dark and my battery is running low on my phone.
I arrive at my Air B and B, codes for the room and front door. It has very white walls, and there is an artwork in my room saying ‘stay wild’. Its warm and I immediately feel raggedy in my clothes, which probably smell of wood smoke, probably have a stain and a hole. I am very happy I have a house shower! Not a boat shower! I meet Marta, a Polish woman who is in the UK about to do an acting course in London and she lives in the property more permanently - she is not Air B and B’ing . She is incredibly friendly and she has her friend round in the kitchen. It feels good to have a conversation and hear about what she is doing.
I’m already late, so I leave to walk to the hotel near by. I call my boyfriend on the walk over there. I have been asked by the schedule to buy a coffee and cake but they don’t have cake so I buy a tea and my dinner. I write a letter to QDT as requested. It’s a slightly rambling letter about my hopes for the residency, but it feels good to write. In the background is Saturday night entertainment TV. It’s brilliant. It’s a competition about dance and I recognise the host singer Alesha but I dont know the show. There is a sound clash of music as some other music is playing in the bar. But I’m loving the TV. I think this is joyful. I love this genre of TV. The genre of TV where people who aren’t famous show their talents. Masterchef, Bake Off, and Goggle Box (well I think so). They are all brilliant dancers in this show. I feel really good. I see people arriving, lots of groups of people. I think people are excited about coming to the hotel. Its quite glamorous and there’s a spa. I love seeing people dressed up, lipstick … perfume. I sit on my own suddenly conscious I am sitting on a table meant for 5. I’ll move if a group needs the table. I’m happy in the bar. I made it to Luton! I’m writing the letter. I’m doing the task. Drinking tea. Eating dinner.
Back in the Air B and B I watch 3 episodes of Sex Education on Netflix. It’s difficult to stop watching it. Its 11pm – I know I need to stop watching.
