May 2023

 May has been a very busy month work-wise and some other life stuff wise, and I am coming out the other end of it feeling a little drained but quite optimistic and excited about the rest of the year...

I am increasingly learning that an important part of trying to build a truly collaborative studio is being open and up front when things aren't going so great. Telling someone they've upset you is hard but it feels SO MUCH BETTER to get stuff out in the open. (For anyone who's lost track, yes, I have three jobs — I lecture at UAL, I am still freelance, but I also work around 2 days a week with a tech studio who are currently going through a period of some growing pains, and as I increasingly somehow tumble upwards into a leadership role there it's proving ever more important to try and get ourselves on an even keel emotionally, as well as practically...)

Haircut! It's frightfully impractical but conceptually impressive...

Big thoughts and small thoughts. Chase is very achey and slow.

Yelling "THAT'S PEDAGOGY, BABY!" as I fling a bag of colourful trash into the middle of a room of students

Sometimes I just wanna try and be Letman

Fuck the coronation! Let's eat rice bowl in the rain and go see some apocalyptic art!

My partner is really cute and they bought a cute outfit

Chase is also incontinent, but it has improved a LOT since we got her on HRT. (It is currently... 4 days since Chase had a wee accident?! And that was only because we accidentally missed her dose the night before?!)

Some days you just see a REALLY big woodlouse and need to draw it

Too many to dos, too many little red boxes with numbers in...

Our friend Heidi invited us to go see a contemporary dance rendition of Jim Henson classic movie 'The Dark Crystal', so we figured we'd better watch/rewatch before we went. It's a lot, huh

Love a big infrastructure

Also love Wisteria (and all the other scented flowers) season

I reeeeeally need to find a way of fitting 'exercise' into my days, but the problem is: I hate exercise (and work is really fun and financially rewarding). Also I love food. What do?!

Got an unexpected Justin visit and it was great

I am a professional, who can absolutely deal with alarmingly coloured contact lenses...

Had a really 'wow London is a lot' day which commenced with opening my front door at 8.30am to see a cyclist splattered across the road directly outside my house, which I think got me into a particularly "isn't existence intense" mood for the rest of the day

It turns out — I do not like contemporary dance

(Also, excuse me, not enough puppets — none — for a supposed Jim Henson adaptation)

It's fun to try draw the bad angles as well as the good...

My mood generally elevates by approx 20% from May – September simply because I AM THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE AT LAST

It's even better this year because NO SWEATY TITS! Despite them being drastically reduced just over a year ago, this is the first month that I've finally been bold enough to just abandon all bra wearing and I feel so freeeeeeeee

I do love my work but any time after 20.00 is TOO LATE to still be working

But I had to work extra hard because I took Friday (mostly) off to head up North and see my lovely friends!

And on Saturday we went for a big bike to Lumb Hole Falls. Returning to Hebden Bridge is always a bit of a mixed feelings thing. I miss Charlie SO much, and I miss how fit I was while I was there, and how I knew that valley and all its winding footpaths like the back of my hand. I do NOT miss feeling trapped in a bad relationship, the near constant rain, and being generally miserable, so swings and roundabouts I guess... But anyway, it was nice to do a good long clamber at the time of year when Hebden is at it's absolute best

I had to dash back down south on Sunday but not before our wonderful host James made us a big breakfast!

I am sorry to report the imminent deterioration of my visual diary quality. There are only so many hours in the day and I need to spend as many as possible of my non work ones playing TEARS OF THE KINGDOM

Really though, I AM fine :)

For the last year or so, I have, for the first time in my life, felt like I am actually working TOWARDS some things, rather than just 'working'. I am building things. I am doing good work. I am EXCITED! It's taking a lot of me right now, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable, but I hope I can get the balance right of taking care of myself and doing what I want/need to do to get ahead, and build the things I am excited about.

Maybe I'll try for less 'I am too busy' drawings next month though hey...