The end of Pollyanna...

So I'm very much past my six week trial of being "glad", aka my own personal Pollyanna project. To catch you all up I challenege myself over a six week period to the task of noting things as part of an ordinary day in my life that I was glad about, that made my heart sing or my brain stop for just a moment or so - see the original post here. Then I blogged them - see the posts under the Pollyana Project.

All the budding researchers among you are awaiting my chapter on analysis and results I know, so here it is plain and simple. What makes me glad? (Or should I phrase that what are the moments of bliss in amongst the daily grind? Sorry Pollyana doesn't live here any more!) Well....

• rainboots...and rain, and weather in general, storms, sunshine, the changing of the seasons and everything in between including spending time on the high seas!
• professional people I admire, aka my professional heroes - getting to meet and work with them is an added bonus!
• pets - other peoples, ones on the street, native wildlife. If I can pat it, I like it.
• friends - that mostly love to eat (and yes have the odd tipple), and then there are their friends - the joy of meeting people that know your friends (social networks! gah!) are always a new possibility
• time to myself - and learning to make that time
• Phwoar and Swoon - men worthy of cravats and breeches (and cycling lyrca).
• random acts of song/music - it is something about voices raised together (BYO daggy 80's hits) or music that floats into the street (BYO violinist and soprano)
• armchair sport spectatorship - I've yelled and booed at the World Cup and the wondrous Le tour de France, perhaps lawns bowls spectatorship next?
• art in everyday life - off to galleries and performances, being reminded of art works I love...
• sleep - lots of it, preferably a nice daily dose.
• giggling - to take a leaf out of Elizabeth Bennet's book 'Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can' closely followed by instigating said giggling
• achieving something - and having it immortalised on a plaque or planting the seeds of bigger achievements

So basically I'm glad if I get to sleep, eat, drink and giggle (preferably with other people), pat animals, hang out in the weather and watch other people play sport, make art and performance, and/or wear cravats. That is all.

The Sketchbook Project

Again found via the lovely Vicki...what an awesome idea of user generated content not in a digital context! Makes me wish I could draw.

The Sketchbook Project

Each artist is sent the same blank Moleskine sketchbook. We've only got two rules: first, the book must be used in some way - no sending us back an empty book or a completely different book! Second, the sketchbook must stay within its original dimensions (because we don't want to have to provide an extra suitcase just for your book while we're touring the country).

Each book will be given a barcode so we can easily catalog it into The Brooklyn Art Library system. Once we catalog it, artists will be able to track where on the tour their book is viewed and how many times someone pulled it from the shelf - we want to make sure you can stay connected with your sketchbook!

The availability of sketchbooks vary each day, so sign up quickly to reserve the one you want! You have the option to choose the kind of Moleskine and the color of the cover when you add the project to your cart over to the right.

thunderbolt and lightning... very, very frightening!

....I love storms, particularly ones that light up your whole house with that flash of silvery light before the boom, the crash....the opera? I'll stop with the musical references, but nothing quite thrills like the smell (yes smell!) and sound of ozone in action. Makes me think of all those long forgotten geography lessons on evaporation and precipitation, about the far too many documentaries on the weather I have watched....and Muffins the dog I had growing up who, if he was still with us, would be up on my lap the minute the first crash rang out!

SUNDAY

Glad moment: *flash*....Boom!

Aren't you glad I'm back?

If you think the posts below magically appeared perhaps while you were napping...(I mean carefully watching Le Tour de France...) then the answer is yes. Things got busy. This blog didn't! But I'm back....I think I've lost some days in here somewhere...but I try my best to be the bearer of glad tidings.

TUESDAY

My bed! Finally my bed!

Glad moment: it made it up the stairs...now who wants to come over and try it out?

WEDNESDAY

Office pranks. If you think I'm kidding when I say I'll send you the bill in the internal mail, I wasn't. One perfectly delivered faux-invoice. A day to wait for the response.

Glad moment: the smugness that only delayed gratification can bring.

THURSDAY

Quick wit delivered by return internal snail mail. How I do love a sense of humour.

Glad moment: keeping pedants in business.

FRIDAY > SUNDAY

Lost somewhere in France.

MONDAY

Rest night at Le Tour de France...

Glad moment: finally a night in bed early!

TUESDAY

see Friday > Sunday.

WEDNESDAY

Old friends, old art...Abstraction at The Art Gallery of NSW followed by the perfect antidote, Victorian Visions. Don't get me wrong my bower-bird eyes lit up at the works in the Abstraction exhibition. The Mondrian and Braque works especially feel like old friends and I comprehend the momentous shift this exhibition tracks...but there is just something so lush and seductive about voluptuous figures and the quality of heavy oil work of the Pre-Raphaelites and their other Victorian-era friends that stirs something deep, or should I say much deeper.

Glad moment: 'other' art making my heart sing.

THURSDAY

Thinking about escape (I mean er, travel) plans!

Glad moment: The more I say it, the more it forms as a tangible alternative.

FRIDAY

Yep...I'm king of the mountains! Wearing polka dots did it today.

Glad moment: Yes, the lack of sleep does effect my wardrobe choice.

SATURDAY

Rollin with my homies...and eggs for breakfast.

Glad moment: Eggs taste better in the company of beloved girlfriends.

How I am feeling right now...

Isn't it great when you hear a song and it fits you exact mood?

My annual holiday

It's started! Is there anything more grand than Tour de France...ok possibly being at Tour de France could top merely enjoying it from my armchair perspective but I'm glad today to be looking forward to 21 days of French summer time fun (although we are in The Netherlands at the moment!), Mike Tomalaris, daily Gabriel Gate recipes, helicopters flying over châteaux...oh and a cycling race. Day 1 bodes well for Saxo Bank...(go Cancellara!) and make sure you check out this lovely website http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2010/

Glad moment: Fabian Cancellara's thighs.

Why you should quit your job and travel around the world...

Found via @vickiah on a site called The Art of Non-conformity, so who's up for it?

What is dangerous, however, is when delayed gratification becomes an excuse for not living the life you want.

How many people do you know that actually do the things they say they are going to when they reach arbitrary ages of leaving the jobs they have given their lives to? Far more common is the downsizing of dreams along the way.

If you want to play golf all day and take your medication at regular intervals, the 40-year career track plan should work well for you. If you have other ideas or ambitions, though, don’t kill yourself as a slave for the future. Instead, go and figure out where you want to travel and do something about it.

Cheers, it's cold...

THURSDAY

Other people's leaving drinks. Any excuse to stop work at 4.30pm and have a glass (filled and re-filled for you) and some chatter.

Glad moment: never having to refill your own glass.

FRIDAY

New bed! (finally...the fact half of it hasn't made it up the stairs ain't great, but hey a good shove and it should make it fine....

Glad moment: lounging on a new bed even if it's just the mattress and it is still in plastic is a wondrous feeling.

SATURDAY

If it's cold, if it's July....it must be time for le Tour! (getting up at 2am tomorrow for the prelude is probably not the best way to make me glad but nonetheless!)

Glad moment: 21 days to go!

Ah yes, where was I?

Ok....

SUNDAY

Cycle chic...see the post here, was a lovely (though hilly ride!) to and from Bondi Beach and a lovely afternoon in the company of other like-minded lovely people.

Glad moment: Chic is a serious business, lucky I had a gold dress in the wardrobe to match the Golden Mongoose.

MONDAY

I'm passing again. If you can find something glad about Mondays...good on you.

TUESDAY

Another Tuesday, another 'Insights Night'! Learning about the artform you promote is never dull.

Glad moment: feeling that a tiny part of what you do has a big impact on other people.

WEDNESDAY

Also known as 'plaque day'. No, not a trip to the dentist! Rather a time when I can actually sing along to this....

>

This is end, my beautiful friend...the end! And here's my plaque to prove it!

Glad moment: Everything looks better on a plaque.

THURSDAY

Um, er....pass again.

FRIDAY

Spontaneous invites by email....the subject line of this one was...'Would you like to go sailing on Sunday?'...now ask yourself, what else would I want to do on a Sunday.

Glad moment: a return to the high seas

SATURDAY

Menu planning for said sail trip...this is where the 'part-domestic goddess' persona kicks in...rushing about, attempting to work out just what encapsulates a winner picnic for a Sunday sailing trip. I am usually so much better at spring/summer catering but nonetheless not daunted...if only I could take my nounce for picnic catering into other areas of my life.

Glad moment: gluttony can extend onto the high seas

SUNDAY

Sailing!

Glad moment: Realising that I love to be out on the water and I'm not altogether useless crew! A gold moon on the horizon as I drove home to a warm shower.

MONDAY

Um, er...

TUESDAY

Ditto.

WEDNESDAY

Glad moment: Mulled wine and being only slight tiddled...

So, you want to video something...

I promise I will stop posting links from UK-based arts discussions. I will stop when the content stops becoming so bloody relevant! More goodies today...

Today’s Topic: The production and distribution of video is increasingly accessible and affordable, offering new ways to explore artistic programs and engage audiences. In contrast, broadcast platforms remain off-limits to most art forms and their respective audience interests. In this AoDL salon we will primarily explore how arts organisations can create video for online and mobile platforms. Secondly, we would like to encourage a discussion about how the Public Service Broadcast network might forge relationships with arts organizations as ‘content providers’, thus possibly prizing open an avenue for greater presence (and diversity) within the broadcast arena.

For more read on!

Monday box grumblings

MONDAY

Astrobarry makes me glad today, always some sage advice that doesn't (at least I hope not) have a hidden agenda....! Glad moment: Nicely said today Barry...

Want to think outside the box? You have to leave the box.

Cycle Chic Sundays

I met them down at Bondi Beach and morphed into chic (aka cycling lycra be damed!)...welcome to the first ride in the Sydney version of Cycle Chic Sundays! Check out more here, thanks to the lovely Miss Saskia!

if music be the food of love, play on!

Ok, back to the gladness!

TUESDAY

An 'Insights Night' where we invite Patrons and Friends to find out all about new productions. The Insights were great (even for seasoned workers!).

Glad moment: Sitting in the back row like naughty school children was also most agreeable.

WEDNESDAY

Um, er...pass.

THURSDAY

Dinner with friends who work too hard... escaping the office at 5.15pm, dinner, dessert and drinks after...

Glad moment: Team Gourmet rocks.

FRIDAY

I think I have morose Friday's, that is, I always somehow end up with a rather anti-climatic feeling. So there I was walking home feeling rather flat (it may also have been the effect of two or three glasses of wine on an empty stomach) but...lets say a slight ennui was engulfing me. Suddenly I had musical accompaniment! There is a violist who lives on one street I travel as I walk home. I don't hear them all the time, but sometimes (usually when you least expect it) notes catch you and then I stop and listen for a few minutes. Tonight after my stop with the violinist, I was walking down my own street and there was a lovely soprano voice. Haven't heard that one before....but how lovely. Ennui gone, glad face back on.

Glad moment: Walk home concerts.

SATURDAY

Possums in the park by daylight. Taking the Golden Moongose for a spin around a few blocks to enjoy the sunshine and spotting another cyclist who has stopped and is doing what can only be described as chatting to a possum. Now I love these possums, but I have never seen them by daylight. Usually it's night and I have been known to hand over a piece of fruit (that has spent too much time at the bottom of my handbag) but here was one in broad daylight...we both stopped, we watched as a possum decided the ground cover plants was a better place to hide than on the street chatting to two cyclists...and ran off!

Glad moment: random wildlife moments

How 'old' are young audiences?

An interesting article that popped up in the most recent email from Audiences London and made me look twice...

"Culture Hounds" - a new audience segment?
The Edinburgh International Festival will launch its INcrowd promotion next week. Aimed at attenders in their 20s and 30s, the scheme costs £20 to join and offers exclusive benefits and discounts and is designed to engage the over 26 group who miss out on the best discounts for students and young people.

For more details check out...http://www.eif.co.uk/news/incrowd

What's happening in London? Tell Boris your thoughts...

What's happening to culture in London? Who knows really (wish I was there!). However we can all have a say in the Cultural Strategy for London through a nice little bit of sharing via the web. With a click of a button you can view and comment on the draft strategy dreamed up by Boris and his team to drive London's cultural future. You can see all the documents here, and the introduction below.

Cultural Strategy

Closing Date:

6 September, 2010 - 18:00

“As Mayor of London I want us to continue to be the greatest cultural capital of the world, a city that attracts millions of people from overseas and the rest of the country each year, but also, of course, one that Londoners find never endingly stimulating, provocative and enjoyable.”

- Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

The Mayor’s Cultural Strategy sets out his vision, priorities and recommendations for how to strengthen the cultural life of Londoners across the capital. It recognises the significance of the cultural and creative sectors in making London a successful world city, and puts forward a case for its continued support and investment – particularly in the run up to the 2012 Olympics and the opportunity it presents for London to undertake a step change in cultural activity and participation.

The strategy is now available for public consultation. Results of the consultation will be published in late 2010.

This reminds me a lot of what the Australian Federal Government was trying to do with the discussions around the NBN and the good old 2020 summit days. The right to comment on various pieces of government strategy is not new (heck, knock yourself out and lodge a response to a local council planning development application as a fun Saturday afternoon piece of participating in democracy). What is interesting however, is the advent of commenting online. I only wish we could see all the responses to Boris in real time.

Another year, another OzCo Summit

I'm not in attendance this year at the Australia Council Marketing Summit, but participating from afar is almost as good. A few conference activities I have enjoyed include:

• Catching up on the You Tube stream from the conference at #msummit2010
• Reading the links referenced in various speaker's presentation. A particular post of interest has been the talk by Claire Eva - Head of Marketing and Audiences, at the Tate UK and links to the Tate Online Strategy 2010–12 and the idea of 'Your Tate Track'.
• Reading other's wrap up of the events....check out this great blog wrap up of several presentations.
• And of course, you can check out the OzCo site for all the presentations files, video and audio.

Happy reading! (from afar!)

Just another phwoar related post...for your coffee break

I didn't realise that Joseph Fiennes was also doing some seductive coffee break reading...this campaign works for me (and I don't even drink coffee!). Ohh and more Greg Wise readings too...heaven!

Facebook things to play with...

I am now a Facebook page admin. Actually I'm the admin of three pages. One is an older work-related page that will soon by superseded by a shiny new work-related page launching in a month or so. The other is my play space, which is a space I really need as I get to grips with custom tabs, promotion rules, writing FBML, Facebook API, custom applications and the myriad of analytics that come with running a page for an organisation.

Who said Facebook was for kids? I'm off to read the Developer pages like a proper nerd.

The Big Shaggy...

No it's not about Scooby Doo...found via Sarah Wilson, David Brooks from the New York Times says...more...

studying the humanities helps you befriend The Big Shaggy.