And Finally...

Friday 27th December 2013

Horrendous weather again, didn’t get out anywhere. Was good to just sit on the couch and read for much of the day. Got through one-hundred-and-fifty pages of “Is it Just Me?” by Miranda Hart. Been trying not to eat too much. Managed to go till six this evening on just a bowl of porridge, two slices of toast with Dairylea and a few sweets.  Then I had a beef and salami sandwich with Red Leicester, tomato and pickled onions. Later watched Man vs Food. The amount of meat and cheese that guy powers down is unbelievable. The soaps are grim and the wind rages. The BBC news shows national storm damage. Jenni is playing video games on her laptop and I’m feeling peckish. 10.12pm.

Saturday 28th December 2013

Three books ordered on Thursday arrived at ten to nine this morning. Went back to bed for an hour then read a few chapters of a writers’ guide and flicked through an Art Journaling colour glossy. Lots of laughs with Jenni. We ate a stewed steak dinner with roasties and carrots and green beans. Read a bit more journal stuff with various tv game shows in the background. It’s good to have lazy time. Been good to stay indoors all week. 10.29pm.

Sunday 29th December 2013

Read a couple of chapters of Journal Fodder 365 this morning. Jenni was up a lot earlier than expected so we had a mid afternoon meal of Cowboy Hash. Had a shave and washed Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events”. Brilliant little goth tinged kids’ film. Closing animation was great, made me think about imagery for art journaling. Main focus of recent days is food. Must get back to routine soon. 10.06pm.

Monday 30th December 2013

Had a visit from Mam and Ernie this morning. It was good to see them and meet my two-year-old niece for the first time. Felt rather tired this afternoon. Couldn’t stay awake to appreciate “Coraline” on tv. Jenni said it was very good. I’ve been trawling through my work-log over the last few days in prep for my end of year blog post. Knocked off to watch Olivia Coleman and Vanessa Redgrave in The Thirteenth Tale, a rather creepy film – sibling rivalry, madness, abandonment, death – with a great twist. Finding it difficult to curb my eating habits. Jenni is drinking hot spicy cider. I’m going to finish my Rochester’s non alcoholic rum and raison. 11.12pm.

Tuesday 31st December 2013

And so we’ve almost reached the end of another twelve months on Planet Earth. I’ve had some highs and lows but mostly resided somewhere in between: fifty-two gigs across the region and beyond – including appearances in Edinburgh, Alnwick, Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hull and London; over ninety workshops delivered for New College Durham, Leisureworks, The Forge, Waddington Street Centre, Cramlington Writers and Derwentside Mind – including half-marathons, therapeutic writing taster sessions, Arts on Prescription and a school poetry carousel. I took part in two slams and was a judge at another. I’ve met some truly amazing performers at JibbaJabba, Hot Words at the Chilli, National Library of Scotland, Apples & Snakes Scratch and Articulate, Poetry Jam, Black Light Engine Room, Radikal Words, WillyNillie, Away with Words, Ten Red, Bailiffgate Museum, Whitley Bay Dome, Newcastle Lit & Phil, Head of Steam, the Settle Down Café and other places along the way. I took part in the Late Shows, One Hundred Thousand Poets for Change and Street Poetry with some fine performers across Tyneside; completed the NaPoWriMo 30 poems in thirty days writing challenge for the third year in a row, made a limited edition handwritten book over the spring and summer that sold out at the launch gig then printed a standard edition to meet further demand this autumn. I’ve managed to inflict updates of my movements on kind readers of my online diary “Scribbles from the Brink of Inertia” on an approximately weekly basis and produced one-thousand and ninety-five morning pages. Thanks to my main publisher for the Red Squirrel Press Award early this year. HUGE THANKS to everyone who has made the creative journey so special throughout 2013 – all my fellow artists, workshop participants, coordinators, employers and inspirers. Well done to everyone who set themselves goals and accomplished them. You can do quite a bit when you put your mind to it. Lots planned for the next twelve months. Hope your 2014 is totally awesome. Keep it going!