#atworklive

The above post was made on Facebook on my profile page, it was made following the #MarieClaire #AtWorkLive event on arriving home. It was a total motivating event, the commitment and level of application to get on and do the work, the niche you have. I was impressed by the people lined up to talk about their professionalism. I even met Trish Halpin (no selfies with her, I hadn't got the nerve to ask her!! and its a bit cliche now).

I totally loved the @marieclairemag #atworklive event 2016. If you go to the beginning of this blog you will find that I went to the first one last year. And what a spectacular line up!! This year I am very happy to say that it was more multicultural and diverse than 2015. And the welcome, hospitality and goodie bags were amazing! Oh my today I have been pampering myself with some goodies from the goodie bag, luscious!! With all the #Elemis moisturisers and body lotions I have used, I feel like I have had a massive spa pampering!

As you can see I have had my hair lightened, this is something which is in process of lightening even further!! I prefer being blonde, love it, it feels natural to be this colour.

In my last blog I promised that I would inform you about benefits, how I got on them, how hard it is and maybe a vlog with all the forms I have had to ever fill in. It is going to be a massive task as the forms are so many, I need to be able to organise how to present my documents in video. So that will be done, just not right now. There has been lots going on as well.

On the 14th April it was my Mum’s 70th Birthday, bless her heart I really don't like to think of her being 70, I am fascinated by the fact she has so much resilience and I hope I have, I think I have, inherited some of that energy and vivacity.

Above are photos of me and my sis and Mum. Getting there was a bit traumatic, my sis left her verbal accusation attack on me when she had me in the car, I felt violated and upset. She was so paranoid that I had been saying horrid things about her to her friend who was babysitting Gracie - I was trying to help her to understand that her fears were unfounded yet she still carried on whilst driving so I slapped her arm to get her attention. She just carried on so I wanted to get out of the car. She felt much better after making me so upset. Part of my mental illness means that I find it hard to deal with situations when I am locked in a situation with no way out. It was traumatic. On the way into the party Anita tried to convince me to forget and focus on Mum’s birthday. I really felt violated. I couldn't stop crying. It was horrid. Right now I think that it was sad that it happened but it’s no surprise, she used to do that a lot when we were younger. Pushing and pushing the boundaries of sense and intrusion into your dignity. I am very sad that the evening began like that. And to be honest I made the best of it. Ironically my Aunt said that to just brush it off like she does, yet only a few years ago when my Grandma died she was upset by Anita’s tirade that she was not talking to her!  

Anyone else with a serious agitator in the family?

Back to the positives...

From last year I have ordered some items from #KarenMillen and one of them was these earrings so gorgeous I had to wear them to this years’ #AtWorkLive event, totally appropriate.

One of the questions I asked the panel of the from Blog to Business was “Do you have a place you enjoy and have to work in?” this was intriguing when most of them said you don’t choose, if you are doing it right, you don’t have the luxury of choosing when, where, you have to get on and do it everywhere and keep it up with plans and projects as you go along.

Today is totally lazy Sunday. I have officially begun being more organised with working from home, that there are times when we need time off and being relaxed.

This is great to feel relaxed and not guilty about it.

Balancing the work ethics and being oneself. It’s vital I maintain this balance.

I’m excited to be going on a course soon, and I am totally desperate to book a ticket to the @marieclairemag @workLive event this year. It did me so much good from last year’s event. I have developed professionally, opportunities and in personal ways that I never would have done had I not gone there.

So now it’s back to being relaxed after my blog update reflecting on how things are going.

Being asked to work with Robert Pacitti is a great honour, so naturally I accepted. The first day was thorough and hard work. It seemed never ending and I have only just caught up with myself.

Robert mentioned that he was frustrated that not many opportunities were happening so he decided to make things happen and as he is an engaging artist making things happen he hadn’t worked on his own projects for a while. He is completely professional and has integrity in abundance. A people person and creatively engaging with a fabulous brain full of wisdom and informed experience. 

As a collaboration we are individuals developing our performance pieces in a collective and informative way with each other.

Today I reflected on a lot of things that we all shared and how this will impact on my overall practice as an artist. The development and process is always going on professionally and personally, it never ends.

A week ago I had a job interview in a shop in town, it was going really well until I discovered that I had been misled. It advertised a pro-rata rate of per hour with evenings and weekend availability which was literally below the minimum wage. In the interview it was made apparent it is a zero hours contract that is full time...erm how does that work?

Literally I am beginning to see what Robert saw that careers and opportunities to earn a living don’t just land on your doorstep it is actually creating them ourselves, with integrity and fairness for all. So I am looking into all options....

One of the options is from the workshops and keynote speakers and events at the At Work Live event; I am so glad I went there, it seems a lot of people wish they had been there. Cosmopolitan Magazine are booking folk into the BAFTA venue for a day with Davina MaCall which I absolutely do not think could even compare to the event I went to.

Looking through the business planner journal we were given I am pleased to say I am getting better. I have already begun a document for Arts School leavers which is based upon my own and others’ experience of what has worked for us. This I hope will be engaged with and respectfully considered. I am happy to say that I am now developing my application for Arts Council Grants for the Arts.

Over the last 2 weeks I have been reflecting on a number of experiences and incriminations. This includes a neighbour and the constant aggressive knocking on my door by Anglian Water looking for an addressee and at the actual address they have diverted them round the back to my property. Literally no longer tolerating this. I have had enough of people avoiding bills, I pay mine why not everyone else?

I’m now thinking tomorrow my volunteering work will be a great busy day in need of good rest and prepare for a busy day, it is all new to me still and yet I am pleased to say they like me a lot there. In lots of ways I am happy to volunteer and like to believe I am making a difference, and of course the experience and dedication will be proving of my worth.

New post!