I had probably the best summer ever doing lots of fun stuff. I’m off to buy some white gloves and silver envelopes so I have to dash but here is a little taster:
Oh, and for those who don’t know - this is the Michael Rosen, Poet, Writer, Performer and Childnren’s Laureate.
This week saw the beginning of something magical - the inaugural Bath Children’s Literature Festival was launched and I am here in Bath rubbing shoulders with some the most creative and influential people in the Children’s Literature…business - but wait, I can’t saddle this world with the words ‘industry’ or ‘business’ because it clearly is so much more than that…
Yeah!
Thanks for the heads up Drew.
(photo by granville12832)
This week i’ve been playing with the idea of the sniper approach to getting stuff done. No, not shooting from a concealed position over longer ranges but knowing what I want, going for it, then getting the hell out.
Its about saving time and a cure for trying to look busy. It means I have more time to do the stuff I want to do rather than the stuff I have to do.
That’s it. I’m off!
“Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience.”
Masaru Ibuka, Founder, Sony Corp
While the hum of the fan ticks over for the last few times, the overheating power supply ebbs out its warm glow, the screen fades to black lets take a moment to ponder who killed the PS3 and why did it happen?
So its my 30th birthday today. Here’s a little podcast I put together to celebrate.
Enjoy!
Tracklist
1: Ghost Dog - Samurai Code Quote #4
2: Black Affair - Sweet
3: The Kleptones - Amazing Temptation
4: Billy Hawks - Ooh Baby (I Believe I’m Losing You)
5: Spoonie Gee - Spoonie Rap
6: Martina Topley Bird - Ragga
7: Elbow - One Thing
8: Andre 3000 - She Lives in my Lap
9: Sumac Yma - Gopher Mambo
10: Jay-Z - Lucifer
11: Ella Fitzgerald - Sunshine Of Your Love
12: Hayseed Dixie - Dueling Banjos
13: Elvis Presley - Do The Clam
14: Akasha - Brown Sugar (Les Rhythmes Digitales remix)
15: REM - I’ve Been High (Matthew “Intended” Herbert)
16: Isaac Hayes - Ike’s Rap
17: Chris Barber - You Rascal You
18: North Star (featuring the RZA) - 4 Sho Sho
Last Thursday I decided that I must quit caffeine. That’s how easy it was. But it wasn’t really. Cold turkey is tough. Headaches, sweats, restlessness and a really bad attitude - did I mention the headaches? But I was committed to get to the other side without imbibing one drop of the black stuff. However many times it was waved under my nose.
This is my dog Judd.
My mum bought him for me when I was about 12 as I had been a bit unwell, she thought he would cheer me up. Judd is a pedigree toy poodle however he was so confident when my mum went to pick him up as a puppy he bolstered right on over to her whilst his brothers and sisters shied away from her. Judd grew so big that the vet was sure he was a small miniature poodle!
We named him Judd because my mums Jack Russell Terrier when she was a little girl was called Judy - as small kids we romanticized Judy as we had never met her - she had died when my mum was young without kids. We (me, my brother and sister) always said if we ever got a dog we’d call it Judy but Judd came along and was a boy. Breakfast Club (the film) had just come out also and my ‘rebellious’ brother reckoned we called him Judd after the actor Judd Nelson, so everyone was happy.
‘We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.’
Marshall McLuhan
At a North East London health centre some devilishly good illustration is hanging on the walls. A great charity called The Nightingale Project unveiled Quentin Blakes latest work. The charities objective is to brighten the dreary and depressing world of hospitals, with Quentins help and some bloody great big printing machines they have acheived just that.
Huge blow-ups of scenes from Planet Zog adorn the walls and Monsieur Blake was there to present his wonderful works.
The alien world of ‘Planet Zog’ is intended to warm the reflection of the world of the institution to the child. The vivid colours combined with the subtle details and minimal pen-strokes evoked smiles from everyone who cast their eyes on Zog.
Nick Rhodes the director of the Nightingale Project kindly took me on a private tour of the illustrations. There are no plans to publish them so unless you are a patient or staff at the centre its unlikely that you will get an opportunity to see the rest - so thats why I took all of these photos!
All the pictures are all hung at adult eye-level. I am sure the staff will absorb the good vibes. They just need a few steps for kids to climb up in to Planet Zog too.
Its a brilliant idea, more art in hospitals but I was told that convincing health-care trusts to put a line in their budget for art when its continually being stripped back is an uphill battle. Arts Council England should be throwing money at this!
There’s a great article about some other work Quentin did for the Nightingale Project at the BBC’s website here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6216758.stm
This morning I heard that Quentin Blake was giving a lecture at the
My new friend, Drew Anderson (Millions of Hundred Dollar Ideas) is opening a gallery to sell 1 x 1 inch pieces of art in his hometown of
So this evening I found myself at the Institute, near
At the end of the engaging and educational lecture I humbly joined the que for autographs. I read Quentin Blake’s pictures as a child and read them now with my children - Roly Poly Birds, Vermicious Knids - the whole kit and caboodle. Quentin was wearing very cool white shoes, I was amazed how clean they were and complimented him on them. A real dude!
I didn’t have a book for him to sign (most people had a Roald Dahl one of some form or other) but asked for a doodle for my Moleskine - he was happy for me to offer it to Drew’s cause.
Here it is. Its a beautiful picture. One of a kind. And I am giving it away! There are 99 pages left in the book for me to fill and I have a ridiculously high standard to reach. Maybe I will just give it to Drew as it is…
Dan Morelle
New Adventures in Blog-Fi.
