Jennifer Wood like...to talk about wonderful exhibitions, or great new bands or some inspiring piece of work I’ve recently seen. But to be frank, am not off to a great start, as I haven’t seen anything recently that is worth writing home or indeed blogging about. And it’s not for the want of trying. However I have found inspiration in one of the most unexpected places. In something that all of us can share, and probably never consider as a source of great creativity.
I was asked to go see a band recently at King Tuts in Glasgow, a £6 ticket for a ‘mate of mates’ band. And another friend asked if I would come to her exhibition opening of a collection of her work, which I’ve seen many times before. I ambled along to both and discovered average tunes, and the art works looking as smart as ever. But having a chat with both friends after about their work was what changed it for me. Hearing the stories of how they wrote songs on buses, and in between jobs. How artwork was produced using money that should have been spent on rent and food. Hearing the stories of how they actually got off their arse and did something made me look at their work in a whole new light. I didn’t just hear another guitar band; I heard something that took hundreds of hours to make. I didn’t just see a wall of photographs; I saw agonising hours of hand printing, and days of deliberation on composition. And it’s made me look at the other people around me and see what they have achieved. I urge you to try it. You’ll find something in everyone.
But maybe it’s just me; maybe I haven’t taken the time to listen to my friend’s stories. But when was the last time you sat down and really listened to your mate who travelled through Peru.
So the next time you are quick to judge a new band, or a grad student’s art show, or dismiss your mate who completed Call of Duty 6 in a weekend, ask yourself what have you done lately?
