Choosing your influences

You are what you eat. You are what you read.

What these both are is ways of showing you are what you choose.

I watch and read things that not one of my friends does, regularly. I just haven't met people that many people who like the same things to watch and read as me, although I know there are hundreds out there, there just not where I grew up or where I work. So I choose my influences, I read what I want and watch what I want and I chose when I was young really consciously to not fall into believing in stereotypes. I was about 12 and i don't remember why I just remember it as a really conscious decision, from this simplicity it has developed into being critical in my thinking not letting myself assume and trying to be open to changing your mind or not making it too quickly.

You can move on from the influencers you were given like parents and teachers if you do that and then its easier to follow your path. I do stil hate following the crowd and am more likely to choose something if it is an option rather than a suggestion. I did worry I was just being contrary but I have now come to see that no my choices are my own and I'm happy with them even if they are a mess of tastes and contradictions.

Finally reconnected with those art places and people I have connections with and just let them know what I was up to and up for. Maybe in a fortnight I will be back with g39 people and it will be great to catch up and share. It will be interesting to see their feedback or reaction to what I have to say.

Also started getting funding options together and one of my million (well lots) of email sign ups bore fruit, voluntary arts network send a very lengthy newsletter I half regret receiving even though its all good its not targeted so you have to trawl through it. Anyway found grants for "community" projects for about the right level of dosh and that was without trying. I promise myself will put some time aside to do that in the next three days.

Also need to rewrite my CV again, things to update and I need to start to looking for work in earnest again. Just something part time but also agreed to stay in my wed-fri temp job til end of November.  Hopefully the repetitiveness of this will not drain but inspire.

Jen