Started at 10 finished at 6.

One of the things I really wanted experience in was applying for funding. Did this today, went through previous financial records and visitor figures and assessed which special groups and geographic areas we covered and wrote persausive words and sent it off! Grants officer verbally reckons its in the bag, yay.

Also its clear better record keeping would have made it easier so that's now in the plan for this year.

Also did some social network marketing and am still finding that I know more people in the art world than I think. Good job I've got a memory for faces and names, because when someone is mentioned I'm like "oh yeah works at blah blah" or "the printmaker" or whatever.

Keep in touch with people be honest about what you want and be polite and then no stress about being asked to do what you don't want or being found out will befall you.

I'm 36 now and happy to start singing "I am what I am"

Even if I still polish it a bit.

Talking of which roots are getting done tomorrow,

Jen

Starter for 10

Nearly all jobs in the Arts I have come across start at 10, then drink coffee for 30 minutes then get inspired then go nuts for several hours and then 5 go home to get out by 8 and socialise at some art thing like an opening until late. If I'd known this as a student I would have joined in sooner and still be there.

Well probably not, I wasn't a typical student I got into debt by ordering too many pizzas and cooking for friends, we sometimes had wine but drinking was herbal tea or british rail bog standard at epic breakfasts, sure some nights I stayed up late, some days I slept in and one night I stayed up all night in a sleeping bag on a hillock only to discover how ominous bunny rabbits in a line, like native americans on a ridge, eyes flashing in the dawn's early light can truly be. Unforgettable that sunrise - but not in the way I had envisaged.

Also I lacked certain types of confidence. Art History students are a mix of public school kids and mature students who love art. I made friends with the latter and was scared of the first. I spent most of my life as a student feeling like I'd snuck in and had no right to be there. I worked, I loved the library, I found the subject fascinating and discovered big concepts fazed me not and that was unusual.

I backpacked in Scotland most easter breaks and in Edinburgh had my first experience of gallery fatigue. I saw everything and got to the point of not being able to take anything in visually at all any more. I went to Glasgow and got drunk for a few days instead, then visited every Rennie Mackintosh site I could.

This leads me to how does a girl from a state school end up studying art history anyway? Too main factors mum and dad. So far so standard. Dad because he had sunday access to me and my brother and galleries are cheap and good in the rain so we went to many and disagreed in taste extremely, this tired him. I recall seeing Rene Magritte's the empty mask, I would not be moved from in front of it. I was 6. It still makes me sort of happy and calm and mesmerised now. It's not an intellectual response it just is.

Then mum, when I was studying for A levels she and I clashed somewhat so I went to the Central Library to study and the reading area was next to the art history books. Midge Ure had done a documentary on Charled Rennie Mackintosh and there was a book at the end of the row about him. I started reading the entire section and neglected my home work. When the UCAS sorting questionnaire came around it ask "Would you like to study Art History?" I said yes paid my £15 and went away to find out what the devil Art History was. Predictably it predicted I should study art history and because aside from being crap at technical drawing I'd be as Architect by now I looked for course with Architecture too. If you can't do, study.

Last day in temp job today.

Tomorrow the arts festival.

I start at 10

Jen

An unpublished blog

BigLittleCity:Cardiff  The Old Library Hayes until June 2011

Following a fun opening last Thursday night, which I jealously heard about, I took the recommendation to see this new exhibition on Saturday 16 April.

Up the sea of stone steps you are asked to pause and contemplate how your ancestor may have stood just there before gaining knowledge in the Library. As half of my family are Cardiffians it did led me to wonder if my father was the first generation freed from the long hours of the bakery to be the library fanatic he is now and has raised me to be.

Thinking of that early photograph of Wells’ cathedral steps I first see the glass plates of Cardiff Castle and the animal wall. These are wondrous, really crisp in the detail and yet so smoky that you have to peer making seeing them a more intense experience. Somehow it enlivened childhood memories of the place like flicking through an old family album.

There are representations of people in the indoor market, portraits of them with their stalls and a photomontage of Queen Street and its shoppers and people from Butetown taken in spotlight. Also there are caricatures of city people, some you may recognise as the characters of our streets. Here is a genuine representation of yes the diversity of Cardiff, this is something you can prove statistically, but here you also get a sense of how Cardiffians are.  Proud to be who we are and happy to get to know you and accept you as you are. It makes Cardiff a rich and welcoming place.

This exhibition has many interactive elements, real projects you can engage with and these will run until the close in June. There are still animals from the Castle wall to claim and animate, you can recreate the City’s coat of Arms, vote on the gate design for Bute Park, write about what makes Cardiff special to you and stick it on the wall, scribble on the whiteboard visitor book or submit artistic items of your own.

Whilst I was there I was excited to see not only Charles Byrd’s work but the man himself. A living legend surrounded by young artists who asked him many questions that he with pleasure and patience answered and they hung on his every word.

There are famous names and locally known artists.  Stained glass art by Angelina Hall who is showing an animated view of the bay from Penarth, Paintings and Prints of local scenes by Helen Lush, beautiful paper cut work by Rehanna Chaudri.  Also there are Graffiti Murals by NerveArt and a wall of skateboard designs.

These elements will change every five weeks and there is already a range of work here to interest all. The space has been used remarkably well; it’s like a modern labyrinth with constant interest and diversions. I am so happy it shows what I have always said about my city, it has an interesting history, a cosmopolitan present and a bright future.

I certainly intend to visit here regularly; hope to see you and maybe your work there too.

Jennifer Pearce for Llanover Hall

More info:  http://www.biglittlecity.com/news/

Redundancy

Stuff that happenned brought back some redundancy emotions today so thought it helpful to share. Of course all redundancies and all people's reaction to it will differ somewhat but if it happens to you try and remember that you can not be made redundant only the job can. Start seperating yourself from the job asap to help cope.

I set my self rules;
1.don't fall out with anyone
2.encourage others to respect each other
3.talk to a counsellor and get your head straight
4.dont make your own truth, stay open minded for as long as possible
5 capture all of your experience and skills and get colleugues to pitch in to capture them
6 take all opportunities for development offerred
7 learn any new tricks in your own time you possibly can
8 dream big then deal with the problems getting there
9 Make sure staff have all the tools if they choose to use them its up to them
10 know when to challange respectfully, I found this was most of the time

golden rule is make lemonade with the lemons

Jen

Its a Wonderful Life

Today lots of lovely new colleaugues were encouraging me to apply for permanent positions and saying lovely things like I was efficient and personable. Did virtual full day of filing today and I was getting tobe extremely quick, Thought I hated filing but apparently its just the odd one piece of filing at a time I hate. fiddly and unrewarding, wheras seeing a pile dissppear, well 13 boxes with 6 to go, is extremely satisfying like ironing baby clothes.

It got me to the point of really considering it, its 6 grand less than my last job, lovely office, meaningful work and great holidays, nice distance to travel and so forth and we'd be OK financially but i knwo I'd get stuck, staty there for ever and then all I'd have was she was a civil servant and then worked in admin for research science. Its not bad but its not reflective of me.

I want a battered suitcase with labels on it and my name in Gold letters and hearing ships and train whistles, i've got to get this town out of my hair, there's a run on the bank and all that, Aaaaahhhhh!

Well I've seen the end of that movie and I know I love a lot about Cardiff and I married the right guy and have a lovely kid but please I will get out of the comfort zone and stay positive and focused on "what I want to do" for just a little longer.

Jen

Smiles too expensive in the Art world?

So met the lovely Made in Roath person for tea in a lovely local coffee shop I last frequented in the snow. Actually on my way to work and office closed so sat in there with an apple and cinnamon drink, delicious.

It being so hectic she was 30 minutes late so tried to go online but no network coverage. What else but people watching? Its a friendly place, full of quite well off people who may be architects or surgeons in their working weeks, many with beautiful curly haired children with names like Noah or Ariadne, but strangely didn't feel excluded.

When we did have a discussion about what needs doing one thing that did crop up was making people welcome. Its hard to get across on paper, so that's something that needs to be embedded in all the marketing but when using lots of venues its not really possible to change the established culture.

Some venues don't have staff that smile at you but people who do that slightly challenging looking you assessing your suitability to share their oxygen thing that make-up counter staff are sometimes unfairly famous for. This is a special shame as many people who pluck up courage to visit venues for the firts time feel they wish they never came and will never come again. I don't want to over commercialise the arts but they do need custom so some wlecoming customer service would be nice.

Helpfully we are on the same page with this so part of my task will be to co-ordinate volunteers to meet and greet people in venues where the staff don't.

I will be running a family drawing event. Saturday 15th October St Andrew's Church in Roath Cardiff will be hosting a BIG DRAW free family event, all children to bring adults along 12-4pm, materials provided, drop in! Part of Made in Roath Arts Festival www.madeinroath.com

And have been spreading the word on that since getting home. I'll be temping I promised monday-wednesday so Thursday will be at organisers house all day and Friday hair done and then out with other escapees from my previous job.

hugs

Jen

"Extraordinary!"

Last day being a PA, I cleaned the desk, printed and emailed the handover document and told everyone to keep to the line we just about coped without you, next week I'm staying on for at least 3 days to do filing and generally help out.

Told by another department my new boss described me as "extraordinary" whereas that department I was told told my boss I was very impressive and asked all the right questions. Satisfying that being resourceful and after 15 years in admin I really know my way around an office.

Had to sort Scottish travel today, haven't been there for years and got quite wistful. Now having money coming in planning more holidays mentally. Have once in lifetime holiday booked and paid for to NYC first two weeks in May next year and madly although it was positively overwhelming emotionally when I finally booked it it's only now I am starting to look forward to it. If you are feeling satisfied and busy you enjoy your holidays more.

Heard from Made in Roath will be meeting up sunday at 3, tomorrow then it's chores but hairdresser on hols.

Jen