There's a season to everything
One of my favourite things to say is 'there's a season to everything' and it strikes me that it's a slightly more poignant way of saying 'everything ends'.
Sometimes I feel like being really energetic and frenetic, other times I like to be slow and patient. Some years I'm active and exercise a lot, other years I tend to just walk around and enjoy that. I have a fairly generous sense of following my own nose and tend not to question why I do what I do or whether there should be something else I should be doing. Such a moralising word, should, not sure I'm a big fan (unless we're talking about ethics).
When I was a kid my Dad told me, with a bit of gentle scorn, I was a fad person, I just would pick up things, get obsessed, enjoy it then stop. It would never be something I got properly good at or stuck with. Seasonality Dad, look it up!
Anyway, I have a friend who just seems always wrapped up in trying to change himself. More time in the gym, more productive down time, better sleep, more learning, reading more, whatever - it just seems so joyless, exhausting and pointless. What, I sometimes wonder, is different in his life for all this effort? How many more books does he actually get through? How much more sleep does he really get? I really wonder: how much more strung out does he actually feel running himself ragged?
It's hard, I want to tell him that I think of things as much more seasonal, and maybe he should try it. In summer I run a lot, in winter I barely do. Some weeks I take hundreds of photos, other months I take none. Some times I'm smashing through books, other times it takes me three weeks to finish one. It feels like a more generous way to live.
I've been thinking about this because 2022 is a very seasonal year. While COVID is obviously still a disease that exists, the shutdown years seem to have remained in the past and there's now much more openness and opportunity. I'm heading overseas for the first time in almost 3 years soon, for example. Exhibitions are remaining on, so many people have changed jobs. There's a war on. There's a new government. Things are better and things are worse, but lots has gone into hibernation and lots has sprung up.
In channeling my above mentioned friend, I've been trying to do a little self improvement recently. I find myself sometimes too distracted by the grass being greener - when I feel bored, uncomfortable or anything like that I start to frantically do something, anything, I'll make a joke if a conversation is a bit awkward, start doing the dishes if people seem quiet after dinner, quit my job if things aren't that flash. It's a bit of a all-in-no-look sort of method that's had its time and is now time to quietly walk into hibernation. I'd like to be a bit more seasonal - sometimes work is great, other times it's just ok, sometimes people are chatty, other times a bit of quiet is fine - maybe being a bit more accepting and a bit less controlling is good for a person, it's certainly good for me. Not just say it to others, but say it to myself.
Always the hardest part, isn't it?
A few final things:
Next week I'd like to write a follow up on art =/= money, where I wrote a lot about how art and money come (or don't) come together. I'm hoping to update people on how a year as an art business man has gone. I'm very comfortable sharing dollar amounts but if this seems a bit unnecessary just let me know, I'm aware that some people get really awkward around finances. Or if you're like 'break it down, give me the dollar costs!' please also let me know - I hate boring people but I am a bit of a finance nerd.
I was recently interviewed by C4 journal. I know the team at C4 super well and it's always a bit harder talking like this with friends, especially friends who can text me and say 'yeah so I know that's bullshit dude'. I like where we got to, I think you should have a read ;). If you've ever said 'Matt how's your art going?' you can like relate, I kind of just say a bland nothing sentence and we're done, even though it's like the biggest thing in my life.
July 1st is next week - I'm exhibiting - I think if you're on this email list you'll have, or soon have, an email invite, but if not come to Oigall Projects on Gertude Street, Fitzroy from like, idk, 5.30 or 6 to like 9 or something. I'll be there earlier. Give me a hug and check some art out. This is a bit of a watershed moment for me so I'm keen to see folks there :)