How r u January?

Hey. Hi, How r u. It's been a minute. 

I'm gonna skip over the whole 'Where have I been??'  'What the hell have I been doing???' (questions I have been asking myself for the past 17 years)  because I assure you, the answers are not interesting. However I shall tell you that something I have been doing is making myself make things. I've got back into journaling, something everytime I do it I think THIS IS SO GREAT Y DON'T I DO THIS MORE?? then proceed to not continue it for around 2 months when the whole process will start again (I also go through this same process about making pancakes.) But this time I've not been so flaky with myself and have been trying to write down/draw/paint my life vibes in a way that makes sense to me. The following drawings are all taken from my journal...

If you wanna see more of the things I have an art blog where I'm trying to post semi-regularly www.annadymond.tumblr.com (go go go) In terms of this blog I wanna get back into it again, so be prepared to once again hear me babble about art, music and my general life musings. I really like this whole sharing a playlist with you thing, music informs my life a lot-it moulds the art I make, the clothes I wear, my general life vibe, so sharing a collection of songs with y'all is basically my way of saying what's up. This playlist is one I made a while ago, I've also gotta share the video for the TOPS song because you know my undying love for any kind of dancing in a music video (but especially solo dancing) Enjoy and we'll talk soon.

                                                 

Move on

You know when I said I wasn't gonna have massive gaps between posts anymore? Well, sorry. 
Anyway I thought I might try a new little take on the outfit post. As a general nosy person, I'm always interested in what people are listening to so I thought that along with my outfit I would share my top 3 songs of that week.

I recently refound my old umbro trainers. I have found them to be ridiculously comfy and have just the right amount of ugly to them.  God bless you, you old PE rejects.

Umbro trainers ft. my pale freckly legs

Painting by me

The video for the last song is just so so gorgeous that I have to put it in.

Take A Chance On Me (Yourself)

First week back and lordy was it crazy. But amidst the grey haze of forgotten-to-do summer work and the shock of returning to the early morning people's world COOL THINGS have been happening! To start off with one of my art pieces was chosen to be part of an exhibition.

(my adoring fans)

It was a fabulous if somewhat surreal evening; seeing my own work on a white wall in a gallery surrounded by amazing young artists' work was truly humbling. Plus with free wine on offer who can really complain?

Next up was an evening spent listening to some incredible slam poetry. This is my second year attending a slam and it certainly didn't disappoint. The energy of a slam just can't be beat. The buzz of nervous yet excited energy courses through the air as another poet bravely takes to the microphone, a silence of held breaths blankets the audience. Thank god they make you holler and stamp your feet to support your favourite poets otherwise I'm pretty sure the audience would implode. And it was on this night where I met one of the strangest men I have ever met. He goes by the name Tekla, a poet, and whose thoughts tend to process at twice the speed of an average human. We ended up having a lengthy chat with him during the interval, ranging from how he made his own clothes to the youth of today to what poem he was going to do next. Unfortunately, as with every poetry slam, the best poet didn't win-Tekla had not made it to the final round. But as we turned the corner into the foyer we were greeted with his vivid blue ensemble once more and after assuring him that he was truly robbed, he asked if we wanted to hear his would have been last poem. We of course said yes. So after that and some talk of a Tekla book we hugged him goodbye. We walked out in a dazed state wondering if that evening had really just happened. When it finally dawned on us that it had we ran screaming down the harbourside and into the night.

So, what have these self indulgent stories of my life been building up to? If you guessed ABBA then well congratulations.

But WAIT! This isn't just any ABBA this is invaluable life advice ABBA! What these events have taught me is to take a chance. Imagine that the dulcet tones of ABBA is actually your soul singing to you. Take a chance on yourself! Take a chance on life! Put yourself up for things you don't think you'll get! Drink the free wine! Talk to the Teklas of the world! I watched an excellent documentary on Yayoi Kusama (who is a total babe if you didn't know). What really struck me was watching her work; straight onto canvas with acrylic paint, no sketches no nothing. I realised what a fearless way of working that was and how I don't do that enough in my art or in general life. I'm by nature a very cautious person and while this has probably saved me from dying a few times it simultaneously holds me back from gaining new experiences and having more stories to tell. 


To conclude, in the words of almighty Niké- JUST DO IT.

Lonely Love

               
I made this playlist a while ago, let it be the soundtrack to your own tale of unrequited love.

                     

Faded lavender

This time is always a strange time of year. Summer is breathing its last breaths and that cool autumn wind is slowly curling around our ankles. However, I do enjoy these strange inbetween days. Little rituals of winter start to return; jackets reappear from the back of wardrobes, old receipts and tickets are found in coat pockets, even putting on tights feels like a whole new venture. But we're not at that winter coat stage yet (though who knows I do live in England.) we still have these last moments before the start of a new school year (or back to work for those of you who are proper humans.) I'll be going into my last year of sixth form which is rather bittersweet, but more and more I feel a yearning for independence, new experiences and, above all, to find out what kind of person I am around people who don't know me. But, before all of that we've still got this chunk of summer. Enjoy it.

(P.S. for anyone who cares the shirt and jacket are charity shop finds, my skirt is H&M  and my shoes are from Paris darlinggggggg)

Paris, what happened?

Hello. Sorry for the long time no post thing that's been happening. I've been doing cool things like eating ungodly swathes of dairy milk oreo chocolate and sitting in various parks hoping to catch a slight glimpse of some British sun. I also went to Paris. This is my photo series from then; if you want to look at more things I make, I have an art blog- http://annadymond.tumblr.com  Enjoy.

Poetry Corner-Phil Kaye

I thought today I'd introduce you to one of my favourite spoken word poets -Phil Kaye. If you have an affinity for spoken word, poetry or just words in general then, trust me, you need to know this guy's poetry.
I first found him through going on a Button Poetry binge and watching his incredible performance of his poem "Hip Hop Lullaby"; you can tell immediately through Kaye's lyricism and natural rhythm that he's a natural born poet. Unsurprisingly he's won a few accolades for his performance; such as being the two time recipient of the National Poetry College Slam award - the only person to receive the award twice. He's performed in venues all around the world, coached in schools and even taught poetry workshops in maximum security prisons; so an all round pretty cool guy.

A collage I made using lyrics from Kaye's poem "Repetition"

Most recently Kaye been part of a series with Button Poetry called "Poetry Observed" which I have really been enjoying. It showcases an array of different spoken word poets, performing away from the stage, in quiet spaces in their environment, such as an abandoned playground scattered with crisp leaves or a small lane at the back of an apartment block, the walls adorned with graffiti. This poem "Repetition" shows off Kaye's sensitive word play and allows him to flaunt his rhythmic combinations-a guaranteed chill inducer.