The shot above is taken from Thomas William’s presentation at the Gold Coast Analogue Digital Conference, at which my best lady Sonia Rentsch was the rose among thorns talking all things creative whether zeros and ones, or working by the clock. Thomas gave a great presentation on his work with Hunt Studio, and some other places beside, all marked by a dramatically simple slide show of pithy text and contemporary aphorism.
It’s an interesting idea, don’t you think: “Don’t do a lot and archive nothing”?
In a world where the internet is seemingly king, where that which is “google-able” is more real than reality, where the record matters more than the event, “archiving” really does means something. After all, if a poem/event/artwork/moment falls in the wood and no one hears it and no one sees it and no one blogs about it, can it really get grant funding in the next OzCo round?
Despite my recent efforts to let a blog fall in the woods (RIP Helmet Lady), I am conscious that – together with this jumble – I have more than enough “archiving” for me to be completely over-exposed and potentially under-productive. Sometimes, I am terribly conscious of more archive than living.
Returning to Thomas’ presentation however. More interesting for me in this particular slide was that as the words themselves were being projected across a giant IMAX sized screen at the Robina Oh My Word Is This Whole Town A Shopping Centre Cinemas, Thomas actually said:
Don’t do a lot and achieve nothing.
Which is basically the biggest (literally) and most poignant typo I have come across all year.
It might not seem immediately apparent why, or even if, but I am going to try and blog less this coming year, and write something perhaps more interesting for you the reader. I’m not dipping out of the internet entirely, I’d like to do more re/me-views of art that stay with me, I’m always keen to share the process of works in development and I will certainly invite you to a gig if someone books me for one!
But 2013 seems rather exciting. The crew at Peril have big ideas, some of which are related to the humble but beautiful ones in the Melbourne Poetry Map, which remains close to my heart. These things are going to take some time, but mostly time is where the good things happen.
I feel very lucky to be a part of the Queensland Poetry Festival crew for 2013, and want to start encouraging you and yours to contribute to (personal opinion) is one of the finest poetry festivals in the country. I might even see if there’s a side event or two in me in the lead up to the festival.
Betsy and I hope to join you again for the Anywhere Theatre Festival with our Chosen Family, and Domenico and I will still be doing At the Local every Saturday between 1-2pm on the noble 4ZZZ.
And secretly, I habour hopes for other things and thoughts – of people vs places, of living and dying, of harming less, of popping up, of stopping motion, of making time, of pressing record, of pressing print, of pressing send, of less than 100, of cooking food, of riding my bike, being a friend, of loving and being loved, of having hair and losing it with grace.
If you’re lucky I’ll even write a nice niche bike poem.
Sadly, however, we’re going to have to blog a little less. I mean, this time last year I wondered if it would ever be enough just to have been loved by you. And now, I am shamefaced to say, I don’t even remember who “you” were and I really need to work on my line breaks.
eleanor j jackson 