Is it cold in the winter?

No, it bloody well isn’t. Oh alright then, yes it is – usually – on a narrowboat. This time last year we had been frozen in for six weeks, whereas the turn of 2011/12 finds the canal blissfully wet and wobbly. So – hello there, 2012. Come on in. Thanks so much for the warm weeks so far. And what’s this you bring with you? Ah – grant applications. I would have preferred flowers.

Artists like to pretend that grant applications to the Arts Council are the bane of their lives, but that is because artists are generally crap at bureaucracy. If we were good at it, we’d be doing proper jobs and making a  living. But in fact, a grant application is a good opportunity to look at the work you want to do, articulate its purpose clearly and spot any holes in your planning before you fall down them. So, dear reader, I rejoice at the fact that I have four of them to write in the next fortnight. Oh yes I do.

I cleared a lot of space in my diary for January and February, hoping that good things would fall into the blank pages; and lo, it worked. Last time I had the courage to do this, the Riverlands poetry/  storytelling project slotted neatly into the gap and that show is now nearly ready – we’ll be performing it from April 21st around the country. This time, a new writing project has fallen into place and I’m writing more fluently and quickly than I have for a long time. Long may it last.

Even in this dormant period, there are a few new events up on my What’s On page, so do have a look – I’ll be everywhere from Stromstad (woo!) to Preston (oh) in the next few weeks. Come along and wave at me….

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