I’m feeling pretty lacklustre today, but with no good reason. Or at least no reason that wasn’t there yesterday. It’s strange how one day, which is much like the last, can have such a different feeling. If I was more spiritual in my world-view then I’d probably look to the moon or my biorhythms to explain it. I have a plan though. A series of activities and actions to lift myself up and it starts with a word. That word is “mandible”, it’s my favourite word in the English language and I’m saying it to myself right now. Mandible. Mandible. Mandible. Already I can feel a tightening of the muscles around my mouth, and as if my magic a smile appears. It’s a grey day today, but mandible is helping me to see it differently. Outside my window a huge tree is throwing away it’s leaves and for a moment they look like butterflies, in the distance birds fly and it’s hard to tell where the leaves end and the birds begin. I’ve found myself dreaming of painting in recent weeks, it’s odd as I haven’t painted anything at all for years, save the odd interior wall of course, but that doesn’t really count, although it can have a Zen-like charm. My friend George says to “just do it then”, and I know he’s right. So why can’t I?

Today is the introduction for tomorrow. I’m going to be meeting up with my good friend Patrick Wray who I haven’t seen for several months. Patrick is an uplifting presence, and we’ve done a lot of work together in the past and intend to pick up again this weekend during his stay with me. Another friend will be joining us on Saturday, Gerry King, and between the two of them you can’t help but be uplifted and inspired. I’m looking forward to a weekend of adventure and creativity, some of the results of which may find themselves posted here.

I’m now free of any work and I need to put together my portfolio and CV in order to start looking for some more, but I’m never really that interested in looking back at old projects and find it difficult to summon the will to complete it. However I think it’s half-finished state is one of the things that is casting a shadow over my day and I know I have to get it done in order to move on with more exciting projects. I think I’ll distract myself with another cup of tea first. I’ve been drinking too much coffee recently and I think tea might be my saviour. I’ll watch the kettle boil, and see how I feel.