Prints.

This prints are better quality than the photos make them look.

xo

11/5/10

Recently I'll get these moments, often when I'm sitting at home where I'll feel an urge to be at a show. I'll be in the mood to shout and sing along to a band. It's frustrating that I can't just press a button and be in that situation.

xo

In my eyes.

When I feel people are rude towards me I always take it to heart. It will almost always bother me for days afterwards. On the one hand I feel down about it but it also makes me determined to continue treating people well to the best of my ability. The confrontation seems to inspire positive thinking. I was walking home after work this evening and I saw a car parked on the side of the road. I noticed that as I started to get nearer the car the couple inside started to look at me and talk to one another and knew they were going to do something. I actually considered cutting across the field just to avoid them. I thought they're going to beep the horn at me to try to make me jump and that's exactly what happened. They begin to laugh and give me a "We've just done something really funny" look. It may not seem much but these actions touch a nerve with me due to being bullied when I was younger. I take these jokes at my expense very offensively. Nowadays I chose to deal with these events by thinking that I have list in my head of things never to do to people and I cross them off as they happen to me (some people laughed at me and it felt horrible...don't act that way). It may not be a new lesson but it definitely reinforced some important beliefs on how to treat people.

"That tour it was no more fighting , be passive...Hank took blows, man. I remember me and Georgie picking him up during the set- people putting cigarettes out on his back, throwin' shit at him..he had sores all over himself, cos' he would not fight back. I thought he had a lot of strength to do that, man, a lot of strength. He probably learnt a lot too"-Mike Watt from a Biography of Henry Rollins.

Rise above!/shine bright.

xo

"my heart tells me that you will not listen to my words and this is the cause of my tears and cries"

cool.

xo

scab city.

where all the legs are scabby.

xo

I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong... to measure yourself at least once.

xo

You can't be what you were so you better start being just what you are you.

xo

An idle mind is the devil's playpen.

I went to see Chuck Ragan play with Frank Turner at the Uea last night. I wasn't 100% I wanted to go as Mr Turner was headlining and I haven't heard much of his stuff however I ended up enjoying all of the bands (Crazy Arm, Frank Turner and Chuck Ragan). None of them were drastically different in style as they were all quite folky acoustic but this definitely wasn't a bad thing. I think they were all different enough to stay interesting. Ragan was my definate highlight, that man's voice sounds pretty exact to how it does recorded. Glad I decided to get out the house, see friends and watch some good bands.

xo

Don't stand so fucking close to me.

Had a bus driver shout at me the other day. My friend parked his car at the side of the road while he went into the train station to meet another mutual friend of ours as I waited. A bus turned up and our car was in the way. I understand it was a stressful situation for the driver but I have so much hate for how he handled it. Got off to a good start...he shouted at me (the passenger/a stranger..while I was on the phone, desperately trying to call my friend) telling me to move the car and yet still after I told him I can't actually drive he said he didn't care. He went on to say he'd either call the police or push the car himself. It never ceases to amaze me how people can get past the age of 8 and not have learnt how to epathize! I know my frustration about this will keep me awake some nights for months. I am determined to learn from these situations and try to never act in that way. I suppose really this won't reach the people who actually should learn because as far as I know angry bus drivers don't read my blog.

"I think probably kindness is my number one human attribute in a human being"-Roald Dahl

xo

All the kids are bridge burning, throwing up their names.

Doing street artwork with a brother.

xo

Triumph of life.

xo

I wasn't lost, or frozen, or gone... I was alive; I was alive in my own perfect world.

xo

I am scared easily.

xo

hold fast.

xo

Fantasic Mr Fox.

Finally got round to watching Fantastic Mr Fox this evening. Such a witty awesome film! the animation was incredible. I remember my Grandma reading me the Roald Dahl story at bedtime when I was younger. Need to check out more of Wes Anderson's films.

xo

You're entirely bonkers but I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

xo

Late night blogging.

Got some posters framed up at the Norwich Frame Workshop on St Benedicts street. So pleased with how they look. The framing for the HH poster was a present from my friend Roxy! many thanks to her for it!!!

(please excuse the horrible photos).

xo

I was trying to describe you to someone.

I hate anything that makes you think that you are not any good.
I hate anything that makes you think you are just born to lose.
bound to lose.
No good to nobody, no good for nothing.
I am out to fight those things to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood.

"This is how we live.

This is how we dream."-Crime In Stereo

xo

Sound Stage.

A couple friends on my course had a one night only exhibition at Stew gallery so I thought I'd show some support and go along. It was a mix of projected video and installation artwork. Despite Stew being really cold as always it was an awesome show of work which fitted together perfectly. I spoke to Siobhan who was responsible for the video side and she mentioned that each part of the exhibition was split into a domestic theme.


xo

Nobody lies about House.

Watched my first couple episodes of House yesterday. I have a few friends who swear by this program and it really lived up to the hype. I was discussing with my friend Alex that how Mr Laurie can go from playing a bumbling idiot in Blackadder to the coolest guy ever in House shows how good he is at acting. Hugh Laurie is awesome, fact! I was so tempted to buy the first series after work today. I think it's got to be done at some point really!

p.s please forgive me for the title of this post! haha.

xo

We are the fired hearts.

Polar Bear Club Day 2!

I don't think this show was ever going to beat the Norwich one. It felt really strange being at an intimate show and only knowing a handful of the people there. Going to that venue has made me appreciate the Marquee so much more. The one we went to in Nottingham was very narrow which made it difficult for people at the back to see anything. It also seemed to take a while for people to really get into PBC however it was nice to be able to watch one of my favourite bands play without worrying about being pushed around (maybe that's just how everyone else felt too). Nottingham is a scary place (shady looking dudes getting out of car and walking towards us post PBC before zooming off, probably due to the NHPD) however it was awesome to see Mr Thomas Uden selling merch and hanging out with Batween, Caitlin, Hattie and Darkside. This was my fourth time seeing PBC (not including the acoustic set) and I'm still excited to see them play again in the future.

"Screaming for the sake of what we love most."

xo

Mass blog update!

I've been so slack at updating this so I thought I'd write about a few things I've been doing recently.

Very late on this one but I went to see Polar Bear Club play at the Marquee on the 16th. I found the vibe of this show incredible. It got me thinking about a couple years ago when I didn't know many people at hardcore/punk shows and I really wanted my friends to be into the same bands so I could sing along with them. Well that's what made that show so fun, so many good friends squashed into a tiny pub to hang out and sing along with awesome bands. Definitely one of my favourite bands and shows I've been to. Seeing them again tomorrow.

I came across this photo of my buddy Arooj on his wordpress(http://todayisyesterdaystomorrow.wordpress.com/). The print is a bootleg Vans one I made to raise money for Haiti. Thank you for the support brother! It is much appreciated! The bands surrounding the print are Minor Threat, Black Flag, Set Your Goals, New Found Glory, Polar Bear Club, Have Heart and Bad Brains.

Went for a meal at Mambo Jambos and the cinema to see The Wolfman (Beastman) with my good friend Alice Dyson on Friday. It was nice to have a proper catch up/hang with her. The film was pretty average but good fun nonetheless! Afterwards we watched The Notebook which I actually enjoyed despite my doubts. I think I quite like films based in 1940's America.

Worked at Boots all day Saturday which was ok. Felt fairly positive and didn't have any terrible customers. Afterwards I met up with bros Batween, Darkside and Barber (who didn't stick around, not cool Joe, not cool!) for Nandos (2nd time that week I believe). Afterwards we headed to the Bell to celebrate the birth of Mr Jack Pitt. It was rad to see such a good turn out with some special guests from Cambridge and Leeds. I tried some awesome ginger beer which I can't remember the name of but will be trying again at some point. The photo below Mr Thomas Uden teaching Jack to play drums is a Black Flag print I made for his birthday. I don't think you can go too wrong giving Jack a Black Flag themed present.

On Monday my course had an exhibition in our studio. I decided to submit something a little different for this one which started as a joke with a friend. I had serious reservations about it because I was worried viewers wouldn't find it amusing and might think negatively of me. In the marking criteria we often get marked on "taking risks" and feel I accomplished this with my work. A visiting artist gave us a talk a while back and one thing she said struck me, that you should learn to become desensitized to criticism at art school. One of the highlights of the evening was seeing some kids looking at my work and commenting on it to their mother.

I like to keep what I'm listening to updated on here. This is what I've been enjoying recently.

Cancer Bats-Sabotage single

Beastie Boys-The Sounds of Science

Crime In Stereo- Is Dead/I Was Trying to Describe You To Someone

Cursed-I

The Wonder Years-The Upsides

International Superheroes of Hardcore-Takin' It Ova'

Big Daddy Kane-It's a Big Daddy Thing

Lightspeed Champion-Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You.

Oh and films I need to watch!

Up

Fantastic Mr Fox

Porco Rosso

Mersine Part 2

(I need to get ON IT!).

xo

I've sailed an ocean of mistakes.

I have a memory of when I was younger telling myself that once I got my teeth sorted and my face cleared up then I'd feel happy with how I looked. For some reason at the moment I seem to think I'm too thin and that my face is the wrong shape. I really hate that stuff like this still gets me down so much in my life. I want to leave this type of shallow mindset in the dust for Heat/Ok magazine to continue.

"And the greatest thing you've ever done
Lived your life and never felt regret
Lived your life, not quitting yet
Without a set of goals, where no agenda lies
Just a followed heart and don't apologize
It's the greatest thing when you realize"- The Mighty Bats.

xo

Wolf hunt.

xo

Into each life some rain must fall.

xo

http://thingsihavelearnedinmylife.com/

xo