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These tigers on Sauchiehall Street always look so darn jolly whenever I walk by.
Where is this year going? August already? How? When? WHAT?! Ah well, it's my birthday soon... argh, 31! I'll definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY never make it as a professional footballer now... GAH!
As ever, it's been a crazy old time here at Kapow! HQ, what with us being crazy busy and, in recent days, me, well, going a bit crazy!! In spite of this, I really feel as though I'm getting to a point where I understand a little bit more about myself and why these things happen. I'm accepting a little more that this sort of thing will always happen to me and I need to learn not to beat myself up about it, while, where possible, noticing the warning signs - i.e. I'm too tired/taking on too much work/putting too much pressure on myself/Everton just lost 4-0, etc!! It's funny in a way that I've gone from feeling like a lethargic, pointless deadbeat, to someone who's done so much GOOD artwork in the past couple of months. I'm beginning to feel really convinced that I can - at least to some extent - make a few quid out of all of this and not just be tied to boring "rent paying" jobs forever. Well, not necessarily full-time anyway!
I'm actually off work for a few days because I somehow (probably through a combination of a violent fit of allergy-inspired sneezing and heavy lifting - not at the same time I hasten to add! - over the weekend!) have hurt some muscles or tendons or something in my chest and it really hurts to move/lie-down/sing/run/lean/turn around, etc. All things I love to do! I also had quite a violent and thoroughly unpleasant "episode" on Friday night which I won't bore you with the details of. Suffice to say my brain kind of imploded and I behaved like some psychotic five year old in front of Connie, her best friend and probably a few other people as well. I don't really recall who was around at the time as I was to busy losing it to notice!
I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful, kind, understanding and tolerant wife in Mrs Kapow! She's unbelievably patient with me considering it's not exactly rare for me to transform into a gigantic monsterous Boglin-type creature and wreak havoc all around me, for no apparent reason. I'm working on it though and definitely making progress, but still a lot more to do and loads more to learn. Isn't there always?!
Speaking of loads of work to do, the exciting bit is that I have been doing loads lately! I've done several paintings of all manner of things, from Dr Who-inspired birthday presents, to thistles, portraits of my ancestors and (of course) the odd 1960s footballer in action! I've also been taking LOADS of photographs with my trusty old Pentax. What a magnificent machine that camera is. I love it. I'm hoping to exhibit a few photos and a few paintings around Glasgow soon and have been ridiculously fortunate enough to have been given an opportunity to start this process shortly at The Life Craft, a newly opened craft venture/cake and coffee stop at 691 Great Western Road, just round the corner from Oran Mor. Our dear friend Vonnie, someone Connie has got know through crafting circles, has kindly got in touch and asked for some paintings to fill a section of the shop wall and I can't wait to get cracking on them. Check out the shop, it's early days but it already looks brilliant and will no doubt offer all kinds of wonderful opportunities to buy stuff, sew stuff and have a much needed cuppa for crafty types. I think there's a class on this evening actually...
Anyway, I'm off work for a few days, recuperating from my pectoral and psychological traumas and hoping to get a little theraputic creating of my own done (not too much, don't want to burn myself out now!). To help me along I've been rocking my socks off (silly boy, hurting my sore chest of course in the process, owwweee!) to my idol, the one and only Bruce Springsteen. There really is nobody who comes close to rocking the house down everytime you see him play, he's my biggest hero ever and I am not ashamed in the slightest to admit it. Have a look at the Youtube playlist (hope that link works!) I've been compiling if you aren't already familiar. You won't be disappointed (and if you are I'll hunt you down and box your ears!).
