Creativity, Community and Consciousness.

I completed the "Change Must Come: Art,Politics & Society course at City Lit University, it was a very helpful compliment and engaging companion to my own thoughts regarding the sociopolitical processes of art.  The tutor is writing his P.hD thesis on art squats (aren't we al!), and given my experiences of living in them asked if we could get together at some future point to discuss and collaborate.  I hope we do as it would only right to see some of the unique and outstanding creative things I've witnessed, and experienced (as well as some of the not so good) in a thesis or book.  It would certainly save me the future mental exertion of having to write about it myself in future.

Although I can cope with academia, it's  somewhat of an institutional effort for me, as I find myself having to suppress not just my revolutionary thought processes, but also certain aspects of my past life, in favour of the more conventional state of being, and purely rational analytical state of mind required for extended academic participation.  Further, the only P.hD area I could really stick with for three years full time would be Creativity Theory or the Sociology of Art, and Possibly Aesthetics at a stretch.   Anyway, despite the fact I don't have a spare £15,000 lying around to fund three years of research, as I doubt the establishment would consider funding me, the last acadamic I chatted with about even the remotest possibility of a P.hD looked at quite surprised that I would even be interested in returning to University,  and informed me that given my life experiences she really didn't think I needed one! 

So I've decided that in 2012 I'm going to take a more fluid approach to theorizing about my creative life experiences by enrolling on a 6 month Creative Writing course which should be enough at the very least to get a collection of short stories out of me before attempting the enevitable Book!

Practically, I'm in the continual organic process of thinking about, constructing, and developing The Creativity P.art.y, both online and off, and if anyone wishes to get involved of help out, please do so, you are more than welcome to jump into the relative unknown.  The Party badly need a treasurer, and secretary, which are just paper titles to keep the Government out of my business as I co-ordinate the next event.

I don't care for titles or hierarchies myself as I have seen on countless occasssions how they limit and suppress both individual and community creativity.   Only recently I offered to help out a friend of a  friend, an"artist" I had never met before with a "small community event".  After some days of his constant moaning about lthe ack of his "friends" helping out (I'd been shouldering most of the work for about a week, as I could see he was flagging in the ideas department) I gradually realised he was another of those rigid mind sets I ofetn come across, the "I'm in charge, and everyone should follow my orders type", naturally after a week we butted heads as he slowly became overwhelmed by my creative suggestions and ideas, and the shocking fact that I had an independent mind, and considerable experience of the collaborative events.  He eventually became more and more stressed by the pressure of the event which resulted in him having violent outbursts, smashing things up, and eventually I had to take over the orgainzing of the whole event otherwise it would not have happend at all.    I had a great time, it was  a stunning piece of work, and everyone loved it, except of course the "organizer" who once everyone had left threatened to kill me if I ever entered his space again.

Some people are so desparate to be in the spotlight, they have no idea what type of spotlight they are talking about, or what being in the spotlight might actually be like, thay have little understanding of what it truly means, or how, if they unprepared it would probably destroy them.  You can not be drinking large amounts of alcohol, or taking so recreational drugs if your arts aim is be in the spotlight......wake up, and get a grip on yourselves. Having some form of talent is one thing, being able to bring that creative talent to bear through a sound healthy mind and body to share with others is another thing altogether as recent events in the music industry have once again shown us.

Regarding those artists who want to be great at the expense of others who may try to support them, I pity you, for in trying to opporess others, your ultimately imprison yourself. As a woman standing outside othe Rose & Crown pub in Woodford Green having a cigarette with her friends said to me in passing last Saturday evening,  "You either got it, or you haven't" to which I replied "Well in that dress, you've certainly got it!"

I am by no means perfect, but amongst good geniuine creative open minds I'm not far off!  In comparison to some I have met and worked with in my  life, I consider myself open, friendly, genuine, sincere, and comapared to many enlightened. I can see with some people these notions are superficial elements that they project on the surface of their everyday self to convinve themselves of their own high status in life, or to further thier own selfish ends.  I have three elements which I try to make central to my life everyday, which of course doesn't always work, its an ongoing process, and they are......Creativity, Community, Consciousness.......without these elements we are nothing, but to me they are more than just words or alliterative labels, they are life, and they are the central tenets of my life. David X