sarah campbell

I’ve done it again! Left too many days between this post and the last and can’t decide which of my pastimes and mental preoccupations to write about. So I think free flow is the only way forward.

Right now I’m particularly nervy about Ruben’s essay writing homework which he is undertaking at the last minute, in his hostel bedroom too far away for motherly assistance. This may be just as well since the last two we hammered out on the final hour of the final day of the last two weekends and with very little approval from the teacher. I took this quite personally since my involvement was huge. I wonder whether the negative comments in red had anything to do with words such as ‘ambivalence’ and ‘coincidental’ which were unlikely to have come from Ruben’s fine but 14 year old brain.

When I was Ruben’s age I was particularly awful at essay  writing. My mind would blank, I felt like a rabbit in headlights, I’d sweat and then much more important things like cleaning under the bed or taking up the hem of my school skirt would take precedence. The worst time was exams when I couldn’t escape to a more comfortable activity and had to sit in a whirrr of nerves and mental block.

Me thinks I am projecting…I will think positive thoughts and stop this worrying rant right now…he’ll be fine!

So on to activities with photographs. Well, I have been very busy in the studio with all sorts of Christmas orders which I keep presuming will stop what with the risk of dodgy Christmas post. But no, there are faithful souls still ordering on line.

Button nest brooches, ready to box and post to various Christmas recipients.

I’m afraid this is the only photograph I’ve taken since light at this time of year comes and goes in the whiff of a cat’s fart and forgetting to photograph in that millisecond is easily done.

While furiously sewing orders I have been listening to the most incredible music. The best for calm concentration and total tranquility in my estimation: Bach partitas and sonatas for solo violin played by Rachel Podger. I am absolutely loving it and have made it my firm resolution to learn one partita a year on my own violin. I’ve started with the second movement of Partita no1 in B minor because it’s a hell of a lot easier than the first movement with bar chords which would be hard to play on a piano let alone a violin…still,I’m  determined. This exercise is proving exacerbating and thrilling at the same time. Thrilling because I haven’t really attempted or felt in the slightest bit compelled to play violin since I was 13 years old and now, for the first time in many years I actually want to . Exacerbating because I can’t yet achieve that seamless and calming tone that turns Bach from a race to the finish line to  meditative ecstasy. Still, I’ll struggle on.

I’m aware this all makes me sound like an interfering, high brow mum with very snobbish tastes in music. In my defence, I also listen to Madonna and I’m particularly partial to a spot of Kanye West and I’m very good at completely ignoring the children to  pursue my own creative reverie.

Oh…phones ringing, better go.

x Sarah