Its been an utterly manic November, in both a literal and figurative sense. The second half of the month has been characterised by a spell of deep and painful depression which I'm only just beginning to crawl out from under (this emergence is as scary as the initial experience because you can never be sure you'll make it out before going under again). If my month is to be characterised solely by this, then the only positive to take from it is that my December has to be better. I don't want to dwell on this period - I've done it enough in these blogs, and it gets none of us anywhere - but its been an exhausting few weeks.
Perversely, if anything has kept me going its been an utterly unfeasible workload. But the pressure of various deadlines has forced me up out of bed even when I truly felt as if I couldn't move. The routine - the grind, some might call it - of employment has saved me more than once the last few years, and having been out of work before, the public service spectre of redundancy is the most troublesome ghoul of them all.
But my month has definitely had its moments, not least my birthday. Once again my friends from SGUK helped celebrate in style, while I spent the daylight hours with my mum at the Royal Academy's Bronzes exhibition. More Rodin! Bliss. Special thanks to Sinnah for a lovely and unexpected text as well.
Worth noting this month was also the launch of a new quarterly magazine aimed at women who appreciate tattoo culture but perhaps don't identify with the hot rod/hot girl/heavy metal aesthetic in many publications already in circulation.
Iris looking fine there!
I've gotten to know the creator Alice Snape and her collaborators through Twitter and the London Tattoo Convention, and I really do recommend Things & Ink.
Alice with her baby. (Photos courtesy of Heather Shuker Photography)
It is packed full of interesting content, and I think its important to support a project that reflects the shifting demographic of tattoo culture in a way that sometimes even SG fails to do.
I actually attended Into You three times this month, once for the launch and twice to get tattooed. I won't post photos, because its very hard to photograph yourself and take a decent tattoo image. My arm, unfortunately, only extends so far. But I have a derringer on the bicep of my left sleeve and a 'adapt & overcome' around my neck to show for the always-sterling efforts of Duncan X.
Depending on how frequently anyone reads my blogs, you may remember I wrote about FAR, the most spectacular piece of modern dance, and one of the most profound pieces of art I have ever seen. It was performed again this month at the Royal Opera House, and was even better than I remember it. Unfortunately my intended companion couldn't make it, so ended up going with a Twitter acquaintance.
Happily this acquaintance turned out to be French, gorgeous, and the daughter of a former ballerina, so she really got the most from her free ticket. We even got as far as tentatively arranging a proper date to see The Master (an excellent film, it transpires) but within two days she had reconnected with an ex-boyfriend, meaning I was unceremoniously dumped from all the shared social networking sites. I shouldn't take it personally, of course, and I'm happy if others are happy but the seemingly endless (it's not of course, but permit me to be melodramatic) rejection when already a touch fragile from the barking of the black dog has been hard to recover from. Of course, it stands to reason that I will be rejected more than not, but I would love to actually get to the dating stage even just once. As trivial as it is, it can be hard looking as I do while feeling lonesome.
Yesterday I attended the album launch of a new CN Lester/Toby Carr CD called Dark Angels and based on the music of Peter Maxwell Davies. The launch was held at The Cinema Museum in Kennington, south London. Now, Iâ've never heard of the museum before, but it was so magical I've already asked to volunteer in the place. A treasure trove of memorabilia and equipment from the golden age of British and American cinema, it blew me away. I want to live the rafters (shaped in the form of film canisters) like Erik, Le Fantasme de l'Opera, by way of Nosferatu. Even more brilliantly, the museum is incredibly community spirited and is making a concerted effort to create somewhere London's trans community can feel welcome and safe. I think that is a noble and important ambition, and it is one I'd like to support.
]
I continue to volunteer at the Ministry of Stories, which has opened a Monster Supplies pop-up shop at Somerset House over the Christmas period. You will find me doing shifts there on 21st and 22nd December, while I'll be at the Hoxton Street branch on Saturday 15th December. Come along, learn what good works the ministry does, and buy something for your pet monster while youâre at it.
Perversely, if anything has kept me going its been an utterly unfeasible workload. But the pressure of various deadlines has forced me up out of bed even when I truly felt as if I couldn't move. The routine - the grind, some might call it - of employment has saved me more than once the last few years, and having been out of work before, the public service spectre of redundancy is the most troublesome ghoul of them all.
But my month has definitely had its moments, not least my birthday. Once again my friends from SGUK helped celebrate in style, while I spent the daylight hours with my mum at the Royal Academy's Bronzes exhibition. More Rodin! Bliss. Special thanks to Sinnah for a lovely and unexpected text as well.
Worth noting this month was also the launch of a new quarterly magazine aimed at women who appreciate tattoo culture but perhaps don't identify with the hot rod/hot girl/heavy metal aesthetic in many publications already in circulation.
Iris looking fine there!
I've gotten to know the creator Alice Snape and her collaborators through Twitter and the London Tattoo Convention, and I really do recommend Things & Ink.
Alice with her baby. (Photos courtesy of Heather Shuker Photography)
It is packed full of interesting content, and I think its important to support a project that reflects the shifting demographic of tattoo culture in a way that sometimes even SG fails to do.
I actually attended Into You three times this month, once for the launch and twice to get tattooed. I won't post photos, because its very hard to photograph yourself and take a decent tattoo image. My arm, unfortunately, only extends so far. But I have a derringer on the bicep of my left sleeve and a 'adapt & overcome' around my neck to show for the always-sterling efforts of Duncan X.
Depending on how frequently anyone reads my blogs, you may remember I wrote about FAR, the most spectacular piece of modern dance, and one of the most profound pieces of art I have ever seen. It was performed again this month at the Royal Opera House, and was even better than I remember it. Unfortunately my intended companion couldn't make it, so ended up going with a Twitter acquaintance.
Happily this acquaintance turned out to be French, gorgeous, and the daughter of a former ballerina, so she really got the most from her free ticket. We even got as far as tentatively arranging a proper date to see The Master (an excellent film, it transpires) but within two days she had reconnected with an ex-boyfriend, meaning I was unceremoniously dumped from all the shared social networking sites. I shouldn't take it personally, of course, and I'm happy if others are happy but the seemingly endless (it's not of course, but permit me to be melodramatic) rejection when already a touch fragile from the barking of the black dog has been hard to recover from. Of course, it stands to reason that I will be rejected more than not, but I would love to actually get to the dating stage even just once. As trivial as it is, it can be hard looking as I do while feeling lonesome.
Yesterday I attended the album launch of a new CN Lester/Toby Carr CD called Dark Angels and based on the music of Peter Maxwell Davies. The launch was held at The Cinema Museum in Kennington, south London. Now, Iâ've never heard of the museum before, but it was so magical I've already asked to volunteer in the place. A treasure trove of memorabilia and equipment from the golden age of British and American cinema, it blew me away. I want to live the rafters (shaped in the form of film canisters) like Erik, Le Fantasme de l'Opera, by way of Nosferatu. Even more brilliantly, the museum is incredibly community spirited and is making a concerted effort to create somewhere London's trans community can feel welcome and safe. I think that is a noble and important ambition, and it is one I'd like to support.
]
I continue to volunteer at the Ministry of Stories, which has opened a Monster Supplies pop-up shop at Somerset House over the Christmas period. You will find me doing shifts there on 21st and 22nd December, while I'll be at the Hoxton Street branch on Saturday 15th December. Come along, learn what good works the ministry does, and buy something for your pet monster while youâre at it.
NOV 30, 2012 12:00 PM
That's really harsh about the lady you were going to go on a date with. I really dislike it when things like that happen.
I have my fingers crossed you find the lady for you soon. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with how you look.
Decembers got to be better. I empathise massively with depression so I'm sorry you've been down. 
X ps my sister things you're lovely for comparing me to Zooey Deschanel on Twitter 
DEC 06, 2012 02:19 PM
Ahh, thankyou so much, for the welcome and the compliment! Also, the Things and Ink magazine sounds intriguing, I'll certainly be taking a look.
I hope you're feeling better soon dear :')
