celiaka

I'm kicking around a few thoughts about a new art project this evening and I was wondering if I could get a little input from your guys.

Please tell me what the word safe means to you. It can be just a word or two if you like.

Thanks!

Well hello there. How has your 2009 been so far?

Has anyone got any recommendations for hotels/places to stay in London that are nice and don't cost the earth?

OK, so my current organaistion, Scottish Book Trust, is doing an event with Neil Gaiman and ten secondary schools tomorrow. In my role as Children's Programme Assistant and complete geek I have been asked to interview him for the website! Eeee! Little green haired 16 year old me is doing a jig of joy.

Any idea for good questions?

In other news: the floor of my flat is rotting away from beneath me and I'm going to have to move out for a while until it's fixed. Boo. Anyone based in Edinburgh recommend some good builders/plasters/decorators?

Here. Have some cute.

Not dead, but getting paid to blog (among other things). Who'd have though it?

My sleep pattern is more than a little screwed at the moment and I woke up about an hour ago and there appeared to be a girl standing right by my bed, who then aged into an old woman and hovered over me. I was frozen and couldn't move. She may have been trying to talk but there was a strange crackling noise in my ears that meant I couldn't hear. Then she was gone. The whole thing probably lasted about 30 seconds or so. I would have dismissed it as just a nightmare (I've been having a few lately) but my eyes where definitely open. I just did a little research I think I had some sort of hypnagogic experience.

According to Wikipedia, that fount of all accurate knowledge:

"Hypnagogia describes vivid dreamlike auditory, visual, or tactile sensations, which are often accompanied by sleep paralysis (check) and experienced when falling asleep or waking up.(check)

The hypnagogic experience occurs between being awake and asleep, while the hypnopompic experience occurs as one is waking up; both experiences occur within the time period between sleep and waking (or vice versa). Experienced qualities vary, and include fear (check), awareness of a "presence," (check) chest or back pressure, and an inability to breathe (hence the folkloric notion of mara-like creatures tormenting sleepers), a falling sensation or a feeling of tripping, but sometimes also joy.

The hypnagogic state is sometimes proposed as an explanation of experiences such as alien abduction, apparitions, or visions."

Right. I've rationalised it now, but it scared the crap out of me. No more sleep for me tonight!

ETA: In the light of day this all sounds very over dramatic, but I swear it was what happened.

It's snowing out! In a slushy sort of way, but it's still snow! Time to finally break out the red wellies!

Another link post, with a city theme. I have a fascination with the way people interact with the city and public spaces, probably a hang over of my term studying Psychogeography at ECA.

The Untergunther, the restoration section of les UX (a secret French organisation the explores, uses and improves bits of hidden Paris) have restored the Panthéon clock. Their purpose is to restore the invisible parts of the heritage in secrecy. Brilliant. Considering the amount of underground spaces in Edinburgh it would be easy to set up a chapter here. Maybe there already is, I just don't know about it!

This is the No More Landmines: Dangerous Ground Project. Using Parkour and various objects, the idea is to get across central London without touching the ground to raise money for removing landmines.

This is a surreal creepy short film that is open to interpretation called Terminus.

Oh, and here's Insect Lab, an artist studio that customises real insects with antique watch parts and electronic components to make little steampunk insects.

What are you guys up to?

I haven't posted anything in a while. I have been stuck in a rut lately. I admit that I'm struggling a bit with this whole real life business.

Here. Have some funny stuff from Tom Gauld, some surreal drawings by Jen Corace and some thought provoking anatomy based art from Laura Splan, including the Blood Scarf.

Or maybe you're just wondering who's The Superest of them all.