Well hello there...
So I trust you all had a smashing Sunday?  I spent it commencing "Project Upcycle" - yep, that's right, I've given up on the decorating and decided to start having fun with my furniture instead.  Today I've been covering one of my bookshelves in pages of a novel and an A to Z atlas whilst my mate Nic made an iPod cover out of old bits of fabric I've collected over the years.  I've by no means finished, but think I've made a good start - and can't wait to revamp the table I acquired off Freecycle this week.  Yep, as in I got an extendable table, gratis.  LOVE it!

That isn't the only project I have started this week - but, alas, I can't tell you much about the other two, especially "Project Difficult,"  which has the backing of politicians, writers and media moguls alike.  No word of a lie.  I just hope that the campaign, directed at young women in particular, gets off the ground.  It could be big...
Oh yes, and on a less grand scale, me and my mate Chris have started making plans for a web-based comedic campaign.  Yep, we're going to take on all those dating gurus who, in a nutshell, tell women that the only way to bag their man is to play to his needs and big up his ego - all at the expense of their own.  Okay, so I'm over simplifying things, but you get the idea.  Personally, I can't wait.  Chris, on the other hand, has a lot of reading to do before we can start!

Well, I think I may have said too much already, so I shall stop - and maybe get back to the upcycling, email my partners in crime at "Project Difficult" and send Chris his reading list.  
Bring it on...

Good evening... or should I say good night?  It's coming up to 11 pm on Sunday and I guess we should really be heading off to bed in preparation for another week at work.  But, after an extended siesta this afternoon (oops!) I'm not feeling that sleepy.  Ah well...
I don't often sleep in the day, but after a rather hectic week topped off with a Hen Do yesterday, today it was more than needed.  Besides, I've just started to read a book on mindfulness and positivity which encourages sleeping well to keep the mind clear.  I admit I am on a bit of a mission to "develop" my spiritual side and I see these factors as key to a happy existence.  I agree, it isn't always easy, but I'm working on it...
Take this week for example.  On Wednesday I went to a talk at London Zoo, "The Jungles of the Mind," after learning that feminist, psychotherapist and mild obsession of mine Susie Orbach was the guest speaker.  I thoroughly enjoyed the talk - and getting up close and personal to some amazing animals - but admit leaving feeling a bit flat.  You see, at the end of the talk, I approached Susie and asked her to sign her my copy of "Fat Is a Feminist Issue".  As she did so I told her how much I admired her work and how it inspired me.  She nodded politely and asked me about myself.  But, as I spoke, I couldn't help but notice her eyes glaze over as I described my day job.  Walking home, I felt disappointed in myself for failing to leave nothing more that a lackluster impression on someone I so admire.  When I told my good friend Laura about the encounter, she pointed out that Susie probably met a million people like me every year, but, in my mind, it was just confirmation of what I most fear - that my existence on this planet means nothing.

Since then, however, I have talked to, met and thought of friends who have inspired me to look at the bigger picture.  Two of these women, one of whom a have worked closely with for over two years and another who I have just met, told me that they had grown up with a parent who was addicted to alcohol.  I was gobsmacked - both these beautiful, savvy women have amazing careers that I am somewhat enviable of, one of whom has developed hers as a single mum.  As they spoke they reminded me of other friends who, despite family illness, bereavement and the day to day knocks of work and relationships, never fail to amaze me, raising money for the charity that supports their sick father rather than wallowing in the pain of his disease, heading home to support their dad when their mum is in hospital and going the extra mile to ensure their sister is getting the spiritual support they need when they lose their mother.
Not only do these people inspire me, but they remind me that, even though my one bed flat is not quite as impressive as the converted barn of the aforementioned hen, and that I have yet to make an impression on the literary or art world, I am pretty darn blessed.  Something I need to remember next time I get my knickers in a twist over my fluctuating weight and unpublished novel.
So, if our paths cross in the near future and I begin to bemoan my fate, please do us both a favour and remind me of this blog.  My positivity is a work in progress, and I might need a bit of help to get there.  Bear with me...

Happy Friday one and all!

I don’t want to know how long it is since I last blogged here but I know it’s been a while.  Sorry about that, but, well, I’ve been really rather busy, mainly putting my body through hell whilst having a bloody good time.  Those of you who read my Overground Underground blog (http://blogs.angloinfo.com/underground-overground/2013/06/05/mountains-and-molehills/) will know I’ve just been to Peru – and have since fallen in love with it – and anyone who follows me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/lovehatelondon) will also know that this week has been dedicated to recovering from a really rather wonderful weekend at the Isle of Wight Festival.  It would appear that standing in a field bopping to a plethora of bands for four days starts to hurt in your thirties...

So, needless to say, my creative endeavours have taken a back seat over the last month or so – but not completely.  Following two rejections from literary agents (FOOLS!) I have written to two more, and managed to squeeze in a writing session between my jolly jaunts too.  Other than that, I admit I’ve not done a lot – but I’ve had a break and am rearing to go.

Of course, going to far flung places and being able to take a step back from the day to day grind has given me space to reflect, gain perspective – and be inspired.  The stresses of work aren’t getting to me anywhere near as much as they did pre-Peru, and I thank the country for reminding me what is important in life – and not to sweat the small stuff.  And, as corny as it sounds, it brought me back to earth – as in it reminded me how beautiful the world can be, even when it pushes you to your limits.  So, on the way home I made this little sketch – and intend to turn it into a painting some time soon.

Another great thing about travelling (and the silver lining of long haul flights with dreary stop-overs in dull airports) is that you get time to read – and devour a book in 24 hours.  I practically inhaled Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood and found myself nodding away to Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman – and have been inspired to get the paints out to celebrate womanhood too.  No doubt I shall produce a collage or two to record my time in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and those amazing mountains whilst I am at it. 

Watch this space....

Last night I went to Paperchase, and, rather than wandering around lusting over their stationary and stroking beautiful embroidered notebooks, I walked in, picked up what I needed, paid, and left.  You could even accuse me of shopping like a man, but the truth of the matter is I had already seen what I wanted and was just returning with my lovely 20% off voucher from Red magazine.  I was buying a cover for my fabulous new Kindle.

Yes, it is true.  I have gone over to the digital side.  Whilst I will no doubt still be reading “proper” books, I just know that it is going to revolutionise my commute – and save my back in the process.  So far I’ve just downloaded Wuthering Heights, but already have a wish list of other potential reads.  And, yesterday, a friend told me how I can load my own writing onto it – and see my words in print.  Sweet...

Which brings me on to a little bit of novel news.  I have officially been rejected by 6 publishers.  To be fair (or rather to make me feel a bit better about it all), one of them is no longer accepting submissions directly from writers, and two took the time to tell me how much they liked my work, but sadly it was not for them.  The other three didn’t say a lot – in fact, one of them was a self-confessed standard issue blurb and another had got my address completely wrong on the top of the letter.  Thank God I sent in an SAE.  But, I have not given up hope.  I shall now move on to plan B (get an agent) before doing an E.L. James and publishing on-line as my first step to world domination.

Which leads me on to a confession.  I’ve have just finished listening to an audiobook version of Fifty Shades of Grey.  I’ve been listening to it on and off since the end of August – which I guess will give you an idea of how much I enjoyed it.  No disrespect to the author – fair play to her, she’s done rather well for herself – but I’ve never read (or listened) to a book so full of clichés and in such desperate need for a thorough going over with a thesaurus.  Not to mention the fact that the main character has got to be one of the most irritating people ever to grace a page – and Mr Grey does for S&M what Jimmy Saville has done for the BBC.  Don’t get me wrong, as far as I am concerned people should be able to get their sexual kicks however they want – as long as all involved are in agreement and happy to do so.  This does not include enforcing what your partner eats, what she wears and how often she exercises.  And it certainly doesn’t mean hitting her with a belt when she clearly doesn’t want you too.

Anyway, feminist rant over.  Let’s move on – to Mr Bill Bryson.  I had the pleasure of meeting Bill at a friend’s graduation ceremony at Durham University – and I’ve just finished reading his book Troublesome Words.  I recommend this to anyone who writes and certainly to all you grammar geeks out there.  Not only is it a really useful reference, it is also a very amusing read.  Ms James would certainly benefit from it (although I don’t think Bill covers her constant misuse of the word “unconscious”).  Having said that, I’d also love my mate Bill to read her first novel and write his own critique...

So, there you have it.  I have a Kindle, I’ve not got a publisher and I’ve just read two books at opposite ends of the spectrum.  In short, I’ve been taking the literary rough with the smooth – and learning quite a bit in the process.  Long may it continue.