In the video below I explain a bit about the blog, why it exists and the reasons I started it. Of course I discovered afterwards that some points could use a bit more explanation so before reading any further take a minute to watch the video.
One of the joys of keeping a blog for any subject is that after a certain amount of time you might find yourself looking back as you try to remember an important detail or to find a particular photograph. This is something I hadn't really thought about when I wrote that first blog post in August 2008. I've often found myself using the blog to show off something that happened in the past and have been pleased to hear others say the same. Although artists and creators are way more savvy with instagrams and websites, it wasn't always the case and mood blog provided a go to spot.
I've been lucky to work with certain artists since before the blog came to be and if I ever stop then I'm sure ill continue to work with them in some capacity. It can appear that I have favourites and i'll be the first to admit this is true. But I've always tried to stay open to the wider creative community and have always tried to look into the full spectrum of whats going on, from student shows at Grays School of Art to museum shows at Aberdeen Art Gallery. Many of the friends who regularly feature are from a time I spent hanging around the art school despite never enrolling and have worked damn hard since that time to carve out a creative career and a creative life for themselves. I'm always open to meeting new people and artists who have something interesting to say and will always try to see new shows. But there are times when working full time or simply being mentally exhausted mean I have to batten down the hatches and take a break, indeed you'll see months with no activity and then a flurry of posts. I've gotten better at knowing when it's time to down tools and I urge all of you to learn the signals that mean you're heading to exhaustion. And heed them.
I've always been against the idea that art is only for a certain few and again its something I've tried to tackle by speaking about art in a way that's accessible and open. Having no formal academic background I've often felt uncomfortable when people have called me an art critic. My criticism stretches as far as not featuring work or artists I don't like. Instances of this have been pretty few in the last 10 years and more often than not, if I've seen something I'm unsure about, a brief chat with the artists has helped me to understand and sometimes come to appreciate a piece of work. The recent Degree show was a great example of this where a lovely artist explained her working methods to me and brought new light to her show. Indeed it was a little disheartening to walk around and see new grads not even make eye contact as people explored their spaces. But art is for everyone it just sometimes needs to be a two way conversation both from passive viewers and from the artists.
Aberdeen is a city of culture and always has been. There's been a great offering across the board but you have to be prepared to engage with it before you can write it off. If you're moaning about a lack of something whilst making zero effort to change it then you're probably part of the problem. And that's ok, its bloody hard work to make things happen in Aberdeen and sometimes the effort outweighs the rewards. But you gotta try, and I don't mean in a bullshit motivational meme sense but know what you're capable of and then add 10% more. Find the people who can help you to achieve new goals, work as a team and play to your strengths. In ten years my life has been enriched by the people I've met and the effort I've put in has been repaid through the opportunities afforded to me. Seeing friends succeed and sharing in their success is a great feeling and I can't wait to see what comes next.
From a simple statement of intent 10 years ago to being named in Juxtapoz Magazine and the New York Times, its truly been a magical and often wild ride! As me and Mary continue to expand our Kekun Studio exploits I'm hoping that 2019 will continue to surprise us, the art and creative community will become more appreciated by the wider public and that I'll still be writing about it all before I have to organise MoC x 11!
