I am lying on the sofa. Another Spectator magazine has arrived in the post and I have closed my eyes and put it into the wicker box on my table next to the sofa, along with all the other Spectators. I will read them. I will wake one morning and know that today, it is time to read all of the unread Spectators hidden around the house so that I will not suffer from anxiety from not reading them in the correct order, or at all, before the next one arrives. I could stuff a mattress with them, there are so many. But I have been in this state of siege before with the Spectator; I went to Ireland to my Darling Dublin Friend and her husband, the Nicest Man in Ireland's holiday cottage with a suitcase full once, and read them all there. It was necessary to leave the country, and all of the distractions of my home, in order to return myself to square one with Spectators. I must remind you here, that the reason that I have the Spectator delivered to my door every Friday is that one of my dear brothers has taken out a rolling subscription for me, which will last from now until the end of time.
On Monday my dear friend Gail Dyson from Elizabeth Way Funeral Directors www.elizabeth-way.co.uk, came to stay. Gail's approach to her work is guided by compassion and love. There is nothing dark and gloomy about Elizabeth Way's premises, there is nothing sombre, distant or formal there. There are cups of tea, brightly painted rooms and a great deal of care and understanding about the terrible confusion and pain into which we plunge when we lose someone we love. Not only does Gail run her Funeral business, she is a celebrant, and bereavement counselor, a Soul Midwife and now the founder of a local charity helping children to deal with bereavement, called Roxie's Rainbows www.roxiesrainbows.org.uk. It won't surprise you either to know that Gail is blonde, beautiful, witty and amusing. You can see why we get on.
On Tuesday we had our Soul Midwives meeting. It stared early with a meditation with Gail on compassion. This was her idea entirely, my meditations are usually a mental free for all revolving around shopping lists and imaginary dialogues with my mother; but Gail is a Buddhist and has a wonderful simple and effective approach to life. It is so important for us Soul Midwives to keep meeting each other to examine our work and our effectiveness. We practice in very different ways, Gail as a funeral director, Nigel as a community palliative care nurse, Bex as a wise woman in her community and the founder of the Rainbows End project, care home and forest school in the making, Cathy is looking to become a celebrant, and Mandy is a healer and a Soul Midwife; Mandy sits with terminally ill people for Macmillan and chats, listens, helps and makes them laugh. As for me, I realised at this meeting that I am principally an artist. That is where my gift lies, and from there, all my other work comes. Painting for A Graceful Death is what I can do to make a difference, and it involves Soul Midwifery in all stages of making a painting. I work with someone who wants to be painted, and I ask them, Who are you? What will you say now, and what can you tell us? I make them visible and show everyone that they are ill, they are dying, they look like this today, and they are not hidden. And until they die, they are alive and look! This is what they look like and this is what they say. It is a powerful experience to work with someone who is dying, or someone who has faced the prospect of dying, and to ask them to tell us who they are, today, now, at this moment. And then to paint it for all eternity.
Tuesday was a day of talking, of listening and of advising. We need feedback, we all need to articulate how and what we are doing, and to listen to not only how it sounds, but whether it is working or not. So Tuesday was filled with passion, ideas, discussions, challenges and lunch. Lunch consisted of things we brought to add to the table, and everyone thought they would buy the puddings so, quite rightly, we dined on mince pies, cheesecake, biscuits, doughnuts and teeny glitter fairy cakes. Good, we cried as one voice, as Soul Midwives we need to feed our souls, and nothing does this better than strong tea and a lunch of only cakes.
Bex, wise, patient and kind Bex, stayed the night on Tuesday and by Wednesday midday, we had completely reorganised the world to our liking, and knew exactly what we were going to do. Or perhaps, Bex had completely reorganised my world, and I knew what I was going to do. This is the plan -
10am Thursday 29 November was the anniversary of Steve's death. Steve's funeral was a terrible experience for me, and I remember thinking at the time, thinking through that terrible fug and confusion and horror at what was happening, that I have to do another one, a proper one, where I can recognise the man I lost, and where I am part of the proceedings. But I have not been able to face it. Bex and I talked of a way that I could do this, and six years after he died, next November, I will have a memorial that will put to rest that terrible day. Bex did point out that a full Viking Burial where I send a burning boat out to sea from Bognor beach wouldn't work. It would get caught in Bognor Pier, and set it alight and then I would have to go to prison. My house wouldn't get a blue plaque when I die, it would get turned into a rehabilitation centre for grieving pyrotechnics where they would learn that one of the best ways to remove yourself from everyone's Christmas card and party lists, is to have full Viking Funeral under Bognor Pier. Don't do it, they would say, don't do it. You don't want to end up like that.
I went into where Alan was working at my dining room table, to tell him that it was Steve's anniversary, and that at 10am, he had died. I started to cry and Alan gave me such a lovely hug and said that I of all people, should know that today would be hard, and to give into it. Alan was, and always has been, so kind and supportive, so full of good advice, I am very lucky indeed. I am glad he was there.
So Thursday was a difficult day in which to concentrate. I tried to work on the book that I am illustrating about a little girl witch called Isi, but it was slow work. I tried to paint the Angels commissioned for Christmas, but they all looked a bit spaced out. This is what happens, on anniversary days, and I can tell other people that it is normal, and to expect a slow and sad day, but for myself I was strangely ignorant.
And now, Friday, we come to the end of the week. We come back to the sofas, to Eileen, and to the Spectator. The Spectator is safely out of sight, and Eileen and I are safely on the sofas, each doing her own thing, together but apart. Tomorrow, Saturday, is another day. The week has been full, fun and at times, sad. It is time to go to bed now, and to start again in the morning. I am spending tomorrow in the studio and Eileen is going to take photos and films of Bognor and of me. I need my beauty sleep, so that if Eileen does film me, I can say Oh! I always look as fresh as this. No, I never even think about it. I never go to bed early on the off chance that someone will take a picture of me the next day, I am just so natural.
I shall not mention either that the blog is a day late, because I am hoping that you haven't noticed, and because the world hasn't ended, it may just be all right.
Friday, 30 November 2012
Friday, 23 November 2012
From Which Chair Shall I Address My Genius?
In which chair, out of all the chairs in the house, shall I sit? This is not a flippant question. All creative people are influenced by their surroundings, all creative people are prone to paralysing moments of indecision based on such things as, which chair to sit on. I am no different, and I have narrowed down my choice of chairs to three. From each of these places, I have worked on different parts of my Master Plan to make the world a better and more arty place in which to live and die. From each of these chairs, I have spent the past week working at different projects, with huge enjoyment, varying degrees of energy, and sometimes a little whoop of delight. I have arrived at Blog Time and cannot work out which of these chairs will support the gathering of the past week into one cohesive account.
Don't be cohesive! You cry. Give it to us as a stream of consciousness, take us on a journey of wonder as we try and work out what you are saying.
And I say, how kind. But in order to progress with all that I am doing, I do need to make some sense and connections, and though a muddled account would be a joy to write, none of you would say Ah, when you need me or my services, Ah. That Antonia, never muddled, always lucid, she's our girl. So here is an account of the past week and an introduction to the three chairs which I use in order to make my life go with aplomb.
The Studio Chair
My studio chair has seen many paintings and drawings. There is another chair on the other side of the studio, and another table, and an easel, from which I paint in oils. That chair has been sitting and resting since the last oil painting was finished a month or so ago, I have put a neon pink fluffy cushion on it and have put it to bed for a while. This chair above, oh this chair - I sit here and work out drawings and create Angels. This is my drawing and my acrylic table. I am illustrating a new children's book about a witch called Isi, and this week I have been trying to make her real. I have been trying to find her, and give her form so that she can come alive. Isi is a lovely, pretty witch with a poodle dog. Isi loves the earth and nature, it is an exciting book to illustrate.
There is a wonderful TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) on creativity. In this talk she says that creativity is historically something that is considered external to us, that only recently have we been sure that we are responsible for our creativity. She says that the Ancient Greeks referred to their creative processes as Divine, from the Gods. It was something other, apart, and a gift. She spoke of artists that she knows today, catching ideas for work as they wash over them, and pulling them back as they threaten to disappear into the ether. She speaks of addressing your creativity as something that is in the room with you, and asking it to come to you and do its stuff. She said that the word the ancients used for the Divine creative presence was Genius, and that the Genius was nothing to do with you or your brilliance. It was God given and given to you for your use from outside, not inside, your body and mind. I love this idea. I think it is right. In this chair this week then, I have addressed my Genius, which to my mind, lives in the corner visible in this picture, and asked it to come and create Isi. And the Angels. And do you know, it does come. It is a wonderful relief not to be totally responsible for any good or bad work. It is a wonderful relief to address your Genius, as it lives in your place of work, watching you and (we hope) longing to come and bring this idea to life for you.
Another painting I have done here this week, from this chair, with help from my Genius who is just itching to help, is for the new charity Roxie's Rainbows. Roxie's Rainbows is recently set up to help children, and their families, deal with bereavement from a child's point of view. Here is what they say -
It can be difficult to talk to children about death and dying and sometimes a little help may be needed. Trained staff at Roxies Rainbows will stand beside children and their familes, to guide and support them through what can be very complex emotions and feelings when a bereavement occurs.
The charity has started in response to the death of the sweetest little princess called Roxie Joanne Archer, who was killed when she was only two years old. I have painted Roxie for the charity to use as they wish. I needed my Genius to help me with this one, it upset me very much. I wanted little Roxie to be alive to see the painting.
The website is now up and running, please go and see http://antbarto1.wix.com/roxiesrainbows
The Sofa Chair
Ah here is where the reading happens. Look, you will see there the book about which we are all talking, on the table. It is called Dazzling Darkness by Rev Rachel Mann. It says, under the title - gender, sexuality, illness and God. Here is the blurb (or a bit of it) - Dazzling Darkness is a true story about searching for one's authentic self in the company of the \living God. Rachel Mann has died many "deaths" in the process, not the least of which was a change of sex, as well as coming to terms with chronic illness and disability. You can see Rachel talking about A Graceful Death on the AGD video below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtL-QZ8eJG8&feature=g-upl&context=G2f6dd9cAUAAAAAAAAAA
Rachel's book is well worth reading. We need thinkers and priests like her. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dazzling-Darkness-Rachel-Mann/dp/1849522413
And on the sofa is a copy of the Spectator, for which which my dear kind brother John has taken out a subscription for me. I enjoy reading it, but I suffer from what I call Death by Spectator. If I don't get round to reading the one that comes through the post on a Friday, suddenly another one comes, and then another and as I have to read them all in order, I feel under attack by Spectators. They pile up and I am haunted by them as they remind me that it is impossible to continue to live and call myself a good sister, as there are now four thousand Spectators in the house and unless I can find the first one that I missed, I cannot read any of the others, and what is the point anyway, I can no longer find the front door to escape, there are so many Spectators piled up against it. However, there comes a point when I take time off and get through them all, and clear them, in the same way that you would clear the pressing and looming tax return from hell. Except the Spectator is not hell, it is fine, it is just that it has it in for me. See that wicker box on the table above? In there are many Spectators that I have not yet opened, and as I cannot see them, they do not exist. Today is Friday. Another one will arrive any minute. I am ready.
Another book I am reading and because I am no academic, am finding deeply difficult to remember the beginning of the sentence at the end of the sentence, is Compassionate Cities, Public health and end-of-life care, by Allan Kellehear. Despite having to concentrate doubly hard, I am very excited about this book. I feel that what we, Soul Midwives, healers, listeners, compassionate companions, are doing is working within a Compassionate Community. It was meeting and talking to Jon Bowra who works for the Living Well, Dying Well organisation, that made me see a light bulb. I had a eureka moment. He talks of communities of volunteers and neighbours working together to set up networks for all those who need support at the end of life. You don't have to go and have a heavy talk, he says, you can walk the dog. The idea is to set up community networks that can support the person who is dying, not as a patient, but as a community member. As Allan Kellehear says in his book, as a citizen. As a citizen.
End of life care is often very professionalised so that the only people who can do it, are trained professionals who offer it exclusively as a service. What I think both Jon Bowra and Allan Kellehear are saying, is that the professional services are excellent, alongside normal community support and participation. The end of life person is not a patient (unless in hospital or hospice, and even then that is not all they are), they are a citizen. A part of the community. And the part we can play, we Soul Midwives, Doulas for the Dying, Interested Parties, I think, is setting up the networks. An possibly before even that, making available places to come and talk about end of life stuff, over tea and cakes, so that when the time comes to face someone dying, it is not all completely unexpected and overwhelming. I think that the first time we face someone we know or love dying, is the first time we address the subject of death. We are forced to take a crash course in end of life stuff when we are probably panicking and upset. I also met and really liked, the lady who is researching Compassionate Communities for the Dying Matters organisation. I am hoping to talk with her again next week, she is very helpful indeed.
So I am working out what to do with this idea, and will be asking my Soul Midwife colleagues and friends what they think at our next meeting here, at Rolls Mansions, on Tuesday.
And Finally, the Kitchen Chair
May I introduce the final chair for today. The Kitchen Chair. This is the chair to sit in if you mean business. To sit in this chair says that you are so busy and important, that you can work amongst the throng. You can sit on a hard wooden chair, so dedicated are you, next to the larder (the opening behind the chair is the larder) and among the to-ings and fro-ings of all who live here plus their friends, and still hit the deadline. Don't bother me! you seem to say, see how invaluable I am to my work. Watch me tap away here despite your chatter, and marvel and how I do not blink even when you are frying onions.
But if the house is empty, as today, I sit in silence here and am not too comfortable as on the sofa so that I fall asleep, I am not in the studio having words with my temperamental Genius who may want to put moustaches on my angels, I am in a quiet house, at a quiet table, and doing the laundry at the same time. The 16 year old boy giant is at school, Alan is coming tonight, my Polish lodger is sleeping after night duty upstairs, my other two lodgers are at work, and I know there is no one else in the house. So sitting here is a good idea right now. It can be very helpful to look up from the laptop, and see the flowers, and the bits and pieces on the table and muse for a short while.
And here, in the evenings, I can sit and look at emails while the 16 year old boy giant lies on the floor to rest his weary bones after a whole day of being upright and awake at school, and chat with him. I can have a flurry of texting with enthusiastic daughter as she comes off the wards where she is doing her nursing training, and I can try and contact elusive older son as he does what he does, wherever he is, bless him.
And so, I end today's blog. All this week I have been entertaining a different Genius from each different chair. In the studio, Isi, the pretty witch, has taken form, little Roxie has had glitter sprinkled onto the painting of her dress, and the ipad Angel, plus other Angels, are taking shape. From the Sofa, I am reading Rachel's story, I have had huge insights into how to proceed with Soul Midwifery, Compassionate Companionship and Compassionate Communities, and have done battle with the Spectator. From the kitchen chair, I have done this blog, have had jolly moments on Facebook and have been in contact with many and varied people, all of whom I meet on my journey as an Artist and Soul Midwife. And at all times on this kitchen chair, I have been available to chat with Son, and have adopted a weary but resigned look of utter importance, in case any member of the household and their friends, are passing by.
Here is the kind of conversation I have with 16 year old giant boy, to set you on your way today:
Mum, what is red and bad for your teeth?
(Mum - I don't know dear. What is red and bad for your teeth?)
A brick. Ha ha ha ha.
(Mum - oh dear.)
Don't be cohesive! You cry. Give it to us as a stream of consciousness, take us on a journey of wonder as we try and work out what you are saying.
And I say, how kind. But in order to progress with all that I am doing, I do need to make some sense and connections, and though a muddled account would be a joy to write, none of you would say Ah, when you need me or my services, Ah. That Antonia, never muddled, always lucid, she's our girl. So here is an account of the past week and an introduction to the three chairs which I use in order to make my life go with aplomb.
The Studio Chair
 | ||
| The Studio Chair. I used to have a hard wooden chair but now I am over 50 I need a padded one with arms that I can use to help me stand up. |
My studio chair has seen many paintings and drawings. There is another chair on the other side of the studio, and another table, and an easel, from which I paint in oils. That chair has been sitting and resting since the last oil painting was finished a month or so ago, I have put a neon pink fluffy cushion on it and have put it to bed for a while. This chair above, oh this chair - I sit here and work out drawings and create Angels. This is my drawing and my acrylic table. I am illustrating a new children's book about a witch called Isi, and this week I have been trying to make her real. I have been trying to find her, and give her form so that she can come alive. Isi is a lovely, pretty witch with a poodle dog. Isi loves the earth and nature, it is an exciting book to illustrate.
There is a wonderful TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) on creativity. In this talk she says that creativity is historically something that is considered external to us, that only recently have we been sure that we are responsible for our creativity. She says that the Ancient Greeks referred to their creative processes as Divine, from the Gods. It was something other, apart, and a gift. She spoke of artists that she knows today, catching ideas for work as they wash over them, and pulling them back as they threaten to disappear into the ether. She speaks of addressing your creativity as something that is in the room with you, and asking it to come to you and do its stuff. She said that the word the ancients used for the Divine creative presence was Genius, and that the Genius was nothing to do with you or your brilliance. It was God given and given to you for your use from outside, not inside, your body and mind. I love this idea. I think it is right. In this chair this week then, I have addressed my Genius, which to my mind, lives in the corner visible in this picture, and asked it to come and create Isi. And the Angels. And do you know, it does come. It is a wonderful relief not to be totally responsible for any good or bad work. It is a wonderful relief to address your Genius, as it lives in your place of work, watching you and (we hope) longing to come and bring this idea to life for you.
Another painting I have done here this week, from this chair, with help from my Genius who is just itching to help, is for the new charity Roxie's Rainbows. Roxie's Rainbows is recently set up to help children, and their families, deal with bereavement from a child's point of view. Here is what they say -
It can be difficult to talk to children about death and dying and sometimes a little help may be needed. Trained staff at Roxies Rainbows will stand beside children and their familes, to guide and support them through what can be very complex emotions and feelings when a bereavement occurs.
The charity has started in response to the death of the sweetest little princess called Roxie Joanne Archer, who was killed when she was only two years old. I have painted Roxie for the charity to use as they wish. I needed my Genius to help me with this one, it upset me very much. I wanted little Roxie to be alive to see the painting.
The website is now up and running, please go and see http://antbarto1.wix.com/roxiesrainbows
The Sofa Chair
 | |
| When I sit here, which I do a lot, I need a plan which makes me get up otherwise I would lie on here dreaming and smiling for ever. |
Ah here is where the reading happens. Look, you will see there the book about which we are all talking, on the table. It is called Dazzling Darkness by Rev Rachel Mann. It says, under the title - gender, sexuality, illness and God. Here is the blurb (or a bit of it) - Dazzling Darkness is a true story about searching for one's authentic self in the company of the \living God. Rachel Mann has died many "deaths" in the process, not the least of which was a change of sex, as well as coming to terms with chronic illness and disability. You can see Rachel talking about A Graceful Death on the AGD video below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtL-QZ8eJG8&feature=g-upl&context=G2f6dd9cAUAAAAAAAAAA
Rachel's book is well worth reading. We need thinkers and priests like her. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dazzling-Darkness-Rachel-Mann/dp/1849522413
And on the sofa is a copy of the Spectator, for which which my dear kind brother John has taken out a subscription for me. I enjoy reading it, but I suffer from what I call Death by Spectator. If I don't get round to reading the one that comes through the post on a Friday, suddenly another one comes, and then another and as I have to read them all in order, I feel under attack by Spectators. They pile up and I am haunted by them as they remind me that it is impossible to continue to live and call myself a good sister, as there are now four thousand Spectators in the house and unless I can find the first one that I missed, I cannot read any of the others, and what is the point anyway, I can no longer find the front door to escape, there are so many Spectators piled up against it. However, there comes a point when I take time off and get through them all, and clear them, in the same way that you would clear the pressing and looming tax return from hell. Except the Spectator is not hell, it is fine, it is just that it has it in for me. See that wicker box on the table above? In there are many Spectators that I have not yet opened, and as I cannot see them, they do not exist. Today is Friday. Another one will arrive any minute. I am ready.
Another book I am reading and because I am no academic, am finding deeply difficult to remember the beginning of the sentence at the end of the sentence, is Compassionate Cities, Public health and end-of-life care, by Allan Kellehear. Despite having to concentrate doubly hard, I am very excited about this book. I feel that what we, Soul Midwives, healers, listeners, compassionate companions, are doing is working within a Compassionate Community. It was meeting and talking to Jon Bowra who works for the Living Well, Dying Well organisation, that made me see a light bulb. I had a eureka moment. He talks of communities of volunteers and neighbours working together to set up networks for all those who need support at the end of life. You don't have to go and have a heavy talk, he says, you can walk the dog. The idea is to set up community networks that can support the person who is dying, not as a patient, but as a community member. As Allan Kellehear says in his book, as a citizen. As a citizen.
End of life care is often very professionalised so that the only people who can do it, are trained professionals who offer it exclusively as a service. What I think both Jon Bowra and Allan Kellehear are saying, is that the professional services are excellent, alongside normal community support and participation. The end of life person is not a patient (unless in hospital or hospice, and even then that is not all they are), they are a citizen. A part of the community. And the part we can play, we Soul Midwives, Doulas for the Dying, Interested Parties, I think, is setting up the networks. An possibly before even that, making available places to come and talk about end of life stuff, over tea and cakes, so that when the time comes to face someone dying, it is not all completely unexpected and overwhelming. I think that the first time we face someone we know or love dying, is the first time we address the subject of death. We are forced to take a crash course in end of life stuff when we are probably panicking and upset. I also met and really liked, the lady who is researching Compassionate Communities for the Dying Matters organisation. I am hoping to talk with her again next week, she is very helpful indeed.
So I am working out what to do with this idea, and will be asking my Soul Midwife colleagues and friends what they think at our next meeting here, at Rolls Mansions, on Tuesday.
And Finally, the Kitchen Chair
 | |
| A thoroughly public chair. You have to make sure you look the part if you sit here, hair brushed, teeth cleaned, shiny shoes, concentrating frown. The whole household passes by this chair. |
May I introduce the final chair for today. The Kitchen Chair. This is the chair to sit in if you mean business. To sit in this chair says that you are so busy and important, that you can work amongst the throng. You can sit on a hard wooden chair, so dedicated are you, next to the larder (the opening behind the chair is the larder) and among the to-ings and fro-ings of all who live here plus their friends, and still hit the deadline. Don't bother me! you seem to say, see how invaluable I am to my work. Watch me tap away here despite your chatter, and marvel and how I do not blink even when you are frying onions.
But if the house is empty, as today, I sit in silence here and am not too comfortable as on the sofa so that I fall asleep, I am not in the studio having words with my temperamental Genius who may want to put moustaches on my angels, I am in a quiet house, at a quiet table, and doing the laundry at the same time. The 16 year old boy giant is at school, Alan is coming tonight, my Polish lodger is sleeping after night duty upstairs, my other two lodgers are at work, and I know there is no one else in the house. So sitting here is a good idea right now. It can be very helpful to look up from the laptop, and see the flowers, and the bits and pieces on the table and muse for a short while.
And here, in the evenings, I can sit and look at emails while the 16 year old boy giant lies on the floor to rest his weary bones after a whole day of being upright and awake at school, and chat with him. I can have a flurry of texting with enthusiastic daughter as she comes off the wards where she is doing her nursing training, and I can try and contact elusive older son as he does what he does, wherever he is, bless him.
And so, I end today's blog. All this week I have been entertaining a different Genius from each different chair. In the studio, Isi, the pretty witch, has taken form, little Roxie has had glitter sprinkled onto the painting of her dress, and the ipad Angel, plus other Angels, are taking shape. From the Sofa, I am reading Rachel's story, I have had huge insights into how to proceed with Soul Midwifery, Compassionate Companionship and Compassionate Communities, and have done battle with the Spectator. From the kitchen chair, I have done this blog, have had jolly moments on Facebook and have been in contact with many and varied people, all of whom I meet on my journey as an Artist and Soul Midwife. And at all times on this kitchen chair, I have been available to chat with Son, and have adopted a weary but resigned look of utter importance, in case any member of the household and their friends, are passing by.
Here is the kind of conversation I have with 16 year old giant boy, to set you on your way today:
Mum, what is red and bad for your teeth?
(Mum - I don't know dear. What is red and bad for your teeth?)
A brick. Ha ha ha ha.
(Mum - oh dear.)
Friday, 16 November 2012
The Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief is a Scottish Alliance of organsations and individuals, aiming to promote understanding and information about end of life matters. It aims to empower individuals and communities to support and engage with each other around the subject of death, it aims to put people in touch with each other for best practice, support, information and help.
Membership is free and is jolly well worth it. Have a look and sign up on www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk
An account in three parts follows, of taking the A Graceful Death exhibition up to the annual event held in Edinburgh. Make the tea, settle down, and read on.
Before
The Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief partnership held their first annual event in the Budongo Room of the Chimp House in Edinburgh Zoo yesterday. We had use of the Budongo Room and the Board Room, both of which had three solid walls and the fourth wall, pure reinforced glass. Against this glass wall the chimps lounged, eating bananas, chatting and telling each other jokes. From time to time they would chase each other around the very large enclosure, swinging from trees, calling each other rude names for the fun of it, and flinging themselves with their full force against the glass wall to see how many humans then had heart attacks. They were the happiest most uncomplicated animals one could hope for against which to have a day of awareness raising about Life, Death and Dying.
I drove up to Edinburgh on Monday. Alan had hired a large Peugeot car for me, which was packed to bursting with the A Graceful Death exhibition, plus my overnight case and my teapot, teacosy, mug, and teabags. Monday night was spent in a Travelodge near to the zoo, and Tuesday morning I arrived at 10am, as planned, and met the very wonderful Stuart Pryde, an old pal who was not only helping me set up, but putting me up for the night and as it happened, later helped to take down the entire show after it was over, and pack it away in my car.
But! Apart from the extremely helpful Mike from OCD Hospitality we found that nothing was available, no one was there to help, nothing had been arranged and no one knew what the dickens to do with us. No one seemed to give two hoots and Stuart and I could not seem to find a way to actually set anything up because there were no surfaces on which to try to place the paintings, and that until the room was completely set up for the event, nothing whatever could be done. No one was there to set up, in fact, no one was there at all. It was as if they had all gone on holiday, quickly, half an hour before we arrived, so as to be really unavailable. And, the board room in which I was to set up more paintings, the film, the books, the prayer bowl and the Memory Books, was now hosting a meeting until 4.15, which gave us 15 minutes to set up as the zoo closed at 4.30. No one had checked, no one had told me, no one had told each other, no one had bothered to talk to anyone else, about anything, and not one person except the helpful Mike had even turned up. In fact, it was a normal day at the zoo with an artist, her pal and 48 paintings of dead and dying people up in the monkey room. I got cross at this point. Have a banana, the chimps seemed to say, from the other side of the reinforced glass. And then swing on this rope and splat into the glass wall. Works for us.
Enter Derek Blues from the Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief organisation - www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk! Like the cavalry, like a man who gets things done, like a godsend, Derek had the whole thing sorted within half an hour. It was Derek who has organised the annual event, had set it up, had engaged the speakers and had delegated the setting up to the invisible crew. Stuart, Derek and I set up the exhibition, and helped Mike who was now doing all the tables, chairs, banners, stands and so on, quite on his own. And throughout this, the chimps continued to watch us through the glass wall, hanging upside down from their toes, chewing noisily on sticks and bits of fruit and veg, and looking amused.
The next morning, after the chimps had been counted to check that none would be joining us actually in the Budongo and Board Rooms, Derek and Mike and I finished the setting up, and lo! By the time the delegates arrived, the rooms were as professional, as crisp and as welcoming as if we had spent the previous day with dedicated staff who had vied with each other to do more for us, and had cried if they felt we had not used them enough. The paintings were set up on display boards, were attached to whatever was available, were blu tac-ed onto surfaces and were on the whole, very imaginatively set up to catch the eye and stimulate conversation. I felt happy, excited to meet the people who were speaking, and very excited to meet the people who were attending. It felt as if much would be said during the event to inspire, much said to challenge and a great deal of material for serious thought and consideration. And I had my flouncy black and white skirt on, which always means business. Let the day begin! I said to the chimps, before a screen was pulled down over the window in the Budongo Room, so that we could no longer see each. Power points could be projected instead. In the Board Room, the window was left uncovered. There was already a screen in there on which the A Graceful Death film was played on a loop. Blimey, said the chimps in that enclosure, from the other side of the reinforced glass wall, that's interesting. We won't chuck our dinner at the wall while that is playing, because we think if you only had 15 minutes to set it up, we ought to show some solidarity with you. I didn't tell the chimps that thanks to Derek I had much more than 15 minutes to set up, I thanked them instead and tried to look like someone who needed strong chimp backing.
During
The people that started to arrive were greeted by the A Graceful Death exhibition, by Derek and people from the Good Life Death Grief Alliance, and made very welcome. Time first to network, and mingle, and chat before we sat down at our tables, and were introduced to the work of the Alliance. Around the room, on all spare wall and door space, were large pieces of paper on which were written "Before I die I would like to...", and lines below for us to write what we would like to do. This is based on the extraordinary work of artist Candy Chang from New Orleans - watch her on this 6 minute TED talk,
http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to.html
and you will get the picture. We took our pieces of chalk and milled around writing all sorts of things on the papers, reading each others and enjoying what we were all writing. Our speakers that followed were Sally Paul from the Strathcarron Hospice, talking about death, dying and bereavement for children and young people. Her work highlighted a real need for working with children and teenagers in schools and communities, and how adults were often unrealistically afraid that children wouldn't be able to cope with death. Wrong, said Sally Paul, they want to talk about it, and her work has shown that it is a relief when they are encouraged and helped to do so.
The next speaker was Dr Gordon McLaren who spoke on a public health approach to death, dying and bereavement in NHS Fife. I liked hearing of the community aspect of the work Dr McLaren was doing, he spoke of combining different local bodies and peoples to address the very real public health needs in the Fife area, around end of life issues. The chimps got restless at this point and began to bash things behind the power point screen, in their enclosure. We know you are in there, they seemed to be saying, and just to make sure you don't forget we are here and rule the place, we are going to bash each other with saucepan lids for a while.
Our final speaker was Dr Kate Granger, an practicing doctor and a terminally ill cancer patient. And, too, a wife and in her own words, Just Kate. Kate spoke of her diagnosis, of what time she has left, and how decided to stop her treatment that didn't agree with her, in order to go back to work and to accept her short life span. Kate spoke very softly, and articulately. I remember most her saying that she wanted so much to be here for her nephews and nieces, but knew that she wouldn't. The funny thing is, that we were being addressed by a terminally ill doctor, who had travelled to Edinburgh by train, in lovely brown and white spotty dress and glorious complexion. It brought home to me how little we know of the dying process, how until we die, we are alive, and that looks really can mislead. I spoke to Kate afterwards in the Board Room, we sat for a small chat, and I saw a frail, strong, vulnerable, amazing, helpless and sad lady, facing something head on, that only she could see through.
After
After speeches, lunch, talking with people about the exhibition, discussions, chats and mingling, people moved off to spend the rest of the afternoon if they wanted, at the zoo. Derek, Stuart and I took down the exhibition, carried it load by load all the way through the zoo to the car park, and packed it into the car. The ever helpful Mike dismantled the tables with his crew, and the screen in the Budongo Room was lifted so that we and the chimps could be as one (sort of) again.
I am left now having met and talked to some extremely inspiring people. I have seen how helpful it is to belong to an alliance such as the Good Life Death Grief alliance, if it works. This one works. The guests at the event were professionals, thinkers, practitioners, volunteers, members of religious groups and all of them, wanting to make a difference. I enjoyed the speakers, I felt educated and challenged, I felt that I was part of a nationwide desire to deal with the end of life so that we can do it as best and as openly as possible. I hope to speak to a good few of the people I met in Edinburgh again, and find a way to combine our ideas.
I left Edinburgh in my hired Peugeot car, into the rush hour traffic, feeling inspired and appreciated. Destination Salford Manchester, to stay with priest Halyey Matthews, chaplain of Mediacity UK. And there I will leave it. I will say however, that despite arriving in Manchester very tired indeed, Hayley was so full of life and fun and inspiring talk, that we stayed up till 1am, and could have talked all night. And we had a fab dinner that included Maltesers for pudding. So actually, life is pretty damn good.
Membership is free and is jolly well worth it. Have a look and sign up on www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk
An account in three parts follows, of taking the A Graceful Death exhibition up to the annual event held in Edinburgh. Make the tea, settle down, and read on.
Before
The Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief partnership held their first annual event in the Budongo Room of the Chimp House in Edinburgh Zoo yesterday. We had use of the Budongo Room and the Board Room, both of which had three solid walls and the fourth wall, pure reinforced glass. Against this glass wall the chimps lounged, eating bananas, chatting and telling each other jokes. From time to time they would chase each other around the very large enclosure, swinging from trees, calling each other rude names for the fun of it, and flinging themselves with their full force against the glass wall to see how many humans then had heart attacks. They were the happiest most uncomplicated animals one could hope for against which to have a day of awareness raising about Life, Death and Dying.
I drove up to Edinburgh on Monday. Alan had hired a large Peugeot car for me, which was packed to bursting with the A Graceful Death exhibition, plus my overnight case and my teapot, teacosy, mug, and teabags. Monday night was spent in a Travelodge near to the zoo, and Tuesday morning I arrived at 10am, as planned, and met the very wonderful Stuart Pryde, an old pal who was not only helping me set up, but putting me up for the night and as it happened, later helped to take down the entire show after it was over, and pack it away in my car.
But! Apart from the extremely helpful Mike from OCD Hospitality we found that nothing was available, no one was there to help, nothing had been arranged and no one knew what the dickens to do with us. No one seemed to give two hoots and Stuart and I could not seem to find a way to actually set anything up because there were no surfaces on which to try to place the paintings, and that until the room was completely set up for the event, nothing whatever could be done. No one was there to set up, in fact, no one was there at all. It was as if they had all gone on holiday, quickly, half an hour before we arrived, so as to be really unavailable. And, the board room in which I was to set up more paintings, the film, the books, the prayer bowl and the Memory Books, was now hosting a meeting until 4.15, which gave us 15 minutes to set up as the zoo closed at 4.30. No one had checked, no one had told me, no one had told each other, no one had bothered to talk to anyone else, about anything, and not one person except the helpful Mike had even turned up. In fact, it was a normal day at the zoo with an artist, her pal and 48 paintings of dead and dying people up in the monkey room. I got cross at this point. Have a banana, the chimps seemed to say, from the other side of the reinforced glass. And then swing on this rope and splat into the glass wall. Works for us.
Enter Derek Blues from the Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief organisation - www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk! Like the cavalry, like a man who gets things done, like a godsend, Derek had the whole thing sorted within half an hour. It was Derek who has organised the annual event, had set it up, had engaged the speakers and had delegated the setting up to the invisible crew. Stuart, Derek and I set up the exhibition, and helped Mike who was now doing all the tables, chairs, banners, stands and so on, quite on his own. And throughout this, the chimps continued to watch us through the glass wall, hanging upside down from their toes, chewing noisily on sticks and bits of fruit and veg, and looking amused.
 | |
| Setting up the Budongo Room in Edinburgh Zoo. Very fancy in the end. |
The next morning, after the chimps had been counted to check that none would be joining us actually in the Budongo and Board Rooms, Derek and Mike and I finished the setting up, and lo! By the time the delegates arrived, the rooms were as professional, as crisp and as welcoming as if we had spent the previous day with dedicated staff who had vied with each other to do more for us, and had cried if they felt we had not used them enough. The paintings were set up on display boards, were attached to whatever was available, were blu tac-ed onto surfaces and were on the whole, very imaginatively set up to catch the eye and stimulate conversation. I felt happy, excited to meet the people who were speaking, and very excited to meet the people who were attending. It felt as if much would be said during the event to inspire, much said to challenge and a great deal of material for serious thought and consideration. And I had my flouncy black and white skirt on, which always means business. Let the day begin! I said to the chimps, before a screen was pulled down over the window in the Budongo Room, so that we could no longer see each. Power points could be projected instead. In the Board Room, the window was left uncovered. There was already a screen in there on which the A Graceful Death film was played on a loop. Blimey, said the chimps in that enclosure, from the other side of the reinforced glass wall, that's interesting. We won't chuck our dinner at the wall while that is playing, because we think if you only had 15 minutes to set it up, we ought to show some solidarity with you. I didn't tell the chimps that thanks to Derek I had much more than 15 minutes to set up, I thanked them instead and tried to look like someone who needed strong chimp backing.
 |
| What the chimps could see through the glass wall into the Board Room. Ooh, they said, Telly. Let's watch. The AGD film plays on a loop in all exhibitions now, and so the chimps know more about AGD than most, if they sat for an entire day and watched it go round and round and round. |
The people that started to arrive were greeted by the A Graceful Death exhibition, by Derek and people from the Good Life Death Grief Alliance, and made very welcome. Time first to network, and mingle, and chat before we sat down at our tables, and were introduced to the work of the Alliance. Around the room, on all spare wall and door space, were large pieces of paper on which were written "Before I die I would like to...", and lines below for us to write what we would like to do. This is based on the extraordinary work of artist Candy Chang from New Orleans - watch her on this 6 minute TED talk,
http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to.html
and you will get the picture. We took our pieces of chalk and milled around writing all sorts of things on the papers, reading each others and enjoying what we were all writing. Our speakers that followed were Sally Paul from the Strathcarron Hospice, talking about death, dying and bereavement for children and young people. Her work highlighted a real need for working with children and teenagers in schools and communities, and how adults were often unrealistically afraid that children wouldn't be able to cope with death. Wrong, said Sally Paul, they want to talk about it, and her work has shown that it is a relief when they are encouraged and helped to do so.
The next speaker was Dr Gordon McLaren who spoke on a public health approach to death, dying and bereavement in NHS Fife. I liked hearing of the community aspect of the work Dr McLaren was doing, he spoke of combining different local bodies and peoples to address the very real public health needs in the Fife area, around end of life issues. The chimps got restless at this point and began to bash things behind the power point screen, in their enclosure. We know you are in there, they seemed to be saying, and just to make sure you don't forget we are here and rule the place, we are going to bash each other with saucepan lids for a while.
Our final speaker was Dr Kate Granger, an practicing doctor and a terminally ill cancer patient. And, too, a wife and in her own words, Just Kate. Kate spoke of her diagnosis, of what time she has left, and how decided to stop her treatment that didn't agree with her, in order to go back to work and to accept her short life span. Kate spoke very softly, and articulately. I remember most her saying that she wanted so much to be here for her nephews and nieces, but knew that she wouldn't. The funny thing is, that we were being addressed by a terminally ill doctor, who had travelled to Edinburgh by train, in lovely brown and white spotty dress and glorious complexion. It brought home to me how little we know of the dying process, how until we die, we are alive, and that looks really can mislead. I spoke to Kate afterwards in the Board Room, we sat for a small chat, and I saw a frail, strong, vulnerable, amazing, helpless and sad lady, facing something head on, that only she could see through.
After
After speeches, lunch, talking with people about the exhibition, discussions, chats and mingling, people moved off to spend the rest of the afternoon if they wanted, at the zoo. Derek, Stuart and I took down the exhibition, carried it load by load all the way through the zoo to the car park, and packed it into the car. The ever helpful Mike dismantled the tables with his crew, and the screen in the Budongo Room was lifted so that we and the chimps could be as one (sort of) again.
I am left now having met and talked to some extremely inspiring people. I have seen how helpful it is to belong to an alliance such as the Good Life Death Grief alliance, if it works. This one works. The guests at the event were professionals, thinkers, practitioners, volunteers, members of religious groups and all of them, wanting to make a difference. I enjoyed the speakers, I felt educated and challenged, I felt that I was part of a nationwide desire to deal with the end of life so that we can do it as best and as openly as possible. I hope to speak to a good few of the people I met in Edinburgh again, and find a way to combine our ideas.
I left Edinburgh in my hired Peugeot car, into the rush hour traffic, feeling inspired and appreciated. Destination Salford Manchester, to stay with priest Halyey Matthews, chaplain of Mediacity UK. And there I will leave it. I will say however, that despite arriving in Manchester very tired indeed, Hayley was so full of life and fun and inspiring talk, that we stayed up till 1am, and could have talked all night. And we had a fab dinner that included Maltesers for pudding. So actually, life is pretty damn good.
My two new best friends.
Friday, 9 November 2012
Struggling to Stay on the Sofa
I have spent this week mostly sitting, or lying, on my sofa. Planning to sit on the sofa is an easy thing to do. Planning with all your heart and soul while in the midst of severe busy-ness, to stop everything, and sit on the sofa, sinking back into the cushions so that your tired body rests and your busy mind quiets itself. The planning part is the easy part. What actually happens is that I cannot sit still and if I do sit still, my mind gathers all the most ridiculous things on an imaginary To Do list, and chucks them at me with a smirk and a Ha! Forgot about that then, didn't you! Gotcha. All over for you now, matey.
I arrived back from the Spirit of Caring Conference late last Friday, directly into organising a birthday party for Son who turned 16 the day I packed up the exhibition and drove like a weary bat outta hell all the way from Northampton to Petworth, where he was staying with his 82 year old Grandma. It was agreed that I would do the birthday lunch for nine guests the next day, as Grandma is not up to it, and so I did. And cleared up. Grandma bought all the food and had everything ready, it was not hard work at all. Except that my body was tired and my mind was on overdrive. All went well, and Son was unaware that Laurel and Hardy were singing Way Out West in my brain most of the time.
We come to Monday morning. The day I had set aside to sit on the sofa and snooze, thinking only thoughts of a fluffy nature and smiling softly to myself as I plump up the twinkly cushions on which I lie. Everything was set so that there was nothing more for me to do. Sunday had seen the house cleaned, the washing and ironing done, food for the week bought and put away, and jolly banter with Son who had not seen me for most of the week dutifully performed, there was nothing more to do. We come to Monday morning when everything in my world, domestically at least, was shining and under control.
But the mind is a very separate entity. Oh yes it is. I had had all the bubble baths and pots of tea that the best psychologists insist will calm our fevered thoughts, I had spoken my intentions aloud as the best life coaches have advised that we do - I am lying on the sofa this week in order to indulge in watching 999 What's Your Emergency on a loop on the laptop and so to rest my weary mind body and soul. As I lay on the sofa on the Monday morning, I found I could not disconnect my mind from all the things that it told me that I ought to be doing. And if these things were not done, somehow I would be sucked into space and disappear into a black hole. And everyone who was relying on me to do these things that I ought to be doing would look on with folded arms and a frown and say Well. We gave her plenty of time. She ought to have done those things and it is all her fault. It was as if I had cleared the way for a stampede of nonsense in my head by carving out time in a busy life, for rest and recuperation. I had removed all the obstacles in the way for a mental free for all. I lay on the sofa last Monday morning and worried, fretted, bothered myself with myriad things that needed to be done as a matter of urgency. Here is a list of the kind of things that became terribly important.
Tuesday was much better. I even found that there was not enough time in which to do nothing. That was a very nice turnaround after my rather embattled Monday. A pile of old cummerbunds, I whispered to myself, a pile of old cummerbunds. Wednesday saw me at my Age UK lady (Darling, why exactly are you here?) and Thursday with my Daughter and then my Older Son in Brighton (Mum, let's have another meal. Don't mind if I do, I am resting and recuperating. Don't mind if I do.)
And so. Friday today and what have I done. I have done a week more or less on the sofa. I have rested, I have gathered my strength and I have seen how if I am busy, I have to work at arriving at a point of being not busy. It doesn't just happen. I need, in the language of the psychologists, to wrestle busy-ness to the ground and sit on it's head. And now, next week, and the weeks after, seem possible.
On Monday, I am driving the A Graceful Death exhibition to Edinburgh to the annual event hosted by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief held in the Chimp House of Edinburgh Zoo - look on the 14 November event on this website http://http://www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk/. This will be a very good event, and the people I have dealt with at Good Life Good Death Good Grief are very good people indeed. On Thursday evening, I shall return home. Almost at once, I shall start to illustrate a new book, a children's book about a witch called Isi, and I will paint the backlog of Angels that I have collected. I will have a Soul Midwives meeting here on 27 November, and I shall speak to a lady who is researching compassionate communities about what is happening here, with our Soul Midwife meetings. I will meet with Nigel, my dear Soul Midwife friend and colleague, about our working partnership and how we continue to work together. And at all times, I shall effortlessly read and absorb all the documents and books that will inform me of Important Things, I shall network and remember people as if I am born to it, I shall find that planning the future is a doddle and I can do it in between emptying the dishwasher and calling Channel 4 and I shall merely glance at my timetables and arrangements with a knowing little chuckle, and know it is all up to date and so very sorted out that even thinking about it makes me give a teeny yawn.
It has been a week of hard work, staying horizontal on the sofa and eating a lot. But I want you to know that I did it. Against all the odds, despite all the anguish, and now - now, I have to get off it. Good Lord, I didn't plan for that.
I arrived back from the Spirit of Caring Conference late last Friday, directly into organising a birthday party for Son who turned 16 the day I packed up the exhibition and drove like a weary bat outta hell all the way from Northampton to Petworth, where he was staying with his 82 year old Grandma. It was agreed that I would do the birthday lunch for nine guests the next day, as Grandma is not up to it, and so I did. And cleared up. Grandma bought all the food and had everything ready, it was not hard work at all. Except that my body was tired and my mind was on overdrive. All went well, and Son was unaware that Laurel and Hardy were singing Way Out West in my brain most of the time.
We come to Monday morning. The day I had set aside to sit on the sofa and snooze, thinking only thoughts of a fluffy nature and smiling softly to myself as I plump up the twinkly cushions on which I lie. Everything was set so that there was nothing more for me to do. Sunday had seen the house cleaned, the washing and ironing done, food for the week bought and put away, and jolly banter with Son who had not seen me for most of the week dutifully performed, there was nothing more to do. We come to Monday morning when everything in my world, domestically at least, was shining and under control.
But the mind is a very separate entity. Oh yes it is. I had had all the bubble baths and pots of tea that the best psychologists insist will calm our fevered thoughts, I had spoken my intentions aloud as the best life coaches have advised that we do - I am lying on the sofa this week in order to indulge in watching 999 What's Your Emergency on a loop on the laptop and so to rest my weary mind body and soul. As I lay on the sofa on the Monday morning, I found I could not disconnect my mind from all the things that it told me that I ought to be doing. And if these things were not done, somehow I would be sucked into space and disappear into a black hole. And everyone who was relying on me to do these things that I ought to be doing would look on with folded arms and a frown and say Well. We gave her plenty of time. She ought to have done those things and it is all her fault. It was as if I had cleared the way for a stampede of nonsense in my head by carving out time in a busy life, for rest and recuperation. I had removed all the obstacles in the way for a mental free for all. I lay on the sofa last Monday morning and worried, fretted, bothered myself with myriad things that needed to be done as a matter of urgency. Here is a list of the kind of things that became terribly important.
- Reading. I have some light reading to take my mind off things and to entertain me. You can't read those, said my mind, you have to use this time to catch up on all that other reading that is good for you! If, said my mind, you don't read all of these books and articles you will never know anything and you are doomed to be useless for ever and people will know that you didn't read important things when you should have done so and it is all your fault that you are a flibbertigibbet.
- Network! If you don't contact people you have met, said my mind, they will not only forget about you, they will hate you and there are so many of these people you need a day to sort it all out. And you have only today and so time is running out...it is time for you to panic, thank you very much.
- Plan the Future. I have some very good events and work to do until Christmas, but my mind wasn't having any of it. After Christmas, it said, you will be completely ruined because unless you sort out all the details now about all your plans next year it won't be possible, none of it will, it is all going to be your fault because you have not done a pie chart, a flip chart, a plan, a list in bullet points, a power point (nooooo) or a risk assessment - it is time to get really agitated because it needs to have been done by midday today and there is no time.
- Confirm all the things that you are doing anyway. I have everything nicely charted in my diary and on the various white boards that I keep in the kitchen and the studio, so that I know what we, Sons, Daughter, and I am doing and of course, what work I am doing. My mind suddenly sat bold upright. Goddamn! It said. Are you sure that you confirmed that work, that appointment, those commitments, are you sure? You probably didn't and now you have to check them all out and re confirm but stop! You will look like a fool for not remembering the first time if you really have made all these arrangements and what if you are wrong and yes! Everyone will sigh and say, Be nice to her, she has Laurel and Hardy singing Way Out West on a loop in her head.
- Shan't.
- Won't.
- Don't care
- Booh-bah.
Tuesday was much better. I even found that there was not enough time in which to do nothing. That was a very nice turnaround after my rather embattled Monday. A pile of old cummerbunds, I whispered to myself, a pile of old cummerbunds. Wednesday saw me at my Age UK lady (Darling, why exactly are you here?) and Thursday with my Daughter and then my Older Son in Brighton (Mum, let's have another meal. Don't mind if I do, I am resting and recuperating. Don't mind if I do.)
And so. Friday today and what have I done. I have done a week more or less on the sofa. I have rested, I have gathered my strength and I have seen how if I am busy, I have to work at arriving at a point of being not busy. It doesn't just happen. I need, in the language of the psychologists, to wrestle busy-ness to the ground and sit on it's head. And now, next week, and the weeks after, seem possible.
On Monday, I am driving the A Graceful Death exhibition to Edinburgh to the annual event hosted by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief held in the Chimp House of Edinburgh Zoo - look on the 14 November event on this website http://http://www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk/. This will be a very good event, and the people I have dealt with at Good Life Good Death Good Grief are very good people indeed. On Thursday evening, I shall return home. Almost at once, I shall start to illustrate a new book, a children's book about a witch called Isi, and I will paint the backlog of Angels that I have collected. I will have a Soul Midwives meeting here on 27 November, and I shall speak to a lady who is researching compassionate communities about what is happening here, with our Soul Midwife meetings. I will meet with Nigel, my dear Soul Midwife friend and colleague, about our working partnership and how we continue to work together. And at all times, I shall effortlessly read and absorb all the documents and books that will inform me of Important Things, I shall network and remember people as if I am born to it, I shall find that planning the future is a doddle and I can do it in between emptying the dishwasher and calling Channel 4 and I shall merely glance at my timetables and arrangements with a knowing little chuckle, and know it is all up to date and so very sorted out that even thinking about it makes me give a teeny yawn.
It has been a week of hard work, staying horizontal on the sofa and eating a lot. But I want you to know that I did it. Against all the odds, despite all the anguish, and now - now, I have to get off it. Good Lord, I didn't plan for that.
Friday, 2 November 2012
Spirit of Caring Conference. I Care! I Care!
I arrived at the conference centre in Northampton at 5.30 pm last Tuesday, for the Spirit of Caring, Spirituality and Well-being in End Of Life Care conference, run by LOROS. Cousin Maddy was waiting for me; Cousin Maddy had arranged to take time off work and home to come and help me to set up A Graceful Death, she knows how much work there is in doing each exhibition and offered to help. And she is good, very good, at setting up and thinking outside the box. We set about unpacking the exhibition from the car into the room where we were to exhibit. This is where being part of a conference is the bees knees. The young man from the conference venue assigned to us to help with the setting up kept longing to bring light and joy into our lives - we would say, can we have a 23" screen to play the film on? When he returned with a brand new one from the stock room, we would say, oh but may we have some really big earphones to go with it? In purple? And off he would rush to the stock room and come back with purple earphones. We need some Chinese lamps and an elephant we would say and whoosh. Off he goes to the store cupboard to get us a Chinese lamp and an elephant. Maddy mentioned tea. I'll get you some! said our conference genie and off he goes to fetch a tray of tea in a teapot, milk, and so on. There will be two more of us to help you tomorrow, said this glorious creature, and your wish is our command. Good Lord, said Maddy, three conference genies! Let us write a list and leave it on the white board so we remember what we want tomorrow. I did this, and to remind me of why I wrote the list (more coloured pins, another small table, some display stands, a holiday home in the Lake District, all my Christmas shopping etc) I wrote it under the name of the conference genie on duty the next morning. I hurried into the exhibition space at 8,30 the next day, as we only had a few hours to complete everything, only to find the genie had been in at 7am, seen the list, clicked his heels and gone off to find everything on it. And then, he had more or less finished the display of brochures, fliers, tissues, stuff. I walked in and everything had been done. I saw you had left me a list, he said, and rushed to do your bidding. Thank you conference genies. May you come with me everywhere I go, and may my life always be this easy.
We had spent till 1am, getting it all in order. Or perhaps Maddy spent till 1am getting it all in order. I unwrapped the bubble wrap, pointed to places, asked our conference genie to bring us a table, then another table, then some more tea, then to sort out the film to run on a loop on the big screen, and so on. While Maddy, little creature that she is, was climbing onto tables to find ways of exhibiting my art in the best way possible for the exhibition and me, I helped her by telling her I was going to find some more drawing pins and that I needed to find a pen. Maddy did a lot, and I helped her.
So now, I am writing this in bed, it is Friday morning, and it is time to start the day. Tonight I pack up and go home. It is my youngest son's 16th birthday today, and I am going to arrive at my 82 year old mother's house, where son is staying, late tonight with all my exhibition in the car, and gather him in my arms and tell him I love him. He is 6'5" tall. He will react as he always does, like a large puppy hound, and think Play! Mummy wants to play! and try his newest Judo move on me, over the shoulder and flat on the floor. Back to normal then, I will say, as I fly through the air.
I arrived at the conference centre in Northampton at 5.30 pm last Tuesday, for the Spirit of Caring, Spirituality and Well-being in End Of Life Care conference, run by LOROS. Cousin Maddy was waiting for me; Cousin Maddy had arranged to take time off work and home to come and help me to set up A Graceful Death, she knows how much work there is in doing each exhibition and offered to help. And she is good, very good, at setting up and thinking outside the box. We set about unpacking the exhibition from the car into the room where we were to exhibit. This is where being part of a conference is the bees knees. The young man from the conference venue assigned to us to help with the setting up kept longing to bring light and joy into our lives - we would say, can we have a 23" screen to play the film on? When he returned with a brand new one from the stock room, we would say, oh but may we have some really big earphones to go with it? In purple? And off he would rush to the stock room and come back with purple earphones. We need some Chinese lamps and an elephant we would say and whoosh. Off he goes to the store cupboard to get us a Chinese lamp and an elephant. Maddy mentioned tea. I'll get you some! said our conference genie and off he goes to fetch a tray of tea in a teapot, milk, and so on. There will be two more of us to help you tomorrow, said this glorious creature, and your wish is our command. Good Lord, said Maddy, three conference genies! Let us write a list and leave it on the white board so we remember what we want tomorrow. I did this, and to remind me of why I wrote the list (more coloured pins, another small table, some display stands, a holiday home in the Lake District, all my Christmas shopping etc) I wrote it under the name of the conference genie on duty the next morning. I hurried into the exhibition space at 8,30 the next day, as we only had a few hours to complete everything, only to find the genie had been in at 7am, seen the list, clicked his heels and gone off to find everything on it. And then, he had more or less finished the display of brochures, fliers, tissues, stuff. I walked in and everything had been done. I saw you had left me a list, he said, and rushed to do your bidding. Thank you conference genies. May you come with me everywhere I go, and may my life always be this easy.
We had spent till 1am, getting it all in order. Or perhaps Maddy spent till 1am getting it all in order. I unwrapped the bubble wrap, pointed to places, asked our conference genie to bring us a table, then another table, then some more tea, then to sort out the film to run on a loop on the big screen, and so on. While Maddy, little creature that she is, was climbing onto tables to find ways of exhibiting my art in the best way possible for the exhibition and me, I helped her by telling her I was going to find some more drawing pins and that I needed to find a pen. Maddy did a lot, and I helped her.
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| I wanted to help Maddy but someone had to take the photograph |
The next day, after breakfast Maddy went to buy the flowers and came back with three bouquets and a carrier bag full of chocolate, which she said I needed. I do need it, she is right, and I have been telling delegates here at the conference that if they come to the exhibition I have lots of chocolate and wouldn't that be nice for them? I remember in the Harry Potter books, that the cure for a Dementor's visit was to eat some chocolate. Maybe in some way I was saying Come to the exhibition, you will probably be upset but like in the Harry Potter books, you will be cured by chocolate.
All the time that we were setting up, I was aware that I still had to give my talk. I was due to start the proceedings off at 2.30, and as the first speaker set the mood for the day. Setting the mood for the day with paintings of death and dying, I reasoned, will be either a very good thing, or a very bad thing. Maybe, I began to think, as Maddy worked hard and I ate chocolate, I have nothing to say. Maybe I won't remember anything. Maybe I never really knew anything anyway. But we all know that is rubbish, and even if I don't follow a plan, even if all I do is tell stories of funny things that have happened to me while working with the dying, I can fill an hour. I may be asked to leave the conference early, but it is not likely. I did speak, and I did tell people what I thought of things, and then I showed some of the paintings on a big screen from my computer. It was very effective. I think it was quite hard to be in the audience and seeing these images for the first time, and I have had feedback that a few people were upset. Maddy got up and said a few words too, because she has been on the AGD journey with me since the beginning, and also Sam Reynolds, Soul Midwife and dear friend, spoke of the use to which she puts images of the paintings in training her Care Home staff in Soul Midwifery. Sam, and Paul Blaker (another Soul Midwife and friend) have set up a very simple and effective model of training for soul midwifery for carers and care homes. Go to www.soulcarers.com and see. Sam and Paul are inspirational. Take it from me, and we now know that I can fill an hour not talking rubbish, so I am reliable and the boss.
All the time that we were setting up, I was aware that I still had to give my talk. I was due to start the proceedings off at 2.30, and as the first speaker set the mood for the day. Setting the mood for the day with paintings of death and dying, I reasoned, will be either a very good thing, or a very bad thing. Maybe, I began to think, as Maddy worked hard and I ate chocolate, I have nothing to say. Maybe I won't remember anything. Maybe I never really knew anything anyway. But we all know that is rubbish, and even if I don't follow a plan, even if all I do is tell stories of funny things that have happened to me while working with the dying, I can fill an hour. I may be asked to leave the conference early, but it is not likely. I did speak, and I did tell people what I thought of things, and then I showed some of the paintings on a big screen from my computer. It was very effective. I think it was quite hard to be in the audience and seeing these images for the first time, and I have had feedback that a few people were upset. Maddy got up and said a few words too, because she has been on the AGD journey with me since the beginning, and also Sam Reynolds, Soul Midwife and dear friend, spoke of the use to which she puts images of the paintings in training her Care Home staff in Soul Midwifery. Sam, and Paul Blaker (another Soul Midwife and friend) have set up a very simple and effective model of training for soul midwifery for carers and care homes. Go to www.soulcarers.com and see. Sam and Paul are inspirational. Take it from me, and we now know that I can fill an hour not talking rubbish, so I am reliable and the boss.
Maddy left after the first day, having a life of her own far away from me, and I have been left here at this conference with old pals Sam and Paul, meeting new people and learning new things and having a very inspiring time. The exhibition is here for the three days of the conference, I open it at 8am and closed it at 10.30pm. It needs to be accessible to all the delegates who are busy attending talks and workshops, and can only get to it in fits and starts. There has been a bit of feedback, and I feel that this set of people is different to those in other AGD exhibitions that I have had. I wonder if it is because all of them are dedicated professionals working in palliative care, and many of them are from Universities, and they will need time to assess what they are feeling. I will get feedback from the conference organiser and it may not be what I hope for, everyone will have to rate all the speakers and workshop leaders for the conference leaders to assess. (Exhibition would have been better without the Chinese lamp and the elephant) (First speaker needed to tell more jokes about working with the dying). Some people have come and talked about themselves and the work that they do, some have talked about liking the exhibition but only a few have a personal story to tell. Interesting, most of the reactions are about a professional life, not about a personal life. One lady wrote me a poem today though and I am delighted. It has gone up on the Wall of Words instantly. Only a few people have let their guards down and talked of themselves and how they are in relation to the exhibition and I consider those few to be very brave. Given the nature of this conference - Spirituality and Well being in End of Life Care, with all the very dedicated professionals here, plus chaplains and those concerned with spiritual matters, it must be quite hard not to feel a little suspicious of other peoples take on end of life spiritual matters. No one wants to be the first one to get beyond the professional persona and do the feeling thing. So going into AGD in fits and starts is a rather helpful thing, it means you don't stick around too long and remember your granny or your brother who died, and let the side down by feeling a bit sad.
I have two new paintings for the exhibition. Caroline Soar -
I have two new paintings for the exhibition. Caroline Soar -
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| Caroline Soar. Caroline's partner Bette has sent a love poem which I have added to this painting. I knew Caroline, and remember when we talked about her being in the exhibition that she was so helpful with, none of us really believed we would do it. It is strange that she is gone, and we did, after all, do a painting. |
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| Winnie being cared for by staff at Woodleigh Christian Care Home. Sam Reynolds, the manager of the care home, and Soul Midwife, has trained all her staff in Soul Midwifery. She requested this painting to show the love and care that her staff give to the residents at Woodleigh. |
Here I am then, in a magnificent conference venue in Northampton. My room is double, huge, fancy and the bathroom large and all mine for the stay. There are three cooked meals a day for us, and tea, coffee and water available around the clock. I am treated with courtesy and kindness by all the staff (I sound disabled) and my dear friends Sam and Paul are here. But I am very very tired. I am in the exhibition doing my AGD thing from early morning till late at night, on top of which I have opened the conference with a talk that can only be called eccentric. I love doing this, but I must remember to take time out or I will be greeting people in the exhibition and saying, You think you have problems? Listen to this! I got to bed after midnight and was up at 6 and there is no personal feedback in the exhibition and, someone ate the Mars Bar Maddy bought me. So let's get this into perspective!
So now, I am writing this in bed, it is Friday morning, and it is time to start the day. Tonight I pack up and go home. It is my youngest son's 16th birthday today, and I am going to arrive at my 82 year old mother's house, where son is staying, late tonight with all my exhibition in the car, and gather him in my arms and tell him I love him. He is 6'5" tall. He will react as he always does, like a large puppy hound, and think Play! Mummy wants to play! and try his newest Judo move on me, over the shoulder and flat on the floor. Back to normal then, I will say, as I fly through the air.
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