[verb]swish http://www.verbswish.com Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:03:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Deets for one -off reading http://www.verbswish.com/2009/05/12/deets-for-one-off-reading/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/05/12/deets-for-one-off-reading/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 10:10:42 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=153 I’ll be giving a one-off reading at this event next Sunday 17th May. Swing down if you can…

Magnum Opus @ Ascension Balham Hill
Type: Music/arts - Concert
Date: 17 May 2009
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Location: Ascension Balham Hill
Street: Malwood Rd
Town/City: London, United Kingdom
Phone: 02086758626
Email:     gayle@ascensionbalhamhill.org.uk

]]> I’ll be giving a one-off reading at this event next Sunday 17th May. Swing down if you can…

Magnum Opus @ Ascension Balham Hill
Type: Music/arts - Concert
Date: 17 May 2009
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Location: Ascension Balham Hill
Street: Malwood Rd
Town/City: London, United Kingdom
Phone: 02086758626
Email:     gayle@ascensionbalhamhill.org.uk

]]> http://www.verbswish.com/2009/05/12/deets-for-one-off-reading/feed/ Artist or Creative, a distinction http://www.verbswish.com/2009/05/08/artist-or-creative-a-distinction/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/05/08/artist-or-creative-a-distinction/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 17:03:10 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=148
  • We are all creative.
  • We are all artists potentially, but clearly not everyone is an artist.
  • Artists are no ‘better’ than creatives, but they have a great privilege
  • Artists are no worse, but they bear a huge responsibility
  • Creatives can get away with just expression, creative energy if you like
  • Artists add value with craft and unique expression.
  • Artists are not subject to creatives (more on this in weeks to come), but they must render subjects creatively. A “Fresh look, and a fresh listen’ was how Frost put it.
  • Creatives and would-be artists ought not to make [inflated] subjects of artists, to quote Oscar Wilde, “Be Yourself, because everyone else is taken’

    • Thats my attempt at a distinction, what do you reckon?

    ]]>
  • We are all creative.
  • We are all artists potentially, but clearly not everyone is an artist.
  • Artists are no ‘better’ than creatives, but they have a great privilege
  • Artists are no worse, but they bear a huge responsibility
  • Creatives can get away with just expression, creative energy if you like
  • Artists add value with craft and unique expression.
  • Artists are not subject to creatives (more on this in weeks to come), but they must render subjects creatively. A “Fresh look, and a fresh listen’ was how Frost put it.
  • Creatives and would-be artists ought not to make [inflated] subjects of artists, to quote Oscar Wilde, “Be Yourself, because everyone else is taken’

    • Thats my attempt at a distinction, what do you reckon?

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/05/08/artist-or-creative-a-distinction/feed/     Gigs that bleed integrity http://www.verbswish.com/2009/04/27/gigs-that-bleed-integrity/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/04/27/gigs-that-bleed-integrity/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:48:15 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=143 cinnamon-gal-at-clockenflap-fest-hong-kong by Hurting Bombz on FlickrI just finished working on an intensive week-long project with poet, Sh’maya, called Nabokov’s Present Tense. It was a great sell-out show and a dope collaboration process. You can read the text from our set here.

    It reminded me of why I write and perform, and why I choose not to play every gig that gets thrown my way. Sometimes I say I’m busy, which–whilst true, is not always my motivation for declining. Let me explain– actually better still — if you listen to Michael Port’s audio stream at thinkbigrevolution.com, “You Are Like You market” , you’ll understand why.

    Nabokov are ebulient and daring promoters with artistic integrity; it’s a shame that they are something of a rarity in the local london arts scene. In my experience most are, to use our vernacular, ‘on a hype ting‘. The down-to-earthness (humanity) of so many gigs, in so many scenes, is sucked out in favour of an unrealistic, unwarranted, don’t-miss-this hype. Nobody is fooled, and the scenes reflects that.

    What makes a show is the people who come. If all the people stay at home, they will still be people. If only the artists show up, it will be a rehearsal. The people make the show. Why the human-factor, community aspect is ignored or downplayed in so much local gig marketing is beyond me, surely it’s the collective soul the very show ought to embody?

    I haven’t given up hope, I know there are some great promoters out there, and I hope to connect with over the next few months. If your one of them, holler - lets talk… lets grow a show.

    Picture by hurting bombz

    ]]>     cinnamon-gal-at-clockenflap-fest-hong-kong by Hurting Bombz on FlickrI just finished working on an intensive week-long project with poet, Sh’maya, called Nabokov’s Present Tense. It was a great sell-out show and a dope collaboration process. You can read the text from our set here.

    It reminded me of why I write and perform, and why I choose not to play every gig that gets thrown my way. Sometimes I say I’m busy, which–whilst true, is not always my motivation for declining. Let me explain– actually better still — if you listen to Michael Port’s audio stream at thinkbigrevolution.com, “You Are Like You market” , you’ll understand why.

    Nabokov are ebulient and daring promoters with artistic integrity; it’s a shame that they are something of a rarity in the local london arts scene. In my experience most are, to use our vernacular, ‘on a hype ting‘. The down-to-earthness (humanity) of so many gigs, in so many scenes, is sucked out in favour of an unrealistic, unwarranted, don’t-miss-this hype. Nobody is fooled, and the scenes reflects that.

    What makes a show is the people who come. If all the people stay at home, they will still be people. If only the artists show up, it will be a rehearsal. The people make the show. Why the human-factor, community aspect is ignored or downplayed in so much local gig marketing is beyond me, surely it’s the collective soul the very show ought to embody?

    I haven’t given up hope, I know there are some great promoters out there, and I hope to connect with over the next few months. If your one of them, holler - lets talk… lets grow a show.

    Picture by hurting bombz

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/04/27/gigs-that-bleed-integrity/feed/     Shrug. http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/24/shrug/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/24/shrug/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:07:44 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=140 Check out my latest blog, shrug.when.ignorance.sparks.hearsay on my other site, or not… see if I care.

    ]]>     Check out my latest blog, shrug.when.ignorance.sparks.hearsay on my other site, or not… see if I care.

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/24/shrug/feed/     Deborah 13 http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/15/deborah-13/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/15/deborah-13/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:41:09 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=137 Wdeb13e’re subjected to all sorts of extremes on a daily basis : consumerism, sexualisation of media, terrorism. Some would argue that 13 year-old, Deborah Draper is just another example of the religious variety. My question is, is she? Or is she just commendably consistent? More so than those who critique her, with weak counter arguments, intellectual dishonesty, and dismissive hand-waving. It’s on Iplayer till Tuesday. let me know what you think…

    ]]>     Wdeb13e’re subjected to all sorts of extremes on a daily basis : consumerism, sexualisation of media, terrorism. Some would argue that 13 year-old, Deborah Draper is just another example of the religious variety. My question is, is she? Or is she just commendably consistent? More so than those who critique her, with weak counter arguments, intellectual dishonesty, and dismissive hand-waving. It’s on Iplayer till Tuesday. let me know what you think…

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/15/deborah-13/feed/     Roots residency on Fallon show http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/03/roots-residency-on-fallon-show/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/03/roots-residency-on-fallon-show/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:59:46 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=135 Just  great, Mr Woss, take note…

    ]]>     Just  great, Mr Woss, take note…

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/03/03/roots-residency-on-fallon-show/feed/     swishism.com http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/21/swishismcom/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/21/swishismcom/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:59:25 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=129 Kinda dropped of with the posts to this main site this week, sorry.  I’ve been working on my other blog, swishism.com.
    Subscribe to that blog as well, and you won’t miss out!

    ]]>     Kinda dropped of with the posts to this main site this week, sorry.  I’ve been working on my other blog, swishism.com.
    Subscribe to that blog as well, and you won’t miss out!

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/21/swishismcom/feed/     Valentines http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/14/valentines/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/14/valentines/#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:26:59 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=124 Check out my other blog,  a special valentines day swishism features: stop!wait… initiate.something.heart-shaped. Ben Schwartz’s vid below is a funny reminder that it could be worse.

    ]]>     Check out my other blog,  a special valentines day swishism features: stop!wait… initiate.something.heart-shaped. Ben Schwartz’s vid below is a funny reminder that it could be worse.

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/14/valentines/feed/     New look newsletter http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/11/new-look-newsletter/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/11/new-look-newsletter/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:53:36 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=121
    Well I’ll Be - Feb 2009 from verbswish on Vimeo.

    ]]>
    Well I’ll Be - Feb 2009 from verbswish on Vimeo.

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/11/new-look-newsletter/feed/     Nobody (haiku) http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/10/nobody-haiku/ http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/10/nobody-haiku/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:51:59 +0000 verbs http://www.verbswish.com/?p=117 Nobody

    I am nobody
    and nobody has a clue
    what is going on.

    The piece is a new addition from the 2nd edtion of Selected Swishes (which is  going to press at the end of the week).  I’ve been fascinated by the concept of nobody for about 8 months now. (Funny,  given I’ll be 27 in a couple of weeks;)

    Seriously though, I’ll be posting more on this topic, but in the meantime Prodigal Jon’s post on the same topic is a good one.  Check it out.

    ]]>     Nobody

    I am nobody
    and nobody has a clue
    what is going on.

    The piece is a new addition from the 2nd edtion of Selected Swishes (which is  going to press at the end of the week).  I’ve been fascinated by the concept of nobody for about 8 months now. (Funny,  given I’ll be 27 in a couple of weeks;)

    Seriously though, I’ll be posting more on this topic, but in the meantime Prodigal Jon’s post on the same topic is a good one.  Check it out.

    ]]>     http://www.verbswish.com/2009/02/10/nobody-haiku/feed/