About the Shed

The Garret - a false and idealistic retreat.

In my father and his sheds I attempt to explain how I feel about living as I am now, as an older man.  The attraction of the angst ridden artist is encapsulated in the minds of the 19C and early 20C novelists whose depiction of the TB afflicted artist reveals a sympathy with the tragic, heroic failure in order to create a romantic notion of the suffering artist whose every brush stroke is dragged out of him, or whose every word is an agony of creative effort in order to emulate writers of the latter era, Virginia Woolf for example whose avant garde status was the envy of young writers, and highlighted the vibrant energy of the first half of the 20C.

Community Radio - communication to the people. 

I do not contribute to that idea but love the thought of being considered a little eccentric.  Maybe I am, maybe I am a very ordinary person, but I know that what I like is the freedom to be myself, and also the knowledge that if in partnership with somebody else having that freedom to be in isolation to work whenever I want, but aware that, like a commitment to whatever I enjoy doing, I would be committed to such a relationship.  In this I am also like my father.

However, there is no way that I would want to be in a garret situation and starve for the sake of art that may not be recognised.  I would rather pursue any such enterprise as a hobby or interest, and allow it to develop as it may in order to live and be part of the community.   The fun is being accepted by the community in one way or another and getting involved.  Shutting myself away is not the answer.   In other words, failing in public is much better than failing in isolation - at least you know you are a failure, but the chances are you may turn out to be a success.

In other words, be an ordinary person.

I think I am too old to retreat to a garret.