
In case you were wondering—the little avatar above is one that I use as standard to represent me because, unlike me, it is terribly pretty. I, on the other hand, have a propensity for cracking the lenses of cameras just by looking at them.
So why, I hear you ask, am I spending my time promoting the work of, as yet, virtually unknown artists? There are multiple answers to that question depending on i) how well you know me and ii) your personal level of cynicism. There are those who think I lost the plot when I retired and am looking for ways to convince myself – or is that delude myself? – that I still have something to offer the world. There might be a smidgen of truth in that but I prefer to ignore it. My personal take on it is that I have a huge admiration for indie artists for a number of reasons.
I have, in the past, been heavily criticised for taking that viewpoint. The argument against it, I gather, goes something like this: “Oh come on. Get real. These people don’t do real jobs. Brain surgeons, yes. Refuse collectors, yes. But actors? Film makers? Self-publishing writers? Musicians? Please ...” Well, it’s an opinion I suppose.
But what I continually find as I get to know more indie artists is that they are people of vision, people with a dream. But, unlike the majority of the rest of us, instead of saying “well, I have this dream but I don’t have the wherewithal to make it come true.” They just get out there and do it anyway. I love that. It kind of sums up what I never did in my younger days and I am trying now to support those who do.
And it’s much more fun than jogging ...