Back to the drawing board

Off to life drawing this morning, wrapped up in lots of warm clothes. Only an hour's coughing last night. Nice to see Melissa and my fellow scribblers. The room was warm for the model, so I had to take off a few layers. One of those times when I make people laugh without trying. I tried drawing with charcoal mostly, and used some that Anton had bought me, which soon got over my hands and face and so on. Melissa tells me that I am too harsh about my own efforts, and suggested that next week I should draw with my left hand to lower expectations. So I'll try that. I want to be rawer and more spontaneous, and sometimes I want to draw towards a project, something like a little booklet with poems for example. Other times I think I should just draw for its own sake. I am overthinking everything. Gah.

Home and Lorraine at Beth's. I watched a video of an ICE agent leaning into a car, and murdering a mother called Renee by shooting her in the face. An action later defended by the Trump regime. If truth is the first casualty of war, Trump long ago declared war on the world.  I also watched a not very good BBC documentary about America's New Female Right. A journalist from Liverpool, Layla Wright met three prominent influencers who are telling their followers that women shouldn't be allowed to vote, or watching them harass people at the Mexican border etc. But there was little or no challenge involved. 

Then I attended The Understory Conversation. I had no poetry to contribute, but it was nice to check in with those very nice people and chat for a couple of hours. All a bit Janauaryish. Emma said she has a word for each year. Last year it was Authenticity, this year it is Appreciation. I went for a walk then, but after a while it was hosing with rain and I had to change out of my trousers when I got home, as they were sodden. 

A lively night of wind and rain. We stayed indoors and watched the last episode of Stranger Things. It's a good show, but in terms of imagination and weirdness it's no Twin Peaks.