I spent a frantic morning before Bridges yesterday putting up all the artwork for this exhibition. The previous evening I had titled and written a brief description of each work, I dashed off to the library first thing to print these. When I arrived at Fullarton Centre, I found a corridor with newly installed overhead rails from which to hang the art. These are simply awesome, I would love to install them all through my house. The downside was being given a milk crate of tangled line and hooks to hang the art with. 🙂 I was madly rushing up and down this corridor, wrestling with lengths of clear nylon line and trying not to fall over my own feet. I arranged all the work, strung it up, cut out the titles, blue tacked everything discretely, and jumped up and down with excitement before running off to group. It really did look good, something special. I can finally really envisage my first solo exhibition somewhere with loads of new work and a big wonderful launch… I’m not quite there yet but at last it feels within my grasp! I’m tremendously proud of the work, to have created so much under such difficult circumstances, and kept it safe, it’s such a joy to me. There’s so much more still to come, my brain bursts at the seams with new images and ideas!

The descriptions is very new for me, it opens each work up so much more to reveal my personal imagery and symbolism. It was alarming to write because of this exposure! But I also think it is very powerful. So much modern art locks the viewer out, it is incomprehensible and alienating. I want to do the opposite, to invite people in, to be open and share the keys to understanding my work, to communicate through art.

But wow, is it revealing!

Earlier this week a reporter and photographer from the Messenger came by to put a story in the paper about Mindshare and the whole Big Circle Arts Exhibition Trail. I did an interview for the Messenger last year, which was fantastic. At the time I only disclosed that I had ‘a dissociative disorder’. This time I talked about DID, multiplicity, parts, the whole shebang. First time I’ve done that with the media. I felt pretty ill for the rest of the day. But, I’m also proud of myself. One more message that this stuff is real and ‘normal’, not freakish or scary. Nibbling away at the myths and stigma. I’m hoping the art exhibition will do that too. The stress and anxiety and exposure are pretty high, but so is the delight and pride and excitement. I hope I’ve made the right calls.