(Source) South Pole Documentation 2015 for Black Flag by Santiago Sierra at Dundee Contemporary Arts September-November 2018 in The Guardian, 25 September 2018
Black Flag takes the form of an immersive photographic and sound installation documenting the process and performance of planting the universal symbol of the anarchist movement - the black flag - at the two most extreme points on earth: the North and South Poles. (Source)
‘I travel a lot,” says Santiago Sierra. “But entering a country is like going to jail. Borders disgust me – as an idea and as a personal experience. This work denies all of that.” (Source)
The thing that I truly loved about the recent #hiveadvent experiment was watching HIVE traverse the world near instantly without borders, customs declarations or fees. What a world that would be.
Yesterday, I wrote about my HIVE plans for 2025 and today I woke up to HIVE jumping all over the place. It was propitious as I set about putting my swap plans into action, the kitty already set aside.
I had some comments yesterday about how organised I was with my investments, but today I felt a wrench as I hit 140,000 HP and 137 rank on HiveBuzz. It felt extraordinary when I remembered how long I had hovered around the 200 mark, scrabbling to maintain a toe-hold, slipping in and out of the top 200 HP holders.
As I start to put my plans into action, 137 is probably the highest I am going to get this time round. I can't believe how much I have grown the account this year either: 40,000 HP. The plan was for 15,000 HP to play with in 2025 and recover my fiat investment.
I am torn, the desire is to keep adding and it almost hurts to put the first power down into action and watch that 140,000 HP gradually diminish as the weeks pass, even though I know I've got longer term bigger plans.
House
The major construction on the house has been completed, in budget, I'm delighted to say, although that took some doing. Architects and builders, between them, seem to run through money in £5,000 units.
It makes sense to do a couple of other things while the house is almost empty: update the electrical wiring on the first floor, underfloor insulation in one of the bedrooms, replace the large front window to match the design in the rest of the ground floor and bring in more light.
I would love to have it done in the early spring, ready for decorating and replacing the flooring after that and, almost too much to imagine, having the whole thing finished and furnished by the summer holidays.
I have written about the house construction at the design stage and I have two more posts to write. One is about some of the technical aspects (steels and drains) and the other is about the work in progress. There should then be a final one when everything has been completed.
I do have another project for the house after that which is updating the lean-to garden room at the back of the house and renovating the balcony at the front. I'm wondering whether to upgrade one of the bedrooms by adding another window on a different aspect and, possibly, having an Oriel window with a Juliet balcony, as part of that project.
There are also the gardens front and back. I will be doing some work in both of those this year, limited in the front because of the collapsing retaining wall which is the responsibility of next door and will probably need the whole of my garden out of action to replace. It should be fun when we get to that.
Creating
I had a five year plan to go to art college in September 2025 to complete a two year postgraduate course, with this year spent doing a foundation course. The previous two years were to build a portfolio through a long-term project.
The long-term project didn't work out and came to a sticky end in July. I've not been thinking about it since then, although I have written about my knitting going awry. Someone asked me about my plans yesterday, which was really helpful, because it set me thinking about why I hadn't been knitting.
I think the results of the sticky end need sorting out. At the time I just abandoned everything I had been working on, packed it away into boxes, and the boxes into cupboards and then built a (virtual) brick wall.
I've recently started following a new vlogger who, among other things, will be creating a journal through the whole of next year. She uses a different medium (cloth and threads) and has a particular purpose for her journal.
I thought about following along with her and I have looked out several sketchbooks that I could adapt. I wasn't really feeling it, though. It wasn't quite right. However, my helpful interlocutor yesterday (that's you, @tengolotodo) set me on the right track.
This is to rescue the pieces of my abandoned project and to re-purpose them into a journal that sets them in context and brings together all my learning of the past two years to create the portfolio I had hoped for. This is going to be a bit more of a healing process and reconciliation, though, after the fracture created last summer.
The fracture itself wasn't all bad: it was a situation that wasn't working. The problem (or maybe not a problem, only that time needed to pass) was allowing my creativity to be foreclosed.
I do have a special savings goal for the next eighteen months related to creating, but I'll talk about that in another post.
I know there has been some talk in the past about those that have powered down were
of somewhat lesser status than those that constantly power up. However I have never believed that at all personally. I feel Hive is an economy made up of folks that are at different stages in their real lives and as such it is entirely natural to have buyers and sellers much like any healthy market.
I tend to agree 😍
Thank you for coming by.
Happy New Year, all the best for 2025!
You've overtaken me on HP. I did okay this year though. If the price can go up a bit more then I will consider cashing out some, but not just yet.
It's good to have some projects to keep you motivated. I sometimes think I need to retire so I can get on with them.
Yes indeed :D
Now then, someone as Mrs T would has their big girl pants on with big words like that 😉
I must admit I use it as a mediator and played that role in Algeria once when working near Oran. During the troubles, there was a stand off between fundamentalists and villagers, I became the mediator and go between but it was a good result as the hostages got released unharmed.
Fun fact about interlocutor is it is a term in Scots Law and where I first came across it first hand as it is a court order that addresses a part of a case before the final judgment is pronounced.
I digress totally! I remember you saying your knitting went awry so thanks for the heads up re the art degree.
And I went and saw the Knit Happens Wednesdays from Jan 8th, that might be of interest to Mrs T!
The Finish it Friday sounds a good thing too! I am forever saying to Mrs T , so that is another WIP!
The occupational hazard of the maker!
Reading this I was thinking of the 100 Day project that will start again in February. Might be perfect for creating a portfolio journal? I'm wondering whether I might do it again but there's another month to go before I decide and who knows what will happen in between. 😂
I'm not sure about the 100day project, it feels a bit full on? The vlogger I spoke about will be doing one session a week for her journal project and that's more the timeline/pace I was thinking about. She was talking about a self care journal and although that isn't exactly what I want to do, I thought there might be bits it would be good to listen to as I'm doing my work.
Also, @artemisnorth is starting Knit Happens on Wednesday, 6pm our time from 4 January and, although I won't be available every Wednesday, that felt like a nice session to sit and knit and poodle about a bit.
I was also just thinking about Finish It February which I've done for a couple of years now, that might be the time for sorting out, getting my bits together and planning what I want to do for the remainder of the year. I'll be travelling in January and it always feels a bit fraught what with all the intentions and that 😂.
I enjoyed watching what you were doing last time and got lots of ideas and inspiration. I've started collecting bits as I come across them and putting them in boxes so I can find them when I'm ready. Pretty much all my art stuff is in one place now, and all the knitting stuff in another, so some of the organising is out of the way.
I was going to ask you whether PVA could be used as a sealant? Maybe watered down a bit? I wasn't sure if it would be tacky?
Is Finish It February a general internet thing or a hive thing?
I have a couple of ideas for the 100 day project if I decide to do it. I'd like to create and use journals for myself rather than for presents. A collection of pieces of wisdom I need for myself perhaps. Or a crypto learning journal. Or both.
I use watered down PVA a lot but only for shorter term projects, instead of buying Modge Podge. For longer term stuff like paintings I use gel medium as a sealant. THe heavy version makes a great glue for heavy objects too as it's strong and dries clear. PVA has a tendency to turn yellow with age.
Finish It February, as far as I know is a knitting thing started by Roxanne Richardson. I'm going to be writing about it with all the details. Although it focuses on knitting, you could apply it to any creative activity, especially ones where you have lots of unfinished items.
The journal ideas sound interesting - I like the wisdom idea and the crypto learning journal.
I think gel medium is something I need to look into. I am going to into town this week so I can have a browse in Gadsby's, the art shop.
ow wowww...I always admit people who are heading towards the renovation because you just know it takes a lot of effort and cash and is jsut very consuming. Cool that you can make it as everything that you ever have wanted and liked!!!
congrats on the serious HP stash as well! Thats an achievement!
Yes, it seems however well you have planned and budgeted, it is always more!
Thank you 😍
Ah hell yah!
Love seeing the status and shift of long term plans and the discipline a new year can bring to progress. Repurposing unfinished progress is a special brand of creativity and discipline that will bring you renewed accomplishment!
I too love how I can traverse the world, effortlessly hopping borders and visiting people where they are through hive.
All the best in the wrap up of an interesting year and here’s to a whole new one of possibilities and progress!
It's one of the amazing things about Hive. I learn so much, too.
🚀
It sounds like you have had a busy year with all the renovation work going on and next year will also be quite busy. I have to say I find taking profits the hardest thing to do as I like to let my winners run, however they usually always mean revert.
I think we all do. But I guess it's a learning thing?