April 27 and 28, 2016: postday 14 and15- Café up in the Alpes-Maritimes

Dear April,

I am again in France, “chez moi”, in other words, in my hometown at the mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes, the part of the Alpes which goes all the way down to the Mediterranean sea. Isn’t it just wonderful to combine the mountains and the sea?

Some people could wonder why would I ever have the idea to leave, but it is also wonderful to come back rich from experiences of other parts of the world!

With 3 hours sleep I feel happy to get back to coffee and ditch tea for a while… at the café of my hometown.

But in any case, I am here with a special mission. Check how it goes with my book, it seems that my editor is a bit lazy and we need a boost. All the village people were curious or were harassed to buy my book. Now it would be good to open up to a broader public. At least the next villages and the region 😉

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=alpes+maritimes+en+mai&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2goz96rHMAhULM8AKHciBAfgQ_AUICSgD&biw=751&bih=335&dpr=1.82#tbm=isch&q=alpes+maritimes+office+de+tourisme&imgrc=gPSZZ4-UZyfwIM%3A

April 26: post day 13- To the seaside at the South of France!

Hi April,

yes, I am going to my hometown in the South of France and then, to the seaside close to Cannes, with a group of friends!

How is that so? I am going for another presentation of my French book and to choose a place for a future art exhibition. Not bad eh?

So I am sleepless in London, preparing a suitcase and trying not to keep my eyes open because I am catching a morning flight.

http://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/411242/Get-here-if-you-Cannes

April 25, 2016: Post day 12- You are Awesome no matter what!

Good morning April,

I had a great day today, finding two like-minded artists who would like to join me in a project.

So I am having some chocolate to celebrate and I remind myself and you too:

Subscribe to my Motivation Monday Blog!

April 24, 2016: Post day 11, Look Here!

April hi,

isn’t this painting fascinating? You think these eyes are capable of reading your thoughts. It’s Odilon Redon, the French symbolist painter who is at the cover of this cute little book at the British Museum.

Yes, I have become an absolute fan of the B.M., and decided to buy it for my god-son, since there are no words, just beautiful pictures of works of art, both sculptures and paintings. Different periods in time and cultures are represented, in a very imaginative way.

So it’s ok that Alexandre, my godson doesn’t speak a word in English. He can still look. I just hope he won’t throw it against his younger brother because it is a bit heavy though.

What is more, this gave me ideas for an art exhibition 🙂

http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/art-history/look-here/invt/cmc50833

April 23, 2016: Post day 10- Balance work and life :-)

Hello there April,

today I thought I should work, this is a great change. If Saturday is here for us to rest, I thought I could work on a Saturday, and rest on a Monday. How about that?

There is a plan of a new book I look forward to finish, because I am getting to the South of France next week. I would feel better to reach this mille stone before I go.

So instead of going to Camden market for breakfast, as some friends have suggested, I just did my laundry in the morning and went to our working space -to put together my ideas.

Not having heard a declaration of love last night -despite full moon and all- might have induced me to call up some friends and I did.

But again, how did I end up there? Moving to a new city requires so many things to do, and I have focused on my work: writing, on the one hand, and getting involved to some artistic event organization, to take place mostly in France.

And yes, apart from occasional contact with artists on the move, I didn’t make a lot of friends. So I ended up hanging around with this Hungarian who was always proposing to go to exhibitions, dinners and to walk around London. To whom I was not attracted. But I though he was because he was seeking my company so much. We spent all our weekends together for the last 2 months. But apparently, this sort of ‘security’ in the big city, is ok, but not enough for any of us.

So I decided to get in touch with some Facebook friends who must be in town also. I will see a French friend tomorrow morning. We have been out of touch for a few years because she was in South America, and now she found herself in London with her new family.

I really look forward to meeting her!

April 22, 2016: Post day 9- Love misunderstanding

Hello April,

I am going through the phase, let’s try a small change every day, so I thought I could open up to this man who seemed to pursue me for the last two months.

You want to know what happened?

He told me it was a misunderstanding and he sees me as a friend.

I admit this is the first time it happens to me. Because I am shy and if I am not sure, I don’t start a conversation. And then, there are cases where there is no doubt about the kind of interest the other person has.

But in this case, there was someone with whom I spent all my weekends doing all sorts of things. He was asking me with insistence about my personal life and he was telling me I should finally decide. Not to mention that he was putting himself out there as someone available.

I don’t know a lot of people in London, so I enjoyed having someone to talk to. I was not attracted to him as a man. I usually have strong feelings for someone from the start. But it has happened to me to fall in love “blindly” and then discover my prince was a frog.

So I tried to persuade myself that I should give it a chance.

When he told me I got it all wrong, I felt two things.

a. relief, that I didn’t have to push myself

b. my ego was hurt. Is it possible that he has not been influenced by my fatal attraction?

c. where is this thing called love?

Now, relief is very important. It is like not having to eat something you dislike because it is supposed to be good for your health. And then you read an article where a new study reveals it is the opposite. So you can forget about it.

Then, I realize I would like someone to love;

Maybe if I don’t spent all my free time with my friend I could get to know new people.

So, I guess feelings are important and I could also listen to them 🙂

 

How Long Did It Take You to Fall in Love?

April 21, 2016: Post day 8-a way to deal with challenging people

Hi April,

having practically replaced coffee with tea for a week seemed a good idea, I found out I could sleep better at night. Could it be self-suggestion? In any case, I think I will keep this new habit a bit longer to experiment with myself.

Without exaggerating if the temptation for coffee is too strong 😉

By the way, thanks CeeJayKay https://ceejaykayfit.com/about-me/for helping me with this difficult artist yesterday: I invited him to an event and he was looking down on the place I suggested and…on me as an organizer.

But today I asked around other people and realized the gallery he was snobing is not blacklisted by all the talented people as he wanted to make me think.

So the new lesson I learnt out of this is to ask more than one person if I want an answer on something important to me. If you want to bake a cake, is there only one recipe, only one right flavor?

In the same way, I need to trust my judgment and taste. If I like a gallery, what if someone else who is considered “Expert’ doesn’t? I like it, and I should dare to put myself at stake and see who else does.

 

April 20, 2016: Post day 7- how to define a strategy

Dear April,

a small change I can try today is how to learn from feedback without letting it throw me off-balance. Yesterday I invited an artist to participate in an event I will organize back to France. He told me the gallery is not good enough for him and he wouldn’t know of anyone who would be interested. From his acquaintances.

That kind of shook me because it triggered older insecurities. I believed in this project and I mean to go back to Paris to talk with the gallery people. This idea of hierarchy somehow made me sad.

Is he right? Should I try to connect to the places/people with the best possible reputation instead of going the other-way round? Meaning, instead of collaborating with those I like and whose work I appreciate without checking on their reputation?

My former way of doing things has not been very productive from a material point of view. But starting from the utility of people and things is not in my philosophy.

Coming to London, is an opportunity because I have connected to a lively artistic platform with a good “reputation”: How can I evolve from here in a way that I am in harmony with my values in life?

http://writtent.com/blog/8-deep-questions-define-blogging-strategy/

April 19, 2016: post day 6- how to be Phenomenal

Hi April,

after the discussion on what is to be attractive, I couldn’t resist to this poem by Maya Angelou on something even better: how to be PHENOMENAL 🙂

Phenomenal Woman

By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can’t see.

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need for my care.

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

http://kathyeldon.com/portfolio/attraction/

April 18, 2016: Post day 5- what is to be attractive?

April hello,

do you consider yourself attractive? Because it”s not exactly the same thing as beautiful. Attractive, in my opinion, seems to be more important for dating 🙂

Hmm and it is a quality more difficult to discern. It is relational. You cannot be attractive if there is no one around to attract. It doesn’t have to do with the way you are dressed, with your manners, with your education. Or religion, or upbringing, or even colour of skin or hair. Of any particular characteristic.

And then, are we attractive to specific kind of people and vice-versa? Or it is something that affects everybody?

Could other people agree on that? Has it happened to you to see a friend’s partner who seems average to you to be presented as the most attractive man around? And you wonder if there is something you just miss?

So maybe opinions can diverge; and so much the better. Because if we all wanted oranges at the same time what would happen to the apples and the pears?

http://jlggb.net/blog3/?tag=poire