Thursday Thoughts...

Tell your own story, and you will be interesting. 

Louise Bourgeois

I seem to be circling around these notions of authenticity as I have gathered my Thursday Thoughts over the past few weeks.  I wonder if it is all a bit in focus at the moment because I have been teaching and talking about making meaning and building stories in artists' books?

I think it may be related, as with each student, I try to help them find a way to tell their own story. To make it theirs. To not take other folks' thoughts and impressions of a story and try to interpret or re-create them.

These words of Ms Bourgeois are so true. If we make it ours and we make it personal; it will be interesting. So often the personal can also be universal. Folk may find things within your story that resonate. That strike a chord; that light a spark of recognition. I think that if you make it yours, your passion, interest, care and concern will also emerge and people will find it good and interesting work.

She is also perhaps suggesting that authenticity is interesting; that mimicry, copying, attempting to be someone or make something else is not interesting. It is also usually sub-standard and not as good as the original.

Telling my story of moving between two homes...