Well that didn't last for long! After months of lockdown and restrictions, I'd finally started to see some of our guys face to face. But after two weeks, we couldn't continue, and now we're going into another lockdown.
It's okay though, we have a different plan now; so for the foreseeable future, I'm gonna be meeting up with folk outside and we're gonna have a chat.
I've never really been one for conversation, but that will be the only objective of this new project.
As someone who is an addict, (now in recovery, but still an addict; that never magically ceases to be the case) - and having spent several years living in hostels, sofa surfing, sleeping rough and passing out wherever, as well as suffering with poor mental health; I am to be chatting about these very things and making a series of documentaries to be released on THS Music & Arts Community. (That's the site you're on right now.)
Now, I could sit in a bus stop, on my own, talking to the camera; and I would probably quite enjoy that level of self-indulgence; but then that would be missing the point. No. In order to maintain some level of connectivity with our people, everyone who was on our Kickstart scheme has been invited to come and take part in conversations with myself about these things and more. I've had a couple of sessions already and as well as being really good for connectivity; I think these videos could be of interest to anyone and particularly if you have struggled with any of the issues covered.
Interestingly, one of these people is a friend of mine and we spent a lot of time living in the same hostels and getting messed up together. Messed up is an absolute understatement; 'almost dying, regularly' is more fitting. So I'm looking forward to our future encounters now that we can talk about our past, from the safety of a bus stop, in the present.
Does this sound interesting? I think it is, but then it does involve me. So, are you someone who has struggled with one or more of these things? Have you had other personal struggles and wish to talk about them? If so, please get in touch. It may be that I end up editing it all together into a full length documentary; I don't know yet, but I'm excited and the process has already started.
You can even remain anonymous; you don't have to be on the camera, or you can wear a full face mask, or I can pixelate your face and manipulate your voice in the editing process. Just bring yourself, in a mask, and I'll bring the camera, tripod, voice recorder (and some expenses for your time).
I would, of course, share with you, anything that was being published online before doing so. I think this will be a fun, productive, valuable piece of work and it may help people during these different times. Yes, we are limited to what we can and can't do, as of Thursday, but; limitations breed creativity and we can still have connectivity.
- Neil
Kommentare