I’ve realized over the last 24 hrs that while this Blog has been covering off the minutiae of my life (wiring diagrams anyone? Nipple lighting tips?) it’s kinda been neglecting the bigger picture. That’s because I’ve been neglecting the bigger picture I guess.
Now those who know and love me (rather than those casual Muslim readers drawn in from Algeria by the promise of ‘Yashmak Porn American Naked Sluts Pussy Pussy’) have concocted some theories about why it may be that I’ve been so reticent about saying ‘What’s up?’
I like the idea of theories about me, but in reality they’re always either swirling around the area of depression (never really true, though my Stewie side does come through on occasion… it’s what makes me happy, though it kicks some bad karma into the world, I’ll admit) or around the area of perversion (‘he’s off learning to insert glass tubes into his urethra’) which alas is also wide of the mark.
The truth is that I’ve been busy. Working on things that weren’t quite 100% real yet – and where therefore bound to be cursed by my mentioning them.
So here’s the big picture
First up we’re off to Montreal. Which is a city. A real city. Ok, it’s not New York City or Tokyo or even London and if it had been our first post NYC port of call I’d have hated it on principle. But when we were there and when the sun was shining we did the things that people do in the city. We ate in places that understood that décor and atmosphere count. We went to exhibitions that actually tried to entertain and impress rather than coast by on the smug assumption that all art is good art when it comes to a small town (believe me the John and Yoko show is SO much better than Arthur Miller’s Holiday Snaps). Okay so the winters are going to be brutal, but the summers will be glorious and we’re flexible enough to spend the winters elsewhere.
While in Montreal I’m going to be more flexible than ever. Which is actually exactly what I was looking for.
75 days of my time is accounted for with work for the people that I like most at JWT. I’ll be doing all kinds of planning and thinking for them, all over the place… though based out of Toronto. It’s a good deal all around, they get my time guaranteed, I promise to work my ass off in their service and I get to keep my agency chops sharp enough to get back into the business if I need to.
More exciting is Propellerfish - an ‘idea birthing’ company that I’m doing with a friend and kick ass partner. We’re based on a very simple premise… that ideas are easy (that’s why idea proliferation companies abound) but that ideas that happen are hard (which is why case studies are thin on the ground). Our whole reason for being is to make sure that more good ideas get out into the world and fewer good ideas get lost in bad brainstorms, powerpoint decks and filing cabinets. We offer training, we offer help spotting commercial opportunity and we offer an Idea Protection Program that helps ideas make it through the various flaming hoops that companies insist they brave. It’s a smart company, it’s the right time to be doing this and I can’t wait to get started.
We have a couple of clients on board and a couple of meetings with advertising agencies, PR companies and Media companies about helping them with their innovation offers. Should be good.
I’m also working with a couple of production and music companies on a TV show or two, the best of which I’m VERY excited about.
The rest of my time is going to be taken polishing the book – which I think has become books. And taken up with taking more and better pictures. My appetite has been whetted and I’m thinking that the first real money that comes in is going to buy me a photo studio which will in turn buy me the credibility that I need in order to get good models who have a point of view about the world.
Throw in 4 hrs a day, 5 days a week of French and you have for a busy and happy Steve.
Happy enough that I’m already awaiting the giant kick in the rubber parts. The last few years have been tough. We’ve had deaths in the family, cancer, chemo, tests, the fall out of survival, a move to a small town, the loss of a baby, a house that’s been for sale as long as we’ve been in it, the loss of a job, the loss of work visas and permits and the loss of my hair to contend with.
It’s been a couple of years where all of the things that you tend to take for granted, all of life’s certainties have been thrown under speeding buses. Speeding buses equipped with spiked tyres. Speeding buses with spiked tyres being piloted by homicidal maniacs with a taste for British blood.
Health – nope you might die within weeks, or months, certainly a couple of years
Job – nope doesn’t matter how good you are, you can be thrown out on your arse despite protestations of undying love
Home – could be sold from under you at any second… and even if it isn’t there’s a chance that you’ll be thrown out of the country due to lack of a job (see above)
Family – always be right yeah? Unless they get cancer (3 out of 4 parents) and die painfully early (2 survived)
Relationship – well that seems to be without quakes.. been through death, cancer, uncertainty, unemployment, loss and 4 continents so that has to be certain, of course it’s a relationship that's recently been through death, cancer, uncertainty, unemployment, loss and 4 continents so let's not take that for granted either. A lesson learned, take no life pillar for granted, and stay on top of all you can (other than lap dancers)
So yeah, the foundations have been shaken but despite looking a little battered, a little scarred and a little less shiny the building stands and the cracks have been mistaken for character.
Of course it’s not all been bad. We’ve met some great people here. It’s led to the perfect job for Judith and an amazing opportunity for me. I’m fitter than I’ve been in a decade, we’re moving to Montreal together, 17 years into a relationship that keeps changing but still feels right for both of us, the family are well, I’m finally learning French and golf and the importance of now vs. later. I’m going to spend all of my professional time doing things that I love, surrounded by people that I like and trust and I have a drive and a passion for those things that I thought had been lost in hackery.
We’re actually incredibly lucky. We know that. But then we’re actually pretty incredible ourselves. And I needed no therapy to write that sentence.
And on top of it all, in photography I think that I’ve finally discovered a way to ensure that every interesting person you meet lets you into his or her story. Portrait Research could be an interesting thing to do… the world is full of interesting things to do right now – and I’m loving it.
BTW - Mike (and the North African Muslims).. the pics are for you mate