In my slight Blogging Funk, I have come across this method to try and create productivity and produce creativity. Developed by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt, this “game” produces phrases to encourage lateral thinking, within the musical and art world, I occupy a small corner of the internet and so will see if it works for the “writer”, the ultimate aim to release me from the bondage of blogger’s block, which I find myself in. Today’s Oblique Strategy is:

Use Fewer Notes.

Fewer notes?! I stopped using notes after my biro died in the rain whilst trying to frantically scribble as I walked my damn disobediant dog. Then I chose to send myself text messages, with key words, hoping the memory would be rekindled, and reimagined after a day of driving around the countryside and drawing squares on maps. But then I realised that I wasn’t thinking during the day, which has happened over lockdown, my world has narrowed, amusing tales of strange things happening whilst I am going about my business have slowed to a certain extent due to the virus. The ominous lack of anything other to talk about with strangers save for the virus, and how everyone i seem to speak to wants it all to fuck off, why can we not get back to normal, and talk of anything else apart from death, illness and statistics?

In an effort to take fewer notes, I feel there are fewer notes to take, with folk feeling the isolation of a country put to bed by an evil stepfather with little or no supper, the desert spoon once again going unused and put back into the cutlery draw, finger smeared through many unprovided puddings. Stories to tell, no stories to tell and with just 4 more days to total lockdown, for a month, 2 months, who knows? We’ve got a house move to look forward to which will definitely fill our hearts with future plans and dreams of pendant lamps over a beautiful Oak table which will once again, sometime, ring with the deafening tones of wine, music and laughter. Until then, we can only hibernate, living but dozing through birthdays and Christmas, work and shopping behind masks our daily routine.

Christ that’s depressing, tomorrow will be better I’m sure.