Phew!

What a relief.

I've seen my piece added to the other worlds, other voices exhibition being shown in Rochester. It's in keeping with the theme, and in context not nearly as flamboyant as I worried about.

Re-reading the piece, yes, the Irish is simple. But it states everything I need to say, and I don't need to say anything more. That will come later, with practice - for now, this is enough. I have little Irish, but what little I have I own. I can be patient enough to go through the baby steps, and I have faith that one day I will look back and wonder why I worried so much. Learning a language, like any skill including poetry, is an apprenticeship after all.

Which brings the question, why was I so worried? If someone judges the piece, they are only engaging with my thoughts, with my words, not me. Aren't they? Isn't that how it always works? (Well, no, not really. Not always)

How do you feel before you release a piece of art or poetry into the public realm? Are you happy? Excited? Worried? Is it only the work itself you worry about?Why such a barrier when letting a piece go public, after all? For some artists, of course, through bitter experience they find that they are the news not their art.

But sometimes, like for someone invisible like me, the thrill is in releasing something new. It's new to me. Artists are pioneers, after all. Even the baby steps - what new place did you visit this week?

Baile an Fheirtéaraigh Iúil 2013

Welcome to the gaeltacht!
Image credit: SM Jenkin

So, I visited the Irish speaking area in Dingle last month. I attended the one week (post beginners) course run by Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne. It was a most interesting experience overall, as it dealt with more than the words, they were placed in context. Their audience is clearly international, so there was a series of cultural events. A céilí, a quiz, a baking class in Irish at the excellent museum, other visits too including one to the Blasket islands.

However, the teaching. The teacher was lovely, approachable, personable but ... there was more evidence of teaching than of learning. I appreciate that teaching a class of post beginners must be awkward, but the purpose of learning is to practise rather than to listen. It took several days before this was addressed and for me this tarnished the experience. Eventually we were able to practise some dialogue with the other students in the class, but it was a hard slog getting there and then it was time to leave.

This isn't the first time I have experienced this style of teaching either - do you think this may be contributing to the overall malaise about language learning? It's hard enough for adults to put aside the time (and money) to learn. What other barriers do you think contribute? After all, isn't it easier to listen to a CD and practice by yourself?

However, despite the problems I've mentioned I would recommended, as the course overall covered far more than the language, it was all about the context. And the sun shone on us all, so it wasn't all bad....

Irish language weekend - arrrggghhh!!!

So, my first (and last?) Immersion in the Irish language, was the annual gathering of Colaiste na nGael (Irish college) at Aylesford priory

Some days you're the bear...

The tutors were excellent, but as expected the tutoring was all in Irish. For someone who is barely making headway into verbs (being able to translate "Dúirt sí póg mo thóin" into English or vice versa was one of my proudest moments) being confronted by teaching in Irish blew my mind. I was lucky if I got one in four words.

But this is the question, how do you expand your limits and understanding without stepping beyond them? And have I actually learned anything useful in my ignorance, or simply wasted my time surrounded by people whose language I don't speak yet....

How do you feel when you try something new... and how do you find the right balance when learning between exposure to the new and plain exposure?

Drawing a straight line .... Failure. Who cares?

OK, overwhelmed by an excess of enthusiasm, red wine and sunshine I actually drew some stuff. Yes, it has taken me a whole blasted week of being here in Italy to work up the courage to break out my pencil. But what exactly was I waiting for? Permission?

So I found a nice little place, a shady spot in the Giardino di Boboli and I just did it. I had to do a few, because to be quite honest the first was childish, awful with no respect for perspective.

Image credit: Wallyir

But you know what? The sun was shining, and I was in Florence and I probably will never get back here again. And it felt so nice just generally draweing, and shading and looking. I felt like I really connected...

... and no one could see what I was drawing so they don't know how naive the style was (yes I am going with that rather than with could not be bothered to spend more than 10 minutes at a time doing stuff)

But you know what? I really enjoyed it. The question is .... why have I waited so long to do this, simply for fun? What are you not allowing yourself to do, simply because you will not allow yourself to be rubbish... naive.... a beginner....?
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image sourced from morguefile