No bongs.
I've been painting for a few days. The tiger is drying in its first layer. Today I'm on day two of Triumph of the Mechanauts. Here's a sneak preview...
I'm painting better than ever and feeling right at home. The new work schedule is working much better; with 30 minute breaks instead of 20. Exercise and diet are so important for these long sessions. Of all breakfasts, porridge with dried fruit and soya milk must surely be the most healthy. I'm surer than ever that sugar accelerates ageing and at best causes ups and downs in both mood and activity. Coffee with caffeine is, I think, as good as exercise and some research I've read indicates it increases heart health and has similar mood enhancing effects as exercise. I must stay fit and young so that when success arrives I can be fit enough to enjoy it. Of course, by then I'll be addicted to my current lifestyle, whatever that is, but perhaps not. One thing I avoid is routine. It is routine that traps the brain into relaxation and laziness. One thing that struck me, an obvious fact, is that young people like new music and old people like the same old music they've always listened to. The music taste is reflecting brain physiology. Old music is old paths. New music is new paths. Limiting your taste in music, or in people, or in anything will degrade your brain. Limitation of tastes is a sign of decay, but exploring new tastes is a way to avoid it. Listening to new music, and trying new things, even and especially things you "dislike" will keep your brain young and flexible, just as moving in a new way keeps your joints flexible. Fighting likes, fighting comfort, fighting lazy established routine is the key to longevity. Bless the recalcitrant for they will inherit the Earth.
Must avoid obtuse rambles.
I've been tweeting on Twitter quite a lot recently. My account is @marksheeky if you're on there. It's good for some things. I'm sure Nietzsche would have liked it. I'm unsure of the best things to say as yet. Despite the public nature of each tweet it somehow feels more intimate than Facebook. The psychology of this is a mystery.
I'll continue painting all week.
I've got a few events lined up and I now think it's a good idea to have two live events each month. The next one is the poetry night on the 23rd. The singer Tor James Faulkner might come to that from Glasgow. I hope so. We've never met and it would be good to do more work with him. I'd like to record more songs, perhaps under a band name so that I can use a mix of performers without confusion over the credits.
Now I'll listen to some Radio 1.
