WYTHNOS PUMP, CHWECH A SAITH - week five, six and seven

The annoying thing about having adult life admin to do outside of this masters is that I forget to write these weekly journals and then leave it two weeks and have no idea what I was thinking at the time.. so bare with me whilst I try to remember all the things that were going on in my brain before I went to Stockholm to deal with my apartment sale.

For our Research & Practice module on Monday, we started the first of a few weeks of reading groups. The first session we had to read some (very boring) texts to understand what kind of research based practice would be relevant to us. I struggled with this, reading papers on topics that don't necessarily interest me is a hard task, reading papers on topics that do interest me is hard so it's safe to say this took me 2 full days to do. So, I feel proud of myself for doing it and actually, I did take some good information from doing it. Here are my notes that I made:

• I first thought that practice-based research would align more with my research practice, but after reading the text fully I realise that it will only be relevant if I go ahead with some kind of exhibition or runway.

• I think using the visual arts based research practice can be combined with practice-based research in that way.

• Collage is something that has interested me since studying my BA, I wasn't great at drawing so using collage was an easy and effective way for me to communicate my designs. I love overlapping text which I used a lot in my Final Collection.

After speaking with John, he recommended I look into Assemble Architects and Forensic Architects, which I actually ended up doing once I got back from Stockholm and started to research for the 'subject review' part of my Project Proposal. Which, whilst we're on the topic on, I am also finding quite difficult but somehow enjoyable. I remember back when I was writing my dissertation for my BA and I left everything until the last week and used slides that a friend had found for me as the basis of my research.. that mistake cost me from getting a 1st in my BA and as much as I don't care about what grade I get, I do not want the stress of having to write 3000 words in a week with no knowledge of the topic. So I have been researching, finding so many interesting texts that link to my project proposal and then other texts that have made the idea bigger than it was to begin with. It feels very exciting to know that this could be something that I do for a career in the future and actually give back to my community in a way that I feel represents who I am.

But enough about that module now.. onto the 'fun stuff' (which I need to stop saying) of the studio practice module! We went over to the Archives in the library on Tuesday, it was really fun to hear off someone who is so passionate and knowledgeable, I need to make sure that I go over there once I'm a bit further with my project because I am sure there will be some interesting things. I also know I need to go to the National Library of Wales because they will definitely have an archive with sooooo much good stuff!

In the afternoon we started out screen prints, I was so excited for this induction and I had prepared a image of traditional Welsh weaves because as much as I'd like to learn how to do that.. in one year it is not realistic so screen print might be the way forward.

The rest of the week was mainly focused on preparing for the mid term reviews. I wrote 400 words of my introduction ready to present on Monday to my reading group. For studio practice I started to make some mood boards gathering all the research I had done. I quickly realised I had been very good at the research part but not so much the practice part. Upon reflection I know that I haven't been fully 'with it' or settled since moving back home, the stresses of my apartment sale (or not) has impacted so much, especially financially because I haven't been able to buy a laptop that can support the programmes I want to use and I haven't really wanted to spend the money on fuel to come to Liverpool for more days than I have to. Luckily, that has all changed now and my apartment SOLD!!! I've invested in a fabulous laptop that will run Creative cloud, CLO and Shima (if i ever manage to get it) all at the same time!

Week six started pretty good considering I was pretty stressed about going to Stockholm on Wednesday knowing that all the info and inspo I would get from the mid term reviews would not be actioned until I got back a whole week later. But I couldnt manage both packing up my apartment and uni work at the same time, as it has been made clear by now, I am no longer in my 20's and multitasking stressful things are just not something I want to do and no longer force myself into, because who actually benefits from that?

I felt confident going into the reading group to present my project proposal and I got some really good feedback from John & my classmates. They seemed excited by my idea and I think this is the great thing about it, I am so passionate about this and it resonates with so many people that it should, in theory be easy to get on with! One girl mentioned a lady called Julia Carol who has held weaving classes in LJMU before so I would like to attend a workshop of hers and pick her brain. Another mentioned about researching into how older generations have passed down the traditional crafts to their children or colleagues so they continue on into modern day. Slight tangent now but whilst I've been researching more for my project proposal I came across this very useful website which gave me the reassurance I needed that I am going in the right direction. There has been so many other amazing websites I have found but you will read about them in my Project Proposal

The Revival of Traditional Welsh Crafts: A Modern Appreciation - Arts Wales

I spent the rest of the morning editing the photos we took a couple of weeks back in the photo studio with help from Ben. I don't think I did a bad job considering but it will definitely take more practice. We are going to do a branding workshop in Tuesdays class so I wanted to be prepared, I had already done research into how I wanted my ad to look so it was a pretty smooth class really. Afterwards we did heat transfer so I printed these onto my shirt. At that point I was still feeling unsure what to do with my shirt but after mid term review with Kayla and Paul and the research that followed.. I have an idea!

Speaking of the mid term review, I think it went so well. I got so much direction and inspiration from both of them. I felt excited to talk about my ideas and be honest that it is a big old mess of research right now but it will filter down to something. They both helped me to realise that the language part is probably what I am most interested in, which makes sense since I am learning Welsh at the same time as doing this MA. They also discussed how I could bring politics into it with Aberfan, Capel Celyn, Patagonia and of course the language nearly dying out.

One of my classmates, Robyn is also doing a project about her home of Ireland and her presentation really sparked something within me as her mood boards looked so great! She was using InDesign which is something I had never really used or learnt so I booked in with Milos to have a quick 1-2-1 on the basics which I did the Friday I got back from Stockholm. This is going to be so helpful not only in my MA but in the future when I make portfolios for my work because it is just the right programme to use. She also had some inspo from other designers which.. for some reason I hadn't even looked at! So I did the simple google search of Fashion - Wales - Catwalk and the most beautiful thing appeared.. Sarah Burton On Her Magical Welsh Adventure For Alexander McQueen. All inspired by a Welsh Quilt made by James Williams a Wrexham tailor in 1842 which I had already saved on my Pinterest board! It was like everything coming together to again, give me that assurance that I am in fact going in the right direction! I really encourage anyone to read this article and watch the short film - of course I blubbered like a baby because I am apparently an emotional mess these days Sarah Burton On Her Magical Welsh Adventure For Alexander McQueen | British Vogue

But the catwalk, just WOW!! How did I forget about actually designing? Has the years spent in industry really killed my personal creativity that much that it took finding someone else who has done something to inspire me? I thought about this collection the whole week I was in Stockholm and it took me back to my first year of my BA where we draped clothes on the stand, took photos on our crappy iphones, printed them out and then cut out parts using a stanley knife, put prints or inspo behind them to create a new design. Something so simple that I could now do at a much higher standard that I haven't even considered. I think it really is about taking it back to basics and just getting the hell on with it.

Which brings me to my shirt, could this be the starting point for a collection? Do I use the draping photos to make these little cut outs? Put them over the prints I want to make? Over traditional Welsh weaves already made? OF COURSE I DO!! This is something that I can so easily translate into CLO 3D and make myself for (hopefully) not that much of a cost. It could be that I project my prints and techniques onto white shirts in an exhibition to reenact the cut out idea. Honestly my brain is filled with ideas!!

So I will leave it there, I am back from Stockholm, I have very little to do now before the apartment goes through so I can leave that in the back of my brain. I have three weeks until I go back to Sweden for my friends 30th to see the Aurora and I need to get a plan together to make sure that I finish my Project Proposal and I get some really good research & development underway.

Daily Focus

Monday - Focus on 7003 Project Proposal

Tuesday - Focus on 7004 Studio Practice

Wednesday - Welsh, life admin & reflective journal for the week so far

Thursday - Studio practice either from home or in university

Friday - Studio practice from university (use the workshops)

Saturday or Sunday (depending on weather) - Focus on 7003 Project Proposal / hike & rest

To Do List

Monday - Take out book requested, continue to work on Project Proposal, Subject Review

Tuesday - Workshops

Wednesday - Welsh, life admin, reflective journal for the week so far, watch kneecap documentary

Thursday - Create prints using my personal style, prepare these for screen printing

Friday - Screen print in the morning, drape shirts on the stand & take photos in the afternoon

Saturday - Continue to work on Project Proposal, Subject Review, finish reflective journal for week 8

Sunday - Hike

When possible - continue with portfolio boards in InDesign