Happy New Year! What next?

Happy New Year. What do we all do now?

I’m not starting 2023 in a deliberately meaningful way. I don’t have a big project on the go. I’m not making any resolutions. Instead, I’ve done some life admin and rewarded myself with good things. Here are the good things, in case you need some in your life too!

My cousin took me to see the starlings murmurating at Brighton Pier. Mesmerising. Well done, starlings. It’s a winter thing so get there before February if you can.

Chris Killip at the Photographers Gallery. Beautiful, poignant, angry, startling photographs of people living in the North of England during the economic traumas of the 70s and 80s. The show is on in London until 19 Feb and then moves to Baltic in Gateshead from April - October.

Magdalena Abakanowicz at Tate Modern is a stunning show by a textile artist I should have heard of, Abakanowicz reclaimed rope from the shore, dyed and wove it to produce monumental sculptures that look and smell delicious.

The Good Ship Illustration art club: The most recent one was using masking tape and wax resist, and was, as usual, a warm and glowy thing to be part of.

Growing stuff: I get so much happiness from growing plants. I have a lot of houseplants and also a roof garden (it used to just be a roof but the people who own our building allow us to grow plants up there). There are micro organismss in soil that help regulate emotions, they’re also released when you go for a muddy walk so I try to regularly get some earth on my hands and feet.

Music: I feel a bit like all my music has been stolen by Apple. I wish I’d never gone digital. We bought a record player for the kids but the quality isn’t good enough for my liking. And recently I rediscovered the iPod, it’s got some good stuff on it but it’s mostly stories for little children so I need to update it. But I have made a Spotify playlist for my debut picture book that comes out in May, you can have a sneaky early listen if you like!

Podcasts: I am loving Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake, presented by Kathy Burke. It’s a bit deathy, so not for everyone but if you’re in the mood for some humorous funeral chat, it won't disappoint!

Radio: Two great programmes on Radio 4 this week: Word Of Mouth was all about exclamation marks (Terry Pratchet wrote that someone using five exclamation marks is the equivalent to wearing underpants on their head) and Song For Belper is a brilliant programme about songs commissioned by town councils to celebrate towns and cities (“It’s a Leicester Fiesta!”)

Drawing: I can’t have a nice things list without including drawing. It’s my only “mindful” activity. I don’t love organised exercise, I’m incapable of meditation, I fill all available silent moments with the radio or instagram or telly or pointless scrolling, so drawing is my calming thing. I’m currently into Royal Talens A4 sketchbooks (nice smooth paper), Caran Dache luminance pencils and aquarelle crayons, and paint sticks by Little Brian, which are a guilty treat, they’re made of plastic and I shouldn’t use them but I haven’t found anything that does the job as well.

Happy New Year, I hope you are doing nice things too.