The Ruined Piano Sanctuary.

Ever since I'd heard of The Ruined Piano Sanctuary several years ago, I wanted to see it for myself. Found just out of York, Western Australia, it is a place where people can take their pianos that are past their prime and good for little other than firewood. They are left out in fields to be humbly admired and played by those who love the strange form of entropy taking place.


I drove there with my two friends Anna and Miko. After taking a few wrong turns from our mysterious and vague directions (credit: me), finding ourselves at one point driving down a road of sodden stuffed toys strapped haphazardly to trees and rocks, we finally arrived at our desired destination. The fierce morning rain had cleared, leaving a fine day ahead of us.


Lifting the lids of these beautiful musical creatures was a joy in itself. In differing states of decay, some had insides that were almost perfectly preserved. Not all the keys worked- many had warped and were unable to move at all. Others made deep, thumping sounds from within their bowels. There was one time where I pressed a key down and after playing one discordant note, it jammed, seemingly to never play again. An inanimate object had never felt so vulnerable. So alive. 


In the middle of a paddock, a baby grand piano was positioned precariously on a rocky hill. All his varnish had fallen away to reveal a weathered, tired skeleton. The ivory façade of his keys was also long gone. Dilapidated state irrelevant, he still stood magnificent and commanding.

A grand piano that was once resplendent in a crimson coat had since collapsed in tatters to the ground on the opposite end of the field. Her mouth was completely detached from its body so she was conventionally unplayable. Instead, Anna, Miko and I knelt down beside her a and picked and strummed delicately at her insides. The sounds that emanated were alien, surprising, and on all counts, fascinating. 


One of the last pianos we spotted was shaded by a large eucalyptus. The recent storm had caused a spontaneous catastrophe. One of the large overhanging branches had snapped off the trunk and crushed the upright piano it had once protected. He was snapped in two and was a heartbreakingly beautiful sight. 


This is a place that must be seen. I left the Ruined Piano Sanctuary with a renewed appreciation for the complexities of a piano and the sublime beauty of the strange and imperfect. If you have a spare day, go explore. 

Heavy Boots.

Note: This post has a completely unrelated happy ending.

I live in a suburb that was once solely public housingcommission. It is also wheelchair friendly so there are many disabled people living around here. It has exposed me to the reality of living in constant pain and hardship; sometimesinspiringlywonderful, other times desperately bleak.

A few days ago I was in the local pharmacy getting some cold and flu tablets. A lady in a wheelchair who I recognised but did not know by name was there too, muttering irritably. The pharmacist emerged from her office and told the lady quietly something about how she couldn't give her any more medication this month as the government wasn’t going to pay for it. Something like that anyway. I felt bad listening into such a private conversation in public but I couldn’t stop my ears so I just browsed the cheap perfume aisle and tried to look absent-minded.

After the lady had exclaimed many profanities she said loudly to nobody in particular, “No one understands what it’s like to have fuck all. You’re poor so you have to fire a cleaner? Big fucking deal.” As she turned to leave she added “I might as well be fucking dead.”

Her words hit me like a train that had been gathering speed downhill since its inception.

Suddenly, it was my turn at the counter.  The pharmacist grimaced at me apologetically, as though I should be disgruntled by the woman’s words. I didn’t feel like I deserved it.

***

The next day at work I was asked to go buy some chicken. I don’t eat meat so I despise doing this. I always get the most ethical when forced to for work...or I “forget” it on my shopping list. This time however I was told specifically not to buy organic because according to my boss “they’re just too damn expensive”.

ihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihateitihat

After leaving the supermarket I felt as though I’d personally slaughtered 50 chickens.

At some point everyone becomes a hypocrite. I guess this is mine. I do not believe in ending a life for my pleasure but I’m too worried about my boss’ scorn to object. How pathetic.  

Anyway.

As I walked into the delicatessen to pick up our ham order (YAY), the woman in the wheelchair from the pharmacy was talking animatedly to the owner. He had just IOUd her some cigarettes. As I left, she was smoking one outside; a triumphant grin on her face.

I don’t know what to think. Maybe it’s a combination of my flu, hormones and this goddamn dismal weather but these happenings have given me heavy boots.

*** 

I went home and asked people to me to link me happiness. These were the results:

[from tom]

[from sidney]

[from @zendarenn]

[from emily]

[from miko]

[from amy]

[from @jtcphysics]

Literally the Best Thing Ever: National Geographic

http://rookiemag.com/2012/03/literally-the-best-thing-ever-national-geographic/

[from anna]

8-Bit Flower Bouquet 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e731/?srp=4

[from @AliceHasWords]

The 50 Cutest Things That Ever Happened

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/the-cutest-things-that-ever-happened

[from @Warburton]

Lastly: 

make-everything-ok.com/

[from dan]

I love my friends. x

A dinosaur, an angry unicorn and a gun-wielding kitten...

I had some ideas this week and finally had the energy to actually do something tonight. I think they look better in person (these are just phone photos and I'm a terrible photographer) but you get the idea!

This is my dinosaur monstrosity that I painted and assembled. He is yet to be named but I love him anyway. 

...Any name suggestions?

This next one was achieved though ripping the arms off toy soldiers and sticking them on cat and horse figurines. Does that mean the horse has evolved into some sort of aggressive unicorn?  I have no idea but it seems ominous. The old magazines are also finding a good use again which makes me happy. 

That was my night. I should sleep now. 

Love x

Space Fish!

I made space fish!

It has finally found a use for all my old calendars and magazines. Yes, I had lots of books and such about fish as a child.
...I used to breed them.
I was really cool.

As I was making this, I realised how perfectly they blend into a space environment. They look right at home.
Maybe I should do a whole space zoo.

Shit Collecting.

Okay.
So, I haven't written anything here in a couple of weeks. It seems that I only blog when I really should be doing something else. At the moment, that something is sleeping.

Sleeping is for the dead. Or something.

Firstly, exams were a horrible mess that I'd rather just forget. So I am. No talking about exams. I get the dreaded results on the 16th so that's something to look forward to I don't think.

The last month has really been a time to get my shit together.
well...
My thoughts together at least. My life is chronically unstable and I like it that way. I had stable once. It's not for me.


So. Things I have done in dot form in the last month. In no particular order. Dot form is what my brain can do tonight.

• I backed A LOT of Kickstarter and Pozible campaigns...No regrets. They are all amazing projects and I'm so excited for when they're finished and my mailbox gets filled with awesome things that I HELPED CREATE. JOY. I'll post up some new noteworthy campaigns soon too methinks.

• I bought a toy accordion + learnt to play happy birthday on it. (LOVE)

• I made a finger puppet for the wondrous Heather Christian to with her luck for her NY gig...

...there was much rejoicing at both ends.

She also happened to me send the most amazing thing I have ever received in the mail. I stumbled out of my house at about 1pm, still in my pink monkey pyjamas. I'm so glad that I did.

It made my month. I'm yet to find a frame worthy of the lion.

• My sister and I made felt brooches for our English teacher who is moving to Margaret River. Well, she's my sister's English teacher now. She was my English teacher. Now she is just a friend. She is wonderful and inspirational and I really hope she never reads this blog or I fear she will disown me for my terrible spelling, grammar and general lameness.

• I made mother a sunflower brooch for her 50th. After hours of crazy cross-eyed stitching she asked me why I hadn't actually bought her anything. Oh well, can't with them all I suppose.

• I met more of the people coming to my Amanda Palmer House Party (!!!) and we've started planning amazing things. We must hold back. I can't start planning it 8 months in advance or I might have a nervous breakdown and not be able to even see a piano without hyperventilating. So much excitement. 
• I started reading Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman a little while ago and am slowly pulling myself through it. I know that sounds negative but it's hasn't got anything to do with the book. I just haven't read much over the past months. I am constantly stopping and rereading passages. Savouring them; keeping beautiful, poignant sentences fresh in my mind.
• I've started writing and drawing lots. I'm not sure if I want to put them up here or not.. I like them but will anyone else? I don't know. Only one way to find out I suppose...

I am meeting amazing people and doing shit I never dreamed of. It feels pretty fucking excellent.
This is just the beginning. I don't know where to start in terms of explaining so I won't just yet.
Maybe one day soon I'll be more articulate.
My brain is a scrambled, hungover mess. It has lots of things inside it though. Great ideas. Ideas I'm rather proud of. Maybe I'll share them soon. Maybe.

LOVE x