I’ve neglected blogging during the summer and I’m not sure why. Maybe its the weather? Its been amazingly sunny and beautiful here in London, which has been simultaneously  pleasurable and disconcerting. In my mind’s eye, London is always the dark, ominous background to my various activities. It confuses me when I’m sitting at a cafe with a friend and its so sunny that we actively seek the shade.

My life has changed a lot since I last posted. I’ve moved to Northwest London which is as different from South London as one can imagine. So many trees. So many public transport options. So easy to cycle around. I think that I have post traumatic stress disorder from having cycled treacherous Clapham Road.

Beyond moving to another part of the city, I’ve also become a member of a new studio, South Kilburn Studios. I’m still a member of Studio Strike, just no longer in residence. I’m pretty lucky because its a 6 minute walk from my new apartment and in lieu of rent,  the tenants perform a community ‘giveback.’ Usually this giveback is in the form of training apprentices from South Kilburn. I’m doing ethnographic research for SKS.

SKS is chock full of interesting creative practitioners. There are graphic designers, documentary filmmakers, musicians, composers, music video makers, a public relations expert, an interior designer, a hatmaker, a person who creates radio stations around the world, a project and events management company, various sets of photographers, illustrators, and a DIY-punk-Muslim feminist zine duo (who are my personal favorites). Its all very inspiring!