Sketch a day - 216/365

A day of meetings about the Otherhood play in the morning. Talking sound and a final musical moment. It's not a musical I should add, but the play does have an important piece of original music. And so we were talking and thinking about that.

Then to Manchester, to meet another of my new writing squad writers. How much do I LOVE this job? So much. It's an inspiration/energy/new thinking infusion. And a proper privilege to have these conversations with such fabulous and talented young people. Honestly,there are so many things right now that make me feel quite despairing, but this job reminds me of how people are brilliant and capable of so much good.

YES!

While I was at the station waiting for my train, I watched and then sketched a pigeon. I love pigeons. I didn't think I could love them more. But it turns out I could/can. Because I heard this story about them recently that broke my heart a little. I did not know that the pigeons that frequent cities and towns are not decended from ‘wild’ birds. They are the descendants of domesticated pigeons that people kept and then for whatever reason - accident, mistake, boredom, failings, change of circumstance - all the things that can happen in a human life - their humans stopped caring for them. So they learnt to survive on the rubbish and shit we leave behind. They have always been dependent upon humans one way or another. We just forgot our end of the bargain. It has made me feel even more love for these feathery dudes. How easily we forget our obligations to other creatures and ourselves.

Anyway, I was watching this pigeon and I noticed it was limping. It had a damaged foot. It wasn't giving up and it wasn't asking for anything other than the crumbs from the platform. It was magnificent. I really thanked it for showing itself to me. Grubby and stubborn and hardy. Another inspiration I really needed today.

Because we need inspiration and stubborn belief right now don't we?

Keep going dear hearts.

And that's the news