Dirtee Cash

Money talks. Or in late stage capitalism, or however future historians come to view our times, money shouts and screams.  And it also tells lies. There always seems to be plenty of money to buy weapons, but not enough to buy medical equipment; a huge amount for business consultants, but not very much for those who clean up after them. We all know that life isn't fair, but the distribution of material wealth, both globally, nationally and in just about every city in the world now is just taking the piss. It hasn't always been this way, and it doesn't have to be this way. I don't believe there has ever been a utopia in this sense; there are many historical examples of slavery all across the world, but since the arrogant and wealthy European elites decided that the rest of the world was theirs to plunder, that their fellow inhabitants were commodities to be bought and sold- and who cares if they live or die- it went to a new level. It became virtuous and clever to make money from other people's labour, and religion was a pretext for abhorrent acts which are most definitely haram in every religion people have created. The myth of the 'self-made man' still exists today, despite the exposure of tax avoidance and exploitation of poorer workers by the very wealthy, and the private extraction of money from public services (that's you Mr Branson, among many others, including a large proportion of those highly paid 'public servants' in Westminster, for shame). Currently, we see perhaps the best example of social development in Britain, the National Health Service, being deliberately run down, with the view that we will all at some point accept that providing health care is just another opportunity for profit. Let's hope this view is proved wrong.

Everything has a price, and time is money, we are constantly told, but of course those platitudes aren't true. We all know the value of those who spend their time caring, listening, helping, smiling, inspiring, entertaining, protesting injustice, comforting, protecting, repairing and maintaining...we all do these things at times, and we all have value. The relationship between the arts and money in this capitalist world is a very complicated thing. Isn't it wonderful that music is now free? Funny that musical equipment sellers and recording studios and the landlords of musicians didn't get that memo. From the producer's point of view, it's hard to put a price on ideas and hard work that can't really be calculated at an hourly rate, and for the consumer, it's hard to put a price on something that strikes a chord with your soul, and lifts your mood when all seems bleak in your world. But all musicians know that you can't eat exposure, and that each social media like, listen or view doesn't magically turn into a roof tile to go over your head. When you are employed, others put a value on your labour- it makes things simple, but can be crushingly depressing. Often that value is nowhere near enough for your needs and your wants, and there is precious little relationship between the financial value and the social value of your work; in fact that relationship appears to be frequently inversely proportional. For artists, there are many more shades of grey. I have become comfortable in charging mutually fair prices for commissions, but I'm still far from comfortable in charging for ideas that have just come out of my head, onto the needles and off the other end. But in order to get commissions, you have to do an awful lot of those things. I don't like to buy cheap yarn unless it is pre-owned, as I'm acutely aware of the people involved in tending animals and plants, processing, dying and distributing yarns, and they all deserve a decent living as much as I do. I've recently decided to stop using artificial fibres unless it's for sculpture that I want to withstand the elements (and the moths). I'm thinking about where all the things I make will end up, and while well-made clothing and rugs can last generations if properly cared for, I'm not happy about the thought of making an acrylic scarf that will end up as part of a plastic island that's polluting the seas. I'm part of a chain here, as we all are in different aspects of our lives, something those 'self-made men' would do well to remember.

So what has all this got to do with the Atlantic Thread? Well, of course, it's not going to be free. I believe it does have a social and artistic value, but aside of perhaps a bit of publicity for the yarn shops, it's probably not going to have any financial value for anyone. I'm going to do it as frugally as possible; camping, travelling by public transport, and I want as much as possible of what I spend on food and yarn to remain in the communities I visit. I'm not going to be visiting tourist attractions; what I want to connect with is the coastline and the people I meet along it. The biggest expenses will be the ferries from Ireland to France, and France to Spain, and the flights to Ireland and back from Morocco. And, much as I believe in what I'm doing in terms of connections, it's also a personal idea that nobody has asked me to do, and I don't want to ask for anything for nothing if you get my drift. So, how am I going to fund it?

• The Scarves. Next month, I will begin to take orders for the scarves. I'm going to make one every day of the journey, so about 42 in total. I will ask for preferences of colours and materials, length and width. I will send these off during the course of the journey, so if you order, you will receive a scarf from somewhere along the route, along with an excerpt from the diary I will be keeping, so you will know all about the origin of the yarn, where it was bought and the people I met and saw while making it. As it will arrive sometime between September and November, it's probably the right time to receive a scarf (possibly not for you Aussies of course). I won't be able to charge a very cheap price for them- I wish I could- but you will  be part of a story, and a journey, and that won't be forgotten. I have the memory of an elephant when it comes to favours (and that of a goldfish when it comes to secrets and gossip, which is why people tend to confide in me- several times recounting the same incidents- sorry, it must be infuriating!)
• Gainful Employment. I'm in the tedious process today of updating my CV, and starting to look for paid work for the next 6 months. I'll still be taking commissions, but to be sure of doing this project, and paying the rent while I'm away, I need a bit of security and regularity, and I'm happy to put my creative outlets a bit on the backburner for a few months, as a means to the end of doing this journey. 
• Selling my stock. Next month, I will also be selling off my stock of handmade mohair sweaters at rather bargain prices. I have made a variety of styles and sizes, it's time to spin them into gold (well silver, at least)
• External funding. Through the last 6 weeks of this blog, I'll be able to distill it into a concise statement, and approach various sources for funding/ subsidies. I'm going to begin with the bus companies of each country, as that would significantly reduce the cost of the journey, and maybe the ferry companies as well (though if you've had any dealings with ferry companies in the past, you'll know that is a rather unlikely philanthropic source!) Then moving onto the regional tourist boards. What I'm definitely not going to do is ask the yarn shops or suppliers for free stuff! Other than that, I'm a bit stuck for who to approach, am starting to research, but any ideas gratefully received!

Finally, I do want to exhibit the blanket, and the diary, and the two pictures I take each day (one of the Atlantic, one of the yarn shop) so I will be looking into galleries who might be interested; again, any suggestions gratefully received.

Anyway, thanks for reading if you got this far. Spring is starting to spring here, shoots and flowers appearing everywhere. I hope it's lifting your spirits. Will leave you with the words of one of my city's finest poets. Love and light to you all, Billy xxx

https://youtu.be/5FT0-GdA4Ss