It’s New Year’s Eve, and I realise – I’d make a rubbish pen pal. I’m always running out of time to write to you. I start and I stop, and I start again. It’s been months since I’ve written to you properly, and sometimes I wonder if the world has just moved on, and if I’m just writing to myself.
I mean, I’ve got google analytics, I know I’m not writing to myself, but you know, am I still writing with a quill when everyone’s moved on to biros?
These past few months have been incredibly busy – living, thinking, working, eating, lots of behind the scenes project organisation and sitting in front of a computer screen. (When are we starting ‘Karen Harvey’s anti-email party’?)
So, in an attempt to catch up, I made an orderly list of things that might interest you, possibly…
I saw a totally black bumble bee at the garden centre. (You can see this too if you check out my ‘things’ highlights on Instagram).
I made friends on the train with a blind man who had just taken up archery.
I competed in the Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship at Hethel. I rescued the rescue lady from a locked toilet.
I had the longest phone call of my life. Five hours.
Adam and I gave blood. He has rare special blood. I’ve got the standard stuff.
I had an excellent lunch at Caxton Grill with Lynsey, and wrote Foodie Finds #14 for Surf4.
I went to bed at 7.30pm on a Saturday night and slept for 14 hours straight.
I spoke to Stylist about the Toiletries Amnesty, Eluxe magazine ran a feature on us, and we had our 50th location sign up, our first overseas one, Tanzania.
Tutti Biscotti had an allergic reaction to Method cleaner and had to go to the emergency vets in the middle of the night. I tried to let Method customer services know, but the woman was too set on telling me how she likes to clean her toilet!
I fractured a bone in my foot. I was over vigorous with my physio therapy exercises for my shredded Achilles tendon.
We took the Shutter Hub OPEN 2018 exhibition to London. It was epic. I can say that, because it was epic. 150 photographers, 220 images, over 500 people at the opening night. Democratising photography, apparently.
Dorsett City sponsored the exhibition, so I stayed with them in London for the week. Ate salt beef and gherkin beigels from Beigel Bake. Taught myself a trombone solo on a noisy wardrobe door (Achy Breaky Heart, if you’re asking).
A week later we opened Out of the Ordinary at St Brides, just off Fleet Street.
I sprinted at the Rockingham Grand Finale Sprint in October. I am really going to miss Rockingham.
I went on a research trip to Rotterdam. Ate flowers at Op het Dak, drank homemade cherry cola at Kaapse Maria and hung out at the studio of artist Daan Roosegaarde. (Read all about it, here). I can’t wait to go back.
I spent a night in London with CEO Sleepout, under the stars, badly prepared with a wafer-thin sleeping bag, a coat from the 90s, and an umbrella. To say it was an experience is an understatement really. (Read all about it, here). My kind sponsors raised £666, but I’d prefer to focus on the amount with Gift Aid, £825.
Adam and I went to Mallorca. What an absolute joy! The weather was warm, the mountain roads were steep and windy, and we stayed in the most splendid places. (Read all about it, here and here).
I reviewed portfolios, beautiful portfolios, at Photomonth London International Photography Festival.
I gave a talk at London Metropolitan University at The Cass’ Festival of Employability and Entrepreneurship.
I made art from emotional blackmail and exhibited it in RCA Secret, to help raise money for student bursaries. I went to their artists’ party, ate ice cream and tried not to dance to Dirty Cash.
I was a guest on the symposium panel at FIX Photo Festival in London. I also helped clingfilm some cheese.
I was invited to host a conversation with photographer and filmmaker Mal Woolford, about his work, Still Still Far Wide, at the Magic Gallery in Charing Cross.
And then I went to Amsterdam for a week to install, promote and launch the Shutter Hub OPEN 2018, because it was so epic when we showed it in London that we were invited to take it to 5&33 Gallery in Amsterdam too. (And that was epic, even if I was totally shattered by the end of it!)
Then it was Christmas.
And now, here we are.