It is hard to believe the extent to which life feels different today in comparison with the last couple of weeks. It all has to do with the advance in my plans for the exhibitions of my work, during April. Things which for a long time have been up in the air have now been tied down by decisions. The huge question of whether I would be able to accommodate the material I wanted to include, in the Ilkley exhibition, appears to be resolved following some careful calculation. The biggest boost to my sense of well-being is the fact that invitations to the opening night there have not only been sent out, but positive responses are now starting to roll in. There is a reassuring feeling of reality about what I am doing, which does seem to have been lacking up until now.
Actually, the person who will gain the most from this changed situation is my poor wife. I am aware that I must have been a pain to live with for the past month. This is actually quite an important general matter. There is an awful lot written about the angst experienced by artists, and the ardour of the creative life. Far less attention has been paid, I’m sure, to the impact which the state-of-mind of artists will have typically on their families. What a desperately peculiar lot we are!