• We complain about children, these days, who can only dream of being celebrities, never thinking they may need talent or might have to do something special to attain that status.

    Actually, I was like that. Rather than work hard, I daydreamed through my teenage years at school, doodling affirmative statements on my exercise books, usually, “Shoo is a Star!” drawn in 3d hollywood style, surrounded by 3d shooting stars! I believed it too.

    Back then Rock and Roll was what you did to become famous. I guess I did work at it quite a bit. I spent a long time practicing my poses in the mirror. I actually wrote songs, maybe three or four a week for years, usually about unrequited love. The ones that people liked were story songs. One was about a young couple moving to Peterborough and their relationship with the housing corporation, another, I was reminded about just a couple of weeks ago, was about Fred, who was a whizz at electronics and had a plan to take over the world.

    When I finally got a taste of the reality of Rock and Roll, in a band called Flamazine, (See more here) I realised that I not only didn’t want the rock and roll lifestyle – travelling, living out of suitcases, interacting with the fans – I knew it would probably destroy me too.

    I gave up and committed myself to my other string. I hid away in a shed and became an illustrator. And that’s how I thought it would be. My aim was to reach the point where I only had to do one picture book a year. The rest of the time would be researching and getting better at drawing. I was happy!

    You must be careful what you wish for. I never got to spend my time quietly dreaming up new stories. I now spend half my time travelling, living out of suitcases, interacting with with my readers? Performing three or four times a day is quite enough of a job for most people. Then I come home and immediately have to get writing – again enough of a job for most people. Then I illustrate the books – another job on it’s own. Then I have to become a web designer, animator and systems administrator to keep my website up and running when my ISP lets my site get hacked. I market myself and my books (I’m doing it now. My publishers want us to blog – to be “out” there”). I do my online drawing school, so I’m a video director and editor too. Then I have to be secretary, booking agent and tour manager when I go off visiting schools and libraries. Never mind dealing with the general email, post and office stuff everyday.

    And then I always get asked the same question by children. “Are you famous?” I have no idea how to reply. I certainly don’t feel it. If I am I don’t think I’m getting the benefit – No swimming pool, no flunkies at my command.

    After a week visiting schools, I’m exhausted. I have today to catch up and then I’m off again tomorrow. I know it’s my fault for taking on all these roles, but it seems to me that unless you get really lucky and one of your books takes off, that’s what you have to do these days.

    In the early eighties we were warned to prepare for the leisure society. Technology would take over so much that we would spend most of our lives on the golf course – living the celebrity lifestyle, in fact. Technology has changed my job as well as everyone else’s. What used to feel like a vocation has become a hard slog to stay in the business. Maybe I’m doing something wrong.

    And yet, I’m very aware that what I do must seem quite glamourous from the outside. Glamour is a bright light that dazzles the audience so they can’t see the rickety scenery wobbling in the background.

    Would I have it any other way? Would I swap and do something else? Of course not!

  • I spent my last day in Rhondda Cynon Taf at Oaklands Primary School today. They are getting ready for an inspection on Monday… good luck all!

    Years three and four came up with a brilliant idea for what to take to show and tell day on another planet, following up the theme in Ricky Rocket and a present from Earth. One girl, who turned out to be a bit of a bibliophile and would be author, suggested taking a book. So obvious, I never thought of it before. What a great example of Human technology – all the other aliens would be really impressed – it even works without batteries.

    Some of years five and six were intrigued by my graphite stick and stayed behind to have a go themselves. I’m always asked what it is I use to draw with and the children are always surprised that it is a block of pencil. They always love the way it fills large areas when I draw on the side of the block.

    I’ll admit it – I’m very tired at the end of the week, but it has been fascinating having such an intense experience in five different schools. Each school is quite different and, as ever each group is entirely different, depending on the dynamic of how it is made up. How any government or education department could ever think that one system could ever fit every school staggers belief.

    Wales dropped the year six Sats a few years ago now, and the difference between Welsh and English schools is very evident in the more relaxed atmospheres of staff rooms and the amount of creative work to be seen displayed around the place. The sooner we drop Sats in England and drop the manic Thatcher/Blair curriculum the better.

    Thanks for a great day and enjoy the inspection!

  • Since my friend, Andrew Taylor, suggested I enter the Author Blog Awards I’ve been thinking about this blog. Looking at other blogs that give tips about blogging, I found one that gives the advice, “ask your readers what they want.”

    So, are you bothered? Is there something I do on my blog that you like that you’d like to see more of? Or shall I just carry on blundering away writing the first thing that comes into my head?