watercolour and ink on paper

June 24

Say something nice, clever, funny, or uplifting. This will be easy on a Monday when I volunteer as it is always easy to be kind when being kind. This will be no problem when working, as I enjoy selling books. The remaining days I must embrace the happy childlike nature that has been weighed down by failure, and memory of failing.

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Chores, I looked up the defi option and found tedious but necessary. I don't mind chores, I find there is a satisfaction in completing a task, and chores are seldom overly complicated. Dishes can be done in fifteen minutes, wiping the counters may take another ten. Sweeping the floor a few more. When the chores are neglected then the cleaning can be onerous. And when I am the only person who does the chores it feels unfair, but I should release that burden and say: hey, I like doing chores.

Sometimes a little bit of bubble and fizz can help with the conviviality, this was my approach when I was younger. And when I was younger I could keep bopping along once I had popped well on into the night but now that I am older I find I am not much cock at dropping more than the amount that still lets me drive a car without moving from the funeral me to the tired me. It was worth it for a small bubble of a conversation about minimalism.

Nude male figure with other words, or... perhaps we should have a word about bravery. It sometimes takes a lot of bravery to admit to wanting something, or wanting to be something. Of course you can get there over time, but, well, by the time that you are there it is even more difficult as you have spent all that time pretending. Pretence.

Three naturist meerkats, or...perhaps they are having a conversation about a book they are reading, perhaps a book of poems, perhaps one of them suggested they read the poem about the naturist meerkat because it is like, so, you know, and the others are wondering if the line about breaking the cage door right off the jamb is a suggestion that the first would like something a little more than just a shared love of nudity.

I was taken aback by the sudden feeling of sadness. It was in a slightly quieter moment in a reasonably busy day when I slowed to the least possible motion. Literally. Standing motionless feeling sad. I wondered for a moment if it were a blood sugar thing, whatever that means. Certainly it felt like a chemical reaction that was not of the happy chemical type. And I wondered if this was the feeling of things to come. But stiffness and aching are the feelings of things to come

Conflict and migration images from the news collaged together, or...

I guess that is the way it usually happens. One person does something, some action, some decision, that they think is fine but the other is put out by it, or angered by it. Or worse. The other, in this case, does not say immediately, but takes a while and then, later, the next day when parting, when there is no point of comeback, then the other says something cutting. And the one is used to this, the one waits for things to settle. But perhaps all of this is a bad ritual.

Is procrastination and crisis a good, healthy approach to take? I am not sure. It seems over the years I have procrastinated those difficult decisions over the grumbling dissatisfied in the relationship, dissatisfactions that would lead to moving on, but within the time of procrastination a crisis looma. The type of crisis in which you cannot give bad news. Or the type where there is so much to be done there is no time to give the bad news.

What do I want, what is it that I really want. There are a lot of things on that list but one thing that frequents the top is that I want to feel purposeful in my task. I want to feel that when I do the repetitive, the mundane, the chore, that is the point I want to feel I am part of a greater purpose. Feel it, deep in my core feel it. The problem is I don't, more than half of my days I don't.

Clearly disappointed he was there. Had been hoping for a nice quiet time cooking lunch only to find he was there. Normally the trouble would be to try to figure out the social dance to get away from the kitchen to come back in town, fifteen minutes when it was free. But this wasn't normal times. There was no fear of causing offence because offence had been given many times. No, all it took was a bloody hell and to bugger off until the next day.

A male nude figure, or... Perhaps butt and fart are just words used to attract attention, usually in a juvenile attention seeking way. But does not being juvenile mean being forgotten, I know an old man who, I suspect, has very few conversations. Perhaps none today save with the shop keeper. How long before that man forgets how to converse. Forgets how to be a part of the whole and ends up as the part alone. Perhaps that old man should mutter the words butt and fart again.

As a genuine laugh always does, it makes people laugh. And the person it made laugh was beautiful, tall, thin, a loose moustache. And a genuine joy of being there. A delight that did wane, admittedly, by the end of the day. A delight that slowed as it seemed we had little in common other than both of us trying to say something witty and entertaining. I started off well, but stumbled into cliches and, in the end, realised I didn't take any risks, I didn't open up. Safety all the way.

Images from the news collaged together, or... There is an interesting difference between the lines drawn, on the one hand, by the state and, on the other hand by the individual. But when the state draws a line is it not an individual who has, perhaps, consulted their cronies, drawing the line. And then sets their watchdogs to enforce the line? But they only need to enforce the line because they didn't draw the line where the individual thought it reasonable.

The MONKEYS prepare for their dancing auditions, or... Process is the thing, really. Completing the processes in the most productive way. Best practice. And when the attempting to achieve best practice the literature must be read, the schedule prepared, and, yes, in this case the monkeys will need to audition for the dancing monkey roles in this amoral tale.

What amazing characters, the delightful interaction between an 19th century sailor and a 21st century ministry of time worker is quite astounding. And the bleakness of the future it shows is quite profound. But the author sailed her ship just a little to close to the storyline run by the romcom, for I don't believe she was hoping for a romcom. And the elements of culture wars were lost to the romcom spirit.

It can be very clever to say something unexpected but it may not be a work of art beyond that initial point of interest. It may be clever to draw distorted nude figures with animal heads, and, perhaps, other animal features and place them in stories. But perhaps there should be an insight into the characters when they are not playing their roles in the Amoral Tales. I can't wait to discover who has the most ambition, who hates the job, who feels they are, indeed, creating a great work of art.

It is such a thing when you recognise my art. My reaction depends on how I am feeling, the stronger I feel the closer my response gets to nonchalant. Which is often the case because I would have been so excited by the idea of showing you my art that I am bound to be feeling strong. But, of course, I wouldn't want to impose my art, or try to solicit your positive response, so, well, I wouldn't have shown you so I would be hanging for any throw away compliment so the wail of hope is all you will hear. But here it is anyway, let me know what you think and I will do my best to ignore you.

A male nude figure with other fruit, or... Well, sometimes it has to be acknowledged that starting something new is a difficult thing to do. Letting go of those handles and supports can be frightening, enough to stop you from starting, from taking action. But this does not mean you are frit. Of course it could mean you are to lazy to start. Frit or lazy, or perhaps I have spoken too soon.

I heard about it and though, yeah, sounds like it might be interesting so I came and it has always been good. I spend a morning with some great folk. We connect, we really connect, and when I leave, when I go back to my normal life, I feel full of life, bubbling with anecdotes, enthusiasm spilling into my day. It doesn't last long, of course. Soon I am back to my daily disposition, looking forward to the next session. It has changed a bit since I first came. What usually happens now is we chat for a bit, then we read a bit either poetry or proes, we read and chat, read and chat. The text always guides our conversation, lifts it, directs it, inspired it. This is the point that we get out the fable, this is the point we work on the Amoral Tale. And usually they are quite good. Usually I say, wow. I am really happy I joined the group. I try to come as often as I can. I am fairly regular, almost once a week. But, you know, life.

Images from the news collaged together, or... perhaps an allegory of the pointlessness of the repetition of the selfishness that forms the approach to our days. Politicians selfishly repeating the prejudices claiming they are issues, the people voting for the politican offering the most personal gain. The civil servants skimming what they can. No wonder this world is not becoming a better place.

I think the others will say that I carry the group a little. I guess they will say it is because of the work I put into it. They won't recognise my talent. That is fine, I know how talent works. It is just a question of making mistakes then saying it was really the original plan. OK, I am being a little glib about some of the more creative ones here. But I tell you what we don't have here is divas. What we have here is some talent, some grafters, of which I don't mind being one, and everyone else in between.

These stories may be a very small thing and they may be read by very few people but nonetheless it is important to me because it is something I believe in. It is necessary to be involved with something I believe in, it gives me the courage to face those tragically mundane and pointless tasks that fill up the day. Those mundane tasks I wonder if I could simply not do, I could simply slide down into the corner and fade into a stupor rather than do those mundane tasks. So you see, I need something I believe in.

A nude male figure with a pattern, or... possibly, a successful evasive move from a potentially tricky situation. On this occasion the evasion was physical, a physical distance. A long walk, one long enough to strain legs, long enough for rubbing to start smarting. The walk was to a shop, and for most of the walk to the shop I was stuck in my mind thinking about how I was unhappy. But the tired second leg, the homeward blown leg, was calmer, indeed focussed on tiredness and getting home.

I can't remember when we decided to play the roles as nudist animals, though I am fairly certain why. There was always going to be nudity, unglamorous nudity. The thing about being amoral: you have to be obviously amoral and even if you are not being amoral, doing it naked is a little amoral anyway. Then there were a lot of animals in the original stories. which seemed like a simple idea to include a nudist animal. Of course all animals are naked, or they have a natural state that is not clothed so we had to keep our naked skin while inhabiting the animal mind by wearing the animal head.. And, to the best of my knowledge, that is why we gravitated towards playing all the roles as naturist animals.

/əˈɡrɛsɪv/

ready or likely to attack or confront; characterized by or resulting from aggression.

behaving or done in a determined and forceful way.

Inspired by images from the news, or... anger may be rising. So little seems to be negotiation, so little seems to be consideration and care, so little seems to be doing the best we can. And so much is about shouting the loudest to get yourself heard, shouting the loudest to stop yourself from listening, and shouting your slogans, your catchphrases, your words, word. Yeah, we need leaders, but in this heatwave we need to listen.

Camaraderie, such a brilliant word, excellent syllables, never underestimate the importance of great syllables. And, well, it is what makes so many difficult things palatable, and good things fantastic. Today when I saw everyone again I couldn't stop talking about my weekend adventure. Picking out the good points to solidify a narrative in my head (and theirs) which was not quite true to the, rather dull, facts. Perhaps comaraderie is really all about the tales we tell each other, tales that are hopefully not too tall, but tales that bind us more than time and works can.

A nude male figure with patterns and other words, or... Is the nude watching the observer. Is the naked form captured in paint, in its aggressive pose, the one with the upper hand. Does it very existence provoke the prejudice it has come to symbolise? Like the populist right wing politician who gathers to their loins the disgruntled and suspicious saying to them smell that foul odour oozing from my cunt, it was put their by those foreign bastard. Vote for me and I will take the army and make those foreign bastard pay for befouling my cunt, and once againy cunt can be your national treasure.

After a session working on the thirsty pigeon, everyone settles in for a party of laughter.

This is the month for the summer takeover, the Amoral Crew will.be diarising their days and their thoughts, to give a clearer idea of the creative process behind the production of the Amoral Tales featured on this site. The focus of these notes is the crew, this is not a manifesto or a step by step production process, these notes are down to the input ans take up of the individuals who make up the crew.

A nudeale figure with a pattern, or... Back there you have to apply the rules as you know them. Thing is when a new person takes over a job, like a politician being introduced to the house and all of its obscure traditions, they have their own agenda, and all agendas at some point turn to money. And what is your fiscal rule?

Chores
Chores, I looked up the defi option and found tedious but necessary. I don't...

Minimalism
Sometimes a little bit of bubble and fizz can help with the conviviality, this was my...

Lonely Figure
Nude male figure with other words, or... perhaps we should have a word about...

Facing tough decisions
Three naturist meerkats, or...perhaps they are having a conversation about a book they...

Ache
I was taken aback by the sudden feeling of sadness. It was in a slightly quieter...

Bad ritual
I guess that is the way it usually happens. One person does something, some action,...

Procrastination and crisis
Is procrastination and crisis a good, healthy approach to take? I am not...

Purposeful
What do I want, what is it that I really want. There are a lot of things on that...

Clearly disappointed
Clearly disappointed he was there. Had been hoping for a nice quiet time cooking...

Butt and Fart
A male nude figure, or... Perhaps butt and fart are just words used to attract attention,...

Dance Audition for MONKEYS
The MONKEYS prepare for their dancing auditions, or... Process is the thing,...

Safety
As a genuine laugh always does, it makes people laugh. And the person it made laugh...