"Immortal" - Long Live the Creatives

Immortal means living or lasting forever, which true artists do when they leave behind their legacy be it Art or Music. But in order to achieve this, their work needs to be heard or seen in the wider world, ideally whilst they are still living, so they can feel pride in their achievement. However, if you are a true genius, you may never feel this within, as you constantly strive to do better. This blog is a reflection on the difficulties some of us face that want a career where our talents lie within the world of art and music.

I would have described myself as an Anti-Capitalist, until I really looked at the definition. I wouldn't call myself a Business Owner just yet, I am a 'growing concern', but as a business owner, I am being a capitalist. When I think of myself as Anti Capitalist, I am actually expressing my anger at the large corporations that dominate the economy, particular with reference to retail, eg. Corporate Greed

an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth. Origin of capitalism.

In the UK, the biggest four supermarkets are (from top ranking down) Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda then Morrisons. These guys not only sell food and home wares, nowadays they sell absolutely everything from clothes (manufactured at the cheapest cost usually in China), to beds, to Mobile Phone tariffs, insurance, and loans. Please support local shops whenever you can, even if its just occassionally.

Coffee shops are another gripe I have, so much so, I wrote into the Newbury Weekly News to complain about the fact that the local councillors had voted for ANOTHER, chain coffee shop. We have a ridculous amount of coffee shops in town, one every blooming footstep it feels like, Costas, Starbucks, Neros, Pret, you name it we got it, and very, very few independent tea shops. Obviously these large corporations can afford the rent and rates and are always going to beat small businesses. And not only that, they are bad for our environment, apart from their one use plastic stirrers, and plastic lids, for you to have your coffee on the go, they are the biggest producers of rubbish to our landscape. I was recently talking to the local park bin men, that told me that they pick up more Costa (et al) coffee cups and McDonalds waste than anything by far. Says it all to me, the demise of society.

What bugs me, is that those with money can go and make even more money, pushing the rest of us further down the scale. As a trained Fashion Designer I would be frustrated when so called celebrities or rich pop stars like Victoria Beckham, would create a clothing range. Some of us spent a lot of time, hard work and money (debt) to train to become designers, and whats more, have a natural talent, but unless we continue down the line of poverty working for free in expensive London where most of the design houses are, end up being teachers, or doing something completely different to pay our rent or mortgage. Get out of our territory please, we have no chance with people like VB using her fame and money to give her a career in Fashion, I would suggest sticking to the singing, but she wasn't particularly good at that.

On the subject of media, my next gripe is the Music Industry. Again, if you already have achieved fame in some way (e.g a Reality TV show) then its easier for you to get a record deal, possibly because you have an expensive agent that has the contacts too. It sickens me when people feel sympathy for some 18 year old on X Factor, that is crying and in bits because they have 'got through to the next round', because "Its all I've ever wanted all my life", boo bloody hoo. How about all the talented 'real' musicians out there? that have worked for years and years, lugging their equipment round in a battered up van, in and out of pubs and social clubs, for a pitance, and never get air play. Some of the more successful working class bands of our time, that have been lucky (and I emphasise the word luck), were generally slogging their guts out ten years prior to getting their break into the industry. Often its who you meet and who you know, regardless of talent, as to whether you will be successful into getting a foot in the door.

My dad, John Mackfall, is a prime example of this. A working musician all his life, then about 20 years ago he started composing and producing music. He has written many albums now, some classical, some dance, even an musical, fellow musicians, and people within the music circuit describe him as a musical genius, he is that good. He is still trying to make the break. He works harder than anyone else I know, purely for the love of it, it is within him, and he never gives up, even though he has had rejections, usually at the last minute. A pure talent, that has yet to be given his chance to make a living and get some recognition.
These days if you want to do something different, eg make music, design and sell clothes, you have to wear many hats, and be flexible to do anything. Some of us would prefer just to be creating and designing, but we have to do our own marketing - yes it is easier these days with the internet, but some of us have to do this task, which is often out of our comfort zone. We need to promote ourselves, brand our selves, do the maths, and still find the energy to be creative. and when you are not selling, or getting paid, you can feel like you are selling your soul, with no reward.
My dad has been working as a musical director with a Hull based classical trio called Tre Amici for a good few years now. Again, they are talented singers, that deserve more recognition, and have worked hard, making sacrifices to get on the ladder of success. They have just released a Christmas Album that my dad has composed and there are some beautiful songs on there. Its original music, that is refreshing to hear against the same old hum drum Christmas tunes, which can be repetatively annoying. Its tasteful, and classical with a modern slant, and beautiful voices, I will attach a copy of the first release so you can make your own mind up.




If you would like to find out more about Johns music, please visit his website:
http://www.mannalivemusic.com/

Me and my crazy, clever dad on the new Foxy at Kintbury 2009

I recently had a generous offer of help to get me on the ladder with my business, to do with getting a shop. I had been toying with the idea of gaining Pop Up Space in Newbury, along with some fellow 'crafty' business women that re recently starting out. I started to look into properties as Newbury High Street is currently full of empty shops (because rent is too high, or the shops haven't done well). I got excited to find premises at more reasonable rates, however, even if you can afford to get the rent paid, its the business rates that are the issue. Crumbs, I never realised just how much they are, and apparantly they used to do discount for start up businesses, but no longer. I started to feel dispondent, I always wanted my own shop, where I could sit in sewing, making supplies, and selling it in the same place, especially these days as I have little space on the boat. However, Foxy Lady doesn't stay down for long, I reflected on this, and instantly (thanks goodness), came up with my conclusion.

I am excited to share with you that when my boat licence is re-newed in January, it will be upgraded to a Roving Boat Traders Licence. In the next couple of years, we will be buying a 'butty' boat so I can have a proper, larger workshop and storage for my stock. A 'butty' boat is a boat without an engine, that is tied alongside your boat, back when the canals were used for commercial purpose (which I would love to see happen again) the butty boat would carry goods, like coal, wheat, or aggregate. So I will be able to sell my wares from my home anywhere I moor.
This was a dream of mine since we got the boat, and now it is becoming a reality. I can stick my fingers up at being drawn into a system of paying rates, and be free, to sell, wherever, and whenever I like.
No rules, but my own, I am in charge of my own destiny, which includes the right to freedom, and  more head space for being creative, and doing what I do best.

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