I've embarked on a self-education program for 2003. Now that I'm no longer in school I'm slipping into an intellectual and creative coma (as my recent track record of not updating this blog will attest). So I've made up a list of books to read (and finally finish). I'm also starting a drawing course next week, bringing me a step closer to fulfilling my mother's wish to see me attend art school.
Most ambitious area is, of course, music. Every month I will focus on a specific genre or style I want to learn more about. I'll read books or articles on the subject and buy a minimum of three records related to that style. February's genre will be reggae, which I've inexplicably developed a taste for. Unfortunately, all the record stores in town carry are those horrible dancehall compilations with pictures of women's butts on the covers. Where are the roots and rocksteady compilations with pictures of women's butts?! It's times like this that I miss my favourite Dublin record store, Disque. It had loads of reggae and soul records. I can even remember staring in amazement at their collection of Trojan Record compilations. Sigh.
The one area I don't seem to need any encouragement in is film, which I'm finally learning to appreciate on a more aesthetic level. That's a terribly snobby way of saying I'm noticing more than just the acting. For instance, while everyone else was raving about Jack Nicholson's performance in About Schmidt I couldn't stop talking about the art direction. All the little details and knickknacks were so dead on!