I am in one of those ‘how long is a piece of string’ situations; trying to figure out when the real finish date for the You Are Here – peer to peer survivor writers – project will be. It is months past the official deadline, but I’m not sure what a ‘realistic’ timeframe is. It’s a funny catch 22, writing, engaging with community, either I stay at home and do nothing but rest … then go completely mad from isolation. Or I stay at home but try to remotely engage with community through workshops and interviews. When I am creative I feel fully alive but the impact on my health is always present. I’m not writing this to say ‘Oh poor me’ but because I think this opportunity cost is something faced by many disabled people: there is no pace of activity that will make doing things free of impact. It’s still a conundrum I spend mental energy trying to resolve, because creating with others is a life long strategy I’ve developed for being in the world: it is my social life and how I feel part of society. Anyhow, at this point I don’t know when ‘You Are Here’ will cross the finish line.
In other news I’ve been slowly distributing copies of the R&R book to people and organisations who were connected to the project. It took five years to bring the book into being. I’m very proud of this collection of stories which are presented with relevant archive materials, adding historical context to the voices.
