Day Plan Project Week Report by Hannah Godfrey Introduction The Day Plan Project Week (DPPW) arose from a late night conversation with Heath Bunting at the Cube Microplex, Bristol. It was New Year's Eve, and Heath was on the door. I had wandered by with a friend of mine after dinner. We both found old friends to catch up with and pursued them separately. I sat next to Heath at one point and we started to chat. From that conversation the germ of an idea was planted and it broke the surface a few weeks later, again at the Cube, again late on a busy night. We were in the office when we had the idea that I would undertake a week of intense day planning, Heath mentoring me. I had seen Heath with his day plans before and had actually made one myself after seeing his for the first time. I liked the fluidity of the diagram and that it was a map with which to navigate the day to best effect. After our second resolute conversation he sent me a link to the day plan pamphlet he was writing and I got a better idea of what he was doing. By undertaking a week of dedicated day planning I hoped to initiate good habits and routines which would benefit my writing and creative endeavours and my physical well being. I realised that it was a tall order but I wanted to make a good start on these things that I had been meaning to do for ages. I am a creature of habit and if I get out of a good routine I tend to founder. I have not been in a good routine for many months, possibly years and I was beginning to feel a bit desperate about it. I was not writing nearly enough and I was the most unfit and weak I have been for years. I needed to start relying on myself to feel good and not other people. So I made notes about what I wanted the DPPW to do for me. [see picture of my notes] Heath suggested we spend a day together during which we would discuss aspects of the week and our aspirations for it. We decided on Saturday 25th February 2006. During the course of this day we walked and skateboarded across the city, from the Cube Microplex to the harbour to Spike Island and then back to Cube via Clifton. The plan and write up of that day can be seen with the other plans in the appendix. I did not have a geographical route to follow that day, I followed Heath's lead, I did make a list of possible things to do on the way which I had told Heath in a preceding telephone conversation. I did not do many of them and this is entirely acceptable in the Day Plan process, if something better comes along than what is written in your plan then go with it. ..occasionally things break down and something generous or rich is on offer...If such a door opens, take the opportunity and discard your day plan And that is what happened. Heath had places he needed to be a set times and that provided a structure for our day and in a sense freed me from responsibility, which I often need in order to think and be. This was an important lesson. The most important thing in that day was our conversations which reassured and inspired me to commit myself fully to this project and hopefully beyond its parameters I had myself set. What's the point of this report? I wanted to document for my own records what I was doing. It is an important part of the DPPW process to evaluate and consider my experiences. After all, I undertook this to help my own practise. I wanted to give Heath this document in order to contribute in some small way to his overall Day Plan project. Why do a Pay Plan Project for a week? A day is simply not enough to fully explore this idea. A week isn't really but it was important for me to feel I could complete this or it would merely become another idea not fully explored and which hung low around my neck like an anchor bashing my knees. I hoped this intensive week would forge new paths, help me clear my head and put me where I want to be, physically and mentally, through a series of daily actions. I was also sceptical. I wanted to prove it didn't work despite wanting it to. I wanted to see if I could place myself in a structure and not rebel against it. I need routine but I baulk at the prospect of the same pattern day after day. What I hadn't considered was that planning could prevent me getting into this pattern (which I don't have in any case). Still, planning for that is nonetheless contrived. A week would provide me with a variety of days to test my plans. I didn't want the DPPW to be a flash in the pan, I wanted to apply it to as many day types as I could to see how it worked under different stresses. So I wanted workdays, a weekend and days off incorporated. Organising this was one of the reasons it took so long to get from the Saturday in February to the week in April. I had a lot I need to think about- my reasons and objectives. Heath strongly recommended I go straight for the whole thing. I don't take drugs but I do drink alcohol and caffeine. I wasn't going to give up my morning coffee and afternoon tea, this was a realistic project after all. The alcohol question made me think. Drinking undoubtedly slows me down and hinders my creativity. It makes me sluggish and a bit sad sometimes and yet I drink sociably and also to relax. This led me to think about my use of alcohol. Something which I knew I'd find difficult was to committing to the day plan entirely. I knew that I had to be careful about trying to get everything on the plan done (which is not the overall point in any case) and then feeling that I'd failed when, at the end of the day, I saw that is till had important things unchecked. It is easy to prioritise the small tasks because they can be done and there is an immediate sense of achievement. It reminds me of a study about immediate gratification I read when I was a student. A Mexican village was the subject- high unemployment, poverty, alcoholism etc. why didn't these people save what little money they had? Why didn't they stop drinking and think of the future and how to make their lives better? Simply because, the argument went, their lives were so unstable that having a drink and a cigarette now ensured instant pleasure and relief but if this was delayed and the money used for something else there was no guarantee that they or their children would even live to feel the benefit. Obviously I am not comparing my personal circumstances to those I've described above, but the premise the researchers were exploring, that of providing oneself with instantaneous gratification, was a pitfall I was wary of and that I did not fully eschew. The Week: Wednesday 5th April - Wednesday 12th April 2006 I'm not going to go into too much detail about each day. I have provided an appendix which has some notes about a few of the days. What I did find useful, and which was not in Heath's pamphlet, was to make a list of the appointments and tasks I had already noted in my diary and then allocate them to different days. In that way I didn't have to prioritise everyday when I wrote a new plan and I also knew that certain tasks were already scheduled in so I didn't have to worry each day about them. This approach gave me greater faith in the structure of each individual day plan. When I think back on the week of plans it's the walks I remember first. I photocopied the map of the area of Bristol I needed to cover onto the back of the default plans I'd typed up. I'd highlight the route I wanted to take the night before and then in the morning I was all ready to go. I had to change the timing of the planning to the morning because my head got too busy with thinking about the roads and things I wanted to do: I couldn't sleep. But when I finally made it out of the house with my bag packed and my map in hand I was excited. Taking a route that differed from the one I'd mooched along for the last 12 months stimulated my mind- not simply because I had to have a heightened awareness of the geography I was passing through but because I was seeing the city from a new perspective. I found new windows to look in (in blatant disregard to HB's imperative to avoid doing so), I experienced new smells and different textures underfoot. I scoped out skate and chalking spots. In short it refreshed my relationship with the city. The place could still command my attention and inspire me to interact with in new ways. It also prompted me to begin a project that had been sitting in my had for ages. Despite having a range of new routes I still had to pass the Here Shop on Stokes Croft most mornings. Ever since I watched Smoke I've wanted to mimic Harvey Keitel's character's habit of taking a photo at a particular time in particular place everyday. The Here Shop was the perfect subject for this. It's a focus point for the local arts community and is situated on a busy junction. In fact, sitting inside one commands a good view of al the life passing by. I wanted to get the exterior of the shop- it was more practical, since I rarely catch it during opening hours, to I suppose I could just stand in its porch. Anyway, I made it a part of my day plan and thus fixed it into my routine and made use of an otherwise unremarkable leg of my journey. When I arrived to work after these new routes I was energised and alert to the world. I wanted to tell everyone about the new things I'd seen. This enthusiasm lasted pretty much for the whole day. This is noteworthy because I'd been a bit low at work at the time and didn't know how to raise myself out of it. The other thing I felt most strongly during that time and on subsequent planned days was a sense of purpose which in turn gave me a sense of authority. I had direction of my own making. This was both empowering and oppressing. Only I can take myself where I want to go. Depending on how I say this it can be a positive or negative statement. This is probably another reason why the day plan appeals to me- it resonates with the existential model of being. A self defined sense of purpose strikes me as dignified, something I strive to maintain along with integrity, honesty and gentleness. Conclusion I want to do an awful lot of things. I cannot do them all at once. Realising this has been pretty difficult and I'm not sure I entirely believe myself when I write it. I feel like I should be able to do it all and that the reason I'm not is because of some personal and insurmountable deficiency. I am not deficient, but my aspirations require nurturing and thought and time. If I am to fulfil them I need to find way to organise, prioritise and surprise myself. I need to be excited and invigorated in order to remain freshly mindful of my motives. I can only take one step at a time and not always know which foot to put first; my day plans will at least help me to keep in the right direction. Appendix This is not intended to be an exhaustive appendix. Some of the maps and plans went missing in action. Day Plan Project Week Hannah Godfrey Heath Bunting 7 days in April - Wednesday 5th - plan - Thursday 6th - work and evening - Friday 7th - annual leave and evening - Saturday 8th - week end and friend and evening - Sunday 9th - weekend and friend and evening - Monday 10th - work and evening - Tuesday 11th - work and evening Now seven days have been set: 3 work, 1 leave, 1 weekend. I was tempted to rearrange in order to free up the entire 2 days but then I thought that it was actually a good opportunity to test the day plan further. What will I do with it when Sam comes? I've been thinking about the regimentation of it. It both appeals to me and repels me. I like the idea of a day having small achievable goals (so as well as the slow brick laying for large projects. But keeping the DP indefinitely makes me feel restless and anarchic- I don't want to have restrictions on my movements and the DP will be a psychological restriction in some ways. But perhaps I need a period of intense structure in order to achieve some inner calm. The DP allows for abandonment and diversion, it's whether I can and prevent the feeling that I've failed. It comes down to I don't feel I'm doing something properly unless I'm 100% into it and believe in it. A system which allows abandonment throws that off balance. It also feels as if it's letting you go to make you come back- like a state controlled country. So what do I want to achieve by this DPPW? - relaxation - firm in-roads into projects - equilibrium between work, me work, fitness and playtime - and making all these enjoyable and sustainable. My friend is no longer coming that weekend so I may go to Brighton to see other friends. The DP will still be exercised in the friend scenario! DPPW: Actual Saturday HLG Friday night I decided not to swim so heath would ring at 10am to see how I felt cos I had a cold. Saturday route - Awoke after longer than anticipated sleep - Stretched - Edited Tollgate and Printing texts - 10 am heath called, not BRI pooling so he’d ring me after his breakfast etc. - 10.30 decided to meet at 12pm, Cube - til 11.50 I edited his DP document - Skated to Cube. Waited ½ hour outside the front. He phoned and I realised he was inside. - Closed the Cube and walked up dove street, back streets hill, long hill nr Alfred place, hospital over St. Michael's hill, up Tyndall over Woodland rd, down past Habitat, back to Fresh and Wild, Royal academy, up past Quinton pub, Gordon ST. past Lansdown pub, down hill to Mardyke pub rd (past church) up past Bath Ale pub, over bridge and Howards restaurant to boatyard, Cottage pub and met Kayle. From there to Spike, then down to bridge where we turned left and walked by river where we saw Marymouse, met Harbour master and then climbed a couple of fences to get up to Downs near suspension bridge, up past rock slippery slide and telescope over fence past iron gate down right and left to a cave Heath used to climb in a lot. Back up same route to bus stop from where we walked through Clifton Victoria park and mulberry tree, past pub nr S.U. building to Gordon street, skated to Queen's rd walked down here to Denbeigh road. and Cube where we parted. I went usual way home via the Here Shop. Heath and I talked quite a bit while we walked. This is why we didn't do much chalking, stencil work. I think we were establishing our reasons for doing this thing. I want to use day plans to utilise my time efficiency and ensure that I allow myself space and relaxation time too. I want to engage with my various projects in a meaningful way and complete them, Heath wants to help. He told me that when he was younger he wanted a mentor, someone to guide and advise. Earlier, in a Fresh n Wild aisle he told me he considered Les Cirque des Mots [a storytelling gig I run] a success. He said he though we were similar in that we are both outsiders at a basic level. We are separate albeit participating. He believes I can be successful in terms of writing. Later as we ate in a suntrap (something of a discovery for me- sun=enhancer) he spoke of current successes leading to later fiscal reward. I suppose it's along the do now in good faith and the rewards will come way of thinking that I already have. He said earlier that I was being very hard on myself, making it as a writer is very difficult and circumstantial to an extent. Influence, legacy and respect from one's peers are marks of success. Later as we walked to the Gorge we discussed our week. I want this to cover work, weekends and days off in order to explore the uses of a day plan. We won't spend all day everyday together but will have contact everyday. I will keep a diary and other records. This is all contributing to Heath's overall day plan project. Significants of this Saturday - fresh n wild aisle conversation- H. stating his belief that I am/will be successful, we are equals ad similar. - Royal academy suntrap-m we need to get me a success to trigger me. - Canoe- Kayle, water, Heath, Jo. - walking and talking together. Day plan to do: - create work DP default: route, workday, evening - create weekend default: shopping, writing - short step ambitions: smiling, skating, cycling, yoga - mid step ambitions- street furniture text, chalk, html, audio projects, TT, sketches, yoga - leap step ambitions: residency, travel - photocopy a map of city and mark my routes on it - should I make it 3 weeks- me and heath’s and one on either side. Q when and where can I chalk? A To work, to play, take new routes Q when and where shall I do street furniture texts? A think on way to work, write during lunchtimes, stick on way home; or write at home and stick on way to work. Do this for only one day a week to prevent it becoming a chore and a bore. Q when and where shall I yoga? A when I come home from work- make sure I don’t do anything for the hour between arriving home and dinner Lunchtimes? Q when and where shall I swim? A way to work?, Saturday afternoons? Q when and where shall I do projects? A set evenings in agreed places with collaborators. Q when and where shall I rind residency A work, evenings/ one set time a week? Sunday 9th April 2006 DPPW I met up with heath today and discussed my experiences of the day plans, how they have been changing my actions and making me question things in my life. He's a good listener. He gave me a good idea, if a little intense. He suggested that I write a default story and every day I write a new story or slant to follow. For example, Hannah woke up suddenly. It was just before the alarm went off. What was she had been dreaming? Ah yes, that Cary grant had come over for a game of soldiers but Hannah wasn't in the mood. Well, she'd better get out of bed and start her day. There was work to be done at the museum and she had to at least try not to be late. Interesting. If anything, the day plan will help me to prioritise and hopefully deal with my unpaid workload, maybe even make into a paid workload. But the plan didn't help my mood. I felt pretty pants today in some ways. I'd planned to start on a poem for M&W's wedding but just couldn't find the angle. Really annoying. And then I got a text from P asking if I wanted to go for a walk and I did sort of want to but then it would've have disrupted my day too much and I wouldn't have got some of the things done that I really wanted so I declined. I tried to take constructive steps but it wasn't until I left the house to meet heath over in St. Werburghs that I began to feel better. Being outside and watching the animals helped restore my mood to a better state. The meeting with heath helped some more. And then seeing CB and getting some plans laid down for the found speaker project and architecture week project felt good. We went for a drink at the mina arms and then it felt like we were just waiting for our drinks to end in a way. So I came back and did yoga the DP's credit there, and then dinner etc. I don't know. It feels oppressive to have plans there's so much to do. I need to put more quiet time in, but where are the hours in the day?!