Heighway Pinball: Part 6

I have recently completed seven days of work experience with Heighway Pinball between March & April 2015.
See part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 or part 5.

The Journey - Space for reflection

It’s a two hour train trip from Bristol to Merthyr Tydfil. I leave the flat just before 6.30am and arrive in Merthyr at 9am followed by a 20 minute walk to the factory.

On the way home, depending when I leave the factory, I get back into Bristol between 7pm and 8pm. I don’t particularly like the commute, but once a week for a few months hasn’t been bad.

Change in Cardiff

Reflecting on my seven days of work over the last two months with Heighway and thinking about the importance of the journey to Merthyr: the journey has given me a bit of much needed thinking space.

Looking back it’s the place I have been most thoughtful and analytic about the direction of my practice. It did help to be on the following day of my art school Thursday’s, so I am already out of my day job work mode. I analysed the work I did the day before and planned for the following week. The ideas I have been producing in my body of work have been conceived or developed during this journey.

Zoning out in the Welsh valleys

I do kinda zone out a bit, on one of my journeys another passenger passed by and said “Don’t think about it too much mate”. I’m not entirely sure if it was directed towards me, and of course he had no idea what I was thinking... but he has a good point.

Welcome to Merthyr Tydfil

I have been working toward getting myself away from over developing ideas to the point they don’t become fun any more. I love coming up with concepts and ideas, I can come up with lots, but before I was getting frustrated that I couldn't execute them to this unreachable level I had set myself. However this semester I have learnt to not over develop an idea but to allow it time to come into place.

I started listening to podcasts on the journey. MoMA Talks: Conversations is a great resource of 190 talks and discussions some of which I found inspiring during my journeys.

So that covers my time with Heighway Pinball, there is still the possibility for more work or support with my project.

Make sure you follow Heighway on Facebook and on Twitter for updates about production.

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I have recently completed seven days of work experience with Heighway Pinball between March & April 2015.
See part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 or part 5.