A Road Trip, a Swan, and an Evening with John Taylor

An ’80s ceramic swan

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share some highlights from this past weekend… It was one of those rare weekends where there was more play than work, more pure fun than scheduled commitments, and more creative inspiration than go-go-go. The weekend began with a book signing by one of my childhood idols and ended at a small-town Goodwill, where I found the newest member of my ’80s ceramic swan collection, pictured above!

My nearest and dearest know that I compulsively collect ceramics from the 1980s, and I can spot an ’80s Deco swan from a mile away. Show me a shelf of donated items, and I’ll have a swan in each hand before you can say “rad.” I’m already looking ahead to my ’80s Christmas decoration stash, and this white swan is going to play a part in the decor. Stay tuned for a future holiday post. The swan was picked up at a Goodwill on my road trip to the Texas Clay Festival, where I got to visit with my friend Ben Aqua, a talented photographer who never ceases to inspire me. Speaking of creative inspiration, Ben’s partner, Gery Henderson, is an artist whose work was featured at the festival! Ben took the picture below, which you might remember from a previous post. See the swans?…

’80s ceramics (Photo courtesy of Ben Aqua)

I couldn’t end this post without mentioning how I spent my Friday night–listening to Duran Duran bass player John Taylor speak at the signing for his book, In the Pleasure Groove. I will be reviewing the book a week from today, as well as posting pics from the evening and sharing some of the best moments of the night. As a child of the ’80s, it’s interesting to me that my favorite musicians are now at a point where they are wanting to reflect on their lives, careers, and what it was like to be a pioneer at such a key time in music (and music video) history.

John Taylor did not disappoint! A natural speaker with an engaging sense of humor, he was brutally honest about fame, addiction, and ’80s culture. He also shared some amazing stories and tidbits, such as what happened to all those Anthony Price suits he used to wear! Stay tuned for details at the beginning of next week…