photo: Annik St-Arnaud, 2018.
Life in Blönduós is slow. It is such a different rythm to what I am used to; it is both marvellous and destabilizing. I have this urge to feel stressed, to be productive. But really, life is so simple here. My daily routine consist mostly of eating, sleeping, walking and going to the pool. There is a lack of stimulation; or rather a lack of over stimulation.
Here I reconnect with naps, with taking my time and breathing in this beautiful place. Bizarrely, I have not been very productive; I haven’t felt the need to create. My head is buzzing with ideas, with projects and how this residency could influence my work in the future. But, I don’t feel the need to make them all come true this instant; with haste before I leave. Like I said, life in Blönduós is slow and we always have time.
I want to bring this slowness back to Montreal and not be swept by a torrent of people and events and the pressure to produce and excel. I wonder if this slowness is a by product of endless days and a short fleeting night? Can this unhurriedness only exist in Iceland ? Time will tell …
For now, lets savour this time, where even when our exhibition and departure dates rapidly approaches, there is always time for a nap.
Or a swim!