Submitted by Julia Silverman on the 2019 summer session program in England sponsored by the Department of Art & Design…
Things I learned this week:
1. I love Peter Saville.
2. I love Shoreditch.
Peter Saville came in empty handed. No fancy presentation, no portfolio, no talk prepared. He asked what we wanted to know. One person asked a question and he talked for an hour to answer it fully. Somehow, we all had the privilege of hearing his success story through this inquiry. I am so naturally drawn to people who know exactly who they are and fearlessly follow their dreams. Peter is that person exactly. He wanted to design record sleeves and that’s precisely how he built his livelihood. “I was permanently in trouble for pursing what I thought was interesting,” Peter explained as I sat wide-eyed at the edge of my seat. Playing it safe just wasn’t an option for Peter and it’s so beautiful to see that he didn’t have to sacrifice a thing. He did what he loved and became successful. I hope one day I am as courageous and bold as he was.
Until then, I’ll be in Shoreditch exploring vintage shops, photographing street art, and popping in and out of pubs. This was easily one of the most stimulating places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in London. The graffiti art on every corner made Shoreditch feel like home to an artist like me. I spent the day there and came back the next day to finish exploring. The place was dripping with vintage clothes/shoes/bags, cool magazines, artisanal coffee shops, eateries, pubs.
As great as the city is, I did need a little break from the hustle and bustle. Thanks to our (much needed) long weekend, we finally got to take our first day trip out of London. We went to the White Cliffs of Dover. Let me just say, I was hardly prepared for the hike, but I was even less prepped for the absolutely breathtaking views. When we got off the train, it was like we entered into an entirely new world. The cement buildings were replaced with old stone little shops and the chain restaurants were substituted for little pubs and dive bars. After getting ourselves a bit lost, we finally made it to the cliffs. It was quite the hike, but it was the most worthwhile thing I’ve done thus far. Walking along slim, bumpy footpaths (all uphill might I add), we slowly, but surely made our way to the top of the cliffs. It was the first sunny day in a while, hot too, and I was absolutely thrilled to have a moment of sunshine and warmth. Being outside, doing something active, it really made me happy. It was a real break from the madness of the city life and the bleak weather we’d been having. The path was a bit windy and the steep incline had me questioning if I’d ever make it to the top, but when we finally did, it was so incredible. Through the haze of the puffy clouds, we could just make out France in the distance. Just beneath the cliffs was the pebble covered beach with people swimming and tanning and soaking up every last bit of sunshine. The ground was speckled with flowers of yellow, purple, and red. Nature has a funny way of reminding you about the simple pleasures and that sometimes the best views come from the toughest (and sweatiest) climbs.