I am about to move home for the 5th time in a decade, which seems unbelievable to me. More stress than it's worth and I'm sure it's another 5 years off my life!Anyway, the big clear up has started and part of that was moving some old portfolio cases. I couldn't resist having a look through one of them and found a load of interesting bits an pieces (more of that on the main website blog).
However, for me, there was a very strange moment. I saw a plastic flap I had not noticed befor and put my hand in. There was a neatly folded piece of A4 paper. This was the folio I had used when I had applied to Glasgow School Of Art. I was 17 and had completed a "crash Higher " grade. It was all a bit fast and furious and I was not accepted. I remember I was advised at the time to try again the next year but me being an ultra-impatient teenager decided to go and study Interior Design instead.
A very good friend who was accepted used to say to me that he didn't know why I didn't get in. I just thought he was protecting my feelings and I did know that the standard fro Glasgow Art School was extremely high.
This note, however, must have been placed there during the acessment as it has only been used for storage since and I had never seen it before. It stated " Joe Hendry. Sound, well organised but how will illustrations balance in". A signature follows.
All these years later (25 years!) it makes me feel a slight warm glow to know that at least I nearly made it and they used the word "sound". More than that, it makes me ponder the deciscions of others and that we make ourselves in the blink of an eye which go on to change an entire life.
It's that Butterfly Effect thing.
