Monday, February 12, 2018

Lost and Found in the never ending winter...


It has been a particularly strange winter this year, lots of snow, some warmth, subzero temperatures, rain;  Lather, Rinse, repeat, etc.  Since Christmas, MotoCode HQ has fallen into a state of disarray and as said HQ has no heat, the motivation to tidy it up has been quite low.

I am reminded of a quote from the Steve McQueen Film LeMans.

"Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"

Substitute 'Racing' with 'restoration' and you get the idea.    For those of us who work on bikes and cars, both professionals and amateurs such as myself, Winter is about the waiting.

This year, I have decided to use this downtime to work on other non-vehicular projects.  Every once in a while it is healthy to take a step away from our obsessions and come back to them with a fresh perspective.

For me, this has been a foray into (fiction) writing and film making.  I have wanted to play the auteur for a considerably long time but was never quite sure where or how to start.  Like anything else the answer is simple;  Dive in and do it.  Take any conceptions of success or failure out of your mind and see where the experience takes you.  Letting my creativity run free and stepping away from the technical has been rejuvenating.  I often wake up energized, full of new ideas to put into action.

My format of choice at the moment is Super 8mm.  I love the look and the simplicity of camera use. The focus is on what is being filmed rather than how.  At some point (maybe the Paris Rally?) I would like to capture some classic vehicles on film and share it here.


With all that being said, I apologize for the lack of posts but they are forthcoming.  I have some Firth's Motorcycle catalogs to share and once spring is upon us, project updates.

If this winter has you feeling somewhat despondent, switching gears may just work for you as it has for me.

Until next time...