Hello & welcome to my little A(ZX)103 self-therapy blog!

As some of you starting Open University arts course at this time may know, the bible of all art students - The Arts Good Study Guide - recommends doing a little writing every day to keep you in the writing mindset for the duration of the course. Given that my handwriting is criminally vulgar to start some kind of diary, I've started this ongoing blog to get into the daily habit. As well as keeping me fresh in this area, I thought that as I've encountered many frightening new challenges & had mini-panic attacks along the way (don't worry they're not real attacks), perhaps I need to put these fears & frustrations down somewhere rather than keeping them brewing for a long time.

But enough of the intro of what this is for, let me tell you about myself: My name is Sean, I'm 36 and live in Harrow with my fiancee Alison & our three lovely cats - Fingal, Oliver & Dillon. We're both originally from the north of Ireland and met at my old alma mater - The Queen's University (of Belfast) - 11 years ago. Sadly, I gradually dropped out of Queens by 1996 after suffering severe financial difficulties as well as a dwindling interest in my Bsc degree (Computer Science, now you ask). We moved over to "the mainland" in 1997 where we have remained since. My interests are music, the internet (well, duuuuh), playing on my PS2 and, okay, okay yes, it's true - television!

I've chosen to pursue A(ZX)103 - An Introduction To The Arts & Humanities. Why? Jealousy. I've always hated that Alison has a bloody degree in languages and lords it like some hauty-tauty intellectual around the house....no, I'm only kidding. Alison actually was the one who has kept sympathetically suggesting I should try something academically in the arts for some time. Being someone who has a fascination with the history & development of popular music, she sometimes stops me mid-argument when I praise the work of, say, The Velvet Underground (my fave group ever) and wonders why I won't at least try. Even when I had a 5 word review of 'Screamadelica' printed in MOJO last year (and she was really excited for me), I still said no. Finally, in the summer I conceded to her that I wanted to try and, well, here I am. I actually enrolled in October but the real work starts now.......

...and so does this blog. Of course I would really like this to not to be seen just as one mad person's account of this long ride. Please feel free to contribute with comments on what I've said or pass on anything else you may be experiencing as you do this intriguing yet terrifying course. Perhaps - for those like me who are finding it a little daunting - we can go through it together.

First proper entry coming right up!