Things I Have Learnt This Week By Asking Questions #1: Ten Tickets, Technically

As someone that does occasionally enjoy a bandwagon, I’ve found that I’ve grown a particular fondness for people’s end of year ‘In’s & Out’s’. The ones I agree with can make me feel that I was ahead of the curve and correct all along. The ones I don’t agree with I can come to the clear conclusion that the person who said it should be killed, or at least maimed.

On my own list for something that was firmly in for 2026 I had ‘Ask questions’.

So I have been asking. Quite a lot.

Usually fairly mundane, like asking who did an illustration behind a cafe counter. Or asking someone to describe the sort of person that buys a particular perfume and why they think that is.

Though sometimes a more casual line of questioning gets people talking and then I can ask more probing questions, like if they’ve had a favourite shoplifter and who would play them in a film.

At a small local vegan supermarket, I learnt that a man earlier than day had come in completely covered in blood and paced round the aisles before approaching the counter and gently asking “Where can I find the olive oil?”. The staff suggested that instead, maybe they could call an ambulance - a question to which he let out a guttural scream and left the shop.

Would I have learnt about a man covered in blood who really wanted olive oil if I’d just bought overpriced miso soup and left? I don’t think I would. So it can be a really wonderful things to engage with people in your day to day, not just for the joy of giving some human interaction - but so you can selfishly exploit what they tell you, for your own benefit.

So I thought as a writing exercise for myself, as well as possible entertainment for your eyes - If I learn something that sticks with me, I’d get it down for here. Possibly very short, but it’s a nice something to read eh? So why not have something to distract us from the ever growing death, war, disease and corruption.

Things I Have Learnt This Week By Asking Questions #1

When purchasing some packets of microwave rice, because who has the time to actually cook it properly and cost effectively - I decided I’d had enough of dealing with technology, had some cash on me and wanted to interact with an actual person.

In this particular shop, the only people who don’t use the self service are either paying by cash or need something behind the counter - booze, cigs or scratch cards. Considering the area of Brighton I live in, the queue is usually fairly lengthy and packed with a glorious variety of the grizzled, dishevelled and weathered.

When I get to the front of the queue there’s a tiny red haired woman in a thin strapped loose fabric top, wobbling from side to side, wailing….

‘BUT WHYYYYYY’

“10 at a time, that’s the law”

“BUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYY”

“I’ve told you, I can’t sell you any more”

“BUUUUUT WHYYYYYYYYYY”

“It’s the law, I’m sorry”

“BUUUUUUUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY”

“You can only get 10 at a time, we’ve been over this”

“So if I leave… I can have more?”
“Technically, yes”

And the woman turns, using the counters for balance - leads herself cackling quietly to the door of the shop, her unsettling laughter growing ever quieter as she leaves - then volume returns as she makes her way back to the queue. A fistful of lottery tickets grasped in her withered hand. Her horrid little cackle growing ever closer.

My turn was up, and as the young man behind the counter scanned my terribly convenient rice pots I asked what can you only get 10 of. Turns out, lottery tickets.

It also turns out that this woman had been doing this on loop and does so often. Having to have the rule of 10 tickets explained each time. Leaving the shop and coming back in, with the misplaced confidence of someone who thinks they’ve managed to trick someone by putting on a plastic nose and glasses.

“Does this happen a lot?” I ask.

“Far more often than you’d ever think possible” he replies, sighing.

Sighing and looking behind me to see she’s right there again and ready for another round of tickets. The cycle continues. Fuelled by what I assume is just the pure love of the game.

Portrait Of A Lottery Woman by Joe Black. Watercolour

One Year. No Ciggies - A short poem by Joe Black

A year ago, I stopped to smoke

Because I would begin to choke

I couldn’t run, or go upstairs

Instead I’d pant and sit in chairs

I’ve not saved money, that’s still gone

Because It’s spent on Comme Des Garçons

And instead of tobacco, I used my cash

On building up a Blu-ray stash

So I watch my films, and tv shows

Without smoke breaks in my fancy clothes

Though I won’t quit coffee, I’ll never try

For without caffeine I’d rather die

April 2025 Update - Putting The Fun In Funding

Here I am after years of not putting any long form writing online, returning with news. I also return with the intention of using my own website blog because why am I paying for a website if I don’t actually USE IT?! I have also started a Substack for people that way inclined, and will likely be the same things as on www.misterjoeblack.com - for now.

So if Substack is your proverbial bag you can - CLICK HERE (SUBSCRIBE! - ITS FREE!)

Not a clue how to use it, but I’ll give it a damn good go.

I originally started writing this from one of my favourite cafe’s in Brighton, noise cancelling headphones on listening to Bjork, while a very large and very handsome dog watches over the room from his spot on the floor like some kind of furry emperor. So you know I’m serious about this.

I’m absolutely thrilled to say I’ve been awarded an Arts Council England ‘Develop Your Creative Practice’ grant (DYCP to its friends). This is a grant for personal growth and not to do with any particular or specific project outside of the artist themselves. Funds are awarded to assist the artist to grow and learn and expand and sometimes basically just figure shit out.

How exactly I’ll be doing that, give the below a read for some insight. If you’ve started reading this and thought ‘I’d love a video version’ then assuming I’ve actually made it, that can be found - HERE

Also - nice excuse for a photoshoot. Flex the creative muscles with a camera, self timer and a dream

Back towards the end of last year, with the help of the fantastic Adam Carver assisting on application support - I applied for arts council funding for the first time ever. 18 years of wading the soiled waters of entertainment and never have I applied for funding or a grant, because I thought it wasn’t really for people like me. Turns out, it very much is.

I’d always managed to just make things work with whatever resources I had, not trying to exist outside of my current means and gambling with no finances. When I’d toured and paid for it myself I didn’t set up massive overheads expecting to get it back. Anything I may have lost would have been able to be covered with whatever I had - or that the bar for ticket sales was set so low it was a  level of risk that would have been so unlikely to not be a hit financially.

On an artistic level I always thought of myself and what I do as too frivolous and unimportant in the grand scheme of things to ‘deserve’ funding. I thought that was for people who had something really hard hitting to say and a really important message to deliver, or simply something so completely out there it just wouldn’t happen without backing. I now know thats absolutely not the case and that yes, it is possible to put the fun into funding - even if your aspirations include becoming the village idiot.

Over the past few years things have changed quite a lot, both professionally and personally.

The impact of that has been that it threw me sideways on exactly what it was I did and who I was as an artist and a performer. A multitude of confusing and conflicting expectations being set (or at least highly) suggested from different areas, the culmination of this just resulting in me shutting down completely and I stopped creating and playing with things how I used to, because I didn’t know what my output was anymore. Combined with my long overdue emotional breakdown at the beginning of 2024, things were not feeling perky!

I had got put in a position where I was just expected to DO. There wasn’t room or space for experimentation or playing around or testing things to audiences, as I wasn’t really on stages where I could just TRY - I had to do the actual thing. What I needed was time to relearn who I am and what I do and put things into perspective again. So when I heard about the existence of the arts council DYCP (Develop Your Creative Practice) that lit a fire under my belly again.

What if I could get some money to go towards learning theatre practices and writing for stage techniques for myself? Which I’ve never had. Everything I do on stage is self taught. I studied film in college and didn’t even finish that because - depression.

So over the next few months I’ll be embarking on one to one mentoring sessions, lessons and research trips to make my art really come alive again and to rediscover myself, because I know I can do it - I just needed that little bit of extra help to get the dust off and the cogs oiled. Which is how applying to this was explained to me when I said I wasn’t sure I’d be a good fit - because I’ve made do as it is. I was told that’s why you could and should feel like you can ask for the help, because you’ve shown what you can do without it and this gives the chance to see what you can do with it.

So where is the money going you’re thinking? Nosey fuckers.

It goes to pay the artists I’m working with, it goes on tickets and travel to see shows by artists, it pays someone to give me detailed feedback on work, it pays someone to direct test material, it pays someone to help me improve how to tell a story, it pays someone to talk to me about expanding production values, it pays for venue hire, it pays for studio hire, it pays the hourly rate to have someone do physical theatre with me, it also really wonderfully - pays me to do these things.

Every person involved is properly compensated and that feels GREAT. Never before have I had an allocated amount of money to pay people to impart their wisdom and have them work with me in that capacity.

I’m going to attempt to keep some kind of public update system going on this, as I think it’ll be nice to see whats been happening. Though also it’s a great way for me to be able to reflect on what it is I have done and learnt so far, by having to frame it for public consumption. My whole reason for writing this is to make myself accountable by announcing it to the world. So that when I see people out and about they can go ‘how is the project going?’ And I can say ‘well, it’s not technically a project its a DYCP but yes its going well thank you’ and then they can ask more questions and I can say ‘please stop talking to me I’m trying to make notes about my week on my DYCP while listening to Bjork in this cafe.’

To give a more in depth example and why - One of the parts I’m most excited about is to study some physical theatre techniques, to help me really get back in touch with my physicality on stage.

Over the past few years I’ve felt myself not pay as much attention to what my body is doing while I’m on stage. I’m just kind of… there? I feel like I’ve lost that oomph in how I hold myself. Or at least I’ve just stopped considering it because I’ve gotten so used to whatever it is I’m doing. Either way, it needs a shake up. Physical theatre lessons would never be something I’d consider otherwise, but given this opportunity - it is one of the most important parts for me, to delve just that bit deeper into something I wouldn’t usually consider.

The past few days we’ve been sorting out the flat, both for physical space reasons but also symbolic reasons - clear the space and rid yourself of things that you no longer need or want to make room for a refresh. Clear the cobwebs, wipe away the dust.

While clearing out the day of finishing writing this I found some folders and books containing the lyrics to some songs I wrote that never came to fruition, or ones that I did so long ago I forgot they even existed. And ya know what, they’re great fun.

Coming back to them with a fresh set of eyes and perspective is really inspiring because I’m reminded I am very capable of making new original work. I’m capable of writing something great and throwing it in a drawer to not read it again for 8 years. Though I am also capable of bringing these ideas to life again, I just need a little bit of a hand.

Very excited to see where this leads.

Expect the unexpected I suppose? Maybe I’ll become a physical theatre person. Though thats unlikely, I enjoy saying words too much. Who knows what nonsense I’ll create for the online sphere!? Either way, when you’re thinking ‘What is wrong with that man?!’ you can blame the arts council for encouraging me.

Thanks Arts Council England (ACE to it’s friends), you’ve made me feel ready again.

Love,

Joe

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