Most people look for things to do outside work, to distract themselves, to follow their passion, to use their extra energy or simply because they like to explore – which is my case. My friend Ximena keeps suggesting that I should open a website called Marticaletieneplan.com  as every time we talk I have a different plan for her. Lately, she became the one suggesting the activities as she introduced me to the Matey Institute, a group of friends that get together to do different things every month. They are very creative and organized as they prepared the place with all the tools needed for the workshop. Also, they are very friendly, you can tell from their name.

I have joined them twice, first up was a Life Drawing session. I was expecting a hot guy in front of us but maybe that wouldhave been too distracting, instead we got a stylish woman, ready to be portrayed by my 5th grade drawing skills.

The second time, an Animation session took place. The plan was to play with plasticine, take the pictures frame by frame and ta-da…we will have made our first animation. So we had the plasticine in front of us, just like you right now…

…and we had to create something. I started warming up the plasticine, it was hard, very hard – UK weather doesn’t help, not recommended in winter time. We had an hour , some guys started molding monsters, I saw on the next table a blue cow or a horse…not sure, a crocodile over there, a whale, an octopus, a lot of people went for animals! The girls in front of us, started molding a hand. And we (Ximena and me) didn’t have a clue of what to do, so I started to warm the orange plasticine, and then the purple one, and then the blue, and the yellow one, why not? Time was running and we only had 5 minutes left…(panic)  only a bunch of balls in front of us, …what to do…what to do? Billiard balls!!