Time for oneself, time for others.

Here I am, back after a long leave. Of late, I have refused to attend to anything to do with work during my off days and leave. It hasn't been easy - many arts people here know that they can call me even at 1 am on a Sat night and I will get, at the very least, a listing out for them. So, I've had to re-train myself to say "Sorry, I am on leave. The best I can do is direct you to my editor or assistant editor."

Why the new measure? Because I've come to realise that everyone needs breaks now and then, even artists/arts people like me who are prone to obsessing about whatever it is that they are working on. And sometimes, an artist just needs to have time for herself, to unravel the ideas she's always had to put on the shelf.

I can say for sure that, in terms of having the time and energy to develop on your ideas, there's quite a huge price to pay if you're always running around trying to make sure there's a enough of a news platform for everyone else's ideas.

Being selfish was among some of the subject matters celebrated painter David Hockney covered during a lunch time art talk as part of the 2004/05 Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative in New York last December. The talk, that he gave together with his protege Matthias Weischer, was featured in last Sunday's StarMag and was the last of four articles I wrote on the initiative.

Wise words from an artist who has seen much of life. Comforting words when you feel those pangs of guilt because you've "ponteng" (played truant on) yet another chatter and cigarette smoke-filled exhibition opening!

And, yes, I did have my five seconds with the man - happened to take the lift down with him at Prentis Hall, Columbia Uni, NY, but suddenly felt very small and as though part of some surreal painting, and sunk further into my winter coat and happily pretended not to understand English. Oh yes, these sort of "stage fright" moments can still happen to journos, believe me!

Back home, we have our own arts icons. One such person is Faridah Merican, now (finally) a Datuk for all the time and energy she has given to paving the way for other artists and arts workers; hmmm .... very different, in this way, from Mr Hockney. Yesterday, she was honoured as one of five career moms/women entrepeneurs by Avon Cosmetics at the Westin Hotel Kuala Lumpur. And today, the photo of her with her award made front page in The Star - an achievement for arts stories, I can tell you!

Congratulations to the First Lady of Malaysian Theatre!