Okay, this is very challenging but I'm ready for it.

Firstly, why use ASHTON and not CAPTAIN MISSION.

Well let's say I'm integrating myself and ASHTON is where I seem to be right now. I'll always be known as Captain Mission as it's been my name since childhood but for the purpose of this project I want to be called ASHTON.

For a long time I wanted to utilize my network of friends and acquaintances as they had been hugely influential upon my life in Australia. I was fortunate enough to hang out with some very interesting personalities and get to know them very well. If I think about it I baffled their expectations. 

They were probably seeing a sort of big tough sporty guy and interfacing with an 'outside the box' poet who happened to be well-traveled, very well-read, intelligent and capable of independent thought.

Years later I found myself reconnecting with some old friends and new, and as everyone went into isolation and old friend of mine called me up to ask if I would collaborate with her on an art project. She was so enthusiastic to do something with me I couldn't refuse.

She herself was a super creative soul, daughter of a very famous artist, designer and writer and I had always seen her potential. We just didn't know what to do.

Then I figured with her network and mine we could have access to some great creatives and delve into their work. 

So we set up a little studio and began to think about how we wanted this to be. I thought a youtube station would be good, just interviewing creatives and shooting it guerilla-style on our phones. I had no idea about film making, cameras, technology or how to put it all together but we persevered and despite the challenge of learning to edit and directing I somehow shot the opening scene and credits. Amalia in her ingenious way set up the studio for interviewing comfortably and within quarantine guidelines.

It was done. All we needed were guests. So putting feelers out we tracked down our friends and made a few new ones. Literally everything fell into place and within one week we had three people ready to film.

I hope you like the interviews, I'm still learning so please give me a chance to ease into it. I don't really like the focus upon me, so I give our guests time to chat and talk about their work, process and the age of Coronavirus- 19. 

This blog is a little supplementary piece to go along with the project and keep my personal thoughts on the people we meet and interview.   

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