I’d been planning to make an artwork where I ask people what their idea of personal happiness is?

The person I most wanted to ask was my tutor from Art School. While I was his student I’d interviewed him for some research I was doing. During our interview we accidentally strayed into a discussion on happiness. He’d used the phrase, ‘personal happiness’ and it had inexplicably moved me. Too embarrassed to continue – I changed the subject and left.

Ten years later the subject of ‘personal happiness’ is at the forefront of my mind so I call him up. I go to meet him in his office and we sit there, observing that this is the same office we’d spoken in years before. After an awkward silence – I ask him if he would be prepared to continue the conversation I’d ran away from when I was his student. He says okay, but only if I’m prepared to try and answer my own question.

I change the subject, we talk for an hour about other things and say goodbye – then, as I close his door behind me, and turn to walk off, I realize that my idea of personal happiness might be running away.