It's been said that each Champion reinvents the Championship. It is my hope that each Champion will not also have to reinvent the wheel, but will have a variety of different approaches to choose from, adapt and combine for themselves.
I had entered the Championship for the incentive of learning new skills, the freedom of making almost anything I wanted, and the prospect of getting useful feedback from knowledgeable judges. I had absolutely no expectation of winning, given that all my entries were first attempts. It wasn't until a month before the event that I even considered the prospect of winning, and only because Maestro Eduardo spoke to me about the responsibilities I would be taking on if I won.
After winning, I was exhausted for at least a week. Give yourself some recovery time before worrying about how you will approach the Championship. Think about your own strengths and talents, and create your own style. Be the best Champion that you can be, in your own way.
My ideal would have been to visit branches in all the regions and principalities, but time and budget constraints interfered with that. I did try to attend as many arts & sciences related events as I could reach, bringing my entries and talking to people about the championship, about period art forms, asking what they wanted from the champion and from the arts & sciences generally.
I also tried to improve communication and recognition with A&S champions in the branches, from shires to principalities. This included everything from discovering which branches had champions to setting up a mailing list of A&S champions, to encouraging meetings of champions at kingdom events, to supporting branch champions by attending events.
I heard many times that this personal approach was an inspiration and encouragement. Although it was time-consuming and often very tiring, it was probably the most rewarding aspect of the office. For me, there was nothing better than seeing good well-documented work, and being told that I had inspired it. That makes up for a lot of standing in court.
Early 14th century girdle book, single parchment quire sewn on cords, bound in linen, to be hung from the belt. Decorated with the Labours of the Month and the Signs of the Zodiac in East Anglian style, calendar text based on the Queen Mary and de Lisle psalter calendars, use of Sarum. Period pigments in glair, oak gall ink.
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