And so begins my holiday rush to make some new art..  Seems like every year around this time I am trying to get it all together, for presents, for shows, for proof to myself that I haven’t wasted an entire year.  I work great under pressure.. a nice way of saying I procrastinate terribly.  Anyway, I’ve been “stewing” for long enough.. time to get it all on paper.  More to come..

The past week has been filled with good friends, good food and good times. Thank you!

Magnetic versions of ourselves..

Something I “wrote” when I first moved here..

A truism of late..

Um..

Perhaps if e.e. cummings had pursued fridge poetry??

The blog format is a relatively new venture for me. At least, taking it seriously is new. If anyone is still out there reading it, it most likely came to you via the infamous group emailing. It’s not that I do not want to speak to everyone individually.. I do! However, time and space prohibit such encounters. Besides, I’m a face-to-face girl at heart. Moving 2,000 miles away from most everyone I know has been a real damper on that personal preference. I hope this blog makes me feel less far away.

I received many heartfelt responses to this new project, which I am grateful for. One response in particular was from a former teacher who I adore. (..Or is it “whom?” He could probably tell me.) He’s always been quite encouraging about all my creative endeavors… Makes me wish I was still in school. You just don’t find that kind of encouragement in the “real world.” I find, I have to give it to myself or gently nudge it out of my friends. Not so easy. We should all have teachers in our lives forever.

The point of my rambling here was to share my teacher’s response to my statement about being on “art hiatus” for the past year. He said I was “stewing.” I’m glad he said this because it is exactly as I feel. Since I’ve come to Seattle, I have felt more inspired and awed than I have since I can remember. That’s not to say that I have actually “done” any work. It seems to be stuck in my head. So many ideas are spinning around without an outlet. I feel quite content in that, though. Still, I feel the need to share my new ideas and inspiration. It seems that I may be slightly overwhelmed. Before I moved, I was able to create art, though, it’s likely that there was not much inspiration behind it. I was just “doing” for the sake of “doing.” And now it is quite the opposite. What to do.. Well, you’re looking at my effort to change that “stewing” into “something.” I’m trying not to force it or rush it, but just let it come as it does. I wish I were one of those artists who NEED to do something creative everyday or they will explode. Rather, I am one who just needs to think about it everyday. Further, and this is unfortunate for me, I am one who feels guilty for not putting it down on paper. Hopefully I will learn to strike a balance soon. That is the goal.

All that said, I’d like to share some things I’ve been stewing in.. some inspiration I’ve found:

I’ve seen some really amazing theater lately thanks to my good friend Jess, who works at On the Boards. Shows of great inspiration and note:

Gatz - A modern office setting that portrays and reads the entire text of The Great Gatsby. It was amazing. It sounds strange, but I promise it was amazing. Did I mention it was 8 hours long? Sadly the tour is pretty much over.. However, someday, maybe it will play in New York, where it is really meant to be.

Another You - by Allen Johnson. Probably one of the most powerful and beautiful performances I have ever seen. Ever. If you have a chance to see it please don’t miss it.

Brand Upon the Brain - Not quite theater, but a film by Guy Maddin. It’s a surreal silent film based on the memory of Guy Maddin’s childhood. Jess and I were lucky enough to see it with a live orchestra, follies, and Guy Maddin live as narrator. I think the live performances during the screening really did it for me, but if you’re into the art film thing, especially film noir and silent movies you should try to check it out.

Books and magazines of note:

Paint it Black by Janet Fitch - Heartbreaking…

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver - If you ever wondered “why?” or “how?” when reading poetry…

Letters on Life by Rainer Maria Rilke - **sigh**

Esopus - My favorite magazine, my dream job, my love.

I’m going to leave music for another day… too much to mention right now.

“signs” that my neighbors are creative people..