entertaining infinity

my everyday art

I started out November committed to participating in Leah's Art Every Day Month - a challenge/invitation that she started several years ago, which I participated in just once before (3 years ago). 

The arts are a huge part of my life; I loved drawing as a kid, I go through phases of getting into crafts, and I really love taking photos, but visual art never really grabbed me the same way language did (in all its forms and variations: writing and reading; music [and lyrics]; theater and story telling ...). 

But I had good memories of my AEDM experience last time - "meeting" and getting to know people who were choosing to live with an intentional focus on artful lives was really cool, and the dialog it inspired got me jazzed; I liked the invitation to put a little more attention on such things, so I decided to do it again.  

And while I played around with some visual stuff, I quickly discovered that I had no real desire to do "art" in the more literal sense.  It actually took me a little while to remember that there are no hard and fast rules to AEDM (and it's not like i was getting graded or anything, right?), and I soon let myself off the hook about producing stuff to show everyone and just played around with some different forms in my writing practice. 

I didn't bring any of it here ... not sure exactly why.  For one ... I suppose I'm always aware that blogging and my real life are two very different things - here I have to decide what I'm willing to reveal or not, what I'll allude to, who I'll name, edges I might soften.  So even though I was moving into some poetry, and playing around with some truth-disguised-as-fiction types of short stories (which i love to do - and encourage participants in my writing groups to do too), I just didn't feel like posting any of it.  (maybe someday)  (maybe in another blog under an assumed name - something i've 'threatened' before ...) 

Interesting though, as I was doing that, I found myself unwilling to post at all.  When the juices are flowing off-line, I find it harder to get it up to encapsulate it all for blog consumption. 

And while the things I post here rarely feel like art in and of themselves, blogging has become an essential element in my every day art ... so much so that - even though I was only away from it for (how long?) over two weeks - it really does feel like a long time.  So I write about the process of not writing/posting here in an effort to get myself back. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me (those of you who always do) ...

(and for those who are new? thank you too.)

being jackson pollock-ish

This site could get addictive.  It's fun to play with ... just click and move the mouse around on the screen and suddenly you're Jackson Pollock (without all the drinking).

  

(the site/software is the brainchild of a group called stamen design; they've developed some very cool art-techy stuff besides this ...)

turning art on its picasso-ish head

The fabulosity that is Mr. Picasso Head provided a wonderful and quick activity for AEDM as I take a break from weatherstripping windows.

'art' is in the skewered eyes of the player more so than usual today ...  ;)

the art of business travel (not entirely)

I could never be one of those people who does a lot of back-to-back business travel.  I got home on Wednesday night from conference in Houston, which I went to less than 24 hours after I'd returned from three days at a trade show in Atlantic City.

I am so happy to be home.  I don't even mind (too much) that most of the leaves on the trees fell in my absence.

Here are a few images I collected while I was away (with descriptions below).

Left to right top row: Me, borrowing a crown from the ballet company folks in the booth next to me ... we were doing all we could to try to maintain a sense of humor on the last day of working a trade show exhibition.

I was told later that it's illegal to take photos in a casino in Atlantic City.  (i'm such a rebel)  This is as close as I got to gambling while I was there.

The booth (aka: my cell).  :)

Middle row:  Blue skies en route to Houston.

The view outside my hotel window.  Not much to look at - except the huge Obama-Biden painting on the wall of the building just across the freeway.  (weee)

Recycled resin beads from the gift shop at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston where the opening conference reception was held.  Other than venturing out to this incredibly cool restaurant on our last night (and another within walking distance of the hotel); that was, unfortunately, about all I saw of the city.  (when you're in sessions by 9, and out by 6 with business obligations for dinner, there's little time left for sightseeing ...)

Bottom row:  Fabulous creativity on display for 3 bucks a button.  (just in case you can't read them: under the cartoon image of the trophy is the word wife; under the train, the word wreck; above the horse, the word work; above the bunny, ski; above the dog, hot; and true to texas form: below cow, the word girl ...)

At a restaurant in Houston, I ordered a cup of Red Beans and Rice, and when the waiter brought this bowl, I reminded him that I'd just ordered a cup ... "This is Texas," he told me, "that is a cup."

Sunset flying home.  (as those texan's might say: yee ha.)

the art of singing star wars

two geek things that go geek together

When I realized the kid in this video is only lip syncing this medley of John Williams movie themes, and the song was actually created/recorded by an acapella comedy group (they call themselves moosebutter), it kinda bummed me out.  Then, I read on Moosebutter's website that they are getting a kick out of it, so I had no reason to hold it against the kid.  Besides, it's a fabulous construct.   And do I think drag queens are talent-less just because they're not actually Cher?

Besides, it's Star Wars and acapella singing ... what's not to love? 

(posted from my hotel in houston ... still finding art in my every day, just less time to post while i'm out on the road; more schtuff when i can ...)

weeeee

I've been saying "weeeee" a lot today. 

When I left work last night I stopped by my favorite wine shop and picked up a split of champagne; as I packed for the first leg of the extended business trip (which i'm on now), I turned on CNN in the bedroom.  As I tossed clothes in the suitcase, the results started coming in ... Ohio, Pennsylvania; weeee!  Florida ... weee!  When it became clear that it really WAS going to happen, I sat on the bed, opened the champagne and called a few friends who I knew would be up and celebrating too.

I have been keeping my attention on the dreamed-of outcome for so long ... not allowing the other possibility (and the associated fear) to take my energy (well, there was a brief period after the republican national convention when palin's announcement created some buzz that i got a little nervous, but it didn't last long ... ).  And then last night, when it started to sink in what had happened, I thought: Holy shit ... what if it hadn't gone this way? and a psychic wave crashed over me that took my breath away (thank goodness then, that i didn't allow that energy in earlier; it would have done no one any good ...).

As so many pundits have pundited, expectations are high, but we need to be patient; things won't change overnight.  And yet, they have.  I remember at the very beginning of this campaign I was really excited about him because it seemed like he wanted to change the conversation, and the tone of the conversation: in politics, in Washington, and globally.  I didn't know a lot about his background or readiness or leadership and organization yet, but I saw that, and I LIKED it.  I liked it a lot.

And I think that's a large part of what people voted for last night, to change the conversation ... and to be part of it.  That's exciting.

Weee.

And ... AEDM?  I took these photos while I was out on a walk tonight.  It's raining here in Atlantic City, but my hotel is right on the beach and I can't resist a walk by the sea, even if it is raining and windy.  I discovered the water fountain in a shopping center on the boardwalk where I popped in to pick up some dinner. 

I'm realizing that AEDM may be less about "art" in a drawing/doodling/craft kinda way (except when it is), and more about paying attention, taking some photos and finding the art in my every day.  Stay tuned. 

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art every day (me)

11/4 update: because several people have asked how i did this: i made a copy of an old photo that i then colored with crayon and marker.  when i was done, i scanned it.  easy.  fun.  (cool)

art every day

 

The art of snacking.  (thank you whole foods)

(look around at the plate for my reflection in ze fab fiestaware. unintended, kinda cool.)

art every day month (here we go ... day 1)

The art of walking (and playing with color in my photo program) ...
(white space)
 

art every day-ish (soon-ish)

I'm going to do Leah's Art Every Day Month (AEDM) again (even though last time it was more like art every day-ish for me ...), and I'm loving the serendipity around how I got on board again after 3 years away.

I was talking to my friend Sandi about a week or so ago (we worked together when i lived in CA at the coaches training institute) and she was saying that she was feeling stuck on the creative front: from her blog to her art to her knitting ... and she needed something to get her going again.  I started telling her about this woman I knew from the blogosphere and her cool community-wide art-invitation(s), including this one called "Art Every Day Month."  Sandi said that sounded familiar - she was joining in on a tele-forum with a creative coaching group next week, and the woman featured on the call had a program that sounded an awful lot like that.

Turned out it was Leah. 

So, for chucks - in a 'this-could-be-kinda-cool' and "when-worlds-collide' kinda ways - I signed up for the call.  (there was actually another fun layer of the serendipity: one of the call's co-leaders - jen - has worked with a good bud of mine from a leadership program we were in about 6 years ago and i now write a semi-regular column on the value of a writing practice for her newsletter. those added layers made it irresistible ...)

But I didn't think I was signing on to actually get back in on AEDM.  I'm so busy ... I hardly get to blogging these days as it is ... (when's the last time i posted a writing thing?  don't get me started!)  So ... what makes me think I'll make time to doodle and get out the old collage stuff and ...

Then, as I listened in on the call ... hearing Leah describe the program ... I remembered so many of the things I liked about participating: it kept the creative wheels greased, provided a structure, and it got me mixing with some new creative (and inspiring) people.  And even though I didn't post a project every day, AEDM did get me thinking differently about being creative, making art in my life, and art of my life. 

And I could use some more of that, absolutely.  So I decided it was time to do it again. (ish) 

(i wonder if preparing for a fundraising half-marathon [or as i have taken to calling it: the mara] can be made into art somehow?  maybe i just have to bring my camera along on the training walks ...)

(look at that ... i'm simmering already and it's not even november ... what fun.)