Coincidence or not, it always seems like good things linger on the horizon in time with the seasons.
Just some short updates, details to come.
I have been in Baltimore for 2 whole years! The experience has not been without trials and errors, some very very good times and some not-very-good-at-all times, but I’m feelin pretty great about where I am professionally, creatively, socially, and geographically. Job is active and feeling dynamic these days; figuring out my studio practice and making lots of work; have made a bunch of new and wonderful friends; have nurtured old friendships with people I’ve known for years and years and years; feel quite settled in my neighborhood, too.
Next week, you can catch me in Philly at SGC where I’ll be making some gallery rounds with my old MFA pals. Really looking forward to some spring time celebrating with them. What I love most about this little cohort of ours is that the 8 of us are still quite close, regardless of distance, and that we continue to support each other and share ideas and complain and whine and understand. Even three years out (I seriously cannot believe we left MFA world nearly 3 years ago!!!) I love seeing what everyone is working on, that we still sustain our studio practice, that we are still in touch. Many hearts to y’all. See you very soon!
Last night, I was reflecting on the last 2 years with my good pal Andrew. He’s become one of my closest pals since I’ve moved here, primarily because we met under the same circumstances (new to a city, wanting to meet other creative people and find colleagues, not interested in sitting around being bored/restless) and probably because we have some similar neuroses fine qualities. I remember when I first moved here that my motto was “Do things that scare you.” I think I did a lot of scary things, such that they have really shaped my current professional and creative life. In considering some drawings recently, I was wondering if I’ve lost sight of that, if I’ve gotten comfortable and haven’t done scary things lately. Creativity always involves risk; we don’t make things because it’s easy.
Anyway, I’m spending the next few months stepping outside of my creative comfort zone as much as possible. It is easy for me to embrace a routine and I need to mix things up while I also try to reconcile a balance between work, commuting 45 miles each way, fitting in yoga 3-5 times a week, making art, managing the gallery, spending time with my family, and oh yeah, being social. Life is full.
My first “scary” upcoming tasks are performance and public art. I tend to work very intimately and subtly and I need to push beyond that to see what else I can make. So, I’ve got a roaming performance piece in the works for the middle of April, hopefully, and some sketches in order for a collaborative site-specific installation in early May. Also doing another site-specific piece in early June.
If you’re in Baltimore on Tuesday the 23rd, I’ll be doing a short talk at UMBC about my creative career/professional development. I still need to put together some slides, but it should be interesting to see where the last 5 years have taken me, visually.
That’s all! Happy Spring! Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway!
xo
