CoG’s Neighborhood

Dang, Sister Diane is keeping me full of good stuff today. I am very interested in the new zine post-script she received and the zinealogue that came with it. How cool! Frankly, all I have to say now is that I wish I was good about motivating myself to do these sorts of things. And I need to get me a copy of post-script.

In that typical internet way, I've found myself at a new blog today and a new opportunity to partake in the goods of others. In this case it's an online marketing course by Laura Bray.

I'm now trying to decide if I want to shell out the money to take it. Let's be clear on one point: I don't have a problem with the amount being asked. The question is can I afford to spend that money right now and (perhaps more importantly) will I really implement anything I learn. It's true, I am my own biggest enemy.

On the plus side, marketing is one of the biggest things I need help with. I think the art and craft I make is fine and dandy - I just need the market. (I could use some marketing help for my gallery too. Again, our art and cultural events are good, we just need the marketing.) I'm pretty burnt out on doing craft sales where I have to go set up for a day and waste my life smiling at people. I would much rather figure out how to be more successful online or to get myself out into more galleries and/or artsy stores.

I just went looking for info about International Reply Coupons since they are "appreciated" when entering the Mail Art Olympix (and because I pride myself in having a somewhat higher-than-average knowledge of the postal system). I quickly came across this disturbing story. Unnecessary fat-phobic comments aside, this has a good synopsis of info at the end in case one finds themself in a similarly unfortunate position.

I would also like to take this opportunity to (pretty much uselessly) state that the postal workers at my local post office are great and have never let me down. Okay, once, but that's the only one I can remember. I will be crushed if I ever go in and they give me any nonsense about IRCs being discontinued.

As noted below, a call for art arrived in my envelope of goodies. I am finally taking a good look at it and there is a website with all the info. Being the helpful little disseminator of information that I am, I encourage anyone out there to consider entering the Mail Art Olympix. (Whether or not I will get my act together is a whole other story.) 

Friday was a good mail day - an envelope full of arty goodness arrived in the mail:

3779

I don't know what I did to receive the goods, but my name and address are floating out there in the mail art world. And I am definitely not complaining. I only had time to shoot a few photos and then had to set this all aside because I've had some other stuff going on the past few days.

The envelope has an art stamp on it. For some reason I don't get particularly excited about art stamps. I mean, I think it's cool and I respect those who are into that, but it's just not my thing.

I'm not sure what's up with "Dada Poem" but I like it. It's a half-sheet of paper, photocopied art but individually signed.

What really excites me is this art money. Check out the full-size images. I love that it's "valid only after transformation by an artist". I also love that each one is individually numbered. If I actually get around to "validating" my money, I'm thinking I'll send one back to get another blank one. Not sure about trying to spend them, we'll see. There's a few businesses around here where I think it might work.

I really like how these fit into the tradition of local currency. I'm interested in local currency and the empowerment it can give to a community. Part of me finds it very conceptual and isn't sure how well it works to all of a sudden introduce a bunch of new money into a community, but I sure like the idea in theory.

There's also some calls for art that I may or may not have time to even consider. I'm hoping to make some new art to hang at my gallery - crazy, I know.

Another summer of teaching has flown by and I am trying to catch up with the rest of my life. Maybe I'll get around to writing some blog postings about summer stuff, maybe I'll just move on. We'll see.

I do have to sort of embarrass myself and admit that I was just looking back through several of the previous postings and they rather delight me. So I've confirmed it, it's all about me and the rest of you are just details.

Sorry, that's all I've got in me. I just wanted to acknowledge that Sunday was Worldwide Pinhole Day and I was the loser who didn't participate. Sigh. I'm pretty sure I remember shooting some pinholga shots last year, but I never got around to posting any of them. I don't even think I developed the film until summer, and I'm pretty sure all I did with the film was print a proof sheet.

Here's my main excuse for such loser-ness: I don't have a darkroom or other proper workspace, so it's hard to even want to deal with this stuff. It's my constant struggle to have a place for making art. I am a small step closer - I bought my dream darkroom sink a couple weeks ago. I have a room for it, but the room is full of junk and needs plumbing and electrical work and drywall. (Somehow it sounds worse when I type it all out.) I'm trying, but the process is slow.

(P.S. I bought a pottery wheel today. I'm crazy.)

This is a slight exaggeration, but only slight - I am the only person I know who isn't into writing. I mean, obviously I write. I write for different reasons and in different kinds of ways, but in no way do I identify as a writer or think that I have any talent for it. Yes, I can construct proper and understandable sentences. Yes, I am occasionally eloquent. And oh yes am I ever a complete grammar fiend (not that I always follow the rules...). But no, I am not a writer.

I have friends who are writing novels. I just don't understand. I have friends who like to go to the coffee shop or the gallery or wherever and do their daily/weekly/sporadic writing. I don't understand one bit. I have friends who have blogs that are actually interesting to read. How do they do it?!

Anyways, this isn't a pity party or a cry for help or whatever it seems like. It is simply me noting that within my little world I am surrounded by a lot of creative and talented people, and somehow most of them include writing in their creativity while I do not.