So, I said it would be 4-5 months before you hear from me again, but I thought I would pop in a little earlier than that!
Wearing the hats of administrator, teacher, student, and artist has owned me this semester - and I'm kind of loving it, lack of sleep and all. I will post pics/videos of the performances eventually (promise, it just won't be timely) but I thought I would share a piece of writing with you all.
I've been using a LOT of text this semester and doing a lot of personal writing that has in turn become creative writing. Below is my artistic manifesto that I started working on at the beginning of the semester and have continued to add to over the past few weeks/months. It is full of my values and beliefs, many of which others have said to me or I have preached to others. Enjoy!
My Artistic Manifesto
It all starts with a box
Before you think out of the box you have to start with a box
It is held together with plain old scotch tape
The box has boxes and bubbles and words and incomplete thoughts and has a bottom that sometimes falls out
The content makes the work or the work makes the contents
The contents mean nothing and everything
The box is intuition materialized … it creates grooves
Thinking is overrated and asking how is a very paralyzing thought … it creates ruts
Have a strong beginning and a strong finish and the middle will take care of itself
Success and failure are relative
The only constant in life is change
Whatever sensation you are feeling, acknowledge it, and know that it will pass (and let it go)
Have 20-minute pity parties on a semi-regular basis to reduce external sympathy seeking episodes
Embrace panicking for extremely short periods of time, then MOVE ON and be like Nike, JUST DO IT
Remember that anger is an energizing emotion, make the best of it
You don’t have to know where you’re going to be on the right path
Be authentic OR fake it til you make it OR fake it til you become it
Be comfortable in uncertainty i.e. have a lil' faith and trust
Practice mental reservations
Practice gratitude
Practice productive procrastination
Practice daily self-care
Practice blind faith
Do it for yourself and no one else (yes,all of it)
Always ask, the worst answer you will hear is "no"
Always try to take advantages of opportunities, or you never have the option
The ultimate challenge (or ultimate to-do list, I can't decide) is: Process the past while living in the present and preparing for the future.
Art is what you can get away with
Make the audience uncomfortable
Break the fourth wall
Gather information
Take it all in
It's an adventure
Everything in moderation
Eat chocolate daily
Be Patient, maybe too patient
Relax your shoulders
Stop clenching your jaw
Write
Create
Move
Find Flow
Play (a lot)
Breathe (consciously and often)
Speak (when necessary)
Find balance
Keep balance
Regain balance
Thanks for reading! (see you this summer when I write about my semester and my many travels!)
- M
