artists are people, too

So why are they so hard to reach? Since I anticipate having a couple hundred postcards left after the gallery portion of this project is de-installed tomorrow, I thought I'd extend my mailing list (initially focused on family, friends, and a small handful of art world associates outside the Boston area) to artists. Artists I admire, artists I find annoying but irresistable, artists I could get a hold of one way or another. That proved to be a difficult task. Artists used to rent post office boxes, but now it's all e-mail, if even that. And I not only have no desire to contact an artist via his or her gallery, but I'm quite sure that would be much less successful than trying to reach them directly. My postcard will likely end up in the trash anyway, but I think it's a smidge less likely if I cut out the middle man (or woman). The only artist I could think of, who has a website and - bonus - a p.o. box is Miranda July. I felt nervous just sending it out, as if I was going to meet her in person. Strange how celebrity works.

googlism as internet postmodernism...or virtual life coach

Do you remember when Google was still relatively new and you could spend hours typing in various googlisms, probably starting with your name and finding out what Google "thinks" of you and your friends? I did this with the question that this blog poses and here are some of the results:

Where are you not honoring and valuing yourself?
Where are you not letting your light shine?
Where are you not a good follower in clearly defined biblical roles?
Where are you not willing to settle?
Where are you not recognized?
Where are you not welcome?
Where are you not looking?
Where are you not going to?
Where are you not as effective as you would like to be?
Where are you not feeling strong, positive, secure, confident, independent?
Where are you not allowed to make any noise after 8 p.m.?
Where are you not being authentic?
Where are you not performing as well as you could be in your life?
Where are you not going for excellence and accepting mediocre results?
Where are you not protected?
Where are you not aligned?
Where are you not willing to compromise?
Where are you not living your values?
Where are you not doing your best because you don’t have to?
Where are you not able to adapt?
Where are you not stretching your boundaries?
Where are you not sure?
Where are you not where you want to be?

You get the idea. That last one, I guess, is the more relevant version of the question for this particular project, since travel and geographical displacement are at least intended aspects of it. I think the timing of this project's start - beginning just before Thanksgiving and extending well into the holiday season - adds a little more melancholy than it might have had any other time of year. Or maybe not. Either way, I'm okay with that.

where are you not?

Well, I'm not on the beach, that's for sure. An image taken from my living room window this morning as Boston experienced the first snow of 06-07, tame as it was.