Broken People

This evening Max and I went to hear writer Paul Auster speak. I anticipated a packed house, but instead a third of the theater was empty. This is what it's come to. As he mentioned in the Q&A period, America is anti-intellectualism. A tiny portion of the country's population reads, and if he were to walk down the street outside of New York, no one would know who he was. This country is far more interested in Brad and Angelina's unborn child than Augusten Burroughs or Alice Hoffman.

He explained that he believes writers are 'broken. And the world is not enough. This is why we make up stories." I really liked this - I think it applies to artists and musicians as well. We are essentially communicators. Trying to put these 'broken' pieces back together again. Make something whole. Make something up. Make something out of nothing. And create a sense of connection we so deeply long for.

This, in my opinion, is the truest factor in creation -- connection. I took this as far as I could push it with my MFA show. I wanted to be close to the world. To strangers. And it was an amazing experience, but I feel I burned that chapter as a result. Ran the well dry. I've had a hard time of it since then in the studio. I have still continued to make bits and pieces, but I am definitely at a point where I need to rethink things. In a way, unlearn the process I gained in grad school. I am trying desperately to find ideas that aren't as academic as they were. I'm trying to bring back the inspiration I felt before I worried about the ideas or concepts - the work I couldn't explain, but had to get out of me. I suppose the beautiful thing is that I have my whose life to do this and figure it out...

I recently started asking some artists I know to give me assignments - both for art making and reading. I welcome anyone's suggestions! And I hope that this will help bring new perspectives and problems solving to the forefront.