Collaborative group Lead Pencil’s “Arrival at 2 a.m.”
For those of us with pioneer DNA, being lazy is tantamount to committing the worst criminal acts, like dealing drugs or murdering baby seals. So posting a shout out here instead of coining my own words is not, I repeat, not laziness. I’m getting ready for a show next month.
Other artists who know the code will tell you what that really means: Managed panic. And sometimes not so well managed panic. No matter how much work you have, no matter how many pieces are completed, a voice inside your head—speaking rather loudly, I might add—has convinced all the rest of you that it is hopeless and you are done for. A sunk ship. A failed rocket launch.
Don’t tell me otherwise. People who know me dismiss this annual cycle of high drama, yawning when I share my consternation. “You always pull it through, honey” says my partner and advocate Dave. How do I explain that this time is different, that this time it just isn’t going to come together in time and all is lost!
Huh? You talkin’ to me babe?
So here’s something a bit more expansive and upbeat, and refreshingly not about me and my woes. Regina Hackett writes Another Bouncing Ball, a very intelligent and compelling art-related blog. Her posting called “Light as a stringed instrument – the sequel” includes images like the one posted above—a fabulous collection of some of my favorite “light” artists, like Fred Sandback and Alyson Shotz. Stop in. Guaranteed to lift your spirits. It did mine, at least for right now.
Eh, I like your woes. Wouldn’t be any good if you weren’t good and worried it was shit.
Thank you! And back at you. Good, honest, real-roots reflections on making art. Regina