practice lesson

On Monday my feelings toward people just grew worse and worse and this grew into feelings of great dissatisfaction with this society and being a part of it, then feelings helplessness, inadequacy and disgust.

Then I did not want to do the evening hike, but I got myself over there.

As I drove home after the hike I was smiling, things had changed. Wow, take a walk in nature with friends and let all those feelings go. That was not so difficult.

I thought there was a lesson to learn but I think lessons for me are difficult and practicing is my lesson.

A practice will be to observe the feelings and try not to obsess. Everything changes and so will my feelings. Feeling crappy or great, does not matter, it will change.

is our civilization in collapse

Reading a short article in Dwell Magazine, June 2010 issue, Bigger is Better Mark Lamster talks about megacities. Half a century ago, Lewis Mumford, the dean of urban historians, theorized that the arrival of the mega-city signaled ‘the last state of the classic cycle of civilization’ and would lead to the ‘the complete disruption and downfall’.

When our latest economic downturn started I wondered if this would be the start of a real change is our society, and deep inside I wished this would be the case.

I wonder if the bailout of banks stopped the possibility for change.
I wonder how interesting it might be to be living in a time where a civilization collapsed.

Cairo

Then I think back on history and realize the collapse of civilizations does not happen in a year our two that it takes tens or even hundreds of years.

And I know it does not matter, change happens all the time.

I wonder if I can observe slow change.

canyon bouquet

As I did my walk through Florida Canyon today I started gathering for what I thought might be my piece for the bulletin board, which is part of the installation Canyon Shadow Play.

My bouquet grew and with it grew a concept for another aspect of the installation.

As the concept grew I worried about adding yet another thing to do, in preparation for this installation.

But why not, it would be really nice to have the canyon I use constantly, in relation to the canyon I want to get back to.

I think it should work very well.

something to practice

Maybe I am just getting a glimpse into understanding that life is not a series of challenges or tests. Life just is and every so often you are given an opportunity to practice. For me the practice at this time seems to be to notice the ups and downs and not get pulled with them. Not overly joyous and not overly saddened.

The drastic ups and downs drain my energy. I can see the middle path is more sustaining. I need a lot of practice and I can see I am being given many opportunitites to do so.

dirt can be really good

Although I know it’s all just stuff there is nothing easy about letting go. Today I sold some jewelry. Nothing I had worn in a very long time, but it all had emotion attached to it. Not only the memories of who gave it to me, or who it belonged to originally, but the possibility that the act of me getting rid of it would hurt someone. It is emotional and it hurts. This seems like the most difficult times I have ever gone through. But I know this is not true. I know we’ll get through it, and I know things could be a lot worse.

And it was particularly nice to be able to go and help shovel dirt into the containers behind Art Produce Gallery.

There were so many there to help.

Everyone had such great energy.

Working on a garden with others is a wonderful way to move on. I am very fortunate to have been invited to help on this particular day. Thank you Lynn!

how safe

As I sit in the car, under the freeway I wonder how safe this is.

I remember the earthquake last night. How often they seem. How they mess with my equilibrium.

I remember how the 1989 Loma Prieta quake pancaked the Cypress Freeway in Oakland.

My heart rate increases slightly. The light remains red. I see the railway crossing activate and know it will be another round until I get a green light. I decide to make a left and get out from under the freeway.

I wonder, should cars be allowed to wait under freeways?

Is a phobia developing?

inspirations or plagiarism

On trip to Bergamot Station Mar 28 2009 I came across the work of Nobuhito Nishigawara.

It sucked me in and I found myself taking detail pictures of this work thinking maybe I can use these as source material to work in Photoshop.

Later I decided against it thinking it may not be kosher.

On the latest art run to LA the same thing happened with the work of Mickalene Thomas.

Finding myself once again wondering, is it kosher, can I use other artists work as source materials?

Throughout history artist have been inspired by the work of other artists.

If I used my photographs of the details of this work how would the artists feel about that. Would it be inspirations or plagiarism?

LA art run 6/12/10

To Culver City

Mickalene Thomas @ Susanne Vielmetter

Mary Reid Kelly: video @ Susanne Vielmetter

Tim Hawkinson @ Blum & Poe

JB Blunk @ Blum & Poe

Ellen De Meuttier @ Roberts & Tilton

Through the Grapvine: Streams of Tansit in Southern California's Great Pass @ the Center for Land Use Interpretation

(favorite for the day)

Museum of Jurassic Technology

free forum

Recently I have been able to listen to  many podcasts.

My favorites

intelligent and inspiring people

Philip Glass, Leonard Cohen, Pico Iyer, Robert Thurman, Naomi Klein, James Gilligan, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Arun Gandhi, Frances Moore, Lappe, to name a few

I am very fortunate to be able to attend

The Aurora Forum: Exploring Democratic Ideals. Inspiring Social Hope.

There Goes The Neighborhood

About (taken from their website www.theregoes.org)
North Park is going through some dramatic changes. Many of these changes have been spurred by the fact that it is viewed by many as an art and culture district in San Diego. This perception comes with baggage. That baggage is that when the Arts move in, gentrification is soon to follow. There Goes the Neighborhood! is a four day event that not only hopes to shed light on issues of art and its relationship to a specific community, but to also re-examine, through artistic interventions, some aspects of the neighborhood that are sometimes overlooked. There Goes the Neighborhood! has been organized by a group of artists, architects, and interested parties as a way to initiate a conversation about the dynamics of the neighborhood. Our intention, and why you are now reading this, is to include as many people from North Park in the discussion as possible. We hope to see to you there!


Although I could not go to all the events I have been fortunate to be able to get to some of them.
Sunday I attended two walking garden tours.

Homeland Security with Leslie Ryan

Yard by Yard talk, Lesley Stern

And in the evening

Taking Up Space a New Orleans-style procession by artist Jessica Sledge. Tati to the Streets by Micki Davis along the procession route Microcinema film screening curated by Cauleen Smith
 

The procession started with La Boheme 2, conducted by Andrew Allen and the cast of Stephanie Aston, Meghann Welsh, Mariya Kaganskaya, and Andrew Allen.

Marching band, Bombshell.

Everyone was so incredibly friendly and inviting.

It was my first experience being in a marching band.

My instrument

As we proceeded through the streets of North Park I got a wonderful feeling of community.

Agitprop http://agitpropspace.org/ did so much for this 4 day event to happen and it is hard to express how grateful I am to have them here, in my neighborhood!!!

Thanks…………………………….