Electric Koi (Like The Electric Slide, But Different)

'Takin' a break from politics with this pretty painting by my friend and local artist Mal Jones.

More Protest Photos

Here are all the photos I took at last Saturday's protest.

Warm Up to a Museum

A nice lady at Cultural Tourism DC asked me to post information about their "Warm Up to a Museum" programming in February, designed to get Washingtonians out of couch potato hibernation and into the area's cultural institutions.

The calendar of events looks pretty interesting, so I am happy to oblige.

Examples of featured events include animated film screenings at the National Museum of the American Indian (and many other film-related offerings), and an exploration of the interactions between black and white women in the suffrage movement, at the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum.

Learn more at warmuptoamuseum.org.

Holy New Blogger, Batman

Phew. It was a harrowing experience, but I've finally switched to the new version of Blogger. I couldn't access my account at all for a few days there. 'Just thought you'd want to know. You may notice some new features cropping up, like category tags adjacent to each post. Do not be afraid.

Protest

I don't usually write about politics, but at the peace march on the Mall earlier today, I was reminded that protest is certainly a form of creativity.

Strong Opinions on Anti-Advertising Campaign

My post on Thursday about an anti-advertising campaign provoked some passionate comments. Some highlights:

"For me, this really crosses the line from creativity to vandalism. I appreciate the sentiment, but it crosses a line for me."

"Not all vandalism is bad.

"Advertising, at least 99% of it, is a blight on our landscape and an insult to our intelligence."

"Advertising is essential. Without advertising, we are effectively unaware of what options are available to us."

"We got rid of slavery, smallpox, and polio. Surely we can take real estate ads off of park benches."

Read more.

Reclaiming public space

Oh, happy day, when meanderings around the blogosphere unearth a little gem.

Today, the jewel is stickers (pictured above) that say, "You Don't Need It", from a site called the Anti-Advertising Agency; the site explains the stickers thusly:

They are easy to carry around town, and by placing the stickers onto advertising (or other objects), the ad is detourned, often in humorous and interesting ways.

I love that these stickers can turn a commercial monologue into a public dialogue. In other words, an ad that previously dominated a public space is co-opted by the users of that space. Think of how many ads you absorb on a daily basis - now instead of being a victim to them, you can talk back. By placing a sticker on an ad, you're changing the meaning of the ad and making it into something new...like when Dada artist Marcel Duchamp took a urinal and called it "Fountain."

As a reader named Katie said in her comment on yesterday's post,

In our culture we have an information overload - we are constantly absorbing and digesting the mass media all around us, and it is so easy to just go along with it and do what everyone else is doing. It takes a conscious effort to break from that and recognize that we too can create - and to make space for that creativity.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Stubborn

"You have to be a very stubborn person to remain an artist in this culture."
-Keith Johnstone, improv guru

Do you agree?

Snow Day

Time to let your inner child come out and play.

Memories:

• making snow angels
• eating maple syrup on a cup full of snow
• the way snow would form a crust on my mittens and how warm I'd feel when I came inside

Enjoy :)

See Three Local Films Saturday

What: A screening of three short films by cleverly named local production company whoretoculture films, followed by a Q&A with producer Anne Brown and director Joe Kuehne. The three films are Relative Freedom, Mexican Sting and Artificial Candidate. More info on Relative Freedom on the Busboys events page. (The screenings are at Busboys and Poets.)

When: Saturday, January 20, 11pm-1am (doors open at 10pm, and space is limited)

Where: Again, Busboys and Poets

Why: Because it's important to support the local filmmaking company.

Why: Because I think it is!

How much: 3 bucks

See you there.

Weekly Comedy at the Reef

I was at Reef in Adams Morgan last Thursday and discovered that they're now hosting a weekly comedy showcase (a variation on the weekly event that used to happen at Bossa, across the street). I couldn't catch the show but promised I'd come back another time, and I fully intend to - while I never saw the Bossa act, I've seen one of the comics, Rory Scovel, perform a number of times, and he's hilarious. For more info on the event, read this DCist article, and/or this post on Rory's blog.

[See also: Tuesday glam metal karaoke at the Reef.]

Prayers & Joking

I am in love with the paintings currently on display at Flashpoint Gallery; they're part of an exhibit called Prayers and Joking, showcasing new work by Baltimore artist Cara Ober. The graphic aesthetic just really appeals to me.

So that's my review. Here's how Flashpoint describes the exhibit:

Prayers & Joking is an installation of Baltimore-based artist Cara Ober’s mixed media drawings and paintings. Curated by Flashpoint Gallery Manager Rebecca Lowery, the exhibition underscores Ober’s layered approach to image-making, which is at once meditative and absurdist. Taking motifs from her upbringing such as wallpaper, textiles, tattoos, reference books and graffiti, Ober combines abstract and representational forms to weave together stories that explore conflict and relationships on a two-dimensional surface.

Um, yeah, it's a two-dimensional surface...it's a painting.

[Awkward silence.]

[Sound of crickets.]

Well, anyway, the paintings are great. Check 'em out.

A Favorite Quote

"To know what you prefer,
instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world says you ought to prefer,
is to have kept your soul alive."

-Robert Louis Stevenson


(Photo: Louis the Pug)

Improv in DC

Wow. As those of you who've been reading this blog for a while know, I perform with Washington Improv Theater (WIT), and improv is a huge part of my life. So I was a happy camper when I sat down with my bowl of cereal this morning, and discovered that the cover story of the Washington Post Weekend section was all about the local improv scene.

What's more, the author, Ellen McCarthy, actually seems to "get" improv - mostly because she seems to have really listened to local improv artists describe their craft, rather than jumping to the conclusion that improv is just what you see on Who's Line Is It Anyway. Kudos, Ms. McCarthy, and to my fellow local improvisors, I raise my glass!

If you haven't ever seen an improv show, I highly encourage you to check one out; the Post article says it well:

...sometimes what happens...is spectacular. Sometimes it's flat. Often it oscillates between the two, and then it's gone, and whatever was done there will never be done again.

So we come as spectators, to see what forces of imagination our mercenary players can bring. And we come as voyeurs. Because it's a rare thing, in this time and place of press releases and polish, to catch a glimpse of a naked mind.

I've included some links to local improv groups below. Of course, my bias is towards WIT, but there are a number of other groups as well, each with their own style, including:

Comedy Sportz
Season Six (often perform with WIT)
The Lodge
Precipice Theater
Baltimore Improv Group

Over and out.

Little Bitty Heads

I stopped by local artist Ben Claasen's site earlier today, and was delighted to come across a page of what he calls "Killoggs Heads," but which I have decided to instead call Little Bitty Heads. They are most impressive en masse, but I'm including a few here:



1. This one is called Amanda. (pause) I am also called Amanda.(pause) Whoaaah.





2. This is Brian. ("Hi, Brian!") This is kind of how my husband looks when he doesn't shave his beard for 3 months.





3. This is Talice. She wears a Hello Kitty backpack and doesn't assert herself enough. But she always looks cute. (You know I'm right.)






More Little Bitty Heads.

Unleash Your Inner Artist

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know how much I love The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I discovered this book when I took a "creativity circle" at Tranquil Space Yoga a few years back, and am happy to say that the studio is offering another such circle, kicking off later this month (first meeting date: January 28). Unfortunately, it's open to women only; men, don't let this keep you from reading the book!

More info, from the Tranquil Space site:

"and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - anais nin

do you long for more fun, more flair, more focus, more creativity? spend four sunday afternoons in the new year with kimberly wilson reviving your spirit, unleashing your inner artist, taking action toward the life you desire, and relishing in a supportive circle with other like-minded women. during our time together, we will work through the bestseller the artist’s way by julia cameron, while also playing with concepts from 12 secrets of highly creative women by gail mcmeekin and kimberly's book, hip tranquil chick. we will also be setting creative goals, practicing yoga, and participating in artistic play.

for insight into the program, read below:

"thanks again for running such a wonderful group. the artist's way has really changed my life of late. since it started i have sent out a new book proposal, gotten into digital video, and started a children's book with a friend who is an artist. what an amazing yield!"

"thank you, the circle has truly enriched my life. it was a safe, fun environment to start exploring some hard issues — and i finally got to read that damn book that was sitting and gathering dust on my book shelf for so many years! the women in the group were also wonderful. all in all, it really made living in dc better for me — i feel like i'm not alone in my journey to creativity and joy."

"i realize all i have done over the course of the circle that i probably wouldn't have done if i hadn't been prompted or encouraged by the group. camping in the woods, attending various retreats, made some great friends. i feel like i've made enormous leaps and bounds in other ways. i like where the process has taken me, and am looking forward to seeing where else i might go."

materials needed: the artist's way by julia cameron, 12 secrets of highly creative women by gail mcmeekin, hip tranquil chick by kimberly wilson, journal and/or sketchbook, yoga mat.

4-week intensive on sundays: january 28, february 11, 25, and march 11, 4:30pm-7pm, $275. to register: sign up online or call 202.223.9642. limited space available, early registration encouraged.

I highly encourage you to give this a shot.

*Read about my experience with The Artist's Way in one of my guest posts on Kimberly's Hip Tranquil Chick blog (you'll see that I was scheduled to lead a creativity circle last fall - alas, no one signed up! but i definitely hope to do this at some point....)

Dance Like Emily Dickinson Would (Sort Of)

"A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day."
-Emily Dickinson, poet

"The body says what words cannot."
-Martha Graham, dancer and choreographer

I think the last time I saw a modern dance performance was about 15 years ago, so you'll be skeptical when I call myself a fan. But I'm fascinated by people who have such control over their bodies that they can use them as tools for dramatic self-expression. Of course, we all express ourselves with how we move through life, but to do so with artistic intention and technical skill is something I greatly admire.

...plus, I'm a former English major, so I was delighted to receive the following announcement in my inbox:

A contemporary look at the life and writings of American poet Emily Dickinson - an inventive combination of dance, music, video and poetry from one of DC's most celebrated choreographers, BosmaDance Artistic Director Meisha Bosma, who was recently named one of "25 to Watch in 2007" by Dance Magazine.

This I have to see.

WHERE
Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint
916 G Street, NW, Washington DC 20001

WHEN
January 12-21, 2007
Thursday - Saturday performances @ 8pm
Sunday performances @ 4pm
Pay What You Can Preview: Tuesday, Jan. 9 @ 8pm
Opening Night: Wednesday, Jan. 10 @ 8pm

Tickets: $15-$20 (cash or check at door)
Reservations: (202) 315-1340 or bosmadance@flashpointdc.org

The Key to Inner Peace

According to Princess, my waitress at Busboys and Poets earlier today, the key to inner peace is the pursuit of happiness; she wrote as much on both copies of my receipt, pictured (blurrily) above/left.

'Just thought I'd share.

Find yourself, lose yourself

Something to think about on this rainy day:

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

-Thomas Merton

Art projects I feel like doing right now:

• Pick out some perfect felt-tip pens and doodle and draw on card stock. Maybe a birthday card for a friend.
• Cook a vegetarian dish I've never made before. (This counts as art.)
• Write a poem.
  
• Make pottery. Get my hands messy. Shape the clay into bizarre shapes.

You?

Speakeasy DC: Forbidden Fruit

This month's Speakeasy topic is Forbidden Fruit: "stories about things we shouldn't have done, said, thought, touched or tasted." Sounds tantalizing. Check it out Cada Vez (their new venue) on Tuesday, January 9 at 8pm. More info here.

Art Enables II

'Gotta give another shout-out to Art Enables, an organization that gives mentally and developmentally disabled artists studio space and helps them sell their art. I've written about them once before, but had a personal interaction with them over the holidays and wanted to share some highlights.

First, I visited their space, near the intersection of Florida and New York Avenues NE, and it is awesome. Really well-designed, and so much great work on display. Their art director and co-founder, Stefan Bauschmid, is a very nice guy, and apparently has a background in social work and graphic design; he and his partners worked at an art program for teens before forming Art Enables. The studio is open weekdays 9-5, and they also have events around town; check out their calendar for details.

Second - fellow dog-lovers (and, ok, cat-lovers, fish-lovers, etc, too), take note: you can commission a pet portrait from one of Art Enables' artists. My husband and I commissioned a portrait of my parents' basset hound as a Christmas present for them (pictured above/left). The artist is Eileen Schofield; see more of her work, and learn how to commission a pet portrait of your own.

What a great organization.

Happy New Year!

I'm back from an unannounced holiday break - sorry to slip away like that, but I needed to unplug, and unplug I did. It was rather heavenly, and reminded me how important it is to disconnect from time to time... it makes connecting that much more meaningful. But I'm back, and revved up for 2007.

As much as it makes sense to mark the arrival of a new year with goals for the year ahead, something about New Year's resolutions has always felt a little superficial to me. It's so cliche, but every January, you see the gyms fill up, you see the smokers quit, and then - how long til the gym is empty? How long til the smoker buys that next pack of cigarrettes? I know that's a cynical view, and of course some people do actually stick to their resolutions, but it feels like we put all this pressure on ourselves to improve come January 1st, and most of us crumble rather than soar.

An alternative to choosing a resolution is setting an intention, and that's what I've decided to do this year - with the full recognition that my intention will likely shift in the months ahead. An intention is a concept from yoga: you set an intention before you begin your practice - to let go of stress from work, for example, or to be more grateful, more open to change, etc - and then you let your intention guide your practice, as you move mindfully through a series of poses. In this way, mind, body and spirit are brought into alignment.

An intention is different than a goal, and its applications extend beyond the yoga mat. As my yoga teacher explained in a workshop yesterday, an intention is a state of mind that you aspire to cultivate, whereas a goal is more like a specific task you work to accomplish. So you may have the intention of being more decisive in 2007, for example, and the goal of making a decision about whether to go to grad school.

So, what's this have to do with Creative DC? Well, I believe creative living and mindful living are close cousins, and that the more intentional we are, the more creatively fulfilled we can be. When we know what we want, spiritually or creatively, and we use that knowledge to guide our actions, we are more likely to find fulfillment.

So if you find that the concept of New Year's resolutions doesn't quite sit right with you, see if setting an intention might be a better fit. What state of mind do you want to cultivate - not in all of '07, per se, but in the near future? And then - what goals spring from that?

'Here's wishing you all a creatively fulfilling '07, with days full of moments you savor, and adventures that stretch and inspire you.

Happy New Year!

-Amanda