I'm nervous as hell but, here I go, into the breech. This site (and this post) is my initial serious effort at art since I left Tahoe. The new work is compelling and I'm thoroughly engaged but, this time around, I'm trying something that's riskier than anything I've done in a long time.
When I first came up with the idea for the current work, I was reading a book by Jane Hirshfield, "Nine Gates," about the writing of poetry. In it, she mentions a quote by Gerard Manley Hopkins, the English poet who said to push your uniqueness. So, I decided to take my unique vision, voice and skills, put them together and explore them in ways that, perhaps, only I can do. That means that I have to concern myself less with the commercial viability of the work and go deeper into the authenticity of meaning, two approaches to art making that aren't always complementary. Pablo Picasso (not that I'm comparing myself to him) once said that he was sick of being an interior decorator. Being uncompromisingly true to your artistic vision is scary business.
That's a tough one to resolve. My friend, Veronica, when I talked with her about this work, asked me what I want it to do and I responded by saying I want it to change how people think and feel. That's a bit grandiose and it also lacks any monetary motivation. At this point, I don't have any idea how I will support myself on this pathway but I've started these footsteps through the forest of possibilities and, if I stay aware, I won't step off any cliffs. I'm hoping that, if I'm true to my vision and don't give up, the pathway will reveal itself and I'll be able to continue this work.