Today I quietly replaced myself with an attractive blonde in the role of personal assistant that I had been playing since January 27th. My friend Holly and I have known her for a few years in mostly a professional setting, but we also think she is generally awesome. My term as personal assistant was up for (by me at any rate) evaluation on February 20th and luck would have it that just a few days before that Holly called me to tell me that this friend needed a job as she had been laid off. She has a son – I have freelance clients and (theoretically) Review. Besides, landscaping is starting up soon and… you know… I don’t really want to be a personal assistant anyway. I would MUCH rather be working on building my freelance practice back up, making work for my upcoming show, and spending some quality time with my to-do list.
Oh, and working for Review.
I don’t qualify Review as an afterthought, even if it may seems so in my conversations about professional goals. Somewhere beneath the weariness and generalized resentment, is a firm belief that this organization is important and could offer so much to so many in the visual arts community and those who interact with it. It isn’t even that the road is difficult – it’s that it is difficult in all the wrong places where difficulty isn’t necessary. This is exasperating.
But I won’t go into further detail. Let it suffice to say that Review is getting back to business, although not “as usual” (praise all dieties etc, etc). I will be working on getting it to a place where it is solid, effectual, and nice to look at and interact with. I just hope that I have the stamina to make it happen. However, when I am NOT doing that – I will be working on all the other things that I previously mentioned. I’d rather think about and talk about those things because they are things I have complete control over and can revel in imagining and concepting the outcome of my labors. Review, while I do imagine and concept, it is with a bit more nervousness and worry as it isn’t simply myself that I am answerable to, but an entire community, compounded by not every decision being mine and knowing that for good or ill the outcome of all decisions reflects on me professionally and personally (especially if it was my decision).
That’s enough of the seriousness, though. (Please see last post for some levity)
Paul and I at the pre-Mardi Gras bash: Societe De Sirenes Masquerade Ball. Photo: Michael Forester
Tonight is Mardi Gras. I woke up at 5:00a.m. to march around West Side with the Dirty Force Krewe de Maximon, playing my saxophone loudly and badly (which was mostly unnoticable considering the circumstances). It was a great way to start the day. The community vibe that Morning March engenders is palpable and envigorating. Makes a person want to accomplish something or buy a brother a sandwich. Tonight is the big street party. This is something I look forward to more than any other holiday each year. It’s like the best family reunion. It’s better than being five years old at Christmas. It puts me in the mood to say “I love you, man” to everyone, without having had any whiskey (although it helps).
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and even though I should technically be making pancakes today, I will make them tomorrow.
And I will like it.
The Dirty Force rocks the Sirenes Ball...imagine what they will do let loose on the streets of KC! Photo: Michael Forester
make more!
your blog friends miss you.