March The Daily (W)Rite WK 2

The New Daily (W)Rite

wk o2

Wednesday,

Here's my dilemma: I want to write everyday, but I never do it! Why? Hmmm, that's a damn good question. I tell myself I'm too tired, I'm too sick (sometimes), it's too cold, too hot, too "nice"  a day to not go out . . . Sometimes I tell myself there's nothing to write about. Of course, that's nonsense. There's always something to write about. Sometimes, I tell myself, you're not a good enough writer. That may be true. I've been looking over a lot of my poetry lately, and I really don't like most of it. The poems are just not right. Lots of clichés, misspellings, and the phrasing is just B-O-R-I-N-G! but I'll never get better at it unless I WRITE.

Things I Don't Like:

1.   I don't like the chubby little girl who pours my coffee into a paper To-Go cup but doesn't put a sleeve on it OR a lid. A new deal at the Gray Owl, I guess, that I must now put MY own

sleeve, MY own To-Go lid on the cup of coffee you just handed me! Why? Do you not know that the paper coffee cup is HOT and I burn my fingers as I try to carry it over to where the sleeves are stored on the condiment counter . . . five feet away? And when I ask her to kindly put a the lid on my To Go cup, she's so put out: that disgruntled little smile, that crucified sigh she makes as she begrudgingly slaps the plastic lid on.

2.   I don't like MSNBC talking about race all the time! Everyday there's something about race. Yesterday, the nice MSNBC news host, Joy Reid, showed her audience a bunch of people (white people) wearing pseudo-traditional African clothing, in different colored make-ups (gray, blue, red,) but not black, and then asks her viewers, "Do you think this is raciest? I think it's raciest." I don't know if everything is raciest. Just because a white person takes pictures of themselves dressed in African like garb and paints their faces different colors, doesn't mean their raciest. They may be insensitive to other people . . . but who isn't insensitive these days . . . or in any period of American history. Take the picture above that I worked on. Is it raciest because the skin color is brown? It's not. Doesn't have anything to do with race. I was just creating a fantasy TROLL character. But some would see it and see me, and because I'm "white" and I created it, I must be raciest. I know race is a touchy thing for all of us. But sometimes things we may create have nothing to do with race.


3.   I don't like myself much. Particularly when I go off on some rant and become totally unreasonable. And I do that a lot. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't get so angry about it and express that anger in mean ways. But then again, is there anything wrong with being angry with current events, frustrated with other people? Of course not. Hell, we all have opinions, things we feel deeply. Most art is based on our views of the world, and a lot of that art is not pretty, not kind. I guess I'm not upset with myself for getting angry about life . . . I just need to find a "positive" way to express my feelings.

Thursday, March 13, 2o14

I'm thinking a lot about writing today. It's pretty simple. All I need to do is write. Yeah, but you know that old fear of failure troll that strolls around inside my brain housing group? That little turd ball can be quite intimidating. But I need to write. I need to do something with what little life I got left.

Way back in the 70s and 80s there was a photographer name Cindy Zimmerman - or as she called herself, Cindy Zimmerwoman, which we at The Tav shortened to just "ZIMMERWOMAN! -

decided to document The Town Tavern days when Bette Maffucci owned the little restaurant on Campus Corner. A great place for food, art and conversation. it was home to us "locals" and students. Some of the best times (and the worse times) of my life were spent at The Tavern. I worked there as a cook and . . .  an actor for Street Players Theatre. Anyway, The Tavern closed sometime in the late 80s. Just recently Bette started a Friends of The On & Only Town Tavern page on Facebook, and Zimmerwoman appeared with all these wonderful photos from The Tavern days . . . and I guess it inspired me to get started on documenting my "Life in Norman Town" through poetry and pictures. Yeah, I really want to do this. I mean, I gotta do something with my life, right? Something more than watching TV, staring out the window, drinking coffee and spending to much time wondering how the hell my existence got so . . . screwed up. if you want to know more about The Tav., try this site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/170260288976/

Friday, march 14, 2o14

 

Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.

Edward Hopper

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/edward_hopper.html#jxlTaccG6zDzOwWX.99



Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.

Edward Hopper

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/edward_hopper.html#jxlTaccG6zDzOwWX.99

"Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world. No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination. One of the weaknesses of much abstract painting is the attempt to substitute the inventions of the human intellect for a private imaginative conception. The inner life of a human being is a vast and varied realm and does not concern itself alone with stimulating arrangements of color, form and design. The term life used in art is something not to be held in contempt, for it implies all of existence and the province of art is to react to it and not to shun it. Painting will have to deal  more fully and less obliquely with life and nature's phenomena before it can again become great."

Edward Hopper

Yes, I'm thinking a lot about art today, about writing, about photography as an art form. Where do I belong in art? What am I writing about? What do I wish to express?
I got turned on to Hopper because of a comment made on Facebook about one of my pictures I posted, "Where's Edward Hopper when you need him?" I took that statement as a slam. Of course I take everything as a slam. I wrote back, "Who's Edward Hopper?" ANOTHER friend spoke up, "You don't know who Edward Hopper is? Shame on you Woody!" And again I took offense to that remark . . . plus the fact that my friend spelled my name wrong. IT'S W-O-O-D-I-E, damn it!

But after I threw a private fit - my "friends" can be so pretentious sometimes - I decided to do a little research on the guy, and yes, I know WHO the guy is . . . okay, or least, I know one of his paintings, Nighthawks. And, yes, it is a favorite painting, though in all honesty, I don't think about it all the time.

And having read his biography, I realized I have a lot in common with this artist. His attitude towards art, his rather reclusive behavior . . . yeah, a lot in common with this guy. I found that Hopper quote about art on Wikipedia. Even though it's about painting, it really hit home to me about art in general. I need yet to discover my point of view, my 'voice" as a professor once said to me.

So it's Art walk tonight. Got my camera already to go. Taking shots tonight with the conscious 

idea of making pieces of art. Not just what I "see" but what my heart and mind see. Does that make sense? You see, I've been caught for awhile now between what I think an artist should create and what I as an artist want to create. For example, I want to take pictures that are not just pictures of a thing or a person but expresses something more. I like the idea of distorting pictures, using black and white, and color, and a mixture of both color and monochrome. like in this picture on the left.

So, my goal is to start discovering my voice as a photographer AND a poet. I wanna start doing things my way and not the way everybody tells me I should do it, DAMN IT! :)