That was not my life...

....It was just a weird detour.

Yesterday I finished a several week stint temping for a corporate place out in the burbs. I was waking up at 5am and getting home by about 7pm each day. It was torture because I had no time to make anything or work in my gallery. I'm never going to live in the burbs again. It was fine for my childhood, when I didn't know better and my life was just going to school anyway, but it is a soul-suck now. I was working at a place that encouraged me to "slow down" and "check my email" and "relax on the internet" because I was too efficient. This from the bosses. I don't get it. But I don't have to because it's over.

Now I can get back to the business at hand. My friend, Helen Maurene Cooper, just had her show open at my gallery, The Midwives Collective & Gallery. I'm so proud of her. I love her work. I loved curating her work together. We conducted an artist talk/Q&A today, and I thought it went really well. I didn't sound stupid. Christiana gave me the nicest compliment, saying I sounded like I was on NPR's Fresh Air. I only wish. But it was the greatest possible thing I could have heard post-Q&A. And Maurene is so smart, so inspirational, I'm just thrilled that I was able to produce this show and today's event with her. Things weren't as well attended as I'd have liked, but there were forces working against us, namely: (1) We were competing directly with First Friday, which we never do (we do Second Friday openings), (2) it was a holiday weekend and folks were out of the city visiting family for Easter, (3) apparently the Phillies played last night. So, while not as well attended, I'm still proud. I'm thankful too, to be getting back to my real life.

Next up Sarah and I have a lot of work to do for our June show and the subsequent launch of SquidWhale Designs. I'm very excited about this. I am so intent upon making this a success. I've decided I'm not going to go to grad school but use the things I'm doing now, like Midwives and SquidWhale, to make a life. I don't want to teach and that's all that would be available to me on the other side of a MFA. I'd rather be in the community, doing and making. I don't need a piece of paper to validate my life. I've got so many skills and tools that I can use, so I'm going to do that. It will be difficult, but it will also be extremely rewarding. I cannot wait!