Monday, March 12, 2007

One Hundred Reasons


One hundred pennies makes a dollar. One hundred years is a century. One hundred degrees Fahrenheit (and no rain) makes a desert.

I'm not ready for this. I'm not alone either. We got virtually no rain all winter and this week we're expecting triple digit temperatures. There's a fire burning in Orange County as I type this. And it's not fire season. Not nearly.

Every March, we find ourselves starting preparations for summer. The rainy season is over and the windy one begins to taper off. We repaint the pool deck and hang shades. We feed our plants and rearrange to protect them. We get out our swimsuits and flippers and goggles.
And hats. Always with the hats...
We sit outside and watch spectacular sunsets, drink a bit of wine and prepare ourselves mentally for the hell to come by reminding ourselves how much we enjoyed the winter.
But, this year, winter never came to the desert. And welcoming our guests to Tatooine isn't so funny at the moment. Not so funny when reports say that in the near future billions will die because of lack of water.


Does this make art less important? No. People who seek meaning always will, regardless of circumstances. Art will always help humanity express itself.


But...damn.

This is one of those questions I look forward to exploring on the Poppet Planet forums, of which there are four:

Inner Workings---Where we can talk about the creative process.


Nuts and Bolts---Where we discuss the practical aspects of creating--techniques and tools.


The Machine---Where we explore the world than influences us.


Spare Parts---For all the odd things that fall between.


Funny thing, aspects of this question could be discussed on any or all of these forums. I believe we chose them well. This will be a place where you can ask me specific questions and where you can share your ideas with each other. Ideally, you'll find inspiration here and possibly even like- minded souls to collaborate with.


*****


Ravyn is working now on POT (poppet on tour) pages. We already have a number of photos people have sent in. I look now at the Poppet Who Lives on My Desk. She (funny how they seem to choose their own genders) is a constant and unflinching reminder to try to look frankly at all that I see, including myself.
Ravyn has told me I must send her my 'wish list' for POT. I know that one of them is a Poppet viewing the Constitution of the US. I know there are lots of Poppets in the DC area. The dreamer in me envisions them finding each other on Poppet Planet, and going on a road trip to see the monuments with Poppetvision...

It could happen.

But, for now I must get to the studio. There is work to be done. Book covers (above, me with one in progress) and carnival pieces.
Even with the sun beating down.
Even with doom and idiocy on every channel.
Even with fearing for my children's futures.
But mostly, with an unerring faith that the work will show the way.

And, with a Poppet in my apron pocket. Because, with a little help, I can name one hundred reasons to keep going.

I really look forward to hearing yours.

In the meantime, did everyone see the Neil Gaiman mention on Adult Swim? Soon, our author will be too cool for his shoes.

EDIT: Here is the mention, on Snap Judgments which, it turns out, is a sort of cool site.

And, to Rebecca (Jordan's Mom) who will be our General Moderator for the forums, and is now quite ill with an extra evil sort of flu, much and many wishes for feeling better soon.

Now. Off to the studio we go.








9 comments:

Holly said...

my list is up to 37, but I'll have to finish it tomorrow as it's time to go to the gym

chrisa511 said...

Get well soon Rebecca! My thoughts are with you.

The world can definitely be a scary thing at times. I've found that you really have to live day by day, but like that's easy to do :/

And I'll be the one who asks ;) Which book cover does that beautiful painting belong to? If you can say that is.

Dan Guy said...

The five poppets in my care make frequent trips to D.C. Right now they are crowding around a yeti, though.

What was the Adult Swim mention?

lisa said...

Hi Dan---just found it on a blog and added it to the entry. It was on last night. Pretty funny stuff.

Mimi said...

Lisa, you're being so industrious, it's wonderful and I'm jealous. Very much looking forward to Poppet Planet! Also, I was jetlagged and watching Adult Swim. I saw it. :p

Love and rain and water to you and everybody in the desert.

xxx

Anonymous said...

The forum sounds great. Look forward to it!

Otherkin said...

I have a working list of fifty things I have to do before I die, which is the same thing as a list of reasons to keep going, I guess.
But I have a plan: I'm going to add a new one for every thing I accomplish, and then I'll have to live forever!
->insert mad genius laugh here<-
I'm very much looking forward to playing on Poppet Planet. Beautiful work in the photo, btw!

Derek Ash said...

Get better soon Rebecca. The FFF needs you!

I can't imagine what could possibly be going on with all the weird weather phenomena around the world. Surely we humans are too puny and insignifigant to enact the kind of change that would influence something like that?

I think maybe the winter in California decided to come to Maine because the winter in Maine was slacking off for a very long time, and now the two are having a competition to see who can make it colder and more miserable here.

Just a thinkin'.

Holly said...

did I mention I get easily distracted? well anyway, here are my reasons

http://neve-regina.livejournal.com/49833.html