“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” -A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
Perhaps it is because we know our time on earth is finite. Humans have a tendency toward seeking instant gratification, the need to see results right now rather than waiting for the long game to play out. Sometimes that long game might go on far beyond our own lifetime, sometimes the actions we take today are only meant to impact the generations that come after us. Live as though there is no plan in place. As though it is up to us to create one and take the actions necessary to see that plan unfold, no matter how long it takes.
S Surface spoke to us from Seattle during the Coronavirus pandemic. Surface works in the Office of Arts and Culture running an art gallery called Arts at King Street Station. At the present moment, Surface is still busy planning for the future beyond the pandemic – working with artists who have already been accepted to exhibit on their upcoming events. The office has been forced to delay some events but have also been able to continue paying artists on a normal schedule thus far. During this time, Surface has also been helping out at with the administration of small business relief funding. In addition to all this, Surface continues to work on personal endeavors. To artists during this time Surface says to feel entitled to support if you need it but to be honest about whether perhaps you can step back at this time. Surface also says artists should not feel any obligation to be entrepreneurial during this global crisis. To hear more about those and more, listen to the complete interview.
Vladimir Palibrk spoke to us from Paris where he was busy with a number of things. Among them, collaborating with abstract street artists (he prefers the term muralists) who will eventually paint walls in the Balkans. Of course, this project is on hold during the Coronavirus pandemic. In the interim, they continue to plan. Palibrk is also writing a lot of late. Typically his writing is in the form of a diary or what he calls “philosophical fairy tales for lazy grown ups.” Palibrk has also joined a group of people living in a commune and now finds himself in what he refers to as a “front line squatting” situation. He continues to collaborate with the group who are all sheltering together during quarantine. To hear more from Palibrk, including why he says the present moment is proving to be the best time of his life, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Accepting the need for some amount of personal sacrifice for the good of our future world is a fundamental part of learning to be fully human.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. S Surface has been reading textbooks for her Architect Registration Exams in preparation for her own upcoming examination. Vladimir Palibrk is reading Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton
Deadlines
Artists interested in photography through the microscope are encourage to enter the Nikon Small World competition. There are two categories, Small World and Small World in Motion. Each offers a variety of cash prizes for selected artists. For more information and to enter, visit the website. Deadline is April 30.
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.