Today, on Facebook............

The way that Facebook can be used is pretty interesting. For example, Art Critic,Jerry Saltz has a Facebook page where he acts much more as a moderator or host. His wall post functions as questions to stimulate dialog between his legion of loyal friends numbering in the thousands.

Today on Jerry's Facbook page the Wall asks:" Many women have brought up what it takes to be an artist AND a mother. Women who are mothers and artists, speak. Other than obvious time-money career issues, what do we need to know? Does the inner-narrative, outer ambition, or necessity change? Does the vision-quest alter, the goals different? Does a new crystal appear, an old one dim?"

One friend responded: "The level of vulnerability I now feel in this world is shocking. Totally unexpected I feel the need for art greater than ever...as a way of being. in a weird way art has become more real to me. Hard to explain but having a child... the space that art is is listening even more intently. I feel more empowered, less materialistic. Very exciting. Spohia is bringing down the walls"

Another friend's comment read: "Just want to reiterate that Iris Anna Regn and I have been addressing family life and creative practice questions in a long-term multi-prong project called BROODWORK. Please feel free to become a fan and continue the discussion there as well. We'd also like to be informed about parents who make work that we can consider for future exhibitions. We have also just started a discussion topic regarding this: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=104238&uid=81199101134 "

The Comments from friends had begun to 3- dimensionalize the page. Connectedness among such a large group regarding the questions from an array of perspectives had allowed for any friend of his page to engage in not only receiving but giving information. Thus, creating a rather robust and complex answer to the question, that not only resulted in the telling of personal stories, but the exchange of knowledge and resources.
Jerry Saltz's Facebook page is an engaged and actively connected network-living and breathing.

It was also like my Oprah:)

What to Write

This is my fifth attempt at writing something beyond hello world. I find myself as sheepish and shy in confronting this blog as I am in talking to a man I have a horrible crush on- tongue-tied, awkward, and generally stating things of little or no importance. I should state that I could perhaps be clever and have a blog about the art world, or arts management, or museum/art education, but quite frankly, I feel that the idea of having a blog addressing those issues when so many others do the same, and a good job of it, would not only be repetitive, but would feel like more of a chore than engaging scholarly discourse.

I guess in writing this blog, I am determining it's function in a very organic way. For one, Snarp, Stuff, and Things is soo non specific, that it is difficult to align it with other blogs, websites, or any general online material that maybe related. I am sure if I just put the word art in the title of the blog, there would be a lot more data cross referencing that could be done, it would be easier for people to find and read my blog, but at this point, I have no interest in creating a readership. Rather, I would like to freely play with the medium, crafting language and gaze, and moving on from there.

With that said, I do journal, and I feel rather old school about it. The act of writing with a pen and paper seems like a much more fluid, and less abrasive physical act then stroking the keyboard. There is something to be said about being able to scratch something out and there be evidence of it, rather than pressing a delete button, and a mistake or error being erased forever. Being able to read the emotion from the pressure of the pen to paper or the slanted angles on the letter. Journaling for me is direct, and leaves traces of information that the hyper mediation of the computer does not reveal. Journaling is personal, meditative, informative, introspective, and nuanced.

Blogging is....well, I am not quite sure what it is yet. But there is potential of what it can be and as I figure out what and how to write, I think it will become more clear. For good measure, I am including this link http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/02/05/what-is-a-blog/ which gives multiple answers to the question, "What is a Blog". Although a dated question, it still is an important one to ask in considering the content you would like to provide. I guess one of the best answers is a blog is dependant on what you write. So now, what to write............

Hello World!

Thank God for spell check.