From Hard Drives to Poster Prints
I am about to have my very first “showing.” It sounds so fancy. Like I’m about to be officially initiated into the art world. But really it’s just me doing the work, like anybody anywhere showing up to do their jobs. It just so happens that my work is storytelling — playing with words and images — and sharing it with others.
The Artist Co-op
How did this showing come about? Well it began with The Artist Co-op (TAC), to which I am a member. TAC is an amazing little nonprofit that provides work space and rehearsal space for performing artists, disruptors, and content creators (like me). It’s actually where I found YOU — the amazing Steemians. Michael Lee and Kirk Frenkel from Sndbox came to the co-op telling us about the organic reach of the Steemit community. I had fallen out of love with social media, tired of singing into an echo chamber. I'd see my husband’s Facebook feed and say, “I didn’t know our friend was performing in that play, or I didn’t know that XYZ band was in NYC.” The reason I didn’t know was because Facebook just didn’t think I needed to. Silly social media.
Introduced to the Sndbox
So when the Sndbox guys came around and introduced us to steem, I was hooked. This was my community: artists, rebels, adventurers! I had to join. I’d learn. I’d go crypto. I’d blog into the Steemian Universe! Wait … we were talking about the showing. I got off track there. I just get so excited about steem. Anyway…
TAC asked if I would show some of my photography in their first-ever fundraising gala and to let them know what I’d like to present. I was honored and pondered for several days about what I wanted to do. Finally, I had an idea.
There are a row of ten second-hand mirrors of different styles and sizes that line a wall at the co-op. I asked if I could maybe use five of them to “frame” my photographs for the gala. I have been working on a series now about windows for sometime. I thought it may be neat to look up at these mirrors and see them transformed into windows. I showed some of my work to the coordinator for the gala and he said, “Don’t just take five, take ALL TEN!”
“Really?” I asked. “Ten? Is that really okay? I’m not taking over the space or anything?”
“No! These are great. You have to.”
Curating Is Seriously Hard
I knew it would cost me more money to print my work, and it had been a long time since I actually printed anything. I have been publishing online for so long, and print is a different medium. But maybe ten photos would be a little easier to narrow down than five. So, I agreed.
I was wrong.
Ten is JUST as hard as five!
My photographic series is entitled “Storytelling in Windows” and covers a lot of themes and has roughly 100 photos. One theme harkens back to the Romantic Era and how things we see from windows or a frame take on a special romanticized idea. Another theme illustrates the illumination of one’s ideas, like halos behind a creator. How could I give a cohesive showing pulling from different photographic themes?
Getting Over Doubt
I got help. I asked for a lot of opinions. And finally, finally, finally, I had it narrowed down to ten. But now there was a little voice in my head wondering: do they effectively tell a story? I am a storyteller. Words and pictures are my tools. Could I really do this with these ten photos.
I asked my husband to look at my final ten. What did he think? He thought they were great. And then he saw it. In my eyes. Worry.
“Don’t do that,” he said. “Don’t start doubting your talent.”
“I’m not doubting,” I half-lied. He didn’t believe me anyway. “I just want to do a good job. Will presenting these ten be a good job?”
“Yes,” he said. “They are a great job.”
I hate to admit sometimes that I’m afraid. I really hate it. I feel that if I admit it, it gives fear power or something, and that if I ignore it, it won’t have a hold on me. But that’s just nonsense. Once you call fear out, you can face it — whatever it is. Facing a fear is building courage. Ignoring it is building cowardice. Dang it. I had to be courageous.
Meeting My Fate
The gala is this Thursday, October 19. I have selected my ten stories (my ten photos). I have also selected a number of images to place on thick Moo postcards for people to buy. I now just have to pull the trigger, print them, place them, stand next to them, and say, “These are my stories.” Nothing will stop me. I will be there and they will hang there. I’ll meet my fate head on. Because to not do it, to resist the pain and promise of it all, would be to deny my very self, and that’s worse than any old stage fright ever is.
(All the images in this post didn’t make the cut for the ten … but they still get to shine anyway. With steem.)