In the Dream's Last Deep Breath
As usual, I dreamt of libraries, books, and drawing realities.
(Digital)
I'm thinking about poetics today. It’s not going well. I often suspect my entire being is antithetical to written poetry, but I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe it’s because the images in my head are so abstract and so demanding, that when it comes to words I just want to get to the goddamn point.
I can’t decide if that’s a situation that needs changing.
The Glass Cage
Say you’ve fallen down a couple wiki rabbit holes in your day and you've wondered what it feels like to dissociate. You’re in luck! It feels like this:
(Digital)
Specifically, this is what depersonalization feels like. It’s like wearing yourself as a cheap Spirit Halloween costume. Except you can’t take you off and you can’t seem to convince anyone else that you’re not you. This experience can range in distress-impact from vaguely annoying to full-blown panic/rage/despair. It can also last a few hours or a few months. It's not pleasant.
But it can’t kill you, which is nice.
The Hanged Man (Sketch)
(Pencil on Paper)
Still working on Tarot drawings. I have to start painting soon for future shows, but the Tarot ideas are still shouting at me.
The Peopling
So. Much. Human. Contact.
(Digital)
The second night of the Tarot was delightful and we were lucky to have so many great artists, wonderful Tarot readers (the good Rev let me know I need way more sandwiches in my life), and many guests we were so honored to host. Many many thanks!
The gallery will be open for visitors the 15th - 19th, 5-10 and the 24th - 26th, 5-10.
The Flaming Sword
Most often, when I’m drawing, I’m also:
Listening to Small Town Murder (but not Crime in Sports because I only listen to that when I run out of STM and not Your Stupid Opinions because I learned the worst way possible that unexpected hysterics do not mix well with inking).
Watching a comfort show like Buffy or—these days—Supernatural.
Listening to Discworld books.
(Ink on Paper; in the little 365 book, page opposite folded)
There's a lot of Discworld and I’m only on the 10th book, Moving Pictures. In it, Pratchett writes:
“There's a lot of loose thinking about magic. People go around talking about mystic harmonies and cosmic balances and unicorns, all of which is to real magic what a glove puppet is to the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Real magic is the hand around the bandsaw, the thrown spark in the powder keg, the dimension-warp linking you straight into the heart of a star, the flaming sword that burns all the way down to the pommel. Sooner juggle torches in a tar pit than mess with real magic.”
(Ink on Paper; expanded fold out page)
I'm glad that I’ve finally gotten to Pratchett's world, though I wish I had gotten here earlier. I’m pretty sure he’s my favorite magician. I learned about magic by reading Moore, Morrison, Pollack, Crowley, and Carroll. They’ve all got their anarchist appeals. But none of them are nearly as delightful, funny, or enamored with being alive in the universe as Pratchett. Which makes me suspect he’s a far better role model.°
°to be fair, Rachel Pollack is a pretty great role model.