Category: Uncategorized

Get Rid of the Fear – Your Creative Elusive Genius

Get Rid of the Fear – Your Creative Elusive Genius

I recently watched a TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, who talks about the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses.  She is the author of Eat, Pray, Love – and shares about how how unrealistic it is that everyone expects someone who is creative and has had success – to basically fail or break down in the next endeavor.

She shares an interesting idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius.

I am currently in the process of moving the Food Font project into a different direction, and am also starting a new project.  I often will have moments of panic – when I think about my “audience”  for Food Font.  What will they think if I move to partner Food Font with a tool instead of finishing building one? What if I do not do any more Food Font events?

With my new project, I think about – what will I do with this new work, and why would I return back to making objects?

This talk helped give me some courage, and I quietly and steadily continue with my work.

elizabeth-gilbert-at-ted

 

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA

 

 

 

Writing with Plants

Writing with Plants

This summer, some small plants started to appear on the side median of the street on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, NC.  At first glance, they look like random tufts of greenery.  However, if you walk by slowly you are able to read words made of plants that line the street medians.

PLANT

PLAY

ROOT

MADE WITH

NOT L8R

are some of the plant words that were planted in areas that do not have any bushes or greenery.

I tried looking online to see if there was any information about the plant writing- but to date I have not found anything online.

Seed bombing? Public art?  Social intervention? Gardening?  Poetry? If you are in the Chapel Hill area – make sure you walk sideways as you go down Franklin street, to check out the writing with plants.

 

IMG_5888 IMG_5885 IMG_5879 IMG_5889

Kbaumlier is featured in The Artist’s Library – A Field Guide

Kbaumlier is featured in The Artist’s Library – A Field Guide

A couple of years ago I participated in a project called the Library as Incubator Project.  Over 100 artists were asked to answer the question, “What does the phrase ‘library as incubator’ mean to you?”  I sent in a statement about my love of libraries and their role in my making process.

The cofounders and editors of the project, Erinn Batykefer and Laura Damon-Moore continued with the project and created a book that features some of the artist stories that they collected in order to suggest new ways that others can use the library to increase productivity, inspire new work, and support a creative life.

I am so honored to be in this book, and to have my writing and images featured in Chapter 3 – Using the Library for Creative Research.  What is so cool is that there are exercises with my section – that are meant for the reader to try. (Or I might just try them for a new side project I want to start.)

Here is the official description of the book from the book website:

“Creativity, like information, is free to everyone who steps into a library. An offshoot of the Library as Incubator Project, The Artist’s Library offers that an artist is any person who uses creative tools to make new things, and provides the guidance and resources to make libraries come alive as spaces for art-making and cultural engagement. The book draws attention to the physical and digital collections and resources that may be of particular use to artists and writers, provides ideas for art education opportunities within libraries, and offers practical how-tos for artists and libraries alike. From the crafty (pop-up books) to the community-minded (library galleries); the documentary (photo projects) to the technically complex (“listening” to libraries via Dewey decimal frequencies), the case studies included in the book feature artists, writers, performers, and libraries that embody the “library as incubator” spirit.”

Take a peek at the writing or exercise page below:  

photo (2)     photo (1)

Image Source and Links:

The Artist’s Library – A Field Guide – Coffee House Press

Youtube Video of the authors – The authors talk about libraries and artists

The Artist’s Library on Amazon

 

 

 

The Role of Media and Pace and Race

The Role of Media and Pace and Race

Recently I have begun to feel like information is going by even faster.  I can quickly find 50 interesting things that I like, find cross-posts of something I find interesting, or through links find my way into someone’s really interesting website.

Right now I spend my days with a couple of computers on my person.

Sometimes I love using Feedly and my iPad to look at posts and news.  Sometimes I want to “hoard” interesting things I find, and then post them here.

This blog has been a place where I have collected interesting things and reposted them – and also a place where I have written about something I have seen or attended.

I recently have been focusing on other projects and have not posted anything here since April.  The thing about having a website where you write about things or “blog” – is that there is pressure to create content, and keep it updated.

But what is the role of the site?  Who reads this?  Is this for me?  Can I take a break and be ok with it? Can I change the direction of this?

I will let you know.

 

 

Kbaumlier is featured in The Artist’s Library – A Field Guide

A couple of years ago I participated in a project called the Library as Incubator Project.  Over 100 artists were asked to answer the question, “What does the phrase ‘library as incubator’ mean to you?”  I sent in a statement about my love of libraries and their role in my making process.

The cofounders and editors of the project, Erinn Batykefer and Laura Damon-Moore continued with the project and created a book that features some of the artist stories that they collected in order to suggest new ways that others can use the library to increase productivity, inspire new work, and support a creative life.

I am so honored to be in this book, and to have my writing and images featured in Chapter 3 – Using the Library for Creative Research.  What is so cool is that there are exercises with my section – that are meant for the reader to try. (Or I might just try them for a new side project I want to start.)

Here is the official description of the book from the book website:

“Creativity, like information, is free to everyone who steps into a library. An offshoot of the Library as Incubator Project, The Artist’s Library offers that an artist is any person who uses creative tools to make new things, and provides the guidance and resources to make libraries come alive as spaces for art-making and cultural engagement. The book draws attention to the physical and digital collections and resources that may be of particular use to artists and writers, provides ideas for art education opportunities within libraries, and offers practical how-tos for artists and libraries alike. From the crafty (pop-up books) to the community-minded (library galleries); the documentary (photo projects) to the technically complex (“listening” to libraries via Dewey decimal frequencies), the case studies included in the book feature artists, writers, performers, and libraries that embody the “library as incubator” spirit.”

Take a peek at the writing or exercise page below:  

photo (2)     photo (1)

Image Source and Links:

The Artist’s Library – A Field Guide – Coffee House Press

Youtube Video of the authors – The authors talk about libraries and artists

The Artist’s Library on Amazon