Burst Reach #45
all of the things going on and some pouncepunk art
Hi hi hello hey
We’re officially halfway through February and therefore halfway through the Pouncepunk Art Challenge. I’ll share my four finished pieces throughout this newsletter. I’m enjoying how it’s going! I feel like I’ve been making some incredible work that is actually getting people’s attention. We have new folks participating for the first time, which is always exciting. It’s lovely! It’s also hopefully the beginning of a new direction with my work this year of making more intentional pieces. I don’t want to make “content,” I don’t want my art to be something people take a glance at and scroll past, I want people to stop and linger, to try to engage in some way with what they see. It feels like it’s working so far.
Currently: I am working two part time jobs now after getting offered some shifts at my favorite small art shop and choosing to cut my hours at the corporate bookstore. I’m also taking an adult ballet class, still going to play Digimon, working on some commissions, getting involved with a local co-op, and more. My free time and gym time are limited, but I’m doing my best. Two different people told me that just hearing how my schedule has been lately exhausts them, and don’t I know it. I just don’t know how to be idle?
Oh: reminder that Embodied Life Drawing is happening again at the Bristol Public Library later this month! I’ve also got another drawing session lined up for March, a collab with a local studio, but the official announcement for that will come later. I’m meeting with my Embodied partners later this week to discuss other potential projects too!
I’m trying to remain optimistic. About life, about the world, about a lot of things. It’s not easy. I keep remembering that I’m actually a really angry person who can’t do much of anything with that emotion. I know kindness and love have to be the way forward too. So again, I’ve just gotta keep trying my best.
I’m reading Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass and Jeff Vandermeer’s Absolution. Ashley and I have started watching the original UK version of Ghosts, since it has a slew of Taskmaster contestants on it, and it’s absolutely charming and hilarious. I’m in love with Kiell Smith-Bynoe’s physical acting, the faces he pulls are so good! I got a three month subscription to MUBI for a dollar, but have only watched one (1) Korean short film so far. I’m excited to dig more into it if/when I get the chance though.
I realized the funny, weird place I’m in, where I’m not really bothered trying to keep up with any pop cultural things right now. People have tried recommending that I watch, read, or play this or that and I just shrug. I want to watch weird artsy shit, I want to dance and make art, I want to read and try to write poetry, and I want to work out. I’m…turning into a pretentious jock I guess??? That’s fine! I think. I’m sticking to what interests me and the rest just doesn’t really register.
Oh, I have a few shows confirmed: next month is ETSU-Con, which I think I’ve already mentioned. I got rejected for the ArtStruck Festival in Johnson City in April, which is a bummer, but got accepted at the Kingsport Arts Festival the week before that. And the Saucers Over Appalachia Festival is returning this year! I just got my acceptance email for that yesterday! I’m planning on trying to change up my table setting this year too, we’ll see how that goes.
That’s it for now, I think.
Wait! I dropped a fifth piece for Pouncepunk today, here it is:
Only three left! And I’m starting on the final piece today!
Okay, NOW that’s it. Take care, y’all.