this morning i woke up slowly to a silent house. Today was different than what has become usual - the last week is a fog of hauling myself weary out of early bed, slinging my overalls heavy with tools across my shoulders, and heading off towards the hardware store with two notebooks under my arm, plans buzzing in my head and the cell phone already ringing. Today I let myself sleep in. When I woke up, i fed the dog and we walked out into the sunny and strangely quiet day so i could buy a packet of tobacco and an ice cream sandwich. What a great holiday. What a great life.
This simple joy led me back, even in my momentary vacation state, to thinking about the American disease of plenty and the way we are all trained to seek out excess as a way of life. Seeking to sell my work and entering a world of commerce so fully has only served to sever me from the idea of monetary value. This is of value, this peace, this time. Everything else is just a dance, being clever.
The last month+ has been a frenzied whirlwind and I haven't been keeping up this record. Miranda Caroligne and I have entered into a business partnership and re-launched Pandora's Trunk as a collective storefront/studio space on Haight St in San Francisco. It's amazing how fast the project has come together, and how many hands are now pitching in to heave forwards towards the opening.
We are opening our doors to the public on Friday but not beginning sales until Saturday. Come again? We are throwing a party on Buy Nothing Day, also known in the retail industry as Black Friday - it's the single biggest shopping day of the year. We'll be installing artwork and stocking indie fashion into our newly constructed store (made out of almost all salvaged materials and elbow grease) and would love to show you our work and talk about the store - but if you want to buy something you'll have to come back Saturday. It's Buy Nothing Day!
It's a strange way to enter the retail community but we are excited about the effort.
In progress pictures of pandora's trunk construction
what else have i been up to? I went to new york and saw dear friends get married, punched a boor in the face, made new acquaintances and renewed old. In the process of starting the store i have finally learned how to Act Like A Businessperson and am doing ok at it. I am an official grownup. I made an impossibly beautiful pair of wings out of metal using computers. you can see some pictures of them in this photoset.
you know, the usual.
