Saying goodbye to this framed print ( for now)
Dropped off " Refinement Artists" and another of my pieces in Wausau for an exhibition at @cvawausau 🎉
I'm taking a short retreat here in Wausau to grab some rest, have dinner with a friend and get some sketches done that have been on the back burner.
Y'all I work non- stop on multiple levels and did I feel like I shouldn't be taking a 1 day break? - Yes
Do I deserve a break? Absolutely
Do I think I should be spending any money on myself when I don't really make any money? ( it's actually systems- MOST 👏OF 👏THEM 👏- you know the ones- that make me think it's me) - No
Things to think through: I am privileged to be able to fight hard for my dreams, the dreams of the my kids and the communities I serve. If I can use whatever skills, privilege and leverage I have to make life easier for other artists I do it. That means starting to disentangle my value from what capitalism tells me.
I still don't know how I'm doing that... Does anyone really?
I just know that if I don't take moments here and there like a fire without oxygen I will also end up burning out.
There are many people out there doing unpaid work that holds us together and like a friend recently said many of us do this work quietly, invisibly. What sort of culture allows us to feel like we don't deserve every bit of rest even for unseen work?
This piece " Refinement Artists" dreams of a world post fossil fuel use, but it's also a dream that frees us (read all organisms) from the very power structures that devalue most of our labor.
Catch y'all later I'm resting 😉 I encourage you to do something that restores you in whatever ways you need ❤️