Inspiration

I have always been a big proponent of 'Don't Use It Lose It' in regards to my body but for some reason forgot about my mind.  Ha.  I am not saying I stopped learning okay maybe a little or not absorbing as much knowledge as I could in different aspects of my life.  Example I would say I am not a writer, even a bad writer.  Well I am, only because I have labeled myself that way and didn't try to change that.  So here it is, me changing.  I am going to learn to write better.

http://saskiapouwels.nl/index.php?project=project6

I am beginning with snagging text for projects.  I was fortunate enough to receive a grant from TACA called the Master Artist Apprentice Program.  It is so awesome in so many ways but number one way is getting to know my Master (yes I call her Master or Master in Commander)  Nance Cooley.  The text snagging is my homework with Nance.  She keeps and has encouraged me to keep workbooks of images and text, letting the ideas spill out on paper unedited.  Letting the ideas come, showing up everyday doing the work then being able to look back and see themes and ideas develop.

Life is full of surprises and we have to look out for them and appreciate them.  Learn to appreciate the little nuances that make life grand.  I have a few people on the out skits of my life that seem depressed and stuck in old depilating patterns.  I want to help but know that is not possible.  All I can say is change is inevitable.  Learn something new and challenge yourself.

 I am fascinated with learning more about Artist Joseph Beuys.  I love the spirit of his political art activism, his quotes or slogans still ring true today "Unity in Diversity" and "We do not need all that we are meant to buy today to satisfy profit-based private capitalism." Or this one is super awesome "Art that can not shape society and therefore also can not penetrate the heart questions of society, (and) in the end influence the question of capital, in not art."

Reading and studying Goya's War: Loa Desastres De La Guerra.  "One must be horrified by what one sees"  Looking for text and ways to talk about consumerism and excess better.  "…we should be horrified.  We should not just find this horrible we should be horrified.  We should protest, we should deplore.  We should take a moral position." (Susan Sontag- Regarding the Pain of Others)