I just finished listening to Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Curry. This excerpt of the book description says it best:

“…exploring the daily obstacles and rituals of women who are artists–painters, composers, sculptors, scientists, filmmakers, and performers. We see how these brilliant minds get to work, the choices they have to make: rebuffing convention, stealing (or secreting away) time from the pull of husbands, wives, children, obligations, in order to create their creations.…”

So many of these women struggled with balancing the needs of family, lovers, etc etc…and yet they were pulled along, by something internal, to create. To express. To make their singular mark on the universe.

I think that is utterly cool. And it’s what I want to do as well. Not so much for the universe or posterity, when I won’t be around to see it. But I want to create for now, right now, and the near future, and whatever future comes after that. I want to make way for the surfacing of joy.

So much of my writing on this blog has been about rage, American rage at horrific people in power and the complicit citizens who elect them. This morning, I was looking back at my posts and thinking: but, what about creativity, which is my first love and likely to be my last? What about the fact that, when people ask me what my purpose is in life, I tell them: joy bringer. I’m here to bring joy. In all its random, unexpected forms.

So, I’m taking gentle steps to dial back on the rage (which is completely justified) and refocus on joy. That means that you, dear reader, will get to enjoy my attempts at all kinds of things, from art to music, to writing to video. It’s actually so liberating! I still care deeply about my wounded, dopey, oblivious country. But, I can support great efforts to change things in progressive directions, and I can fulfill my own joyous ambitions as well.

I believe that making art is both a blessing to yourself, maybe to others and a blow against the Empire. They don’t want a world in which there is an internet we can use to learn and grow and create. The generosity of that is anathema to them. I like the idea of being that powerful and doing what I want to do anyway, lol!

So, make something you’ve been putting off. Get it out there. Don’t get too caught up in the tools. So much of the time I’m more focused on what tools to set up to publish…what? To publish nothing because I had it the process backward. Make it first. Share it next. Onward!