Inspiration Is For Amateurs
PG was listening to an interview with a fiction writer. Someone said “Inspiration is for amateurs.” PG has always been more impressed by action than beliefs, and this phrase made sense. This repost is a good excuse to post some more pictures from The Library of Congress.
The phrase is from a painter named Chuck Close. His output is expensive, and widely enjoyed. A spinal injury left him paralyzed, but did not stop him from producing. Here is the full quote about inspiration:
“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”
A man once made pottery. It was said that the man only worked with passion, and that if he didn’t feel this passion he did not work. When PG heard that, his thought was that if PG worked that way, he would never finish anything. Most of the sticker pictures take a while to finish. PG always gets tired of the picture before it is through. The idea is to go to the studio, start to do stuff, and before long the enthusiasm will return. Any image requires a certain amount of time with the belly pressed against the work table, or the digital equivalent.
The formula for writing is ass plus chair. A teacher once said to not stare at the blank page, waiting for a bolt of lightening. Start to write something, and the ideas will start to sputter out of the pipeline.
It is not enough to have a bright idea. You have to work the problems out. Sometimes, you spend more time finding out what does not work, than what does. You have to do it wrong before you can do it right. Genius is ninety nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration. If any cliches have been overlooked, please add them to the comments.
One thing that is helpful is to be focused. The internet can be a problem. When you should be thinking about your product, it is very tempting to see the latest on Facebook or Twitter.
The Shepherd
PG woke up slowly. It was the first saturday after a week on the new assignment. Saturday is different when you are busy the rest of the week.
The night before had produced a meme poem for trifecta. It was fun. The process of creating these text images gets better the more you do. Last night, the dog pictures were re-edited so the text didn’t cover the paws. This product for this morning features gray letters. Black and white is so harsh, both in race relations as well as graphics.
“The Shepherd” was written by William Blake. It is not known if Allen Ginsberg tripped out over this poem. Some say the Shepherd is really Jesus. PG thinks this is tmi. The text for this production is courtesy of Project Gutenberg.
There were yard sale ads all over the neighborhood. There were balloons rising from the mailbox three doors down, and cars parked everywhere. PG decided it was his neighborly duty to go visit.
It turns out the man of the house had passed away, and his wife was in a retirement home. PG did not know any of this. He asked if the lady was in an old folks home, and was told that this was an offensive expression. Some times you learn two things every day.
When mister and missus moved into the house in 1966, PG was the first person from the neighborhood to talk to them. They did not run away in horror. There was a privacy fence in the back yard, next to the creek where PG played as a kid. When you are younger, the concept of private property is not obvious.
Thirty Trayvons
The names in these pictures are children. They lived in Pakistan. They were killed by the United States. Unmanned aircraft routinely fly over Pakistan and kill people. There is no risk to any United States military personnel.
The background pictures are from a neighborhood fall festival. This is life in the United States. Some say that the children in Pakistan are killed to preserve this way of life. Kill them over there before they come kill us here.
Last year, a young man was killed in a Florida town. An enormous outcry was heard about this death. Pictures of the deceased were on every television set in America. Every one of the names in this feature is a young person, killed by an American citizen. Pictures of these children will not be seen on American television. If the POTUS had a son, he would not look like one of these children.
The Voice Of William Blake
In 1948, Allen Ginsberg was staying in Harlem. Things were not going well in his life. One night, he read “Ah, Sunflower,” by William Blake. He thought the voice of Mr. Blake was reading the poem for him. Later, something similar happened with “The Sick Rose.” Here is a tmi version of the story.
Sixty odd years later, PG is trying to recreate this incident. Instead of reading the work, PG is posting the lines at the feet of dogs. Instead of a Harlem building, with fancy brickwork, PG is in a Brookhaven house. The house was built in 1954. The sky above is the same, both for Harlem and Brookhaven.
Perhaps the strangest bit of synchronicity involves the first paragraph of this text. PG had finished with the meme poem. The third game of the world series was on the tv, seen on a mirror behind the monitor. As PG typed the words “The Sick Rose,” a St. Louis player hit a ground ball. The fielder threw the ball to home plate, and a runner was tagged out. The catcher threw the ball to third base, and the ball got behind the baseman. The runner started to run, and got tripped by the third baseman. Even though he was tagged by the catcher, the umpire ruled that his being tripped made him safe. Is this as weird as hearing the voice of a dead English poet in a Harlem apartment?
Mr. Blake liked to illustrate his own work. Here is what he did for “The Sick Rose.” Whether using dogs is an improvement is a matter for smart people to decide. The text of these poems is copied from the Gutenberg Project. They are happy to get donations.
Springfield Colorado
The Library of Congress has some pictures from Baca County, Colorado. This is in the southeast corner of the state, bordering Oklahoma and Kansas. In the summer of 1936, a drought committee had a meeting in the county seat, Springfield.
Seventy two years later, an actress playing Sarah Palin said “I can see Russia from my back porch.” In all fairness, the politician never said that. The buzz about this joke led this blog to do a bit of research.
Alaska and Russia are less than 3 miles apart at their closest point in the Bering Strait where two islands, Russia’s Big Diomede Island and Alaska’s Little Diomede Island, are located. In winter it is possible to walk across the frozen Bering Strait border between these two islands. … Alaska is a big place. It has ten times the land mass of Georgia, with less population than Gwinnett County. There is a town on Little Diomede Island called Diomede. It checks in at 65°N 168°W. (For our purposes today, we are going to ignore minutes and seconds) The town of Wasilla is the home of Sarah Palin. It can be found at 61°N 149°W . Diomede is four degrees north of Wasilla, and Nineteen degrees west.
Lets put this in local terms. Atlanta is 33°N 84°W . According to the atlas, 37°N 103°W is the point where New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma come together. This is Baca County. It is as far from Atlanta as Wasilla, Alaska, is from Russia. You cannot see Colorado from your back porch.
Because They Are Obscene
Twitter is a tool. You can use it in any way you like. Don’t be disappointed if people don’t always see your message. It does have less nonsense than facebook. It is not as great as some people claim. A blogger looking for material can find it useful. During some events, it can be a terrific source of up to the minute information. @chamblee54 ~ A follower of Meher Baba wrote a wonderful book, with a terrible title. “How to choose a guru.” ~ I am not a horse designed by a committee ~ I am going to the Duluth Fall Festival. I don’t think it will be like the Folsom Fair. ~ You looked well recovered last night. Of course, you wrote this on the 16th. Never mind. ~ The opposite of pro is con. Only trouble is, provention is a nonsense word. Maybe what we need is a constitutional prevention. ~ Michael is presenting himself as a healer. Some people look at the work he does as a form of glorified prostitution. Michael is trying to dispell that notion. Somehow, a picture of Michael wearing a shirt that says “for rent” might send the wrong message. ~ Maybe these flowers are feeding on all that other “fertilizer”. ~ You mean there is no Santa Claus? ~ The items you need from a store are often just an excuse to go out. ~ The tragedy of alcohol in tribal communities makes these costume *parties* a cruel irony. ~ As highly as most people value intercourse, it really doesn’t say much that you would “not give a fuck”. ~ I was in in the public restroom – I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice in the other stall: “Hi, how are you?” Me: embarrassed, “Doin’ fine!” Stall: “So what are you up to?” Me: “Uhhh, I’m like you, just sitting here.” Stall: “Can I come over?” Me: (attitude) “No, I’m a little busy right now!!” Stall: “Listen, I’ll have to call you back. There’s an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions! ~ Windy City Media Group does not approve or necessarily agree with the views posted below. Please do not post letters to the editor here. Please also be civil in your dialogue. If you need to be mean, just know that the longer you stay on this page, the more you help us. ~ A guy knocks on your door and wants to burn your house down. You say no. He asks if he can burn just the second floor. You say no. Can he burn the garage? No. He wants to burn the shed. No. So he gets all pissed and says you are unwilling to negotiate. ~ There is also the racial aspect. The powers that be know that if they get white people and black people fussing at each other, then the people will not notice the government screwing everybody. ~ is that masc or mask? ~ The six panels above were created as an entry in the Trifecta writing challenge. The first five panels are linked to this site. The contest of Friday, October 4, 2013, is week eighty eight. This is considered a lucky number by some. The post is a response to the picture to the left of this text. This is not usually considered an omen of good luck. The picture was supplied by poisonedplayground.com. Panel six, and this postscript, are linked to this site. ~ “And like Honey Badger, he don’t give a shit about you.” When Honey Boo Boo gives a shit, she gift wraps it. ~ “What are you going to do with this picture?” “Paste in a picture of Sarah Palin.” “That’s not funny.” ~ Ditto, with one change. I would substitute “nonsense of community busy bodies” for “world-changing ambitions of idealists”. Neither party seems to care about collateral damage. ~ If you leave the spicy fruitcake out in the rain, please don’t write a song about it. ~ I am having a grand time today perpetrating photo mischief. The rest of the world may be a disaster, but the universe on my screen is a colorful delight. GIMP is a free download. All you have to lose is your time and your sanity. ~ Not to be nit picky, but I believe the movie starts at six. Is this another event? As fate would have it, I will not be able to attend. ~ Why was the blonde’s belly button bruised? Because her husband was a blonde too. ~ Why does Dr. Pepper come in a bottle? His wife died. ~ What do you call a blonde skeleton in a closet? Last years hide and seek winner. ~ What is the difference between a light bulb and a pregnant woman? You can unscrew the light bulb. ~ What was the other 28% of the chocolate? ~ Didn’t Trayvon Martin have an Arizona Iced Tea product that fateful night? ~ What do you call a blonde skeleton in the closet? The winner of last year’s hide and seek competition. ~ The real estate agent got a surprise when he showed the closet to a prospective buyer. Inside was the skeletal remains of last years hide and seek champion. ~ Are you getting your holidays confused? Are you going to be telling ghost stories during the Valentine’s day season next year? ~ “the construction manager at risk for the project.” There is a lot of risk in this project. ~ Brad Majors was upset when the car got back from the garage. The rotting meat loaf in the back seat was the worst thing he had ever smelled. ~ You can tune a piano, but you can’t tune a lacuna ~ The pale faced man came out of the basement, and said “what are you doing to my home?” At that point the wreckers ball distributed the contents of his head across the front yard. ~ If a person defriends you because of gossip, were they ever a friend to begin with? ~ There are many things I learned at my mother’s knee… or some other low joint. ~ There is also rejecting something that you know too much about. ~ This screen shot says a lot about having a job. It was a facebook coincidence from earlier today. The names have been deleted. ~ Ronald McDonald is making a personal appearance at the new restaurant on Buford Hiway at 1pm. ~ Atlanta moved Pride to October because a drought made using the park in June untenable. The protest against corporatization is appreciated, though. ~ a” professional conference for addiction counselors” would seem to be similar to a gay pride parade. Without the drag queens and leather bois. ~ Billy Krystal was the opening act. ~ It always concerns me when a dog lifts it’s leg in a swimming pool. ~ I assume you mean the journalist. ~ The lollipop and the napkin match. ~ I wonder what he looked like when not lip sync-ing. ~ You might also want to follow: @SRLP The Sylvia Rivera Law Project ~ This article had little to do with TED talks. Misleading titles are part of the faux-creativity game. If Mr. Frank (or the Salon gatekeepers) had been honest, and said that this was about books, fewer people would have paid attention. ~ “When you are discontent you are always wanting more and people who have what you want become adversaries. ” Am I correct that there should be a comma after “more”? That sentence would make a lot more sense that way. ~ If those guys are really regular, why are they so full of shit? ~ The pie was 69 cents. A reporter had to explain to Ms. Bryant why that was so funny. ~ As long as he has pictures of himself on the cover. ~ Most of those types need a high fiber diet, rather than constipating yogurt. ~ Maybe it is a piano. ~ That was a faulty translation. Jeeziepoo did not say to take the plank out of your eye. He said to take the purple flowers off of your head. ~ If you don’t respectfully engage people, then you will never change how they feel. ~ You don’t like labelism. ~ There is usually more action in the Republican primary. ~ The districts are gerrymandered to favor one party or another. This is the legacy of the Voting Rights Act. ~ If you prefer to use the Olde English meme, then that is OK. ~ Leave a one word comment on how we met. Then paste this to your wall so I can Leave a one word comment on how we met. ~ “Van Gogh witcha bad self!” Only one ear is visible. ~ Is any of that stuff left? ~ Can I get a bag of that? ~ For those who say nothing good ever comes of war, look at Kennesaw Mountain. In any other city KM would be covered with development. Instead, it is a total green space, just a mile north of the Big Chicken. Was it worth the lives of the men who died in that battle? No. But, if they were going to die anyway, we might as well get a green park out of it. ~ There is a video embedded in that post. It is both sick and hilarious. I was editing pictures of dogs while I listened to it. Life is good. ~ Dispute the belief Love the believer Let someone else hate. ~ Maybe they think they are saying desert. ~ Dandy and Speck, did y’all collaborate on that last comment? ~ a multiple choice question ~ this sounds like a rip off ~ As an old fogie in training, I am not up on all the latest phrases. There is supposed to be a drug with the nickname Molly. ~ My books are being thrown out of school libraries all over the country—because they’re supposedly obscene. I’ve seen letters to small-town newspapers that put Slaughterhouse Five in the same class with Deep Throat and Hustler magazine. Kurt Vonnegut ~ “feel the same pain” use more lube, and relax ~ There is a Kiwi who goes to SMS. He plays ABBA songs on the ukelele. ~ Then you get Beytreyed ~ The Monkees said it better in “Last Train To Clarksville” No no no no, no no no no. Drop the no-nor business and it works. ~ When the Voting Rights Act was taken down by SCOTUS, the liberal talking points went out to denounce the decision. The truth is, there was a need for the VRA, but it caused as many problems as it solved. ~ Selah
Free Bacon
There was a tweet. Perspicacious One @JessSmith_TPC LOLOLOL Can’t make this stuff up @EWErickson President’s Speech Defending Obamacare Nearly Kills Innocent Woman http://shar.es/ES3kQ. The link is to a story, President’s Speech Defending Obamacare Nearly Kills Innocent Woman. The medium is something called The Washington Free Beacon. Free Bacon is a typo.
TWFB has some interesting stories. When PG was a kid, his mother said story when she meant lie. One entertaining example is Pro-Iranian Regime Journalist Defends Controversial Tweet Former translator for Ahmadinejad called WSJ editor ‘Iranian House Negro’. The offending tweeter owns a fashion blog, the house of Majd. Rumors that Mr. Ahmadinejad is a model cannot be confirmed.
A more believable story is Netanyahu’s Mission: To Head Off Iran Sanctions Relief. The thought of a deal between Iran and the West is very troubling to Israel. An important distraction to the Palestinian tragedy would be removed by the rehabilitation of Iran. One interesting section of the story mentions 911 labor supplier Saudi Arabia. “Saudi Arabia, another key U.S. ally in the Middle East, is also deeply worried about any sign of a deal between Washington and the kingdom’s arch-rival, Iran.”
Free Bacon is the order of the day in the last story we will look at. USDA Celebrates Forcing Kids to Try Kale, Chard, Collard Greens. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extolled a local elementary school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for making its students try broccoli gratin, Tuscan kale, and beet hummus, as an example of the department’s efforts to fight obesity.” Photographs today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Brookhaven Arts Festival
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. The air was cool. The Falcons won. Before you knew it four o’clock arrived. It was too late to go the festival downtown. PG threw a few layers on, put air in his tires, and took off to downtown Brookhaven.
The Brookhaven Arts Festival is not that big. PG chained his bike to a telephone pole, and took off on foot. Before long, he heard the band, GLOW. They were playing “Joy to the world”. A few nights before, PG met someone named Jeremiah at a party. “You don’t look like a bullfrog”.
The stage was the site of a pre-Marta recording studio. A phantom mirrored ball spun overhead as the band played “Boogie Oogie Oogie”. GLOW is a gaggle of singers, backed by guitar, bass, and keyboards. The third number was “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The lady singer got higher than Freddie Mercury ever dared. Mama, life has just begun.
GLOW finished playing. The MC said the festival was over. PG started to ride down Peachtree View, past the site of the purple house. A parking garage is under construction now. The purple house had a purple van in front, with big green letters that said “Greedy Developers Suck”.
Dinner, at the Swallow and Suffer, followed the festival. There was an unexpected twist. PG got veal parmesan, instead of chicken fingers. Sometimes, you need to try new things. Uzi said the next step would be signing up for cable television.
PG had looked for the health department paperwork on the way in, and found an open Bible instead. The HD score was behind the cash register. You don’t see it until you are ready to leave. The score, eighty one, should have been ninety. The cook was wearing a watch. Nine points were taken off.
Chamblee54 
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