Don't have much to say right now. A little busy schooling.
Here's something to end your week to.

Happy Sunday

PressPausePlay

About 21 minutes into the movie Seth Godin begins to talk about how the industry is dead. This struck me as something not only very true, but something that instead of maybe discouraging me like it may to others, it gave me hope. The kind of hope that is going to keep me writing on this blog and creating art that makes me happy and posting it on my site. For those of you who have not seen the movie yet or do not know who Set Godin is, he's an author. Have I read any of his stuff?... no, but he seems interesting. (I need to read more). He starts off by simply stating he wrote about book called "Unleashing the Idea Virus" about ideas and how they spread and how good ideas get noticed. He went to his publisher in New York and said "here's my new book. You can publish it. But I want it out right away. And I want to post it online for free." After being denied free online publication and saying it could be out in a year, he went ahead and posted his book online anyway. After 5+ million downloads, he started getting emails saying people did not want to read on the computer. So, he published the book himself and started selling it on Amazon for $40.00. He didn't do this for money, he says, but he did it to make a point. That point was clearly made. The industry is dead. No longer do you have to a part of a higher system to get noticed, or in this case, get paid.

So, relating all this to something that matters to me... keep blogging and keep writing. I come across at least 2 blogs a week that have thousands to millions of hits a day and are getting noticed world wide. I plan to keep writing and keep posting ideas and findings that matter to me in the hopes that someone will come along and agree, or disagree, but just care enough to spread the word and my good findings.
Good ideas spread and the power is now in our hands.

With that all said, these times can be depressing for any young artist because of how easy it is to simply put your video, your song, your voice, your painting, your short story online. Yea, technology has made this a time where there are no boundaries to creating something amazing. But who's going to hear it instead of you, and maybe your Mom and Dad, when there are millions of people out there doing the exact same thing. This amazing something you've created has now become lost in the midst of all the crap. Everyone is an artist now a days, and yes it makes me excited that I don't need to know people who know people who can get me into some sort of industry that will get me noticed. But it is frustrating that when you think you have a good idea or a good finding that you want everyone to see, the only people who are seeing it are the bored teenagers procrastinating homework at home who happen to be on stumbleupon. Not that this is completely a bad thing, but at the rate they're stumbling through those pages, who's going to really give a shit about what you wrote 2 weeks ago on that really amazing documentary you just watched. Maybe I should post a picture of a cat.
Like I've said before, people are all about instant satisfaction. I'm guilty most times too.

What I think:
Consistency at what you do and passion are probably the most important things I can think of to make your blog, or your song, or your movie get noticed. I see artists everywhere who have their masters in sculpture and installation and they don't even have some sort of hub where they can show off their work.  We live in a world where you need to combine your creativity with technology (the internet, our most reliable source for everything, in this case) and become public. Even people who did an undergrad in art  or music just to get an undergraduate degree for the sake of their parents and then move on to become an entrepreneur or whatever, the idea of getting your name noticed somehow through writing or blogging or "vlogging" will help that much more when it comes time to start your business. People will be like "oh ya that dude! I came across his blog once!" and that's all it takes for the people to start talking. Passion is what will drive your consistency. You have to write on a regular basis, create on a regular basis, and you have to find other people. Collaborate, write e-mails to other artists, submit your work into any other blog or website or magazine you can find, just network and promote what it is you're saying or want to say. This is why I love twitter. It's a perfect spot to find people who are like you and have the same interests, see what they do and ride on the positive energy. I think you all get the gist of what I'm saying.

Don't let this sea of maybe-half-talented artists discourage you from creating. Just work harder.

what i'm watching right now...

I might write on this later.. I might not. Check back and see. For now, just watch.

dear artists,

Living in Toronto for the first time, yea, it's definitely something new. Although the transit system is way better than back home in Ottawa, there are still some things you have to know. For instance, I had no idea when buying a student TTC (transit) pass, not only do I have to present my Student photo ID, but I also have to have a TTC photo ID, which evidently I did not have. This was gingerly pointed out to me by a somewhat nice streetcar driver on my way to school as he asked me to rummage through my bag in the midst of 50+ hustling people to show him my ID.
Getting on with it, after a long day of going to and from the subway station trying to get my ID (forgetting my student timetable the first time) I was excited to make my way west to a gallery that had a potential job opportunity. I had been emailing this lady for a while about a unique gallery affiliated with my school. After sending my resume in for a position as their blogger, or a gallery assistant, she invited me to an event. This was tonight. As an eager-to-learn first year art student, I was obviously perky and excited to go and introduce myself. I approached her with kind words and told her who I was. Not only was eye contact not made, but she didn't take the time to take her hand off the wine bottle she was shuffling ever so slightly to the right to shake my hand. I don't know why she seemed to be so concerned about the wine because there were approximately 5 people in the gallery, 4 of them being the featured artists. She was short and timid with her words, and didn't have much to say other than the fact that she loved her space. As a newcomer to Toronto I would think that someone who has a young space as her own would be not only willing but excited to show people around and to get to know what she does. After about a whole 6 words were shared...I left.
Not only was it her, but the whole vibe of the place was quite pretentious as in the... I'm an upper year/graduate art student don't look at me, kind of way. It was just because of the people. The art was nice, the layout was great, the location was perfect. And it even had kind of a warm homey feeling as a student gallery should have.

I don't know what these people are trying to prove. I know art is about expressing yourself through your medium, but if your art is hanging on a wall exposed to the public, it doesn't mean you have to literally hide behind it. Talk to people. Interact with people. People will like your art more if they like you as a person as well. If you own a gallery, make it exciting! I don't understand why a gallery has to be so god damn intimidating when you walk in. For all the non-artists out there, I can see why walking into a private gallery is practically torture. The pasty white walls as soon as you walk in with beautifully hung paintings and polished wood floors, and then bam. Right smack in the middle of the gallery is a desk, with two highly professional (looking) artists or curators glaring right at you as you walk in. And WHY is it that you always have to approach them. Every. Single. Time. No, we don't want the sale associate coming up to talk to us, but yes, we want the interesting artist that you are to come and talk to us. Share some interesting facts, talk about things. All in all just be a welcoming person. Or else I'm going to leave.

I just want to open my own gallery.

Little Stella is missed.

I don't know why I didn't post this earlier, but here is Little Stellas debut 5 song EP. Short, and very sweet.
Take a listen.

fresh tunes

I think this is what my fall will consist of. Pure voices and slow folky jams.
Samantha is a charming up and comer from Calgary, Alberta and is releasing her debut album tomorrow, Sept 6 called 'Tough Cookie'

enjoy

@ the AGO

32 works by Chagall and eight works by Kandinsky


Chagall and the Russian Avant-Garde: Masterpieces from the 
Collection of the Centre Pompidou, Paris


October 18, 2011 to January 15, 2012


also coming up...


come join 1 million+ night owls wandering the streets of toronto sharing their love for the modern art world @ 


scotiabank nuit blanche toronto

go do.

Play and read on!

After a nice sunday morning chat dad, he's yet again given me some words of wisdom to think about, write about, and hopefully sometime soon act upon.

I woke up this morning to a text with the url "www.thestylerookie.com". I immediately clicked on the link expecting to see some usual fashion blog with a ton of tumblr-esque pictures and heavily opinionated thoughts portrayed through the means of an outfit. But then again, this was my dad who sent it. The computer programmer, genius software architect, has innovative ideas like Steve Jobs kinda guy. So I clicked. I was immediately surprised about the layout of the blog, and how it resembled mine in a way. Then I started reading, and then I started clicking around, and to my surprise this was a 15 year old girl who started blogging 3 years ago about the way she dressed, how she felt about the teenage girl society and her passion towards influencing others to dress freely. The message behind her clothing to young people and why she's doing this, and yes, her age as well, makes this precious blog stand out from most or all others. She's managed to get so popular, she's been invited to multiple fashion shows including Marc Jacobs and is launching a website in collaboration with people like Jack Black and Zooey Deschanel. Read more about Tavi Genvinson in the NY Times right Here.


Being an art student isn't exactly the most predominant of choices (most people think) and most people think being a fine art graduate is just setting yourself up for disappointment out in "the real world". With the help and thoughts of my dad, he helped me realize that art in the younger generations isn't so popular. This got me thinking. This is my opportunity.
The world of marketing art to young people isn't explored at all. Teens are all about the fashion. They want immediate recognition of who they are as a person when they walk down the street and someone looks at them. Thats what fashion is all about. It's the easiest way to instantly express yourself. But what about where your clothes hang, and what about the wall space that's covered with Vogue magazines. What kid wants to go out and buy art. None, not that I know of anyway. On one end of the spectrum there is street art which is blowing up like crazy, but doesn't have the accessibility of being hung on a wall. And then there's the other end where you can buy a realist's oil painting or an extremely contemporary dot for 2.3 million dollars. Or, if you're feeling really bold, you could buy a 300 square foot sculpture.
I like to think I create the kind of art that is accessible to the younger generations because of it's expressionist approach and the materials I use. I create based on what's happening around me, the culture   I'm living in at the time and what's going on in my head the time I make it. Shown through bold bright colours, extreme texture and heavy lines, I feel this is my fashion statement. It might not be immediate and no, people can't see my walls while I walk down the street, but it gives me inspiration when I wake up to see what I have previously created.
These are all just thoughts, and these are ideas of me trying to market myself as an artist reaching out to a younger audience, being a young person myself.

With all that said, now that I'm starting school again I hopefully am going to act upon all this and start blogging about Toronto's art scene and shooting out my thoughts on it all. And more artistic creations to come within the next weeks/months as well! So exciting.

Happy Sunday everyone, hope you're enjoying the long weekend.