But seriously, those of you posting have been making great work. Your posts, the New York Art Book Fair, New York in general and Lil B have been keeping me going the last few weeks. It was nice to read Ysa’s thoughts on where she is, as far as her career goes, at the moment. It would be great to hear what you are all doing and what your thoughts are about the next year or so.
As for myself, I feel like I am existing one half as a child and one half as an adult. I don’t have a “real” job. I spend most of my time playing, but I have to pay rent and do the things that grown ups have to do. I work enough to live and thats amazing but stressful. There are days where I have no idea what to do, so I don’t do anything. I go crazy. But then there are days like today, where I get a ton of shit done; setting up meetings with photo editors, doing print trades with people on the other side of the country, buying tickets to Lil B concerts, and getting coffee with people I regard as the best. Thats when I remember that shit happens when we make it happen. We have to stay motivated and work our asses off to really do what we enjoy and to be satisfied that we are not invisible wanna be photographers.
I have been shooting a lot of the people around me. I am planning on making a small book of portraits. Its going to be obscure and hopefully a little strange and maybe even offensive. (One can only hope)
I’m also planning a trip back to Rochester to scan, shoot more with Larson and make a few music videos.
Then in the Spring, I will be spending a month in Finland for an artist-in-residency program outside of Helsinki. If anyone has info on travel and film grants, please let me know.
That’s the world i’m living in right now as well, Nate…I don’t have a steady job but somehow i’m making it doing random things. It’s scary to think you don’t know where its coming from next, but also really exciting to know that its possible to do exactly what you need to do to step forward. It’s very nice not to have a set schedule, even if that does mean you have some days where you feel unfulfilled…those days make sure the next day you get shit done. I’m glad your doing well, and I hope to see you when your in rochester. Ohh, and congratulations on the being a Magnum Finalist! It was well deserved.
What was the process like applying for the artist-in-residency program?
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Thanks Rob,
I looked into about 10 programs. Each one had a slightly different application process. Usually the ones that provide a stipend and cover all cost are a lot more in depth and require letters of recommendation and other such things.
This one http://www.arteles.org/apply_to_residency.html (the application at the bottom) was by far the simplest application I filled out. The down side is I have to cover a fair amount of the costs.
I actually wrote a really loose proposal. In many more words, I said that I wanted to come wander around and take pictures. They really liked the “Larson” photographs so they are letting me go wander.
Nathaniel-
do you live in a real place? sometimes I look at your pictures and think you live inside the world that mid-nineties MTV told me existed but I never believed in. Where do you find all this sex drugs and violence?
Haha. I love the comment, but you spelled my name wrong. I will try and forgive you.
I didn’t believe mid-nineties MTV either. I guess I had to see for myself. I’m don’t know how I find anything. It just happens. I haven’t replaced Larson, but I have found another drug dealer friend, but this one is from LA, writes graffiti, loves Katy Perry and lives with two other guys in a one bedroom apartment in China Town. We’ll see what happens.