I've now been here a week, which has really sped by. My first, tentative junior-high approach to the dinner table was just a week ago, and now there are several new people and I'm no longer the freshman. Tonight after a couple Fellows presented some of the their work, I played ping-pong and then felt the urge to lie down on my back in the middle of Colony Hall and stare at the ceiling, which I did for about 15 minutes. It was very comfortable and therapeutic. I felt like I was somehow owning my time here. Everyone told me it would take about a week to acclimate, which I found hard to believe— nothing to do but work! How hard could it be? But it's true; I've felt somehow unmoored from life, the life I've always created around, and it's hard to tell what I've actually accomplished.
Compounding this feeling is the fact that for the past few days I've been preparing for my own presentation, which was last night. I gave it in the library, which is a beautiful, small building holding works by past and current Fellows. I sang about 8 songs, some of which (especially "The Public Library") were a little hard to get through, given the surroundings and the wonderful, creative artists listening. But I finished with "Me Artist, You Rich", dedicated to all of us, and everyone had fun.
Today I shook things up and spent the afternoon writing in the library instead of my studio. I chose some minimalist avant-garde jazz from the collection to listen to as I wrote, and it was, strangely, perfect working music. I don't know if it just kept me focused, or if it was the fact that I was in a public space where anyone could come inat any time and I'd better look busy, but I got a lot of work done. I'll try it again tomorrow.
Last night was the third(!) dance party since I've been here, not exactly what I was expecting, but what the hell? Odd bottles of alcohol keep surfacing from previous Fellows; last night featured not one but two enormous bottles of off-brand Triple Sec, Martini & Rossi Extra Dry, Jim Beam, blueberry juice and bitters. Yum! Perhaps that explains why at one point everyone was doing the Electric Slide...
Tomorrow is the solstice, after which the days will start getting longer, which is good, because right now the sun has been setting at around 4:00 and it's totally dark by 4:30.
Compounding this feeling is the fact that for the past few days I've been preparing for my own presentation, which was last night. I gave it in the library, which is a beautiful, small building holding works by past and current Fellows. I sang about 8 songs, some of which (especially "The Public Library") were a little hard to get through, given the surroundings and the wonderful, creative artists listening. But I finished with "Me Artist, You Rich", dedicated to all of us, and everyone had fun.
Today I shook things up and spent the afternoon writing in the library instead of my studio. I chose some minimalist avant-garde jazz from the collection to listen to as I wrote, and it was, strangely, perfect working music. I don't know if it just kept me focused, or if it was the fact that I was in a public space where anyone could come inat any time and I'd better look busy, but I got a lot of work done. I'll try it again tomorrow.
Last night was the third(!) dance party since I've been here, not exactly what I was expecting, but what the hell? Odd bottles of alcohol keep surfacing from previous Fellows; last night featured not one but two enormous bottles of off-brand Triple Sec, Martini & Rossi Extra Dry, Jim Beam, blueberry juice and bitters. Yum! Perhaps that explains why at one point everyone was doing the Electric Slide...
Tomorrow is the solstice, after which the days will start getting longer, which is good, because right now the sun has been setting at around 4:00 and it's totally dark by 4:30.
posted by AGerle at
7:18 PM
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