Looking ahead at SFPC
Howdy there, you, whoever is reading this! Maybe you are thinking about coming to this program yourself, or you are part of it now with me. Thanks for reading what I wrote! Hopefully you get something out of it and feel free to drop me a line or ask me about anything here in person.
I feel very grateful to be in New York City this Fall attending SFPC, or the School for Poetic Computation (www.spfc.io). I’m putting down my thoughts here for my plans, desires, hopes (and some fears) for my time in the program. I’m going to answer a few questions: What do I want to learn?; What do I want to create?; and What do I want SFPC to be? I answered these questions once before, just a couple months ago, when I applied to the program. A lot of it has stayed true, and some has changed. I think these questions are good prompts for consideration throughout my time here so I’ll most likely come back to them in this blog. I’m going to answer these more or less in list format here to keep this from getting too wordy, but I’ve done a bunch of hand-written journal work on these, as well.
I want to learn…
- …how to be a better learner. I don’t think I am yet a very good learner. Learn how to learn, and develop good habits for reflection, organization, how to uncover and explore the important questions. How to do that as an organized(?) artistic process.
- …how to initiate and make good collaborations.
- …how to unblock my hands, the connection between intellect, intuition, and making things with my hands. How to connect that to work at a computer.
- … to build/create with tangible/physical “interfaces”, get away from screens/paper as sole interface for my work.
- … through exploration of a buffet of new technologies, find what I like but in those selections, strive toward “immediacy” of expression, and not tech for tech’s sake. Sometimes I feel I am purposefully working with less immediate and expressive technology as an avoidance pattern of doing my most creative work. (slapping own hand) STOP THAT!
- … to get past shame/fear/ego to be able to create and share “whole-heartedly”.
- … about New York City! Incorporate that in my work during this time.
- … which ideas are the best to explore. Ida Benedetto prompted us on Day 2 to think about what are the voices of our good intuition, what are the voices of fear, what is wishful thinking, and what are the voices of our ‘shadow side’ (not necessarily bad side). Think about those things by journaling, and see if that helps figure out the ones worth exploring, maybe from the list just right here DOWN BELOW…
I want to create…
- … maps of human bodies/anatomy made out of the words used in contemporary sources (news, tweets, books) to describe them. How is this different for different types of people?
- … three dimensional, or flat, maps made with shapes generated from poetry, desires revealed in accessible historical and contemporary land use / real estate / geographical data.
- … an ecosystem of real microscopic life forms influencing and influenced by computer generated / hand-drawn “life” forms.
- … an environment of “broken” ubiquitous electronic technologies. Hacked and cantankerous card swipers (MTA turnstile swipe speed anyone?), anti-theft sensors, motion detecting faucets and towel dispensers, automatic doors, and the like. Pay attention to how we tend to connect with other people when these often seamless technologies break down.
- … an exploration of data/information “overload” and relation to how brains “store” trauma, blocked and disconnected memories and information that creates sickness.
- … work from a place of emotional immediacy, rather than my tendency to move toward abstraction, less personal connection.
I want SFPC to be…
- … a break from other concerns, focused time to develop an artistic practice;
- … a supportive, friendly environment;
- … an encouraging community;
- … a time to be mentored (and maybe to mentor!);
- … a challenge. This should be difficult and uncomfortable at times;
- … a launchpad toward new fulfilling work;
- … a network of new friends and collaborators
- … an opening toward a lot of amazing work and people!
The Project of my time at the School for Poetic Computation
I tried working with another prompt from Ida Benedetto, to conceive of SFPC as a project and use some of the questions she asks herself about any new project. It all starts with a Title that begins with a verb. I’m including my work here as a photo of my written journal page. I’m going to be exploring doing journaling at the keyboard and on paper and see how it works to combine them. I’m also experimenting with keeping all of my notes for ALL THE THINGS! in one big ass, heavy to transport notebook. So there are some to-do’s for my new apartment on there too :)
