Galvanized

Definition of galvanize transitive verb
b: to stimulate or excite as if by an electric shock

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Well, m’dears, I might be certifiably insane at this point.

As we all know, up until now this has been me:

The week before last I finally had a chance to spend significant portions of time in my new room. As expected, I spent a reasonable amount of time communing with my carpet. The difference between doing that at my room and at home, however, is that any time I was done laying on the floor the only thing there to do was work. Unlike home, where any number of distractions await. I managed to do a few things, and was feeling pretty reasonable.

Then last Monday I found out that I was not selected for a grant I applied for. I have never once gotten a grant I have applied for, so this is nothing new. However, for some reason this time I got completely indignant and I snapped into a major manic mode. The past week has been full of emails and phone calls and meetings and painting and writing and job opportunities. The buzzing in my head is so loud I can’t settle. I have ideas running me over at every interval and I now have a collection of charts and spreadsheets to try to cope with it all. I’d be dreadfully concerned, because the lack of sleep is eventually going to kick me in the teeth, but it has been so long since I have been excited about anything that I want to take it and run.

I have taken my poppy out, and given it it’s own table, and I look at it. I am not quite ready to take the plunge to attempt to complete it, but it will be soon. In the meantime, I figured I would start with something super simple. So here is the first painting I have done in forever:

I figured I should start with something I knew I could accomplish before launching into the deep end. Also, I needed something for the Gallery 4 46th Anniversary Reunion Art Exhibit which will be up the month of October, if you’d like to look at it in person. 🙂

Oh! In other painting-related news! My “A Cup of Resistance” was selected as Best Watercolor in the Fourth Annual North Dakota Human Rights Arts Festival! So stunned!

Also, I have completed my Creative Community Leadership Institute project, which is a number of articles published on The Arts Partnership blog about other members of my cohort. If you are interested, here are the links.

• Lift Up Theatre B
• The Art of Placemaking
• The Art of Gaming
• Artist Profile Yvette Reyes

Also, the latest Design & Living Magazine is out with artist highlight on Ken Omundson written by me.  🙂

I have also agreed to a couple of part-time jobs, one of which is with The Arts Partnership to write more things highlighting art and artists in the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo area. So, fun!

And finally…drumroll….I am officially signed up for an internship with Prairie Public Radio. I know absolutely nothing about radio, but I am about to learn.  I will be working with an amazingly lovely and talented little group of people, in a very safe environment, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Hopefully this manic phase lasts a bit, or I may have a bit of trouble keeping up.

Theoretically all this should mean that going forward blog posts will be more interesting. In the mean time, I leave you with this song by The Crane Wives, my new favorite group, introduced to me by my godson, who has excellent taste in music.