quick note before getting to work… checking off what gets in the way: laundry, dishes, food (and more food after a training bike ride), old bananas asking to be baked into banana bread. e-mail to be cleaned out. Before getting to work I wanted to write about my lunch date with Mlou, one of my dearest artist/friends. meeting half way in Fredericksburg, Meeting as one. Both of us "trained" as designers, worked for many years as designers and both of us looking at each other and seeing an artist. Daring to take that on, and daring anyone to challenge that.

I am always thinking of the judge who reads these posts and thinks better. Knows better. Maybe you don't exist anywhere but in my own head. Maybe the judge I see in you is the projection of my own judge that won't - just - let - me - be. Do you know what that's like?

It's like walking a fine line of criticality and judgement and each of us is so sure that we're right.

I'm thinking one of the primary roles as a teacher I can play is to help each student build their own critical framework. Spell out for them the tools. Leave it to them to choose. Can we possibly as a faculty respect that we each bring something critical to the table or is there always going to be a competition for the students' attention and loyalty? Can I circumnavigate it? What if the things that nag at me are illusions of my own making: the strained relationships, the events that challenge. What if?

Something I heard yesterday: http://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/531902291/reality