Why blogging frequently doesn’t work for me?

From the time I woke up to reaching the tail end of my work day and crossing things off my to-do list, I felt compelled to write a post about the frequency I post to my blog. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Why the hell should I care how often you post? It’s YOUR blog.” True. But as a budding writer and theorist, writing becomes your life. It’s almost a religious experience. If I miss a day or a week of it, I feel incredibly guilty and in need of some major penance for committing the cardinal sin of not writing  (I was born and raised Catholic so pardon the reference). This past weekend, I was talking to one of my brilliant mentors, crystal am nelson, and she reminded me of my “real” work. From our conversation, I gleaned much of the writing where I crave engagement is the writing I’m doing for grad school and the organizations I work closely with. It’s also the research I’m working on to make certain that I’m sharing authentic information and well thought out writing with the public. This past year, I’ve taken a hit for not blogging consistently. It’s a HARD a$$ job to produce quality content. I’m telling you…it’s challenging. Try it.

I will say this, it’s been a joy reading through critical theory (at the moment, my desk has texts from Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Michel Foucault, Deleuze & Guattari, Vito Campanelli and Brian Massumi) for my lit review this summer and learning so much for new and old friends. I’m trying to find ways to make these texts accessible to the public. Trust me, I’m working on that part, in particular. I feel compelled to document EVERY single thing I learn and start to think, “I don’t need to share…not just yet.” I want you to read quality writing (or about my feelings and emotions around my studies and writings which may or may not be equally compelling BUT I’m trying to foster a relationship with you, dear reader).

So yeah…

The compulsion to share ourselves runs rampant in our digital culture but not so much in real life (IRL). Imagine if everyone shared and liked the way we do online but in real life. Oh boy! That would be pretty wild. The world has changed and there was a point, back in 2011, I blogged everyday so I could become more visible to the public and a create a potential audience. I wanted to experiment with the notion of content creation. In retrospect, it was a great exercise which reminded me that the new is never going to be new enough. Quality writing and thoughtful content actually takes time. But we are led to believe we don’t have enough of it. Similar to the prey of the fulmar chick, the orange sticky oil actually hit my feathers at some point. I was drowning in information. Even through all my current research, I’m realizing how much I don’t know BUT that it’s okay. So after all this rambling, how did I clean my feathers and get some fulmar chick vomit-resistant steel?

1. I started to realize and remind myself, I only have one brain, two arms, two legs, one heart, and one life.
2. Accepting I’m not going to understand everything I read and that’s OK.
3. Sharing my struggles will reach the people they are supposed to reach. I will make the proper connections and create fruitful work with the “right” people.
4. It’s OK to write pages of crap to work through theory and my own biases…there’s bound to be a gem in there somewhere.

For anyone interested in what I learned specifically from my grad school experience, you can view my virtual notebook here.

Okay, okay…so you want some real news, eh? Fine. This also explains why I don’t blog on a regular basis.

• The Style Issue for Asterisk SF has gone to press! I had the pleasure of writing about styling firm Retrofit Republic and Bay Area artist Mia Christopher
• As a part of the Free Form Film Festival team and new site launch, which is JUST around the corner, I’m excited to announce I will be working on the FFFF Extended channel, which will include writing, essays, and critical discussion on new media artworks and experimental film making (forthcoming!!)
• Recently joined the contributor team over at The Civic Beat founded by phenomenal artist, designer, writer, and culture critic, An Xiao (she JUST spoke at TedGlobal 2013 – So exciting!!) and working on a piece about academic memes and fair wages for academics (forthcoming!!)
• I will be co-presenting with Hyperallergic writer, Ben Valentine, and net artist Ian Aleksander Adams, at ZERO1 in August!!! The working title for our panel discussion, “The Art and Culture Critic: Examining the Expanding Role of the Writer in Arts and Technology” We are INCREDIBLY excited about this opportunity.

There are other things going on but not anything I can post and make public (yet). So please stay tuned and engage. Ask questions, make comments, and feel free to collaborate if you feel moved. I would love to hear from you. I know what you’re thinking now…”Do you sleep?” The answer: Yes. I’m just better at dodging bullets, putting out fires, and I write EVERYTHING down. Til next time. Be well.

All the best,

Dorothy

John Fluevog + Visual Aid = Shop for a Cause

Better late than never! I wanted to let folks know about something special going on at the John Fluevog Haight Street Store today. They will be donating 50% from purchases made today between 3-7 pm to Visual Aid. 50%!!!! That’s a rarity from any other well-known fashion and shoe designer (okay, I’m being dramatic but it is pretty uncommon). In any case, Visual Aid is a special organization that focuses on helping artists living with terminal illnesses to continue making art. Visual Aid has helped artists for 19 years! Let’s help them out by snagging some great looking shoes. Click on the flyer above to learn more about John Fluevog and learn more about visualaid.org.

Last but not least, my favorite fashion blog on John Fluevogs is right here!!

I need to learn #22 but I’ve got #27 down!

There are probably way more than 33 ways but this list offers up some great ideas. This summer will be extra busy as I prep for a writing lab/intensive to make certain my prospectus (essentially a breakdown of my master’s thesis) will be in decent shape by the time I start my second year (this fall). Essentially, I’m conducting lit review for the next few months! This process entails reading, research, and a sh*tload of writing (crappy writing for the most part but this is what editing is all about!). I’m going into some really interesting directions, for sure. If you can believe it, I have yet another virtual space dedicated to my observations and experiences about school. But I have yet to update that space since the Fall 2012 semester. I’ll definitely share some academic stuff (i.e., favorite readings from my first year and the top 10 things I’ve learned).

For now, enjoy the list and get creative!!

Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

Feeling extremely to be one of the 31 Asian-Pacific American writers featured on the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education website! Please see the text below for further details.

*          *          *          *

“For Asian Pacific Heritage Month 2013, the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education website celebrates 31 individuals. One for each day of May.

The lives of these Americans are worthy of celebration and further study, which our short profiles hope to encourage. The women and men included are writers, editors, journalists, publishers, trailblazers and change makers. They remind us of the rich contributions Asian-Pacific Americans make and have made in the world of words.

This is by no means a definitive or exhaustive listing. It’s a starting point for learning, comment & discussion during Asian Pacific Heritage Month – May, 2013 when our nation pays a little more attention to issues of diversity. Be heard. Tell us what you think & what we can learn!

You can also visit previous year’s features here: Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month 2012 - A collaboration between the Asian American Journalists Association and the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education; Asian-Pacific Heritage Month 2011.”

Text source: The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

Asterisk SF Feature on Kristin Neidlinger

Excerpt from Feature: Kristin Neidlinger

Historically, Neidlinger has worked with circus performers, classically trained dancers, and individuals who have suffered from severe nerve damage, since their bodies are hyper-aware and sensitive to touch. In the long-term, she proposes, “the future of wearable technology becomes a part of us. Emotional displays and bio.media will be woven into our garments and architecture, so they are responsive. As an evolution from the ‘smart’ wristbands of today, we will have ‘sensitive’ fabrics.” Please click here to read the rest of the piece.

Asterisk SF Artist Profile on Scott Kildall

Excerpt from “The Art of Scott Kildall”

Kildall’s residency at the organization yielded a body of work involving a prospector in the year 2049, one who is scavenging, reinvigorating, and resurrecting discarded materials at the dump. From a figurative latex mask to the circuitry of bulky electronics that simulate transmissions from the future, his work illustrates a future founded on re-purposing the present. These unusual materials in particular were used to create his sculptural works “The Sniffer” and “The Universal Mailbox,” which were accompanied by large wooden blueprints explaining the function of each imaginary device. As a part of the installation, Kildall performed as the prospector, scavenging the Recology premises. His consumption of vacuum-packaged food products in his video performance was probably the most jaw-dropping moment of the installation. (Fortunately, he did not get sick.) Please click here to read the rest of the piece.

Enjoy!

You know you’re in Art School when…

Performance Piece by artist Ken Becker from Dorothy Santos on Vimeo.

One of your brilliant classmates hacks open a sculptural work during a performance piece. I will be posting more pictures this weekend but one of the graduate wide electives I took this past semester was Sound, Music, and Technology. Ken was in my class and when he proposed his project, it was difficult for me to envision it other than him destroying something he built. Then, the night of our final projects exhibition arrived. We all gathered in The Nave at California College of the Arts (CCA) on the San Francisco campus and watched his performance. Fortunately, I have pretty steady hands and was able to get Ken in action. Watch it and feel free to comment. Personally, I love his piece BUT I’m curious what you think before I start sharing my opinion and breaking it down. Enjoy!