After being beaten down by one of the harshest Michigan winters yet, early hints of spring are finally beginning to materialize. The gray is getting a little less gray and people are looking less like their outerwear, and more like themselves. No wonder spring is associated with rebirth and newness; as nature comes back to life, so do we. After spending some well-deserved time under the warmth of the sun, I feel the Ann Arbor start to thaw. Be soft with my scribblings.

 

the sun came out today and so did you.

coaxed out by warmth and distant birdsong, a small flower started growing from my collarbone.

 

i fall in love too fast

i fall in love too hard

i want it all at once,

like wanting to climb the nonexistent branches of an infantile sprout.

it’s the promise that hurts the most.

 

in the teachings of mother nature,

good things come to those who wait so,

i’ll bide my time, i won’t rush,

but i will recognize

when the plumule becomes a bud, becomes a stem, becomes leaves, becomes a flower.

 

please don’t wilt, stay as you are.

 

i am the hug of humid morning air.

i am the gentle fingertips of a penetrable ray.

i am the wisps of a stretching cloud.

i am the golden dust particles that hang inches above the grass at dusk.

i am the lain blanket on our sticky sweet night.

one flower became two strewn across my chest.

 

***

 

the sun left today and so did you.

so i left

the door of my house open

and stood in the middle of the street

away from the streetlights

so that i may look upon the stars how they were intended to be seen.

 

the only stars that are visible are ones that are dying.

i’m embarrassed to ask so much,

to have this audacity,

to demand answers from a thing slipping from existence.

is this the only choice?

 

the breeze just barely disrupted the abandoned sneakers on the power lines, but somehow

i can’t hear myself breathe anymore.

 

my eyes betrayed me as I continued to stare at heaven’s fated departures for my missing virtue.

i failed to notice that my flower petals had fallen, the petals drifted into the wind,

 

and left me too.

I’m sure we can all relate to this. We plunge into the deepest ravines of our emotions, dragging ourselves through days of homework, commitments and stress. Tangled in vines, our anxiety rises more as the days with endless lists of to-dos confront us, reminding us that they exist. Deadlines give you a brash high five, nearly toppling you over with its weight and its shadows overwhelm you, a little too much for you to handle. Not today, please, you beg. We’re unsure of ourselves, of our capabilities and our potential. “Can we really be more?”, we wonder to ourselves quietly as we lie in bed, staring at the space between the bedsheets and the ceiling.

Maybe, just maybe.

Out of nowhere, life suddenly accelerates into overdrive. All seems good, all seems too good. We write furiously, commit a little too much, are sure of ourselves a little too confidently. It seems like caffeine continues to supply us with energy, nearly steering us off course. We’re tempted by the edge, curious and hungry for the adrenaline thrill we could possibly feel if only we took the leap.

Yet we are so unsure of that steep drop ahead.

The business cycle has never been more meaningful now. It goes up and down, like it always does, like it always will. We crave the adrenaline high, so much but we forget about the grayer days when the snow mounds start to drag our feet. We forget we need motivation when we are least likely to internalize it. Therefore, in foresight of stormy clouds, we must take great care to to weather the coming thunder we heard long ago. To write more in case you don’t feel like writing later. Cook away porridge for days we don’t feel like cooking and do laundry ahead of time. More importantly, we need to ensure we have enough reassurance to get through the tougher days.

But please validate those moments when they come. Stop the “why can’t I get over this” when troubles come. Let yourself feel a little scared. Take smaller steps, nonetheless a step ahead. Buy some Panera soups why won’t you.

From these gaps you will grow. (i.e. trust the process)

Featured song: Spiegel im Spiegel

(Image Credits: Google Images/Japanese Waves)

When I visited Stamps during campus day last April the main area that stood out to me were the senior studios. As you could have read in columnist “vle”’s April 5th blog, these studios are for Stamps BA and BFA students. They are filled with inspiration and each cubicle has its own personality. I could spend hours looking at each artists space and how they have cultivated their work over the years here in Ann Arbor.

Personally, my creative process is at it’s best when I have a space to my own, where I can establish my work and a neat mess (yes this is a thing and I know everyone knows what I am talking about). I also thrive off of being surrounded by other artists because I get to watch their unique way of creating in addition to their way of being inspired. After the discovery of how I creatively flourish, I came up with a design for the Stamps building itself and for its curriculum as a whole. After reading “vle”’s blog I decided to share my thoughts on the studios and my idea for Stamp’s future.

Problem(s):

First, second, and third year students don’t have their own space to work in the building. In order to complete work they must go to free classrooms or work at their homes, apartments, or dorms. This causes travel concerns when transporting supplies and the actual pieces of artwork. For the amount of money students pay, I believe they deserve a space to create and inspire others.

Why:

I believe in fixing this issue because of listening to other students concerns. Whenever students speak about this problem, they usually complain instead of problem solve. They and I, adapt to what we have been given because dealing with this problem requires (a lot of) money from the school.

Solution:

I believe Stamps should include a studio space design expansion for their future projects. My idea is to build up on the Stamps building, where the senior studio spaces are now located in the front. The classrooms that are located over the senior spaces now should be moved to a separate addition to the Stamps building itself. There should be four floors for each student based on year. In addition, instead of moving each class every year, when the seniors leave, their floor would be filled with the incoming freshman.

Conclusion:

I think this idea will give students an amazing opportunity to grow and create in their own space for four years at Michigan. It will allow for immense student collaboration and help students connect with the other artists in their class. Although it costs $$$$$$, I believe this would make the art school way more attractive to prospective students and allow for graduated students to rave about the school even more than they do now. Yes… I do realize what I propose is an absurd idea which requires lots of money, work, and effort but just think about it. Let it sink in. Process it. Appreciate it. Love it. Okay, I am done sharing my idea.

 

Have a beautiful day!