The myth of the artists hurts the artists more than it helps. The artist alone in the garret, the starving artist, the artist in it solely for love or passion or whatever moral pure and good reasons artists are supposed to create. And like… I get it. I am a noise cancelling head phones in the cafe kind of girlie. But I am ultimately still in the cafe. I think the aloneness only works after living. After being outside experimenting, the living part of creation.🌱
As much as my fiercely independent over achieving eldest daughter Sagittarius sun/moon thinks I can do it alone. I don’t think it…works like that?
My favourite movie growing up was wizard of Oz. I spent most of my time with my hair in rag rollers singing over the rainbow from the top of a tree branch in my back yard. I’d climb into the bathroom and “melt” repeatedly into the towels on the floor. My Aunt would lead us around the living room, my little brother on the drums, marching like Winkie Gaurds. When my cousins would arrive we’d line up and double skip down the driveway. My reenactment of Wizard of Oz only really worked when I didn’t go alone. When I had a cast and characters and players for the parts. The Wizard of Oz only works because Dorothy doesn’t go alone. We can’t get anywhere, move the plot, push the needle, forward – unless we go together.
I write about togetherness a lot. I think ultimately its the thing I am always trying to build. Weather its an oracle deck, a drawing, an installation somewhere, or even this essay in your mailbox. I can package it up in its different forms, but it’s never been about me, it’s always about US. Reaching out and waving hello at each other. No being on earth can or wants to be completely alone. When I look to nature I see plants sharing resources, fish co-creating homes, We need eachother and we especially need each other to move the needle forward. To continue to take a step down the path. To create. To get to the nugget of the thing.
I proposed last week in the Creators Dispatch Podcast that artists are only ever really having 1 of 3 problems. We packaged them up in different ways, in various dramas of “what pen do i use” or “how do I make this” and “where do I start” or most poisonously “I’m not the kinds of person that makes art”. Most of them are capitalists fault, the other is our ego and the last one being community, or lack of community. The ability to see and be seen by our people. The people we share commonality with, a language, the people that know and understand what the feel of a great pen is like or the people with 68292 sticky notes. The ability to look over ours desks and ask our fellow studio mates what they thought of this one colour. Or to stand around the printing press hands on hips determining the best way to ink the wooden carving.
Isn’t that what art is? The opportunity to share one part of us in the world. A moment to be seen and witnessed.
We can go farther is we go together, and in fact I think we can’t really go anywhere unless we go together.
MESSY DIY QUEST // WRITERS EDITION 🪶
For anyone trying to just get some words down on the page and out into the world*. We start March 24th for 4 weeks. 🪄 TOGETHER
Four Weekly writing prompts + inspiration delivered Sundays starting March 24th
Moving the needle (pen) forward
x2 meetings (one to start, one to wrap up) March 24th + April 21
Ongoing community support 💕
Plus!
Lots of fucking up!
Community checkins in the chat to stay inspired + keep the pen moving
Trying out loud
Togetherness
The process and continued process of trying out loud – of showing up because there is a little spark that says “hey I think this painting/song/online course/ workshop/quilt/fanatasy novel I made would actually solve someone else's problem”… like how generous of you to share your creations with the world!
*YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A “WRITER” YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A PERSON WANTING TO MOVE THE PEN. OPEN THE CHANNEL. AND TRANSLATE THE GLIMMER OF SOMETHING INTO AN IDEA (which I will argue is a writer but that’s your business 😉)
We’re not supposed to go alone.
FINDINGS 🗺️
Sweet internet pal and artist friends
post on helping our artists survive + stay afloat in this 🔥world🔥 We can’t do it aloneMy new absolute fave youtube channel where this very hot couple DJ’s and makes food and dance. Its just…. incredibly hot.
While standing in line for my coffee yesterday I read
latest “Notes From A Trip To Cape Town”, I felt like I was there too ✨Pre-ordered
new book Instructions For Traveling West, I CANNOT WAIT TO DEVOUR UNDER A TREE IN THE SPIRNG 🌈
Big love + many blessings on your journey
xx
Phoebe
*typos are left to reflect the fury passion and 3D humaness of being a passionate freak in the world – and you know not a robot *beep boop*
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if you love The Creators Dispatch forward this to a friend who might like to subscribe or share an excerpt on social media and tag me @phoebetay.lor xo WORD OF MOUTH WILL ALWAYS BE THE SWEETEST MOST SPECIAL WAY TO SHARE ART, LOVE, BEING OK, AND CREATION IN THE UNIVERSE!!! ✨
Loved this, Phoebe! So excited for the Messy DIY Quest! <3