NYFA

Sunday 6.13.08: We are finally settling into a rhythm here. On most days I work on my projects in the morning and then head to the beach in the afternoon to take A swimming. I read, think and do yoga while she swims and plays with her friends. Today it has been gray and sprinkling, so instead I have been working on website, resume and project proposal updates.

Much of what I have been changing was suggested to me in a private consultation in early June with one of the staff members of NYFA, Christa Blatchford. NYFA Live offers a few slots every month for these artist consultations and I had been longing to participate for some time. I booked this June time slot back in January or February. By the time my appointment had arrived, I had applied for four different grants related to the Mobile Misuse project and I had heard positively from Fulbright and had been listed as an alternate for the American-Scandinavian Foundation (I have since received funding from them for this project.) The consultation was very helpful and worth every penny of the $45. I highly recommend taking advantage of this service.

While I conduct a very similar service for my students in the Senior Portfolio class, I find it extremely difficult to look at my own “packaging” from the inside. So, during this hour-long consultation, you get to pick the brains of a staff member (often also an artist) of one of the main arts granting organizations in the US. I had prepared and printed previous grant proposals, my CV, artist’s statements, and my website. I was given concrete, specific suggestions and advice from the actual writing of proposals and statements to the organization of my website. Fortunately, I recorded this rich session on my iPod and have been listening to it in order to catch the details that I had forgotten. I have finally had the time to make the changes suggested to the website, but revising the resume and Mobile Misuse statement will take a bit longer. I have, however, made quite a bit of progress on both of those items, as well.