Yesterday I purchased a downloadable version of Miranda July’s book “It Chooses You” which I had seen some stuff about online.
My fiancé then informed me that he had already obtained the hard-cover for me, and went about returning the download to Amazon.
As I read through some preliminary pages this morning I was quickly sucked into her casually deliberate writing that charms me so. I got to a point in her first chapter when something struck a chord.
I had already been mulling over Ms. July as an example of a true contemporary artist who is not defined by one medium but rather lives out creative actions that flow in and out of different traditions (writing, film, documentation, action, performance, sculpture, etc.) and she does this with apparent ease and style. However, what if it isn’t easy, and is her style crafted? I mean she is no Lady Gaga but she has her own specific look and persona that is tailored.
Crow and I
Miranda July is someone I look up to and am inspired by along with a handful of other women whom I may or may not know personally. I think, though, that for those women in the arts we should not be disheartened by how shimmery her career seems when we reflect on our own, but rather examine the atributes which communicate her identity and consider what atributes we are also putting out into the world from within our own selves.
All of these thoughts are running into ideas from a conversation I had last night with a Monologuist who is shaping her artistic identity – who is looking for casual and trust worthy banter with her audience. Miranda is someone I feel like I would enjoy and trust in a direct interaction, but this is all based on perceptions which come from crafted communicators. We are all building our personas through costume, documentation, social media, etc. and I do not think this is bad – rather I think it is an opportunity.
The chord that struck me in those first pages of July’s book was a simple narration in the text. It stated what was going on between her and another individual, then described her physical reaction to a comment, and furthermore she also included the sub-text of what that gesture would imply. — “Woah!” I though. “How self-aware! How fully conscious! ”
All this to say – I am learning a new voice through this blog – I am learning my own voice, and learning to hear it played back from the words I put down, and from the font I choose and from the images I place. I am learning the balance between psychotically obsessing over detail, full awareness of being, and conversely the appropriate moments of self-abandon.
May you be at peace with yourself today, and communicate to the world who you are as eloquently as you know how.
And here is just a little taste of Miranda for you from Nowness: