Summer of Inspiration: Artist Date Week 2
The initial plan for this week's artist date was to venture into the city and check out the Rashid Johnson exhibit at the Guggenheim. However, my inner artist had other plans.
Acknowledging my body's need for rest and slow movement ultimately led to the decision to sit at a neighborhood cafe and read some applications as part of the Readership for The Center for Fiction's Emerging Writer Fellowship. Whenever I enter Manhattan, I have to brace myself for the fast-paced, hectic energy that can be overwhelming. Jersey City serves as a stark contrast to the frenzied energy, where the streets aren't overly crowded and there's a calmness to the neighborhood that grounds me.
This was my first time visiting this cafe, and I was pleasantly surprised by their mango matcha. It was a combination that I hadn't considered, but it was so refreshing after my short walk over.
I sat at an empty table, taking sips of my new favorite drink combo while I read story 7068. Although the story was juicy, the conversation between the baristas was juicier. From bad roommates to questionable men, I couldn't help but pick up on bits and pieces of their conversation. Headphones would have helped me focus, but what's the point of being outside if you're not immersing yourself in your surroundings?
Story 7068 turned out to be the best piece of writing I've read thus far. There are some applications where the writers may have unique voices, but you can tell when it's a little too try-hard and forced.
As a first-time reader for a writing fellowship program, it's intriguing to see the range of submissions. There was an applicant who wrote long, run-on sentences to portray the neuroticism of a fading relationship, whereas another wrote in short, poetic sentences that conveyed the frantic energy of existing in a big city.
I was curious to read other people's work, especially those in their early careers, to see that we all start from somewhere. There is value in reading their work because, as an unbiased reader going through these anonymous submissions, I'm fully focused on the work instead of the writer. It's also a refreshing experience to read these stories that live in other people's heads, to catch a glimpse into their innermost thoughts. I'm enjoying the process so far, although sometimes imposter syndrome makes me question my role as a reader for these applications. Who am I to judge their work?
But isn't that the entire point? To have everyday people read these works and provide feedback as a gauge of determining how the writer's work would fare for a mass audience and their skills for storytelling.
I am also reminded that I was picked to be part of this readership program, so I must possess some qualifications.
After completing my assessment of Story 7068, I slowly made my way back home to look for signs and mementoes that piqued my interest. The best way to determine the type of neighborhood you're in is to identify what people put up in front of their homes and the posters that are up for public consumption. It was reassuring to see LGBTQIA+ friendly decorations up for Pride month, as well as resources for immigrants.
The weather was the best it has been the entire week, so a little reading in the park was necessary.
I found a bench underneath a tree and read Loca, a book club pick for the end of the month. There was a family sprawled on a picnic blanket nearby, plenty of dogs to say hi to, and a gentle breeze to balance out the sun. It is days like these that remind me why it's so important to go outside and just be.
As I was making my way home, I came across a sign decorated with fake leaves and flowers with the following quote:
"It is most important to go out alone, to sit under a tree – not with a book, not with a companion, but by yourself – and observe the falling of a leaf, hearing the lapping of the water, the fishermen's song, watch the flight of a bird, and of your own thoughts as they chase each other across the space of your mind. If you are able to be alone and watch these things, then you will discover extraordinary riches which no government can tax, no human agency can corrupt, and which can never be destroyed." - Jiddu Krishnamurti
It felt serendipitous to chance upon this message.
Although I was reading in the park, I am reminded that it's essential to be outside alone as a way of channeling my focus inwards. Perhaps by the end of summer, there will be an artist date where I take a mindful walk outside with no music, no podcasts, no books, no distractions to quiet the thoughts running through my mind. By allowing my thoughts and imagination to roam free, I hope that I may come across my innermost self that has been asking to be heard.
