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philosophybits:

“Our minds must have relaxation: rested, they will rise up better and keener. Just as we must not force fertile fields (for uninterrupted production will quickly exhaust them), so continual labor will break the power of our minds.”

— Seneca, On Tranquility of the Mind

(Source: philosophybits)

sixfive:

“I don’t explain cultural things, with italics or with exclamation or with side bars or asides. I was aggressive about that because I had so many negative models, so many Latinos and black writers who are writing to white audiences, who are not writing to their own people. If you are not writing to your own people, I’m disturbed because of what that says to your relationship to the community you are in one way or another indebted to. You are only there to loot them of ideas, and words, and images so that you can coon them to the dominant group. That disturbs me tremendously.”

— Junot Díaz, with Diógenes Céspedes and Silvio Torres-Saillant (1996)

pussymargiela:

“1. Art requires time — there’s a reason it’s called a studio practice. Contrary to popular belief, moving to Bushwick, Brooklyn, this summer does not make you an artist. If in order to do this you have to share a space with five roommates and wait on tables, you will probably not make much art. What worked for me was spending five years building a body of work in a city where it was cheapest for me to live, and that allowed me the precious time and space I needed after grad school. 2. Learn to write well and get into the habit of systematically applying for every grant you can find. If you don’t get it, keep applying. I lived from grant money for four years when I first graduated. 3. Nobody reads artist’s statements. Learn to tell an interesting story about your work that people can relate to on a personal level. 4. Not every project will survive. Purge regularly, destroying is intimately connected to creating. This will save you time. 5. Edit privately. As much as I believe in stumbling, I also think nobody else needs to watch you do it. 6. When people say your work is good do two things. First, don’t believe them. Second, ask them, “Why”? If they can convince you of why they think your work is good, accept the compliment. If they can’t convince you (and most people can’t) dismiss it as superficial and recognize that most bad consensus is made by people simply repeating that they “like” something. 7. Don’t ever feel like you have to give anything up in order to be an artist. I had babies and made art and traveled and still have a million things I’d like to do. 8. You don’t need a lot of friends or curators or patrons or a huge following, just a few that really believe in you. 9. Remind yourself to be gracious to everyone, whether they can help you or not. It will draw people to you over and over again and help build trust in professional relationships. 10. And lastly, when other things in life get tough, when you’re going through family troubles, when you’re heartbroken, when you’re frustrated with money problems, focus on your work. It has saved me through every single difficult thing I have ever had to do, like a scaffolding that goes far beyond any traditional notions of a career.”

Teresita Fernandez, “Commencement Address at VCU,” 2013
(via 4a0000)

(Source: nickkahler)

image

Bus Stop, London, Photo by Elliot Erwitt, 1952

ssawmagazine:
“ SSAW Spring Summer 2018.
WAYNE BOOTH photographed in New York City by BIBI CORNEJO-BORTHWICK at We Folk and styling by ROXANE DANSET at Print and Contact
Casting by TALLULAH BERNARD
All clothing by JUNYA WATANABE COMME DES GARÇONS
”