10 things anyone can do to demonstrate their art action in their own community

i'm interested in using this forum to keep track of ideas that can help us "come out" as artists--certainly for issues and politics and big things we feel compelled to say something about--but also, simply, as artists. in the past, i've felt a bit lonely in my community. when i look around, i can't tell where the artists live. i can't tell, when i'm in line with people at Safeway or even Whole Foods, if these are *my* people--that i might play with or make stuff up with or try things with. sometimes, I feel afraid, like i don't fit in, like i'm alone--and i may be, but most likely, there are other people who live in my zip code who share my interests and views. as a way of "coming out" as an artist interested in making a visual difference in my beige draped suburb, i am using this blog to think out loud about what i can do to demonstrate my artist's nature.

i can

1. make a sign that says "artist lives here--come say hi" and put it in my front yard
2. make a button that says "i'm an artist looking for community. are you an artist too?"
3. invite my neighbors to an art experience i'm creating or participating in
4. make art in public--visibly on my porch or at a park or in a cafe or...
5. post a saying or phrase or quote on a poster in a little corner of my window--having it face outward toward the wider world
6. wear clothes i've painted or clothes that have paint on them
7. buy an art lover license place or frame for my plates and put it on my car
8. make freeish marketing materials at vistaprint.com that say i'm an artist--promoting whatever it is i'm doing or looking for and pass those out randomly or give them to people i meet in line or in waiting rooms
9. sit quietly and set the intention to meet other likeminded folk who live in my neighborhood, trust the intention and move through the world with a sense of expectancy and confidence to start conversations with strangers
10. attend the art offerings of others as i encounter their promotion material on the web or in the world

what are other things anyone can do, wherever they are, to indicate they're willing to take an art action? or be a part of a community of others who use artmaking as their primary expression vehicle?

open call for changemakers

i've just come from an extraordinary 3 days at the first ever HOLISTIC APPROACHES TO ARTS EDUCATION conference at jfku in berkeley. i'll be doing my masters in transformative arts at the school and one of the things i thought might become my thesis is the documentation of what we do here with this blog and the resulting actions we take as a result of our virtual collaboration.

over time, some of us may choose to create visible community by coming together to DO something in a collective and publicly visible way--but this is not a call for MORE stuff to attend and stress out about and create and make, necessarily, outside the perameters of our normal, daily lives.

one of the ideas issued from the illustrious panel of transformation arts professionals assembled for our inspiration and edification was this: WE MUST LEARN TO BE CREATIVE WITHIN THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE FIND OURSELVES. maybe it was Karen Caroll? or Peter Milne? i want to give credit where credit is due.

so the question is, when we feel powerless in our lives or powerful in our lives, how do we express that? visually? in some manner in which might allow for connection with others? how are you, i, we, being in the world, such that changemaking is possible--when we feel a change is required? what are we up against? how do we get over it?

anyone?