I'm Calling All Artists

I became a blogger (giggle- is that anything like a booger?) last Monday in an experiment to release my words from the prison of my private world. Two hours later I regretted it. Why did I do that? It's not that I hated the words I had written, I just hated that I had shared them. Nakedly self-conscious, I began to nitpick at each syllable I posted. Ugh, can you believe I wrote who’s instead of whose....and then POSTED IT! Sickening. I wanted to quit my project before it had even gotten started. But here’s the thing, I have made a commitment. I am a quitter by habit: piano lessons, clarinet, college courses (countless), college (two of them), churches(many), relationships (sadly), bathroom painting projects (happily). If things get inconvenient or uncomfortable, oh yeah, or boring, I just move on. Today, I need to stop quitting. I am going to quit quitting.

In the shower, I came up with a way not to quit this writing experiment. My brain, like a fertile garden, sprouted this idea under copious watering: What if I made this a communal writing experiment? What if I expanded this communal experiment to all fields of the arts? I would feel so much better to be surrounded by cyberfriends willing to lay themselves bare for all the world to see. With me.

What is this madness you say? Let me break it down. I am asking for submissions from anybody out there who would like to share their art on my blogspot. Have you written something you love? Send it to me and I will probably post it (make sure it isn’t nasty- there are sufficient venues for nastiness in cyberspace) Are you an incredible artist? Would you be willing to share pictures of your genius on my website? Send me a submission. Did you win a local contest for something you’ve done? Share it here. Got a movie? Send it. Do you have a creative business you would like to see advertised? I'll do it. Are you an incredible cook and would like to share your innovative recipe? I will post and use it. Are you passionate about a cause? Send it to me and I will share it. Sometimes your art lies in passionate compassion.

Why should you bother joining me in my experiment? Why not start your own blog? Or easier, just post your stuff on facebook? Simply because I’m asking you to keep me company. I don’t want to quit my writing experiment but I don’t want to do it alone. If you want to start your own blog, do it. But share some of your submissions at my blogspot just to get your feet wet or change your audience up. BTW if you keep posting artsy stuff on facebook you’re going to be a certain type of 20 different "Annoying Facebook Users" listed in an MSN article. Don’t be that guy. Let me be that guy.

Come be a part of this exciting new community. Exciting to whom? To me. Ever since high school french class I thought it would be très magnifique to be part the kind of literary salon that Victor Hugo frequented: one room filled with people smoking, drinking coffee, sharing their creative genius. Why can’t I start a cybersalon? I have met so many interesting, funny, passionate people in this life. Why not provide a venue for them to get together? New to whom? New to me and to people like my husband who says, “Honey, I love your blog I just don’t understand what a blog is.”

If you want to step out with me, send your submission to luismeghan@gmail.com or send it to me on facebook. Please don’t share anything foul with me, because I will certainly not post it. I am sick to the gills with the inundation of grossness on the internet. If you have something beautiful, innovative, brilliant, funny, uplifting, send it to me and I will share it with my followers. (a unified force of 1) I will have final and full editorial power. (more fun for me) but I would NEVER presume to edit your work in any way.