Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Last Year

Hello everyone who's still checking out this blog or subscribing. Having just updated a post at the request of an artist, I thought some people might be coming back to see if I've started up again due a google reader alert or something. If you are, then at least you'll have this post, with my explanation of the last year, waiting for you.

So what happened? 

Concretebeat was going well and I sure did love making all these videos and meeting all these artists. What happened was, first, I started to have to focus on making a little money (and I'm sure all the artists I've interviewed know exactly the feeling). So I did. I got a job as the New Media Director on the Obama campaign in NY State (now you know my political leanings) and, while that didn't pay the, it worked some 20 hours a day. And of course I loved it.

Day in and day out I managed the team that brought you the New York blog entries, online maps for phonebanks and rallies, online calling and those millions of bloody phone numbers. "But ENDED a year ago, what were you doing since then?"

"Sweet dreams and flying machines, in pieces on the ground"

Less than a month after Barack Obama won the presidential election my mother died in a plane crash. When I found out that Monday morning, I left unable to translate thoughts into writing, unable to edit video for hours at a time and unable to go out into the city and put in a smile while I enjoyed it's hidden artists. More generally, the thought of doing those things that I had done while she was alive seemed unbearable. I didn't even want to log into blogger. Besides, with my main supporter and benefactor gone, it was time for me to find a permanent job.

In between last year and now, I've gotten a new job, doing more new media. I've moved, gotten to know my dad a lot better, taken up yoga and tai chi and had a one year anniversary with my girlfriend. I've also thought very often about going back out and doing more documenting.

Having said that, it's still hard to take it back up. It's like revisiting a time when my life was completely different. I'm doing the same thing but I don't live where I used to, I don't know the same people and my number one fan, promoter and friend isn't there to help me figure out what to do.

I think I'd like to anyway. In due time.