Here are the moments I want to remember from 2021, in no particular order:
Picking up my dad from the hospital after he had a quarter of a lung removed.
Going to the Philadelphia Flower Show with my mom and drinking cocktails out of juice pouches while she was undergoing radiation for breast cancer.
Feeling so much love and support from my parents’ neighbors and friends as they went through cancer in the midst of a pandemic.
The end of my dad’s chemo. The end of my mom’s radiation.
Finding joy and reasons to laugh in the midst of so many challenges.
Getting the all clear, no more cancer confirmation for both of them.
My grandmother dying because I felt in my heart that she was finally at peace.
My oldest son getting married, a surprise via Zoom, but a very Covid sort of thing if there ever was one.
Remembering how to swallow food again after having forgotten how for nearly two months. Those first few bites of pasta I didn’t choke on after months of smoothies and soup were heaven.
The really fun diagnostic test I had where I got to watch x-rays of myself swallowing different types of radioactive food. (You have no idea how much I wish I could share a video of this!)
My first endoscopy, hopefully my last, because my doc was so kind and understanding and patient. And he made me laugh when I was terrified. (Nobody needs to see this video.)
Smalls returning to in-person school, thriving in his new classroom, and making lots of new friends.
Dropping Smalls off so he could meet up with his new friends at a local fair.
Minting and selling my first NFT.
Mmmhmm. Yep. I’ve learned a few things since then.
My first meal in a restaurant once I felt it was safe.
My last meal in a restaurant before I decided it was unsafe again.
Beeple added yarny Beeple to his collection. I mean. AHHHHHHHHH and also wouldn’t have been possible without my friends, I’m beyond grateful.
Mmmhmmm. Also learned a few things since then.
(TBH I’m so appreciative of everyone’s endless patience as I keep learning and growing, it’s kind of gobsmacking the grace which has been extended to me.)
Chopping off ten inches of hair and turning what was left purple.
Making friends with such a long list of brilliant, lovely people I’d break the internet trying to name them all.
Conversations with those friends.
Working with a friend to organize an art auction to support another friend.
Smalls’ first floor hockey game of the season.
The first time my work appeared in a gallery. And the second, and third, and…sheesh. I’m humbled.
My first art residency.
So many metaverse events.
Becoming who I am.
The rise and fall of HEN, and all that came out of it.
First HEN work:
Here honey let me straighten your tie
Last thing minted on HEN before it imploded
Well hell. Is this growth? I dunno but it’s been a hell of a ride!
Being invited to interview for a position I was nowhere near qualified for, not getting the job, but then seeing the work I put into the pitch deck I created validated (sort of?) in real life.
So many art airdrops.
PS. Have you seen my collection? (Hmmm..not sure Showtime is pulling everything because I think my Tezos collection is well past 1000 pieces? Need to investigate!)
$ENS airdrop.
$SOS airdrop?
Airdrop for buying a literal metric shitton of Gary Vee books…soon?
Airdrops, because what is this life even?
My first week back in the office after working from home since March 2020. I don’t love working in the office but reconnecting with my coworkers felt so good. As you can see from the photo below I’m absolutely fucking thrilled.
Art Week Miami.
So many people’s asses in the way of a lovely sunrise because my ass rolled out of bed at 6 a.m. with a wicked hangover instead of never going to bed and being there at 3 a.m. #lessonlearned
All kidding aside this was a beautiful installation and I felt lucky to be so close to it and to see it in so many different iterations. I can’t imagine what went into aligning that orb with the sunrise and the way this installation changed over the course of a sunrise…a day…a night. This was one of the most alive works I’ve ever seen.
And also this after I scooted everyone’s asses out of the way:
If I woke up to this every day…I’d be unstoppable. (as I type this day ???? of rainy grey ugh NJ ahhhhh winter weather looking forward to a couple of days of even worse weather hello seasonal depression my old friend)
Endlessly waiting for an Uber outside of Art Basel and chatting with the loveliest woman. When I grow up, if I ever do, I want to be just like her. Especially if she has access to sunshine.
Spotting some of my artist idols and having such a fangirl moment I couldn’t say hello. Telling them afterwards. Eeek. (Will say hello next time I’m not chicken, honest.)
The first time I rocked fuchsia lipstick after being an all red, all the time sort of girl.
The smell of wet paint in my art room.
MaxOsiris drawing on my arm. He gave me some Frankincense. I gave him a heart. On balance I was WAY on the better end of this exchange. Is there anything more erotic than a stranger pulling you in close and drawing on your wrist?
Fewocious telling me through a fence around his photoshoot (meet and greet?) that he loved my hair. I mean, COME ON. What life is this?
Dropping crochet hearts as discreetly as possible…which I learned I’m not very good at lol!
Finishing my first work on a canvas.
The weight of an iPad in my hands.
The weight of my huge yarn tail ball in my hands.
People making fan art of me? What?
An entire literal song about me? What?
My first live interview in Ladz City. Which I botched the first time around because I had no idea how my tech worked or more specifically didn’t work with Discord. Still don’t know how Discord works but managed to chat for a half hour despite that!
My first written interview with CAN
My first recorded interview with PinkFlaminGucci.
First dinner, tacos and margaritas, during Art Basel…fresh off the plane and starving, waiting for our third housemate. Also, damn, I was lucky to have such amazing housemates during Basel, I mean sheesh. You have no idea.
Amazing Cuban food for lunch while taking a break from Art Basel, with so many new friends, ahhh!
Last dinner, tacos and margaritas, during Art Basel…with a LOT more friends and sad to leave all of them.
A vegan lunch with someone I respect and admire and look forward to seeing what he gets up to next.
Also, I didn’t take nearly enough photos while in Miami argh. *I want to remember this so I remember to take more photos while on the next adventure. BIG UNDERSCORE HERE BECAUSE OMFG.
Poetry readings during Digipedia’s poetry twitter spaces. Sheesh. So much talent.
Countless hours of music and pilfered playlists thanks to my new friends.
Hiking in the woods on a rainy day and getting soaked while listening to the music raindrops made while landing on the leaves over my head.
Tornadoes that swooped through town just a few blocks away. Next time I’ll heed the sirens and not stand outside while they’re happening.
Learning how to use Procreate.
Learning how to animate.
Learning.
The smell of all the books I read while curled up on the sofa. Especially the ones that were over 100 years old and triggered my allergies. I will literally never forget that specific type of mold, not that it will stop me from flipping through their pages to my own detriment.
Learning how to run and how to do it consistently (again).
Learning how to eat well and do it consistently (again).
Smashing fitness goals and being well on my way to running a 5K in the spring, as planned.
That time I spent a weekend collaborating with my cats on found poetry. And then many months later having to explain the “Cats! Plz write poem.” note I wrote in the box lid when I took the box back into the office for recycling.
They’re quite talented, as it turns out.
How very catlike.
And a few days later when I tried to collaborate with the wind and the words blew all over the yard and I struggled to collect them all…and never made a poem with what was scattered to the yard.
Sometimes the effort is the art and I realized maybe, just maybe, I might be a conceptual artist.
Being told after a month of being back in the office that we needed to start working from home again because covid.
Smashing covid record after covid record in NJ because we’re overachievers like that. We do highways, traffic circles, superfund sites, and pandemics exceedingly well. And also pizza, pork roll sandwiches (yes it’s pork roll, not freaking Taylor ham and also Central Jersey is a thing), subs (don’t you dare call it a hooooaaagie) and bagels. On balance…we’re good yeah, so long as we can agree on terminology? Except for the covid records. Those can fuck off somewhere other than this planet please and as soon as possible.
#HeartBasel
#cryptocrafting
#hugamonsters
Early morning journaling, giant mug of coffee in hand.
Time spent with people who reminded me how strong, brilliant, creative, and beautiful I am…and feeling loved and appreciated.
Remembering who I was.
Remembering who I am.
Remembering who I can be.
And also. Betty White. OMG. My iPad is named after her. May whatever comes out of that brilliant technology come close to the joy she brought to so many people.
You know, no matter how far I stray…I always, ALWAYS come back to words. And here I am.
My New Year’s Resolution: make the fucking banana bread with the rotten bananas before it’s too late and they start to attract flies. #ripbananas
My word for 2022: Freedom.
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