Control Freak-out

(I did not make this)
 http://www.corpse.org/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=99999999&page=view&catid=14&PageNo=1&key=2&hit=1

Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is the process of two or more people working together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective) — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus.  

( I really LOVE the concept of deep, collective, determination!).

About a year ago I put it on my wish list to someday do some collaborative art. I was inspired by some of the projects I had seen Jennifer Mercede and Chris Haberman do -like in this video where they create a mural in 1 day together! It just looks so rewarding, growth inducing and fun. The first person who came to my mind was Rad Dad: Aaron Goodrich -artist and fellow active parent volunteer at our kid's school. I really like his style (I'm secretly hoping some of his awesomeness will rub off on me). One of the things I admire about Aaron is that he makes a lot of art! Whether it's tattoo flash, motorcycle tanks or skateboard decks, he's gettin' it done and putting it out there. He even created the best selling T-shirt design in Lewis Elementary's history! Anyway, he's got it goin' on and I really respect him, so I'm thrilled that he accepted my offer to create some artwork together for an upcoming show at our ever-popular-neighborhood coffee shop. Our deal is this:  5  15 x 20 boards each, lay something down then swap. Expand, transform, revise then swap again. We intend to trade boards at least 3 times, without any rules, or boundaries, or expectations. We really don't know what we're doing, but we're both game and eager to make some ART! It should be interesting (fun to say the least) to see how it turns out.

I have NEVER done anything like this before and am in completely in unknown territory. Obviously, I don't know what I'm doing or if I'm even doing it 'right'. The hardest part for me is letting go of the plan. I like to work with a road map where I have an inkling of where I'm going and what I'm doing. Any idea I attempt to cling to runs the risk of complete transformation by Aaron -which could be a wild and wonderful thing if I can remain open to it. I hope he can play off what I provide for him and vice versa. I must let go of of any preconceived notions and simply . . . dive in.



"The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is like playing a game of hot potato, tossing the spud from person to person. Sure, everyone wants the potato to stay in the air. But it's also really fun if you can put some spin on it when you throw it so the next person has to really reach to grab it. The fumble and save is part of the thrill of the game."
– paraphrased from M.T. Anderson