Summer Plans

I have not been blogging, though I have been writing in my journal.
Will try to make an effort to post things here, if relevant.

I am looking forward to the summer, teaching a few book workshops, but nothing much.....the last few summers I taught pre-college black&white photo at SVA, but this summer they are re-doing all the darkrooms, so no classes. I will miss it (esp. the $$) but look forward to having the summer for me, to work on my "Respecting My Elders" catalogue and (eventual) website. To have time to take in, rather than give out. I can use the break: the last year has been a whirlwind of fund-raising, teaching, etc.

In October I will be giving a lecture on my work at the Center for Alternative Photography here in New York City. Apparently film is now an alternative. http://capworkshops.org/2012/10/23/ellen-wallenstein-artist-lecture/. The photo above is a self-portrait from "Ellis Island- Ghost of My Ancestors", made in 1987.

Words of Wisdom from David Vestal

from a short note, 1/28/12, received today.

"Take a hint from Picasso, who said "I don't search, I find."
Don't go out looking for pictures or you will find them, and they will be pictures by others, which everyone has seen. See what is around you and use it to make your own."

Photograph of David Vestal, Photographer, Bethlehem, Ct., 2009

from "Respecting My Elders" , © Ellen Wallenstein All rights reserved

David Vestal is a Photographer, Educator, Writer, Photo Guru, Awards-Winner, Author of "The Craft of Photography". He presently publishes  finity, a hard-copy newsletter of reviews, wit & substance that subscribers receive by snailmail. Interested parties should write to him at PO Box 309, Bethlehem Ct 06751-0309

Words of wisdom from David McReynolds

I met David McReynolds through my dear friend Anne Slavitt (see "Opus for Anne") and am proud to call him a friend. David is a lifelong radical political activist involved in the non-violent revolutions. (He also ran for NYS Senate and for POTUS in the 2000 Presidential Elections.)

A very busy man with many astonishing connections, an amazing email list and an energy that keeps plowing on. 

David's response to my request for "wisdom"

".....I'm so far behind in getting things done at the moment that I feel out of words of wisdom..... Just keep on trucking! Aim to get one thing a day done."

David McReynolds, War Resister, New York 2009
with his childhood animals and his cat Shanti.
Photo © Ellen Wallenstein 2011
"Respecting My Elders"

Fund-Raising: A Challenge

http://www.usaprojects.org/project/respecting_my_elders

This is the first time i’ve tried something like this - to raise money. “Crowd-sourcing" they call it- a little bit from a lot of people. I’ve come to some conclusions:

1. It’s Hard Work. First of all figuring out who you know and how to ask nicely. Making, condensing and organizing lists of all the people I have ever had an email correspondence with. It does take a Village.

2. Asking for money. The hardest thing to do. Difficult for anyone but probably harder for an Artist: it brings up all sorts of self-doubts, even with the hubris of “I-Must-Create-This-And-The-World-Needs-To-See-It.”

3. Time constraints. Ostensibly short, 90 days is a long time to angst. In the first few days and weeks my good/best friends and buddies pledged their support for my project... I so appreciate that. Then, not much.

4. Three months is actually a long period of time, day-to-day, to worry. It is good to have everything in place (see #1) and a schedule. My friend Lisa, who successfully funded a project on Kickstarter (and for a lot less than I am asking for) told me she didn’t sleep for 90 days. I’m sleeping, but not soundly.

5. My holiday from teaching, a blessed month, would have been a lot more relaxing if I had had less to worry about.

6. Despite all of the above, I do believe “Respecting My Elders” is a project worthy of support and attention and that I will somehow be able to collect all the funds requested. Part of the anxiety stems from the fact that if I don’t raise all the money I won’t get any of it, and will have to start again. But at least it won’t be from Square One.

Happy New Year

Resolution(s):
To be focused, to finish one thing before I start another, to take time and be present in every moment- what the Buddhists call being mindful.

Here's to 2012 , all possibilities exist right now.

Words of Wisdom from A.R. Gurney

  " The older I get, the more fascinated I become with my craft. and with the crafts of the directors, designers and actors with whom I collaborate." 

A.R. Gurney, Playwright 

Photograph © Ellen Wallenstein 2010

from "Respecting My Elders', an ongoing portrait project

Words of Wisdom from Bel Kaufman

I asked Bel Kaufman if she had any words of wisdom about staying creatively active all one's life. 

"Words of wisdom? Words of common sense: Provided you are healthy (a huge proviso) you can have a long and interesting old age. The problems and insecurities of youth are in the past, children are grown and on their own, this is the time to do not what you always had to do but what you want to do. You  can be creative, productive, helpful, even inspiring or simply content to be privileged to live in a world which is changing every day."

BEL KAUFMAN (by email, December 3, 2011)

Photograph © Ellen Wallenstein 2011
"Respecting My Elders" 
an ongoing project