This time last month marked the end of a 9 month long crunch. And after cranking for 10 shows I was feeling pretty crunchy. I settled in for a few weeks of introspection and New Year resolution making. I pulled up last years awesome post of resolutions only to realize I really did not follow through on most of them. WTH? It is not as if I had a year of slacking, I felt as if I was busting ass to keep up with such a busy year. Clearly priorities shifted within weeks of making those resolutions. Come to think of it, every year I really do not follow through on my New Year’s resolutions. For having such a successful year, compared to the checklist of resolutions, my success is so full of perceived failure. And when I am feeling so crunchy, that kind of should of/would have/could have makes me want to eat bad carbs while watching reality TV from bed (us exCatholics are really good at the guilt thing).
But in crafting some new resolutions, I realized that I could easily cut and paste last year’s resolutions right into 2012. So, rather that resolve to do X, Y and Z. I decided to just try a different approach. Rather than forming specific goals, I want to manifest a certain state of being. My resolutions of 2011 were intended to bring me to a place of focused business growth and a place of being more centered through self care. I think that could easily be the goal for any given year as an full time artist and small business owner. But really what it boils down to is being happy and secure.
So, this year I will not resolve to do X, Y and Z. I know what the sweet spot of centered, creative, and focused feels like. And getting there can change from moment to moment. So I am gonna leave it at that. Get to the sweet spot of happy and secure; weather the rough spots best you can.
Well, crap. I did it again. I totally spaced on my NaBloPoMo challenge, and neglected to blog yesterday. And just like in September, I did so ON THE SECOND DAY of the challenge!!! Clearly I am having a hard time getting my blog groove on. And I have officially dropped myself from any NaBloPoMo sweepstakes chances. But, really the focus for me is to keep up the momentum for blogging. So I am back on the wagon. Blogging every day in November.
Hidden in the two large trunks by my living room sofa, is my neglected fabric stash. Most of it vinatage, a gift from a friend as I moved to Asheville. I decided to bust it out a few weeks ago and attempt a quilt. After cutting and sewing for hours, I was mortified to see I only had enough squares for a lap quilt. Whatever!! The top is done, and then I stalled out… I had the brillant idea of carding the skirting from my fleece and piecing together a batt for this blanket. and I still may do so at some point. But I am thinking if this is gonna get done, I will want to just get some regular batting stuffs.
Is it any surprise I am completely deadline driven? I guess 20+ years in advertising will do that to you. So, after an awesome month filled with blogging daily (okay not quite daily, I spaced on two of those days), October was somewhat barren of posts. Yes, I was slammed getting ready for SAFF, but not so slammed that I was unable to post messy studio or shameless pet pictures. So, I am signing up again for BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo November challenge. This month marks the anniversary month that started NaBloPoMo. No theme this time, just blogging for the sake of blogging. Again, quite fitting since I need to just write. This month at NaBloPoMo there are also daily prize give aways!! So join me, sign up,check out the blogrolll, and subscribe to UrbanGypZ Blog…this month will be filled with pix and entries as I prepare for 3 more shows and travel to Raleigh, Philly, and NYC!! And of course the requisite cat pictures…
** WARNING: There is no way to really write this review without some major spoilers.**
So, in a nutshell this documentary is about a NYC photographer, Nev, who connects with a family in Michigan through Facebook. In the course of nine months, Nev began a long distance relationship, online and over the phone, with the eldest daughter, Megan, whom he has never met. Nev’s film maker brother, Rel and his biz partner Henry, document the whole relationship, including the unexpected twists that unfold.
Okay, that is about as much as I can say without giving away the ending. From here on out is one big spoiler…just saying…
So, maybe you should just stop now and go see this movie and come back…
I’ll wait…
Otherwise, I am about to let the cat out of the bag…so you have been warned…
okay?
So, while in Vail on a photo shoot, Nev, Henry and Rel discover that songs supposedly recorded by Megan are actually by another artist. Suspicions arise, and the three decide to make a surprise visit to Michigan to uncover the truth about the woman whom Nev has developed a relationship with. What they find is Angela, a middle aged woman who has created several fantasy characters based on actual people, but using photos she culled from the internet. The woman whom Nev believes is her 19 yr old daughter, Megan, is actually Angela. And this fictitious persona was her way of escaping her secluded life, caring for her severely mentally disabled stepsons. Nev does forgive her and has sympathy for why she did what she did. And they do remain friends.
This documentary was awesome. And it is so phenomenal that they happened to catch it all on film, there has been some controversy as to whether or not the events are actually real. It is well edited and just the lack of emotional drama despite the drama that is unfolding feels pretty real to me.
I do find it odd that the relationship between Megan and Nev went on for 9 months without actually meeting. And in that time Nev is not at all suspicious. Okay granted he is 24 yrs. old and the supposed Megan is pretty hot. Men at that age can be so blinded by their sex drive. But I would think he would have tried to meet her way before nine months. But despite the fact that he was being deceived, I think over that amount of time most of his perceptions about the relationship would actually be his projections of who he thought Megan was. I mean, if Megan were a real person, the story could have actually played out similarly. Online relationships leave a lot of room for you to fill in the unknown spaces with what you hope that person would be.
I also think that Nev and the film makers had such awesome compassion for Angela, despite being deceived. I do not know that I would have handled it quite so compassionately, if I were in Nev’s shoes. And in one of the final scenes where Angela is sketching Nev and they were talking, there is such a palatable finality to their “love affair”. Such sadness when Nev asked Angela to talk to him as Megan one last time. Such tenderness as Angela sketched Nev’s face. The resulting portrait was absolutely awesome and dead on. I think what could have been such a slanderous film for Angela, was edited with such compassion. It was a fine line, Rel and Henry nailed it.
So at this point I have been recommending films that are like the documentary I am reviewing. But when it comes to Catfish, I am at a loss. This documentary is one of a kind. It is really quite good. Do see it, regardless of all the spoilers I have dropped. Here are some links that I found for more info about this film.
My name is Stacey Budge-Kamison, the fiberista behind UrbanGypZ Artisan Yarn in Asheville, NC.
http://www.knitty.com
Recent Comments