I've got a mild fascination

Why hello there. Let me just start off this blog post by saying, I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a long time. I tend to do this thing where I start many projects, and I’m always very excited about them at first.  Then, in time, I lose interest. Well, not so much lose interest and lose the drive to finish the project. It’s an issue, especially when it comes to real-world things like writing papers, or unpacking.  And it’s disconcerting, because I often find myself with a serious passion about something, and then I never follow up.  Trust me, I’m working on it.

In any case, I’ve been thinking a lot about these little things that make up me lately.  1) I sometimes struggle to finish things without a looming deadline. 2) When faced with nothing to keep me busy, I am not productive. And 3) I am a collector.

When I was younger I collected candy wrappers for a time, keeping a shoebox of them in my closet. I collected movie tickets. And I continue to collect postcards – there is something magical about getting a message from the other side of the world.  There are even things I didn’t set out to collect, but that I seem to nonetheless.  I can’t help it; I am a collector.

Just some of the many polaroids I've taken.

Is this habit I can’t shake an instinct? I have always felt sort of overcome by the feeling of want when it comes to random things.  I can’t explain it, but I can’t throw away that ticket stub.  I need you to send me a postcard; I’ve never gotten one from (fill in the blank) before.  Now, I am aware of this overpowering instinct, and I can recognize when it’s silly.   That shoebox of candy wrappers is long gone. But still, I find myself wondering where I cultivated this love of things.  The more I look at it and back at myself, the more I see this American ideal of more, more, more. The notion that one is never enough.

As I’ve grown older, this collector in me seeks to be satisfied in new ways.  My laptop says it’s running low of free space because of the amount of songs in my library, and the number of pictures I have saved.  This isn’t the first time this has happened, in high school I was forced to buy an external hard drive in order to put off going through my music and getting rid of what I don’t listen to. “What if I want to listen to it eventually?” I would ask myself.

I habitually long for a simpler existence. An ideal that is at odds with my collector-self.  Rather than give up, this collector-me says to the more rational me “You can find a place for these postcards,” or “What if you need to look up a magazine article from 2007, where will you be if you throw away these old issues of Rolling Stone then?” As silly as it sounds, my mind sometimes rationalizes away these worries that sneak up – that I’m saving too many things I never use, or don’t really need. And I know that if I don’t deal with this instinct soon it will start to feel much more overwhelming as I sort through the collections in my life. With real life leering at me from around the corner, I feel compelled to sort through these collections, and the organized chaos that is part of my life.  I know that I’ll feel better and more calm when I do, but it’s the getting there part that is difficult.

What I would call a professional collection: Philadelphia's Magic Gardens showcases artist Isaiah Zagar's own collection - of junk, and recyclable materials.

I’m currently decorating my new room at school, and the box of postcards and stacks of polaroids I brought with me will soon find a place on my wall.  It really isn’t about giving up the collector habit in me, but learning to control and reason with the impulse. And isn’t that more healthy than just squashing this collector instinct? Moderation is a nice balance to strike between simplicity and chaos.

Until next time,

Molly

P.S. Check out "Collector" by Here We Go Magic - a great song that gave me some inspiration for this post.

stop(-motion), in the name of love.

Hello everyone!

It is Sunday, April 4th, 2010.  That means that it is Easter. That also means that it is the day before my 21st birthday! I am enjoying my last day at home in Massachusetts right now before heading back bright and early to school, with luggage, friends, and maybe some champagne in tow.

So far this break I have been doing lots of things besides work... I made some birds nests (the perfect spring dessert - chow mein noodles and chopped peanuts covered in melted butterscotch chips) and went for a run, and I also went birthday shopping with my parents and picked up some nice things, including a printer/scanner/copier (nerdy? yes, but needed to scan my polaroids that have been stacking up!) and some spring clothes like my favorite new skirt and a dress for my upcoming formal. The new skirt was even part of my easter outfit, which I will show you all soon! (part of my new plan to try some more outfit and fashion posts).

All of this has been fantastic, but my favorite find of Easter break is stop-motion.  I was watching tv the other day and remembered how adorable the amazon kindle commercial was:

I looked it up on youtube to watch it again, and in poking around I stumbled across the cutest short film ever.  The director is named Angela Kohler, who made both versions of the kindle commercial, as well as "Lost Things," another stop-motion video featuring Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy (as well as music by the band).  The video is absolutely adorable, it has a kind of Alice in Wonderland theme as Alison falls through a hole in the floor into a magical little world of lost things...

Every frame is wonderful and gorgeous! They each look like a shot for a magazine spread, which makes sense since in exploring a bit on her website, I found fashion & entertainment portfolios as well as so many other great things.  The portfolios are glamorous and beautiful, and another favorite of mine was the "notebook" section which features notebook art of Kohler.  I'm a sucker for anything polaroid...

"in the presence of eternity, the mountains are as tranquil as the clouds"

Wishing you all some tranquility, love & happiness this Easter - and this spring!

xo Molly

all photo credit: angela kohler

South By... Northeast?

Being stuck in Pennsylvania the last week has been rough.  Normally I wouldn't complain, but with the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX coming to an end yesterday, I am reminiscing about my trip to Austin only a few short months ago.  Over Halloween weekend I travelled to Austin with a group of students from my radio station here at school where I work - we got the chance to attend the CMA conference for college media, and essentially take a weekend off.

The trip to Austin made me fall in love with the city.  The conference itself was okay, but being able to explore a little bit of Texas with my friends was even better.  We ate texas barbeque, celebrated halloween in a hotel with hoards of other college students there for the conference running around costumed and maybe a little tipsy, and even learned a thing or two from the sessions we attended.

We heard lots while we were there about the SXSW concert which took place all last week, and it made me want to come back to Austin this spring.  It seems, though, that my busy college schedule got in the way.  I am determined to make it there eventually though, since all this week I've been listening to some SXSW bands in an effort to feel like I'm there.

Here are some of my favorites...
Harlem
A pleasant new find for me.  These Austin locals make lo-fi, pseudo British punk rock-y sounding indie-ish music.  Too confusing? Just give it a listen. I'm still figuring it out.
Latest release: an EP titled "Free Drugs ;-)"
Try: "Gay Human Bones" or "Friendly Ghost"

Free Energy
Happy and addictive music, I haven't stopped listening to it since picking up the EP in October.
Perfect for driving, sing-a-longs, sunny days, and getting ready in the morning.
Latest releases: their first full length "Stuck on Nothing," released on the heels of the self-titled EP.
Try: "Free Energy" (off either) or "Something in Common" off the EP.

The Very Best
This name is not an exaggeration.  My friend passed along their self-titled album over the summer and it took me forever to finally listen to it, and once I did I couldn't believe I hadn't listened sooner.
TVB is made up of Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit, who together make a sort of afro-pop mash-up while sampling artists such as M.I.A. and Vampire Weekend to create something totally unique.
Try: "Warm Heart of Africa" (featuring Ezra Koenig of VW) or "Kamphopo"

When we were in Austin we got to meet Ben Kweller, outside a bar called Emo's.

Listening to the SXSW artists can only do so much, it's not quite the same thing as being there in person. So I am patiently waiting until I have the time and money to attend the festival, because I love Austin, and I love the great bands they continually bring to SXSW each year. Let me know if you have any other band recommendations, or better yet, if you have a SXSW story to share!

Molly

some recent inspiration.

Lately, no matter how packed my days are, I've been turning to pictures for inspiration.  In the dead of winter it is usually hard for me to be inspired to take my own pictures, so I've ended up on an accidental image search in real, everyday life, minus google.

The website theanthropologist, an sort of inspiration-type blog for the store Anthropologie, has been a recent source of inspiration.  One of the featured artists on the site is David Eustace, a Scottish photographer who chronicled the 3 week road trip he took with his daughter through photography.  Both David and his daughter Rachael took pictures during the trip which were posted online.  I have a few favorites; one I keep returning to is this image:

Not only does this weather instantly cheer me up in my mid-winter gloom, but the image represents to me the journey that Rachael and David went on together.  I can't help but be inspired by them, and the carefree spirit of this picture in particular.  The Hollywood sign invites me to follow my own journey, wherever that will be, and Rachael's goofy kick reminds me how silly it is to worry what other people think.  Every time I see the picture I smile and daydream about summer.

In a New York Times article I read recently, I learned about a new exhibit in the Met called "Playing With Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage."  It primarily features the work of Victorian women who incorporated portraits into their own unique pieces of art.  Each one of the images on the slideshow (seen here) is beautiful - hand-crafted and unique, and so simplistically expressive.  Here are two of my favorites:

This watercolor butterfly is so gorgeous I can barely stand it.

I'm not quite sure what the artist was going for in this oddly proportioned piece, but I like the look of mixed media and the aesthetic of the finished product.  I am dying to go check out this exhibit in New York, because I want to see the photo-collage effect up close.  Other pieces on the site include some that are more abstract, and are just as interesting.  I can't help but wonder what the women were thinking when they created these pieces.

My most recent inspiration is an image of an artist: Frida Kahlo.  I have been drawn to her artwork ever since I watched the film Frida last week for my film class, in a way that I never had been before.  After watching Julie Taymor's film I can't stop looking at her paintings.  Although this image isn't a piece of art by Kahlo, the image of Frida from her Vogue magazine cover has remained with me after the film.  The brilliant colors, the styling of her hair and clothes, the way she is sitting so calmly... all of these things immediately focus and inspire me.

I think that the power of images is amazing.  I love the story behind the image, whether it is the story of a father-daughter road-trip, the voice of a Victorian woman, or a portrait of an artist.  Each of these images has called me to action: to plan a journey for myself, to find beauty in simple things, and to find strength in my own image.

If you're looking for a little inspiration, take a second to do a quick google image search.  It doesn't have to be groundbreaking, search "macro flowers" and find beauty in something you may pass every day. Search "speed skating" and feel a little closer to the Olympians.  Search "summertime" and remind yourself what the beach looks like.  Search for whatever inspires you, but constantly be on the lookout for new inspiration - as Ferris Bueller says "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."  It has been my experience that Ferris Bueller knows what he's talking about.

"how time can move both fast and slow amazes me."

So to start off, I figured I would use one of my favorite quotes to set the mood. I was thinking earlier about time and such, and that quote just kind of popped into my head.  Lately I've felt as though time is moving so so fast - every day I feel compelled to note how many days it has been since Christmas (too many) and how many days I have left before my 21st birthday (63!).  However, I've also felt some days dragging, and I don't know why that is.

What I was also thinking about - a little bit more relevant to a blog post - is film.  Lately I've kind of realized how much I love it and have felt a little more compelled to push myself in the direction of film study-wise, which has been quite a change of pace for me.  Last semester I took a class called "Contemporary Cinema" and this semester I signed up for "Gender and Film" - both of the classes have been so interesting so far, and have revealed to me how much more I need to learn about film.  If you don't know already, I am also involved with a project this semester that is creating a documentary film; we are still in the beginning stages but have begun filming our subject and figuring out our story.

I think part of what interests me most about film is the way that it acts as an escape from every day life like nothing else.  When you sit down in a movie theater you expect that escape.  It is easy to forget about time passing around you and to be somewhere else for a few hours.  Although escapism is one aspect of film that I find intriguing, I am also really interested in the artistic aspect of film.  And in this documentary class I'm learning a lot more about the technical side of actually making a film, which is something I never really thought I could do.

My favorite director is Wes Anderson (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, Bottle Rocket...).  His films are always a little off, which I love. They are stylized in a very interesting way, and each one is unique in subject, although maybe not in actors. I enjoy seeing his friends play new parts in each movie, and Anderson proves that every little part of a movie is integral to the entire experience.  My personal favorite is The Life Aquatic. Every part is carefully thought out and all come together to create such a special film: the bright red caps, the tour of the boat, the final scene with the swell of Sigur Ros in the background, the Zissou adidas, and especially the soundtrack.

Another film I've been into recently is Funny Ha Ha (directed by Andrew Bujalski). Funny Ha Ha is interesting because it's essentially the first film in this new genre I've been reading up on lately called "mumblecore."  If you haven't heard of it, mumblecore is essentially a low-budget, independent film movement that focuses on the relationships of 20-something year olds and features non-professional actors.  The movement has been getting more attention recently, especially in festivals.  Some other films you may have heard of but not realized were "mumblecore" include: The Puffy Chair, Humpday, and the newly released Beeswax.  It's been interesting to follow, and although the films can be jarring at first (the sound quality is so-so, and the plot sometimes seems to be going nowhere...) I feel as though taking the film as a piece of experimental art rather than what we would expect of "the industry" can prove worthwhile.

(500) Days of Summer (directed by Marc Webb, starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is another somewhat recent favorite, as it is of everyone really though.  The funny thing about this movie though, is that the plot kind of irked me.  I didn't really enjoy it the first time I watched it.  The second time, however, I did a lot more - so I'm willing to bet that I was disappointed after all the hype it received the first time around.  What I really love about this film though, is once again the style.  The sketching and the way that the plot whizzes from day 385 to day 17 in a few seconds was so refreshing, and I felt like watching it was actually taking an artsy, indie look and making it more mainstream.  I can appreciate that, and I enjoy it when the things I love (art, indie music, love, fashion) all collide in one.  So all in all, if you are one of the few who still hasn't seen it, do!

So I hope this has inspired you to watch some new films this Sunday.  As for me, I am planning on watching Stage Beauty, a film by Richard Eyre and starring Billy Crudup and Claire Danes - an assignment for my next film class. What are your favorite films? I love recommendations and have an overflowing netflix queue to which I am always adding.

xo Molly