What were your top 3 inspirations in 2010?

http://theendofbeing.com/2010/09/20/auerglass-experimental-instrument-by-tauba-auerbach-cameron-mesirow-of-glasser/

The Auerglass project really excited me and got me to think about art that’s between boundaries. It’s a musical instrument, but it is also a showcase for collaboration on various levels. Between musicians, artists, instrument makers. There’s also a kind of grand collaboration between ideas of musical composition, performance, shoe making, clothes, location of performance, symmetry, complexity. This inspired me and deflated me at the same time, because it is surprising, and comes from a place that I aspire to understand, but don’t know if I ever have the resources (real or imagined) to develop work in.

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http://criticalflame.org/U35/

U35 at the Marliave is a Boston Poetry event that takes place every 2 months. It’s a reaction to this sentiment in some circles that poets have little of value to publish until they’re at least 35 years old, and in many cases shouldn’t publish till then.

Dan Pritchard, who runs the night, invites poets younger than 35 to come and share their work with audiences who believe that they may have something interesting and worthwhile to offer. Audiences who maybe want to hear poetic voices from their own generation. And Dan shows that you don’t have to sacrifice quality in order to do that.

This has inspired me because the night seems to be very successful in its own right, and as a young poet I am very excited to read there in 2011. And this one gig is constantly nudging me to get back to work, to make it better, to practice performing, to be a strong link in a very wonderful chain of young poets. It’s not exactly pressure, it’s an invitation to get my shit together and take myself just seriously enough to actually make time and space for working on poems.

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http://fasola.org

My third of these equal and non exclusive inspirations has been my discovery of American Shape Note Singing, at University College Cork, Ireland, and then in the US, where I live now.

Singing from a book called The Sacred Harp, the group in Cork is part college course, part community fun. The ratio of religious to non-religious people involved is hard to guess, and more importantly: it makes no difference. Not in Ireland, England, the USA or anywhere else where people sing Shape Note. The texts are usually Biblical, and the motto “Pubic Worship, Private Faith” (the title of a book by John Bealle) holds true everywhere I’ve been.

The singing is about a bunch of people who love to sing getting together and singing their hearts out in 3- and 4-part harmony at the top of their voices. There are traditionally no public performances — not in the style of a Western choir. People sit in a square facing in. Everybody has a go at leading the group and choosing a song to sing. You don’t criticize mistakes. You welcome newcomers, share books, and be awesome.

I had never thought there’d be a place where I could really let rip with my voice in a room of fifty people all doing the same thing, and just go for it, without fear that I’m messing anybody up or that I need to be quiet or blend in with my section. It has changed the whole way I think about singing, and really helped me to open up and sing better in other settings.

I feel like this kind of singing is available to everybody, and it does your heart good.

Wednesday, December 22 at 12:12pm

Here are my top three, in no particular order:

1. The Project H Design Revolution Roadshow (http://designrevolutionroadshow.com/): My school, the University of Cincinnati, was one of the last stops on the trip. It was really cool to see the collection, but even more interesting to hear the insights of Emily and Matt, who had just traveled across the country and visited tons of design school. Their feedback on the state of design education in the US was as interesting as the meaningful products in their airstream. I also appreciated their insight that it’s hard, if not impossible, to design for ‘emerging markets’ when you have no contact with them.

2. Eataly in New York City (http://eatalyny.com/): This is a market and cluster of restaurants like none other. It embodies a number of the current trends in food (most noticeably simple food with quality ingredients) and is really more of an experience than a retail establishment. It’s well thought-out, reasonably priced, and delightful. It will be interesting to see if it is as attractive to locals as to tourists in the long run.

3. Port-o-potties (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx07zfTnyg0): This one is a bit more abstract… this year, I completed my industrial design thesis project by designing a port-o-potty. It started as a way to address an obvious problem and wound up being a far-reaching project that won me money ($1000 in the Cincinnati Innovates contest) and gave me an unusual topic of conversation for much of the year.

Wednesday, December 22 at 12:31pm

We recently sent out our 2010 Glass House Visitor Survey and asked respondents to describe their experience in 3 words. The following is just a snippet from all the terrific responses we received. Many thanks to everyone who participated!

Top 3 words used to describe visiting the Philip Johnson Glass House:

1) Inspiring
2) Informative
3) Beauty

And, here are a few more highlights from the hundreds of great responses we received:

“curious, modern, personal”
“serene, beautiful, refreshing”
“innovation, art and nature”
“peaceful, encompassing, fun”
“renewed amazement, delight”

Wednesday, December 22 at 2:18pm

My top three inspirations were:

1 Living on the East Coast. Being only a day trip away from NYC which justifies my membership to MoMA. The city of Baltimore. Truly the most fascinating city I’ve ever lived in. This fascination breeds inspiration.

2 Walks in the woods. I have two Weimaraners which means lots of walking in the woods. The inspiration comes from the required digital disconnection. When I am in the woods with dogs, I am in the moment. This serves as necessary cognitive white space that aids in later analysis and synthesis of thought.

3 Talks with Will (my husband). I am constantly thinking and mulling things over. My husband is a great listener. Talking my ideas through with him leads to focus and clarity.

Friday, December 24 at 11:01am