80. Expand
How we open out when things close in. Fruition; an ode to composites; time as space; pedestrian fugues.
…he had intended to create for himself a fixed point, some centre from which departures might be made—the decision seeming, at the time, entirely his to make. Instead, at an immense distance from anything resembling home, he wondered with unconcern what circumstance would next transform the story.
—Shirley Hazzard, The Great Fire
As I shared in the last issue, there’s a ton going on—all good things—though everything seemingly all at once. In rare slippage of form, twice I left dishes in the sink when I left my flat in a rush. My three mile morning runs turned into two mile runs. Sometimes they happened at 10 pm. Sometimes they became postprandial walks, only 10 minutes long.
I did manage to maintain my daily strength training. I also composed and consumed a robust salad every single day—even on the go—which kept me satiated for hours. I feel inordinately proud of the consistency of these last two things.
Engaging with time has been a negotiation. Once I began accommodating instead of seeking concession, I’ve been able to navigate my schedule with a level of equanimity.
I think about time a lot. I had to miss a long-awaited, important event in NYC this past weekend because of a conflict; previously programmed and on the opposite side of the country. I once again wished that there were two of me, or that I could expand my private timeline so that I could make it to both. I actually considered timing my departure from the first event to make it to the last hour of the second, but it would have been…not fun.
Once I chose to commit to one thing and gently release the other, I felt very much at peace. In general, I’ve been trying to maintain a mode of compliance. When I notice the day speeding up, I delibrerately try to slow down: physical movement, outbreaths, pace of thought.
I find then that I drop things less, sleep better, and laugh more.
In this vein, I’m introducing “Anchors,” a Member-only (and long-promised) Ruminations series, where I share how I manage to keep (almost) all my plates up in the air: how I prioritize, a typical day’s routine, and humble tips for slowing at velocity—all of which I believe support a healthy and sustainable creative practice. See the Member-only link below for the inaugural issue.
Today’s program:
News
In the Studio: behind the scenes
Content for Members:
Extra behind-the-scenes
Provisions: inspirations, NYC gems
In closing: a micro-essay of a NYC moment
Bonus issue: “The breakfast”
Given new readers, I think we’re due for a quick reminder of what The Line Between (TLB) is: a peek into an artist’s life and work. Think of these as biweekly letters from a friend who happens to be an artist in NYC. It’s hard to see the big picture sometimes—TLB focuses on how points of departure and arrival come into being through all the ones in between. As always, deepest gratitude to members whose support helps me sustain the studio (with film entry fees, software, equipment, music licenses, scoring, and more).
News
엄마 나라 | MOTHER LAND is going to London!
KAAC’s group show, Savored Connections, opened at Hana Makgeolli. Chuseok was celebrated, hugs exchanged, makgeolli consumed. Grateful to all our neighbors, NYC Korean American business owners, and friends who came out to play.
I was the guest editor for Substack Reads last week! It was a joy to lift up other writers, and I had fun suggesting a cozy nibble-and-bite pairing with each newsletter. Take a look, and subscribe to these labors of love:
I was honored to be one of three guests at Animation Speak/Easy, where I presented Daniela Sherer’s The Shirley Temple. It was an incredible evening.
In the studio
Some people are surprised when I say that I like to animate, because, for all my talk of “expansiveness” and “being at peace,” I’m a fast-walking, pointedly-sighing, minute-counting, person. (I’m working on it.)
The truth is that animation expands time for me. I’m able to focus for hours, which isn’t something I can do with many other things these days. Animating is, for me, single-tasking to the max.
Animation also let’s me visualize time. This is why I’m so into “composites:” all the frames of an animation exposed at once. It feels like a super power, to be able to compose, and see, time like that.
Composites often become their own thing, too, branching off from their original contexts:
Composites can open up totally different worlds and moods:
Here’s a composite from a vignette I’ve been exploring the past few weeks:
In animation, time is spatial. Time literally takes up space, and can be seen and handled in terms of space.
So. Dope.
Members, read on for even more micro-expositioning on this in GIFs. I also share a process video to trippy music, and the latest Post-It Pep Talk. Everyone else: I hope you found the micro-essay, visuals, and thoughts-out-loud to this point, interesting.