New adventures in art and poetry for you, thought of you right away

Recently I made a couple of great finds, via radio, and I really want you to know about them in case you didn't.

One is a wonderful documentary, A Change of World, Poetry and the Women's Movement,  narrated by  Meryl Streep

Do go and listen. I remember so much of this from the time, though I was not at all in the poetry world in any sense, but it was clearly a big wave of change, and very heartening.

Go here 

And the other adventure originated with Wisconsin Public Radio, which pretty much saved my sanity in that first long winter when we came here and were finding our feet.  This is a great one, part of TBOOK, To The Best of Our Knowledge, from Lynda Barry, yes, that one, the cartoonist, on  making art even when you don't think you can, and why it's important.  

This was a great adventure even for an ancient artist like moi, and I would love you to give it a try. Her ideas are great.

Go here

I tried a few of her prompts, and had a wonderful time.  Here are a couple of drawings I did with eyes closed, yes, really.  

And here's one I did eyes open

You can see that it's more coherent, but look at the difference in energy and life in the eyes shut ones. There's a lot more going on there.  It's a great thing to try.  And listen to Lynda when she explains why you need to avoid dismissing your efforts within two seconds of seeing them, this is important.  Drawing is not about copying something to look like something.  She understands this profoundly.

Anyway, there, a couple of gifts for you for Earth Day!  it's about celebrating all sorts of human energy.