And those resolutions are:
I will lose that flab by getting off the cultural fast-food diet of empty calorie TV junk and start treating myself to creative work that truly nourishes my soul.
I will exercise more of my vocabulary to discuss creative experiences in ways that are real, not academic.
I will cut my extra credit cards in half to dismantle my mental connection between artistic quality and money.
I will spend more time with family and friends in places of creative excitement. And I will turn off my cell phone!
I will experience new things and do something out of my cultural comfort zone every week – read a book, see a TV show, listen to a song, walk into a building, attend a performance I would not normally do.
I will enjoy telling an artist I like the work. Yes, I’ll write a fan letter or send a tweet! Because I know that artists never really know who they have connected with, and they need all the encouragement they can get! Come to think of it, maybe I’ll take that artist to lunch, too.
I will get organized and organize others, especially if there is a Congressional Show Trail (aka “hearing”) on de-funding the Smithsonian for initially displaying David Wojnarowicz’s work. I’ll make my voice heard. Culture is for people and artists, and I will push back against politicians who use it for partisan rivalry.
I will quit smoking and get my high from inspiring artist-heroes instead.
I will quit drinking up only US-made arts and I’ll widen my international perspective by sipping from a book or seeing a movie created by someone who’s not American.
I will get out of debt to everybody who’s having this discussion on my behalf and think about writing a guest column for CulturalWeekly.com – I hear they love guest columns. At least I’ll post a comment!
I will participate and ask my friends to subscribe to CulturalWeekly.com too, or forward it, or post it on my Facebook page, so more of us are building this movement of cultural discussion.
Image from the UK’s Big Art Affair upcoming in 2011.
