art binge

I went to the botanic garden yesterday. The tulips and daffodils are in bloom, the crocuses are fading, and the lilac bushes are starting to bud. I haven’t been to the garden in quite a while; the entrance closest to my home is closed and so I contented myself with glimpses of green seen through the fence along Flatbush Avenue. Certain places feed my imagination and yet during the winter months, I haven’t really nourished my dreams. I’ve been running the perimeter of Prospect Park instead of doing the inner circuit; I haven’t seen many good movies and the books I’ve read lately have been disappointing. I go to such lengths to protect my “sensitive soul” but what it really needs is ART. Juggling five different books-in-progress at once isn’t ideal, but I can’t tell you how good it feels to take a break from grading and find a glorious new illustration in my inbox. Spring break starts on Monday and I’m going to visit Katie Yamasaki‘s studio before meeting a friend up at St. John the Divine to see Xu Bing’s phoenixes suspended from the Nave. My diet is a mess and I’ve got more than a few winter pounds to shed, but what I really need is a steady diet of art—because that’s what nourishes the imagination. And with a big life change looming in the distance, I’m going to need all the creative energy I can muster…