Along with reading the outstanding book Getting Things Done
recommended by Alison Stanfield , I'm also digging into the fascinating Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism & Organized Crime. Going into this one I wasn't sure if it would be seriously disturbing or more illuminating. Now I'd say it's a good dose of both.
My life has come to one of those moments of synchronicity and I'm in "Get Prepared" mode. Today, as I'm listening to representatives grill ex-FEMA director Brown, scenes of a decimated gulf coast roll in the background.
And on a clear September day in Virginia I'm not sure it would be possible to avoid the image of a burning Pentagon called up from the newsreel of my memory.
The real question is how does an artist prepare beyond how a mom, or a lawyer, or a bank teller prepares?
To prepare for a tornado, hurricane, flood or worse I've stashed trash bags, baby wipes, water, preserved food, battery powered lantern, radio in my waterproof container. And I suppose nearly everyone in Washington has a "grab and go" bag with pocket knife, needle and thread, shampoo, underwear, socks & extra prescription meds.
But I can't help wondering if poets and musicians and artists need intangible things more than essential survival gear. I'm not suggesting stocking tubes of paint instead of water, but wondering if I would cease to feel and react like an artist if I became an evacuee.
Sitting in a Red Cross shelter in West Virginia what would I want with me to soothe the muse? Laptops may not make it on the list of "essentials," but surely a digital camera plus some colored pens and pencils with a small sketchbook could make the cut. And, in theory at least, I'd gladly substitute a digital music player for an extra pair of socks.
That's in theory though. Later I may realize that's just nuts. I could be just as stunned as I was after September 11, 2001 and incapable of having a creative thought.
Googling "creative people" and "emergency" I found a fascinating paper on creativity in people involved with emergency response and The Arts in a Time of Crisis was a very interesting read.
As far as the more common emergency needs go, the links and websites listed below can give us food for thought. But for the creative soul they offer little input. And it occurrs to me that it's a subject that deserves some consideration. I need to give it some thought.
Wikipedia: Self Rescue
Emergency Supplies Checklist
Earthquake Comfort Kits
Red Cross: Build a Kit / Checklist
recommended by Alison Stanfield , I'm also digging into the fascinating Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism & Organized Crime. Going into this one I wasn't sure if it would be seriously disturbing or more illuminating. Now I'd say it's a good dose of both.
My life has come to one of those moments of synchronicity and I'm in "Get Prepared" mode. Today, as I'm listening to representatives grill ex-FEMA director Brown, scenes of a decimated gulf coast roll in the background.
And on a clear September day in Virginia I'm not sure it would be possible to avoid the image of a burning Pentagon called up from the newsreel of my memory.
The real question is how does an artist prepare beyond how a mom, or a lawyer, or a bank teller prepares?
To prepare for a tornado, hurricane, flood or worse I've stashed trash bags, baby wipes, water, preserved food, battery powered lantern, radio in my waterproof container. And I suppose nearly everyone in Washington has a "grab and go" bag with pocket knife, needle and thread, shampoo, underwear, socks & extra prescription meds.
But I can't help wondering if poets and musicians and artists need intangible things more than essential survival gear. I'm not suggesting stocking tubes of paint instead of water, but wondering if I would cease to feel and react like an artist if I became an evacuee.
Sitting in a Red Cross shelter in West Virginia what would I want with me to soothe the muse? Laptops may not make it on the list of "essentials," but surely a digital camera plus some colored pens and pencils with a small sketchbook could make the cut. And, in theory at least, I'd gladly substitute a digital music player for an extra pair of socks.
That's in theory though. Later I may realize that's just nuts. I could be just as stunned as I was after September 11, 2001 and incapable of having a creative thought.
Googling "creative people" and "emergency" I found a fascinating paper on creativity in people involved with emergency response and The Arts in a Time of Crisis was a very interesting read.
As far as the more common emergency needs go, the links and websites listed below can give us food for thought. But for the creative soul they offer little input. And it occurrs to me that it's a subject that deserves some consideration. I need to give it some thought.
Wikipedia: Self Rescue
Emergency Supplies Checklist
Earthquake Comfort Kits
Red Cross: Build a Kit / Checklist
posted by Susan of Ephemeria at 9/27/2005 08:55:00 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Susan...good question. Having just evacuated for Rita it has been interesting in talking with other artists about what we took.
I managed to grab my journal/sketch book and travel art box which had Portfolio crayons, pens, scissors, a glue stick, some markers and a stamp pad (no stamp for some reason?). At the last minute there was room for 5 small pieces of my own work. I was most sad to leave the art work of others that I have collected over the years...not because I have to own it but because I just didn't want it lost to the world. I did manage my two cameras as well after I had taken pictures of everything in the house for insurance if needed.
I was so glad I took the art supplies...I passed the time drawing and when the children ages 8-14 were bored, I bought a pkg of blank index cards and we made ATCs.
My friend left his finished work and took a stack of unfinished drawings.
Others took cameras, art and a few supplies.
But now after Rita I discovered that the big blaze you saw on TV in Galveston was the studio of an artist friend who lost everything...work, supplies, teaching space, her livelyhood. Many LA artists also have lost everything. I feel so blessed to have dodged the bullet once again.
What would I have done differently? I would have taken a battery powered radio, 2 5 gallon cans of gas (evacuation from Houston was a nightmare for many--31 people died just leaving), and colored pencils.
I hope to not have to do this again. It is just too weird.
Kay Cox
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