The “Haters gonna hate”Edition :: Issue #090

 

:: :: So, I got some hate mail… :: ::


Rusty's Electric Dreams

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #090 :: The “Haters gonna hate” Edition :: 06:22:2016

Haters gonna hate

So, ya, I got a nasty message this past week from a (now-former) RED reader. It was attached as an unsubscribe note. I won’t repeat it here but it really went for the jugular!

Now, keep in mind that last week I posted three NSFW-ish links. I know from experience that sex, politics, religion, and drugs –basically anything that society has deep shame around– can really trigger people. Stuff like that brings out the trolls in drove and I make it a habit to not feed the trolls.

Just as I was digesting his message thoroughly, I read an email from a long-time artist friend who was sending me some more “pearls of wisdom” for my 11-year-old daughter. She wrote, “People often project their own insecurities or frustrations onto people who burn a little brighter or glow a little differently.”

Yup.

I didn’t take it too personally. I was a little hurt at first, yes, but then I was reminded of what Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh once said:

“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”

Yup.

Well, I’m in no position to help my suffering troll-hater-dude directly. However, I’m hoping by telling my story that I will help you, dear readers. If there something about me or my inbox zine that makes you suffer, would you email me and let me know? Perhaps I can correct it. Maybe it’s needless suffering.

Wait! Maybe you have something nice to say! Never be shy to send me some praise. I will be happy to a) read it and b) feature it on my “Praise” page.

Happy Pride! Happy Camp Tipsy! Happy Summer! Happy Whatever-you-got-going-on!

Rusty Blazenhoff
p.s. I’m looking for work! Email me.

Praise: “…I hate the fucking news. Eat art for breakfast.”
Kimberley Cross, Cakewalk

This space intentionally left trolled

As seen on the Internets

 

Mickey Mouse Ears

:: Don’t mind if I do: “Dress Your Cursed & Haunted Doll in Humiliating Outfits”
:: http://liartownusa.tumblr.com/dress-your-cursed-haunted-doll-in-humiliating Thanks, Mark!

:: Sacred Anatomy: Slicing Open Wax Women in the Name of Science and God
:: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/sacred-anatomy/

:: Competitive Endurance Tickling
:: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/17/movies/tickled-review.html

:: “The movie version of Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel Wilson is coming out this fall”
:: http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/17/11965086/daniel-clowes-wilson-film-adaptation-fall-2016

:: Roseanne Barr is opening “Rosie’s Joint,” a cannabis dispensary
:: https://www.merryjane.com/culture/roseanne-barr-got-her-mom-really-high

:: Slim has cancer, let’s gift him a ticket to Hamilton!  
:: https://www.tilt.com/tilts/get-sfslim-into-hamilton-canham

:: THIS: “Embed Artists Everywhere: They Are the Community Innovators the World Needs”
:: http://journal.burningman.org/2016/06/philosophical-center/tenprinciples/embed-artists-everywhere-they-are-the-community-innovators-the-world-needs/

:: World’s largest Nerf gun
:: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/the-worlds-biggest-nerf-gun-can-shoot-darts-at-40-mph

:: “Branding Bud”
:: http://www.dopemagazine.com/branding-bud-from-dime-bags-to-dosed-portions/

I’m a ‘real boy’ now!

I'm a real boy now!

Miracles do occur, dear readers. A few weeks ago, I applied for my first art grant (from the Awesome Foundation, yo). Me! Art-frickin-grant! (I didn’t get it but it was a personal goal of mine to apply.)

I’ve known for a while that I’m some kind of artist, but have never indulged my brain long enough to figure out what KIND of artist I am. I don’t paint or write music or sketch.

By filling out the grant’s form, I was forced to decide (never forget this: artists need deadlines). Two words popped into my head: Social & Artist. Social artist.

Eureka!

I immediately googled it to see if that was a real thing. It is!

“A social artist is someone who is part artist, part social-change agent, part facilitator and part visionary…

Social artists possess three key abilities: deep listening, speaking from the heart, and being fully present. They are catalysts for innovation and action on behalf of all. We believe that the 21st century calls for the kind of creative leadership skills that social artists offer.”

Yes! I’m a real boy now! All this time I’ve been practicing to be a social artist!

This article on social artistry explains why these types of creatives are good at inspiring other people to do great work. This skill is often unrecognized, by the way, which means it’s usually grossly undervalued.

I know I have seen my impact on the world through other creative people’s work.

Even John Hopkins has some thoughts about social artistry.

Ok, so then I looked around my greater community, I know quite a few social artists. Epiphany Jordan in Austin, Texas is one. She runs Karuna Sessions, a temple she runs to be the receiver of immersive touch therapy. Then, there’s Tex Allen, who makes the world a little brighter, one red nose at a time. You laugh, but Walgreen’s ripped him off in a big way with their Red Nose Day campaign. (Oops, I mean they were INSPIRED by him.)  There’s more… but you get what I’m saying.

What if, instead, we bring artists on staff to come up with big cool ideas to breathe life into a brand? What if we hired artists to make the “status quo” more beautiful? I’ve seen firsthand how having someone who cares deeply turn things around in a company. Artists care deeply.

Um, did I mention I’m looking for work? 😉

Who here needs a damn-good social artist on their team? Companies need someone like me on their team to build culture and to bring fresh eyes on tired internal problems. I’ve got hard skills and a fairly-impressive work history to back me up. Bring me on as a marketing/social media/community manager, if that better suits your hiring manager’s needs. But, make no mistake, I’ll be there to give your company some heart and soul.

I care deeply. I do, damnit.

For reals, email me. Also, contact me if you have ideas on how I can best market myself so I can do this for a living.

Rusty Blazenhoff

“The work of social artists has to do with the heart as well as the mind, with passion and commitment… And it is hard work.” — via

Artist-in-Residence: Russell Sparkman

Russell Sparkman

About the Photograph
The emerging drone camera technology is effectively providing photographers with a tripod in the sky, and one of the most compelling views from this flying tripod is called the “Eye of God.” These views are particularly compelling because they are from vantage points that are higher than the highest tripod, but lower than typical aerial photography from helicopters or airplanes (often no more than 100 feet off the ground).

In this week’s photo, it’s less of an “Eye of God” point of view, and more from the point of view of an owl looking down on the forest floor from a tree branch.

About the Photographer
Russell Sparkman, CEO of digital marketing agency FusionSpark Media, Inc., was an early adopter of digital photography in the 90s, and authored a book called “Essentials of Digital Photography” in 1996. It was a natural evolution of Sparkman’s experience to start using drones, in this case a DJI Phantom 4. Sparkman is also co-founder of DroneVideoServices.com, a DBA of FusionSpark Media.

Events of note

 

Rusty's IRL picnic

Alameda, California [7/4] The Mayor’s 4th of July Parade [route]
United States
[Now until 8/19] Tiny Book Show, a touring bookmobile of little books handcrafted by artists and writers
[Various dates] 420 GamesAlameda, California
[Until 6/29] Island City Waterways: Waves of Inspiration, new landscapes with borax and shoe polish by Ginny Parsons at Rhythmix

[7/4] The Mayor’s 4th of July Parade

[7/15-7/16] Vau de Vire Society presents The Soiled Dove at The Taxiway at Point Alameda

[7/22] Vespertine Circus: Midsummer, 8 PM to 10 PM

Barcelona
[3/2017] Spannabis

Belden, California
[7/1-7/4] False Profit Presents: Priceless 2016

Berkeley, California
[7/14] Rusty’s IRL Picnic, Codornices Park, Berkeley: meet near the concrete slides at 11:30 AM [Bring your lunch and a piece of cardboard if you want to slide]

[Until 7/17] Don Reed’s East 14th at The Marsh, Berkeley

East Park Reservoir in Colusa County, California
[Until 6/26] Camp Tipsy, an “annual rotten boat building contest and camp-out”

Lake Iseo, Italy
[Until 7/3] Christo’s Floating Piers

Las Vegas
[Ongoing] Akhob, an immersive “Ganzfeld effect” experience by artist James Turrell at Louis Vuitton [by appt only: 702-730-3150]  HIGHLY recommended!

Laytonville, California
[7/8-7/10] The Cannabis County Fair 2016, 21+ [Tickets]

London
[7/1] Patti Smith and Massive Attack at Hyde Park

Los Angeles

Cool Places to Buy Weird Shit in Los Angeles

[Dates in Summer and Fall] Krampus mask-masking workshop

[6/25] Raising Arizona at Hollywood Forever Cemetery [Tickets]

[7/22] See Jane Sing with Jane Lynch at Largo, $30, 8 PM [Tickets]

[8/14] BrunchCon LA at The Reef, 9 AM to 3 PM Thanks, Josh!

[Begins 9/13] 8-week long Neon workshop at Lili Lakich Studio, 6 pm to 9 PM

[Until 9/4] “Portrayals And Perceptions Of Gays In Hollywood” at The Hollywood Museum in the Max Factor Building

[10/1] Dolly Parton at Hollywood Bowl [Tickets]

[10/8-10/9] David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption at Ace Hotel via

[12/5-12/8] Henry Rollins at Largo

Marble Falls, Texas
[10/7-10/10] Camp Grounded, summer camp for adults

Mountain View
[9/24] Dolly Parton at Shoreline, 8 PM [Tickets]

New York City
Quirky NYC by Oriana Leckert:
“From Bumper Cars to Torah Taxidermy: A Guide to 25 of Brooklyn’s Most Unusual Museums”
“From Elevators to Outsider Art: A Guide to 16 Under-the-Radar Museums in Queens”

[Ongoing] Sleep No More at The McKittrick Hotel
[Ongoing] Jungle-Ized by Sound Collective, Free
[Ongoing] The Ferry Play on the Staten Island Ferry, $1.99
[Ongoing] More NYC events

[Until 6/26] The Great American Casket Company, an immersive play in a Brooklyn cemetery Thanks, Oriana!

Oakland

[Until 9/25] Altered State: Marijuana in California at OMCA

[Until 9/9] Kaiser Center Rooftop Garden Concerts, Fridays, 12 PM to 1 PM, Free Thanks, Jewelz!

[6/25-6/26] Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Park [Tickets]

[6/26] Enhanced yoga by Sweet Leaf Yoga, $25, 2 PM to 4 PM at 3215 Lakeshore Ave [RSVP]

[7/1] First Friday, a cannabis industry networking event across from Pine Knoll Park at Lake Merritt, 4:20 PM

[7/9] Louis C.K. at Oakland Arena, 7 PM [Tickets]

[7/16] Cooking Cannabis with Aunt Sandy at Oaksterdam University, 10 AM to 2 PM

Palm Springs, California
[7/8-7/11] Yes and Yes Yes (YxYY) at the Ace Hotel, a “summer retreat for anyone who considers themselves a thinker, maker, creator, nerd, or weirdo.” [Tickets]

Paris, France
Editor’s note:
I had the good fortune to spend the night in an artist’s yurt. My photos from that visit are included in this show…in PARIS!
[Until 8/29] Habiter le Campement, Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine au Palais de Chaillot

Portland, Oregon
[8/11-8/15] World Domination Summit [Tickets]

San Anselmo, California
[6/25] Waking Dream – Show Opening Reception, “A time capsule back to the wild west & early days of Burning Man, and to sister project Desert Siteworks” 6 PM to 9 PM at Smith Andersen North

San Diego
[8/18-8/21] Tiki Oasis: “Monster Island”

San Francisco
“Best storytelling events in the Bay Area”
Upscale vs. Frugal SF
[Ongoing] Elsewhere Philatelic Society
[Ongoing] More SF events

[6/22] Art and Virtual Reality, 7 PM to 10 PM [Tickets]

[6/24 thru Sept] Midwayville, a mixed reality popup carnival at SoMa StrEat Food, 7 PM to 12 AM

[Until 6/24] Retrograde: Art by Winston Smith at Mule Gallery

[6/25-6/26] Treasure Island Flea Market, 10 AM to 4 PM [Tickets]

[6/25] The New Games Reunion: Round 1, the Symposium at Red VIc Hotel, 11 AM to 5 PM, $5 – $10
[6/26] The New Games Reunion: Round 2, The re:Play Special Event at The Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin Headlands, 11 AM to 5 PM

[6/28] Odd Salon: Mapped at DNA Lounge, 7 PM to 10 PM, 21+ [Tickets]

[7/7-7/18] Flower Piano 2016 at San Francisco Botanical Garden, A must see! [Schedule]

[7/10] Cocktail Robotics Grand Challenge at DNA Lounge [Tickets]

[7/13] Fireside Storytelling: “What Doesn’t Kill You” at Chez Poulet, 8 PM

[7/14] What You Talkin’ ‘Bout Allee Willis? at Vitellos E-Spot Lounge, 7:30 PM [Tickets]

[7/16] Drones & Drinks at iHangar, 6 PM to 1 AM [Tickets]

[7/17] Dark Garden Annual Corset Rummage Sale, 11 AM to 6 PM

[7/22-7/24] J-POP Summit at Fort Mason Center [Tickets]

[7/23] The Murray Invitational. A Bill Murray Art Exhibition and Golf Party at Public Works

[7/31] 3 O’Clock Rock (kid rock) show with Meshugga Beach Party and The Jet Stars at Treasure Island Flea Market, 12 PM

[8/5-8/7] Outside Lands, Golden Gate Park

[8/10] Fireside Storytelling: “Nerve” at Chez Poulet, 8 PM

[8/12-10/1] The Speakeasy: illicit bar, crooked casino, immersive theatrical experience at a discreet location near you [Tickets]

[8/13] Daylong Retreat with Michael Taft, 10 AM to 4 PM

[8/21] The New Pornographer’s at Stern Grove Festival, Free

[9/14] Fireside Storytelling: “Storyteller’s Choice” at Chez Poulet, 8 PM

[9/21-9/22] Dent: Space at Innovation Hangar

[10/1] Release party for Chicken John’s The Book of the Un at 111 Minna

[10/12] Fireside Storytelling: “Games People Play” at Chez Poulet, 8 PM

[10/13] Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary, 8 PM [Tickets]

[11/9] Fireside Storytelling: “Caught in the Act” at Chez Poulet, 8 PM

[12/14] Fireside Storytelling: “Hot!” at Chez Poulet, 8 PM

[10/2017] 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love

San Jose, California
[7/23] Blacklight Slide

SF Bay Area
[Ongoing] Best swimming holes in the SF Bay Area

Santa Fe, New Mexico
[Ongoing] Meow Wolf [Read this] [Tickets]

[9/2] The 92nd Annual Zozobra

Seattle
The Obscure, the Charming and the Odd: Mark Pahlow’s Guide to Seattle

Spain
[7/4-7/10] Nowhere

Sun Valley, Idaho
[4/19/2017-4/22/2017] Dent 2017, a creative retreat for people who want to “put a dent in the universe,” as Steve Jobs once said. (Highly recommended!)

Tomales Bay, California
[7/30-7/31] Bioluminescence Kayaking-Salty Sound, “a 24 hour camping trip located on a kayak only group camp site”

Willits, California
[7/22-7/24] BEAVER, a summer camp for girls of all ages, hosted by me! [Tickets]

HEY YOU, YES YOU

If YOU would like to co-curate an issue of Rusty’s Electric Dreams, I’d love to hear your idea! Please email your awesome plans to: rusty@blazenhoff.com.

Know about a cool event? I can’t be everywhere and know about everything, so share it with me! I’ll do my best to include it in the next issue.


Wertzeen

“I’m rubber you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you!”

Children everywhere


FOMA LABS

Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a weekly inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff. These personally-curated missives are beacons to signal and celebrate the global tribe of weird, wonderful, and unconventional people (“the Others“).

:: Read the Archives ::
:: Send a Tip ::
:: SUBSCRIBE ::

Webzine

Email

Facebook

Twitter

Etsy

Copyright © , All rights reserved.
This issue of Rusty’s Electric Dreams was “sponsored by” cannabis.