Bookland in Brookland

And no, I'm not talking about Catholic University's Barnes & Noble that looks like it's getting close to opening.

I'm talking about Bookland (if you're on Foursquare, here's the page), studio of artist Caitlin Phillips. She's among a number of artists that have studios on the ground floor of the Monroe Street Market, a mixed use development. You can like them on Facebook here or follow them on Twitter here.

Caitlin is a wonderful person I've had the pleasure and privilege of getting to know as I've become more active in the DC Burners community. And Bookland is home to Caitlin's shop, Rebound Designs.

Post by Rebound Designs.

Rebound Designs mission?

A second chance for well-loved books!

What does Caitlin mean by this? Well I'm not a fan of paraphrasing things when folks already say it so well themselves. So, from her Facebook page:

Rebound Designs is a novel approach to accessories. I combine rescued and discarded hardback books with beautiful fabrics to become functional, one of a kind Book Purses. Paperbacks are turned into durable wallets, vinyl covered, and lined with pages of the books. Book lovers, I’ve got you covered!

And if you're on Etsy, favorite her shop here.

Bookland is located at 716 Monroe St NE (right up the street from my place at the Brookland Artspace Lofts!!).

And you can also find Caitlin at Eastern Market on the weekends. You can find her Eastern Market Vendor page here.

Also (like I couldn't love her even more) she interviewed in 2009 on NPR's All Things Considered, Judging a Book (Bag) By Its Cover.

And the thing is, I have multiple book shelves in my library at home. I treasure books in their physical form, and before I knew Caitlin and what she does and WHY she does it, I probably would've had the same reactions others have undoubtedly had.

But when I think about how much the book is more of a reminder of its story after I've read it, rather than how much I've actually reread any of the books in my library, I have no doubt I will be going to Caitlin soon, to give my own books a second-life, instead of one that's just gathering dust on my shelves.

- JR aka Nexus

Term limits: Worth it or worthless?

Hey there,

So in a number of various situations, term limits is one of those given circumstances to any nonprofit governance situation, particularly arts nonprofits. But for the purpose of this particular post, I am referring to term limits regarding nonprofit board governance, not for-profit, and not elected government officials, which isn't to say that the conversation isn't at least related.

And to answer my own question before you've even read the rest of this blog, I would say it depends. That being said, I put the question out there and received some replies I wanted to share from colleagues.

Here's a reply I received on Twitter from Jess Solomon (thank you!!):

@AWayofLife0 worth it. As the climate changes, boards need to adapt and will need new skill sets. Members that roll off can be advisors...
— Jess Solomazing (@jesssolomon) March 25, 2014

And if you'd like to see the the responses my inquiry received on Facebook, well, check out the post here:

Post by JR Nexus Russ.

So as not to rely solely on anecdote and personal experience, although all those who replied are professionals whose input I certainly appreciate, respect, and recommend, I Google'ed "nonprofit governance term limits" and thought I'd highlight excerpts from some of the results on the first several pages.

From On Board For Term Limits, The NonProfit Times, 10/1/11:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has endorsed term limits, according to Bruce Hopkins, a partner in the Kansas City, Kan., law firm of Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus. “It’s certainly recommended in many quarters, but there’s ongoing debate whether it’s appropriate or not. Limits can force new blood on a board, which can be a good thing but sometimes organizations lose people who are competent, who can serve and want to serve, but can’t. There’s a valid debate on both sides of the issue,” Hopkins said.

From Five Reasons Board Leaders Should Have Term Limits, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 1/18/11, specifically having to do with a Board Chair's term limit:

Term limits provide a painless way for people who aren’t doing a good job to retire gracefully and automatically. Admittedly, this is a pragmatic argument—and the downside is that a chair who is doing a fantastic job may get forced out early. But I’ve never heard a real-life complaint about term limits. And I’ve heard many complaints about their absence. 

And from Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice, Independent Sector, regarding the core concepts of "Principle 17: Board Member Term Limits":

• Term limits provide natural turnover on the board. 

• Staggered term limits prevent the entire board from changing at the same time, providing a way to preserve institutional memory. 

• Term limits should be enforced in a systematic manner.

One quote from Alyson Ball, President of BoardWorks, LLC, from Term Limits - Critical to Your Nonprofit Board's Success:

Term limits are critical to a board's health because they prevent a single individual or group from monopolizing the spirit of the organization. They ensure that new ideas and approaches are explored - something that's essential to the success of every organization. Everyone is forced off the board eventually. If your board doesn't have term limits, I recommend you start thinking about them now.

And in conversations I've had, the main argument against term limits seems to be worry about loosing great board members, particularly regarding institutional knowledge. But that seems to be more a matter of engagement rather than governance.

But it's all related, because if you don't have a robust process for recruiting and onboarding new board members, of course one would be worried about loosing current ones.

Regarding the institutional knowledge, that not only seems to be more about how new members are onboarded, but also resides largely in the domain of the staff, more so than the board members, who are on the ground working Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and often times more.

But again, the best answer is "It depends", because this is not a one-size-fits-all kind of question. With that being said, what is your own experience, and where along the spectrum of "Worth it" to "Worthless" would you say term limits lie for you?

- JR

Artists and members and dues, oh my!!

Hey there,

So after procrastinating for a bit, I finally renewed my Theatre Communications Group membership today. I had an individual membership, which had lapsed, and which you can find more information here.

And how much was it? $35.

Part of my impetus to renew was personal, as theatre artist in general. But part of it had to do with my role as a Grant Manager at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, handling the individual fellowships for the performing arts and literary arts. And so in addition to wanting to take advantage of resources for myself, but I also want to be a resource for the individual artists who will apply and eventually be awarded.

So that means staying involved and informed in the artistic disciplines I and the fellows are trained and work in.

And that took me to sign up for an individual membership with Dance/USA. Again, just as much for myself, as I received my B.A. in Dance from the University of Maryland.

Membership due for a year? $100. But as the membership year begins in July, the due which is..."due" when you sign-up is prorated quarterly, so it only cost me $50.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I am a bit of a triple threat. I sing with Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, and it was actually the performing art I started out with soonest. I was a Washington National Cathedral chorister, singing soprano in 5th grade.

And so of all the music membership organizations that are out there, it seemed to make the most sense to sign up for an individual membership with Chorus America.

To be a singer member? $20.

In case you would like to see what other service organizations there are, if you're involved in the performing arts, check out the Performing Arts Alliance Member Organizations.

And last, but definitely not least, I updated my Fractured Atlas membership. And while the Individual rate is definitely affordable, at $9.50 a month, if you don't need to take advantage of their fiscal sponsorship or insurance, the community level membership provides you all the other benefits of the individual one, and for free!!

Sooo...all my membership dues at the end of the night? $105.

And let's say I did take advantage of the full individual ones for Fractured Atlas and Chorus America, as well as signed up at the beginning of the year for Dance/USA? That would still only be, let's see... $95 (CA) + $100 (DUSA) + $95 (FA) + $35 (TCG) = $325 total. Less than $1 a day.

Me with contact staff

Anyway, I say all this to suggest that no matter how busy working arts professionals get, that they maintain connected, informed, etc. with their discipline's service organization(s), whether it's local, regional, or national. Make the time, budget the money.

Side note: I'm going to see if, as an added benefit to being awarded our fellowship grant, we (at the local arts agency level) can actually take care of the fees for each artist's respective service organization and offer them a membership for the duration of the grant cycle.

We shall see.

Anyway, that's it. Just thought I'd share. Anyone have thoughts to share? Other tips for other artists? Challenges and/or solutions to taking advantage or even just finding resources like these?

Any questions?

Please leave a comment,

JR

A birthday gift, for SpeakeasyDC

Hey there,

As I write this, it is the eve of my 33rd birthday. I don't normally want much of anything, during such times. Pretty content, in general.

Nevertheless, I thought I would ask for people to help support an organization whose work I am involved with, SpeakeasyDC.

And I've never done something like this before, so it's a bit of an experiment.

Just thought I'd put it out there, see if anyone else, board member (which I am) or not, have used non-programatic events other than your usual end-of-year campaign, to raise funds for an organization.

Let me know in the comments,

JR

Non-profit DOESN'T equal "NO"-profit

Hey there,

So this post was inspired by some comments that have already been left at the Burning Man blog, regarding the post Burning Man Transitions to Non-Profit Organization. The post starts off:

BIG NEWS! It’s been a long time coming: we’re excited to announce that Burning Man achieved an historic milestone in January with the successful transition of the 24-year-old organization to a non-profit organization! The process has taken nearly three years, and now more than ever we’re positioned to support the global cultivation of art and community based on the 10 Principles.

I do recommend reading the rest. But one of the comments was:

...all of the for-profit stuff will continue to be for-profit.. calling burning man non-profit is sort of disingenuous

And another was this:

So burning man actually continuing as a for profit..and will remain for-profit in the foreseeable future.. it’s just owned by a non-profit

Now I will immediately say that I may be attributing information from other similar conversations working the mission driven arts world, but the comments seem to come from a perception the "non-profit" means "no-profit", or the idea that a non-profit organization isn't allowed to make ANY profit.

I'm going to refer to Wikipedia's definition of nonprofit organization, which starts of:

A nonprofit organization...is an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals rather than distributing them as profit or dividends.

So no, the revenue mechanics of Burning Man aren't going to change drastically, if at all. Becoming a non-profit simply dictates what the organization is legally allowed to do with excess revenue, which is a pretty big deal. And, to my understanding, part of the reason for this transition came because some members in the community were concerned that there were people who were unscrupulously profiting from the endeavors.

Transitioning to a non-profit was a way to be publicly and legally accountable for how the finances of the organization were managed. Yes, the blog does mention that the LLC will continue to operate the event itself, but the non-profit now has oversight responsibility.

Not only that, as board members of the non-profit, those individuals are fiscally and legally responsible for anything that happens, for better or for worse. Which, for me, is just another indicator of how much those people are dedicated to and invested in the work they obviously love to do, for the community.

So I'll stop beating a dead horse. I will say that the very confusion regarding what being a non-profit means is why you will sometimes hear folks refer to them as "not-for-profit".

Anyway, this post might be a gross oversimplification of the subject. But I just wanted to make sure that the misperception that a non-profit isn't allowed to make any profit was addressed. Non-profit organizations are ABSOLUTELY allowed to make a profit. Any profit must then be spent in a way which moves the mission of the organization forward, rather than any individuals profiting directly.

Any questions or additional thoughts? Leave' em in the comments,

JR

Twighlights from the Black Theatre Symposium

Hey there,

So yesterday was the 1st Black Theatre Symposium at UMD's Clarice Smith Preforming Arts Center. Here's part of the description:

How does Black theatre fit into the framework of our nation’s history and culture? Who are the dominant voices in Black theatre today? What can we expect from Black theatre in the 21st century? 

This symposium will challenge assumptions about the boundaries of race and allow a diverse collective of students, scholars and professionals to engage in a spirited dialogue about the past, present and future of Black theatre.

The event was co-presented by UMD's School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies & the African Continuum Theatre Company (ACTC). Here's a clip of ACTC's Producing Artistic Director Thembi Duncan at the Symposium's welcome:

It was a really great day of dialogue, knowledge sharing, and networking. So I wanted to share some of Twitter highlights from the hundreds of tweets which paralleled the discussions happening in real life. And these are not necessarily the best, and are not in any particular order.

Good morning! Today's the big day! We have on-site registration, so come on down to @claricesmithctr! #BlackTheatreSymposium
— African Continuum (@AfriContinuum) March 1, 2014

Dean Bonnie Thornton Dill of the College of ARHU at #UMD serving invaluable knowledge #BlackTheatreSymposium pic.twitter.com/uLc6vY6N0P
— Tiziano D'Affuso (@tizianodaffuso) March 1, 2014

Importance of technology and digital engagement in black theatre mentioned off top. This made me supremely excited. #blacktheatresymposium
— Danielle Hatchett (@dyhatchett) March 1, 2014

Do you know: who is your favorite emcee? What is your favorite dance move? #HipHopTheatre #BlackTheatreSymposium
— audei (@DetroitAudei) March 1, 2014

"What is the WHY for your play? Who is it for?" #BlackTheatreSymposium
— Jeff the III (@Uncle_Jeff) March 1, 2014

"It all starts on the page." @claricesmithctr @AfriContinuum #Blacktheatresymposium #playwriting pic.twitter.com/yYWR0Pzut0
— Crystal Prater (@awordchef) March 1, 2014

"Theatre has got to exist where people live....where people haven't seen theatre and need to do so." #BlackTheatreSymposium
— Abigail Carroll (@alabinader) March 1, 2014

"March is No-Comp month! BUY your tickets to black theatre. And learn how to let shit go!" #BlackTheatreSymposium
— Chris (Ayy) Lane (@chrisDJAYYlane) March 1, 2014

Remain visible, even when you are not actively working. Go to shows, be on social media. #blacktheatresymposium
— Danielle Hatchett (@dyhatchett) March 1, 2014

Producing Black Theatre session is OVERFLOWING! #BlackTheatreSymposium #UMD @claricesmithctr @AfriContinuum pic.twitter.com/kXjCA7DbmC
— Tiziano D'Affuso (@tizianodaffuso) March 1, 2014

For more of the tweets from the day, I've Storify'ed a more (but not completely) comprehensive selection here, Tweets from the 1st Black Theatre Symposium.

Just some other interesting links which popped up by Google'ing "Black Theatre":

• What is the state of black theater in D.C.?, Washington Post, 1/6/12
• Funding Crisis Threatens Black Theater, The Root, 11/19/13
• Black History Month: Black theatre in America grows from Manhattan's 'African Grove', NY Daily News, 2/8/14

So I'm very excited!! Still processing a lot of yesterday, especially as someone of mixed race (my dad's Black and my mom's Filipino). And very much looking forward to continuing the conversation and next year's Symposium.

Have any thoughts, regardless of whether you are black or not, involved in theatre or not? Please share in the comments below,

JR aka Nexus

P.S. If you are on Twitter, +Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center created a Twitter list, Black Theatre Symposium.

Metro escalator fear and hope

Well...I just saw my worse metro escalator features manifest for someone else.

Young woman tripped and did a face plant right at the top, as she was running trying to catch the train at the platform, her face and hands landing just about where the stairs feed into the platform.

But contrary to some stereotypes about Washingtonians, especially at rush hour, about two of the closest people immediately rushed to help her up :-)

Busboys and Poets: A DC Institution

Hey there,

So...Busboys and Poets (B&P). While the title of my post says it all...I'm a bit stumped as I sit here, at the 5th & K location, trying to further elaborate.

And I stated the whole "DC Institution" thing as someone who was born and raised IN Washington, DC.  So while I wouldn't necessarily call myself an authority, I'd like to think that a lifetime perspective (of almost 33 years, as of the time of this post) adds a bit of context that is unique in what is perceived by many as a transitory city.

But I digress. I guess a good place to start might be B&P's 'tribal statement' (from their About page):

Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted...a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul...a space for art, culture and politics to intentionally collide...we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.

A bit of a disclaimer...having been recently exposed to and involved in the Burning Man community and its Ten Principles (which I'm producing a Capital Fringe show about this summer, more details to come later), this tribal statement resonates with me on a number of levels.

Another good place to start might be their Art page.

Personally, one of my favorite memories here, which I would say is a great example of the intersection which B&P provides on multiple levels, was an event co-presented by then Social Media Club DC (now Digital District) and TheatreWashington: #DCArtsUp. You can read about it in a great wrap-up written by one of the organizers, Jason McCool.

So Culture? Check. Community? Check. Cuisine? DEFINITELY Check! My personal favorite dish is the Rustic Pizza.

And as I'm writing this blog, I am waiting for An Evening of Inspirational Music at 7:30pm, with SongRise, an all women social justice a cappella group.

Because if that doesn't say DC, I don't know what does. And if you're on Twitter, yes that is their profile/header picture, and you should absolutely follow them and/or subscribe to their events email list.

Sign up here for info on our upcoming performances: http://t.co/tXSV0fy4lv
— SongRise DC (@SongRiseDC) February 14, 2014

And speaking of community, life imitating a blog imitating life, I just ran into a fellow DC thespian, Connor Hogan, who is in the middle of rehearsals as director a production of "As You Like It" with Half Mad Theatre, playing at the Shop at Fort Fringe in March.

So it's almost 7pm, and several friends are about to arrive. On that note (no pun intended with tonight's event), I believe I'll wrap up this blog post. One thing I'm not saying is that this intersection or model is necessarily unique to Busboys and Poets as an institution, either in the area, around the country, or the world. But I would say that it is one of the best ways that this model has manifested itself in DC and become a nexus of sorts for the area's multitude of communities.

That being said, any thoughts about Busboys and Poets, for better or for worse, let me know in the comments. Especially your thoughts regarding B&P as a 'DC' institution.

JR aka Nexus

Still learning more about Arts Education

Hey there,

So at work, a colleague shared the orientation page for the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards final Public Review. (And for those who'd like to participate and submit your review responses, you have until March 1st).

And although I've been directly and indirectly working in Arts Education ever since I finished grad school at American University (for Arts Management), I still have so much to learn about the field, especially regarding the state of arts education in our schools and communities.

Fortunately, there are a number of great organizations and resources, like the Kennedy Center's Arts Edge, the Arts Education Partnership, the National Art Education Association, and Americans for the Arts' Arts Education Network, among others that do great work locally, regionally, and nationally.

So with all that being said, I just wanted to share some relatively recent news and thoughts regarding arts education, for anyone else who might also be pursuing a better understanding of its importance, its power, and ultimately its necessity.

The first is an article from almost a couple of years ago, up at the Huffington Post, "How Theater for Young People Could Save the World", written by Lauren Gunderson. The second is actually a selection of articles shared in an email from LearnNow.org, "Why is arts education important". And the third is a blog up at Americans for the Arts' ARTSblog, "What is Art Education for? An Assessment Checklist".

And so, all that being said, I only have the following to put out there, for both the newcomers and veterans in Arts Education. What are your most pressing questions? What are the most difficult challenges? What have been the best resources for assisting you in your work? Who are some of the people you consider thought leaders?

Please answer any or all of these questions in the comments, and feel free to leave any questions of your own,

JR

P.S. Also feel free to live links to any recent news that have been particularly informative for you.

When trust isn't there...yet

Hey there,

So...I have a friend who's pursuing a serious relationship, the first serious relationship in years. And while he and the other are just at the 'dating' phase, they're pretty in deep emotionally. But they're having a trust issue, which just surfaced. And quite bluntly said, "I can't trust trust you right now. And we can't say we're never going to hurt each other. I'm not that naive".

Time out: "trust" according to Wikipedia (if you click the hyperlinked word above) means: "reliance on another person or entity". Also, trust is an issue that affects everyone everywhere, regarding relationships on every level, like this blog piece in the Washington Post Why don't Americans trust the government. But I digress; back to our regularly schedule blog post.

So the other guy doesn't trust my friend...my friend honestly can NOT take personally. Because it's not a judgement of character, it's not one saying the other is untrustworthy. At least one would hope the other guy would come out and say that. And to his credit, the other guy said that he wasn't sure whether the perceived lack of trust was necessarily from any thing my friend did, or whether it was actually the other guy not trusting himself.

It's hard because it's not a matter of one doesn't trust the other yet, but for any number of reasons, because of any number of previous experiences, one simply can't trust the other yet. While it's also been a while since the other guy's pursued a serious relationship, there's only so much baggage you can unpack and deal with on your own. Often times, it takes a second party to make you realize that there were some issues still left in the overhead compartment.

But what my friend reminded the other guy was that one of the reasons that made dating...appealing was the promise of working "it" out together. Which isn't to say it was a matter of desiring a codependent situation. Part of the challenge is figuring out what "it" is, working things out together that are their own personal challenges to overcome and defining something new together.

My friend said he was tired of figuring out his own shit on his own. Not that he needed perspective, but it was more to say he'd had sufficient alone time to not second guess his reasons for wanting to be in a relationship. He's never been afraid of being alone. And I don't blame him. I've seen enough "couples" who seem to settle for a relationship with someone because it's comfortable, but not necessarily because it's happy or loving. So while one doesn't trust the other...he doesn't trust my friend yet.

Just one more thing which, like others, will come with time.

Any thoughts, please share 'em with a comment.

JR aka Nexus

P.S. And no, this will definitely NOT be the last post about trust.

P.P.S. Any favorite songs about trust or the lack of?

P.P.P.S. And while I ask that last question, let me answer it with one of my own: Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait A While", which I'm listening to with completely new ears because of my friend's experience growing with someone I already know means a lot to him. Some people think this is about a couple's first time having sexual congress. And while meanings aren't exclusionary to each other (that's the great thing about great art, right?!) I would say the song could easily be addressing another thing that sometimes couples move to fast on...expectations, trust, the boundaries of their relationship with each other. And sometimes it's too easy caught up in feelings of love, that it can be quite easy to stop and check in, make sure you're both still on the same route to the same destination.

City Paper's Best of D.C. 2014 & the arts

Hey there,

So I thought I'd just pull these out to save anyone interested the time of looking for the arts specific categories in the City Paper's Best of D.C. Reader's Poll!!

Here they are:

Arts & Entertainment

• Best Art Class
• Best Art Gallery
• Best Arts and Culture Non-Profit
• Best Arts Blog
• Best Arts Festival
• Best Commercial Art Gallery
• Best Concert You've Seen in the Last Year
• Best Cultural Festival
• Best Dance Company
• Best Emerging Theater Company
• Best Exhibit
• Best Festival
• Best Film Festival
• Best Go-Go Band
• Best Graffiti
• Best Mural
• Best Jazz/Blues Venue
• Best Local Band
• Best Local Hip-Hop Artist
• Best Museum off the Mall
• Best Museum on the Mall
• Best Music Festival
• Best Music Venue
• Best New Venue
• Best Open Mic
• Best Outdoor Venue
• Best Performance Artist
• Best Performing Arts Venue
• Best Place to See Local Music
• Best Play
• Best Recording Studio
• Best Singer
• Best Theater Company
• Best Theater Festival
• Best Visual Artist

Goods & Services

• Best Arts & Crafts Supply Store
• Best Dance Class
• Best Photographer

People & Places

• Best Mix-Used Development
• Best Non-Profit
• Best Twitter Feed

Not comprehensive, and definitely subjective in terms of what's art, so I might have included some you wouldn't, and I might have omitted some you would've mentioned. Say so in the comments.

Also, some aren't explicitly "arts" (a.k.a. People & Places), but you could NOMINATE an arts related candidate.

And if anything, just go here and vote!!

JR

P.S. If you'd like to share whom you've voted for and why, you are more than welcome to do so in the comments here :-)

D.C., you're exhilarating

So some friends shared an opinion piece in the Washington Post, titled D.C., you're depressing, on Facebook.

This is my response:


It'll be just a couple of months until I will have been in the District of Columbia for thirty three years, and the city and its people constantly remind me: D.C. is amazing.

Look no further than Metro's timely SmartTrip passes, like the one about the Van Gogh Repetitions Exhibit at the Phillips Collection (until January 26, 2014), for a bit of insight into the city's artistic and cultural values. Pass by and volunteer at Martha's Table, one of a number of amazing local nonprofit "dedicated to fulfilling the needs of low-income and homeless children, families and individuals". The public art as you enter some of the stations inspires you to connect with the piece and often the people in the area, lest they become just a forgettable backdrop to another mundane commute. Community.

After getting into a car accident on my way to work in December (my car is probably totalled), the metro has been an affordable alternative for my weekday commute, especially when you take into consideration the cost of gas, parking, insurance, and the like. And while most people are in their own world, you can sometimes bear witness to some pretty heartwarming experiences.

Like the time I saw a mother reading to her baby in the stroller. Or the other time when a woman hadn't gotten her grip when the train started. She apologized profusely to me and the other guy she had fallen into, after we somewhat caught her and helped her on her feet again, all the while smiling and saying no problem.

There was the time, a commuter who had obviously woken up on the wrong side of the bed, believed there was a conspiracy in the car not to make more room when we were already packed like sardines. And the gentleman by the door stilled made the effort to look around and edge in. But then the doors closed, he looked around and said I tried, and a gentle laugh was shared by some in his immediate vicinity.

And when you exit the metro, at least at the Navy Yard, the Washington Express distributor relentlessly greets each commuter, reminding them that they are here, their day is starting, and here's some morning news to help.

Oh, and at least every other day I run into one acquaintance or another on the metro. Because this really is a small city. And even if you don't know the people right next to you, chances are more often than not, you probable aren't more than two or three degrees separated.

Because there are amazing and intelligent people doing work in every sector imaginable, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

There is no irony here. Unless it's the fact that you can't judge a city based solely on a mindless, daily commute that is only the beginning of some incredible work. It's the lowest common denominator in a wonderfully diverse city that I am still getting to know more and deeper every day.

The capital of America the Beautiful is, in fact, beautiful AND inspiring. And I'm not just talking about our national memorials & monuments or the wonderful saturation of local art & artists in all forms we have here. The city houses elected officials who occasionally work here and might be more visible in the national media, but the citizens who work around them, who cannot be judged by appearance (especially before many of us have had coffee)...well our work speaks for itself.

D.C. is exhilarating, keep your eyes open, find a place to stand with your lever, and move the world.

- JR aka Nexus aka First Resident of the Brookland Artspace Lofts aka D.C. Lifer

P.S. I acknowledge that in situations like these, one's perceptions are directly related to their intent and experiences (among other factors), which make it possible for D.C. to be both depressing for Mr. Huntmann and exhilarating to me. That being said, I am always open to helping those who experience the city which he has unfortunately described get to know the city which I have loved (particularly in my adult life) and call home.

P.P.S. I'm not a writer by trade, and this was written to somewhat parallel the original work. That being said, it is what it is, and if you don't have anything nice to say? Well, I encourage you to still leave a comment. Just know that if it's about style or technique, I'll probably agree with you. If it's about content, then we can talk :-)

A light in the darkness

Probably not the best thing to share before going to bed, but this is going to be one of those not so inspirational or light-hearted posts...however it's what's on my mind right now...

So I recommend you stop reading this right now, unless you're up for it. The video's less than 7 minutes. And if you're already familiar with this story (which is only my own, as I can't speak for the rest of my family), thank you for having listened in the past. I'm only sharing again, because, as I was reminded tonight, not all of my friends have necessarily heard it yet. And I don't share it that often...

Three years ago, the Monday after Thanksgiving '10, I had little idea that I would wake up to what was one of the darkest days of my life, if not THE darkest one.

And I share this, because for many of us the holidays can sometimes be a bit of a mix of emotions, especially when tragedy and loss are involved and memories are heightened because they've occurred during times which were supposed to be joyous and celebratory.

So I share this in part to say thank you, because if you are seeing this (I set the privacy setting for this post to "Friends" instead of my usual "Public"), whether we've known each other for a moment or what might feel like a lifetime, you've been one more light in the darkness, one more reason to be thankful to be a part of each others' lives, one more person who has helped me understand and value friendship, family, and community, one more individual who makes me look forward to the next day because of the one we first met or last saw each other.

The other part? As much as each day might seem like just another day, take some extra time and energy to appreciate the ones you love during the winter. And I know I'm preaching to the choir. But I just say it anyway, because the daytime in this hemisphere is still getting shorter, at least for another 2 1/2 weeks. And some of us don't deal as well as others, with the change of seasons...usually without even knowing it.

And it takes surprisingly little, in ways you might not even realize, to be a light in someone else's darkness. <3 .="" p="">

JR Russ tells true story at SpeakeasyDC - June 2012 from SpeakeasyDC on Vimeo.


Thank you for taking the time to check this post out. Let me know what you think in the comments,

JR

Why I would use the Google Wallet Card

Hey there,

So this post is somewhat of a cheat. A friend of mind posted about +Google Wallet card.

And so I went ahead and ordered my own.

After a quick identity verification, of course.

So I did some research, aka Google'ing, and came across this Forbes article about it, which I then posted to Facebook.

"The card, dubbed the Google Wallet Card, will be tied to a user's Google Wallet account, will have no monthly or annual fees and will be available free of charge." 

But obviously anything that's free comes at a price, in this case yet another set of data for Google to mine. The question is, do the pro's outweigh the con's? 

And yes, I already ordered mine. Not because I have an answer to the question, but I want to find out my own answer first hand :-)

To which a friend of mind still stated that he didn't know why anyone would use it, and just use your actual debit or credit card. Now I don't have it yet, so any answer to that is just speculation, and any reasons are personal. So I replied with this:

Honestly, the only answers I could give you...would be the same reason I use square's wallet at the coffee place right by my work, the three main reasons being: 

-I'd personally like to get to a point where I'm not carrying my credit card around at all, not that I'm prone to loosing my wallet, but in case it ever gets lost or stolen, there's a lot less work to deactivate a third-party card like this, than replacing your card as well as any payment accounts you have set up with it (for bills, utilities, etc.) 

-Less wear and tear on my actual card, which lets me use it longer, and prolongs having to get a new one, requiring going through the process of updating payment accounts
& last 

-fewer people are handling and have access to my actual credit and debit cards
So those are my personal reasons. Not major, life-changing ones, but enough to make me consider using something like this.

And those were just the ones I could think of, off the top of my head. Another benefit is an easier way of checking in on your purchase habits.

And being able to remotely disable the card or the app, which I already mentioned in my reply.

But I'm also really biased, and a bit of a Google fanboy/early adapter. Not as early as others, but for a casual user, I'd say I'm relatively on top of things.

So yeah, there's my reasons for being curious enough to check out using Google Wallet Card. What do you think?

- JR

"Bondage" #ThroughGlass

Hey there,

First off, this might not be what you think!!  I do want to thank +Pinky Swear Productions for being part of a WONDERFUL Production.

And it's the first time I got to check out exactly how I would use Google Glass as a performer in a show.  That show was Bondage, and here's what had happened.

I documented the last night before the first show.

Post by JR Nexus Russ.

I used it to take viewers on a trip entering the space.

I introduced my partner in crime, French Maid Boy, in 140 characters or less.

Just shared a photo #throughglass pic.twitter.com/xwgrIAe3FV
— JR Russ (@AWayofLife0) November 7, 2013

Here's a video of Jon Jon, gettin' his hair ready

And here is a peak into the "Peep Show" room.

backstage for bondage #throughglass pic.twitter.com/gDcKGkzQz0
— JR Russ (@AWayofLife0) November 7, 2013

Here I am getting into costume.

After a wonderful week 1, I shared the beginning of week 2 of performances.

And then before we knew it, week 3.

And then the next to last show!!

I decided to record part of a conversation about a guy who kicked my cage.

And on the final night, for fun, thought we'd show what happened to audience members who took photos or videos of the "Observation Session".

And after our last Parlour trick, some final thoughts from +Jon Jon Johnson

Definitely resorted to more vlogging via G+ towards the end. But still, got a chance to play with Glass as a means to share the process and some of the behind the scenes stuff.

Again, very grateful to the Pinky Swear Productions family, and curious to see what you think, especially other theatre professionals, bloggers, those who walk in both worlds, and folks who just enjoy seeing theatre in general. So leave a comment,

JR

Amazon Smile: Online shopping for Nonprofits

Amazon is giving folks another reason to smile. Haven't heard about AmazonSmile yet?

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.

You might have noticed if you looked closely that in the screenshot above, it says that 0.5% of my purchases will go to the Foundation Center. This is because a Foundation Center post is how I found out about it.

Post by Foundation Center.

So, if you want, you can select another charitable organization.

You can even search by name, location, or keyword, which I did for "Washington, DC".

It gave me over 8,000 results in the DC area.

And if you're an organization, you can register here.

To do so, the site first asks you to find your charitable organization. It also states, "you must be an authorized representative of the organization."

There've already been a number of articles written about this, offering different bits of context and insight.

The high-level message is clear: Amazon wants people to know it cares about people and communities. But there’s an underlying message that seems just as apparent: we’ll keep giving as long as you keep buying. (read more at TechCrunch)

 "AmazonSmile allows us to reach millions of existing and new supporters who can help us find cures for cancer and save children," said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "At St. Jude, we're leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer while ensuring no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. Working with AmazonSmile gives us a new way to support our mission that's simple for both us and our supporters." (read more at the Wall Street Journal)

So...what do you think? For those who use Amazon regularly, do you think you will take advantage of this
philanthropic option as a consumer?

Leave your thoughts in a comment below!!

DCCAH FY14 Grantees on Twitter

Hey there,

So in my duties at work at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, one of my most recent projects involved creating a list of our FY14 Grantees on Twitter.

Here they are:

Tweets from @TheDCArts/fy-2014-grantees

If you're on Twitter, and want to keep up with them, definitely subscribe to the list!!

Even got a shout-out from the Mayor, about it!!

Smart. Great use of Twitter. MT @TheDCArts: Keep up w/ our FY14 Grantees on @Twitter? We've listed them here. https://t.co/6wKXKSSVBK
— Vincent C. Gray (@mayorvincegray) October 31, 2013

So, what do you think? And do you know of any other similar granting organizations that utilize Twitter in similar ways, to recognize their grantees? Please share in the comments.

My latest ink: St. Albans and Burning Man collide

Hey there,

I went to St. Albans School for Boys for 8 years. I was there from 5th-12th grade, 1991-1999.

From the top of Mount St. Alban, St. Albans School looks up to the Washington National Cathedral and out to the United States Capitol. Our location serves as an embodiment and constant reminder of the School’s motto: Pro Ecclesia et Pro Patria, for Church and Country. Since the School was established in 1909 by the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, our mission has been to prepare boys to develop and use their spiritual, intellectual, artistic, and physical gifts not for themselves alone, but in service of the greater community.

Needless to say it was a very formative experience of my life, which, at the age of 32, accounts for a bout 25% of it. Here is our high school emblem:

Want to know more about the school? Check out the Wikipedia entry for it.

So I'd been wanting to get the emblem for a while...and I have to be honest, partly because I actually lost my class ring. But that's besides the point, after thinking about it for a while, I realized that the emblem would make a good tattoo.

That leads us to the week or so before I had my appointment scheduled. I went to Burning Man for the first time this year. Although only 8 days and not 8 years, my time at Black Rock City was very life-changing. If you're not familiar with Burning Man, I would start by checking out the Ten Principles:

• Radical Inclusion
• Gifting
• Decommodification
• Radical Self-reliance
• Radical Self-expression
• Communal Effort
• Civic Responsibility
• Leaving No Trace
• Participation
• Immediacy

So I threw the logo to Blake Becker, the tattoo artist who's done all my work actually, and asked him if he could incorporate the logo into my high school emblem.

My appointment day came up, and I went to the Tattooery, Blake's shop in College Park. He showed me what he came up with, I thought it was perfect, and this is what it looked like:

What I like is that it definitely reflects my playa name, which I found thanks to Playa Name Help. Here's a photo of me with my helper, courtesy of their Facebook page:

Post by Playa Name Help.

It's actually kind of meta now that I think of it. What kicked of the discussion which led to my name, were actually my existing tattoos. I shared that beyond their meaning, I also got each one done on a significant date related to it.

So from talking about how time and place being significant to me, it led to a conversation about how my artistic and creative work is also about an intersection, but of communities. Anyway, long story short, they ended up helping me find my playa name, Nexus:

A means of connection; a link or tie; the core or center.

And so, my latest tattoo...kinda brings it all full circle.

What do you think?

JR aka Nexus

Furloughed deals in the arts in DC

Hey there!!

After seeing the Washington Post start a list of Happy Hour Specials during the government shut down around the city, I thought I'd start compiling a list of all the arts specials, prompted by one post this morning.

Here they are!!

Time sensitive deals:

For 10/3 & 10/5

Post by Atlas Performing Arts Center.

For 10/6

#Furloughed? We're offering $10 tkts to @jalcnyc perf.@kencen to federal employees Code: FED10. Valid only w/ Fed ID. http://t.co/q2T9tRJBNm
— WashPerfArtsSociety (@WPASinDC) October 2, 2013

Deals until the government shutdown ends:

Post by Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design.

Last updated: 2:40pm, October 3, 2013.

Any others? Let me know, either in a comment below or an email at a.way.of.life.0@gmail.com. And thanks in advance!!

- JR

Original posts are editable on Facebook now!!

Check it out, in case you haven't heard/read yet!!

We can edit our original posts/status updates on Facebook now!!

Even George Takei posted about it:

Post by George Takei.

Pete Pachal wrote about it on Mashable yesterday, with different news for Android and iOS users:

The editing feature will roll out to Facebook users on the web and Android devices over the next day, Facebook confirmed to Mashable. The editing feature is not included in the latest iOS app, but will likely get pushed out in the next update. Users will see the option to "Edit Post" when they click on the drop-down arrow in the top-right corner of a post.

You can read the rest of the article here. Or see more news about it via this google search for "Facebook edit posts".

As you can see, all you have to do is click on the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner of your post, and now "Edit Post" has been added to your "Delete" & "Embed Post" options.

I'm sure this'll be of particular relief to all the grammar and word nazis who occasionally slip up with their own posts!! Just thought I'd share. TGIF!! :-D

10 things I've done more since Burning Man

So I went to Burning Man for the first time this year. Hit the road to head home from it two weeks ago today. And, honestly, Exodus was one of many highlights from my time there.

Photo op during pulsing at Exodus

And I noticed that my life has been a little bit more since I got back. No, this isn't the summation of all my experiences there. I think I could process and blog about it for the whole year and still not be able to completely communicate what happened in my time there.

But I thought I'd start with this, in no more particular order. Since I've returned from the playa, I've noticed I:

• Say hello more
• Stay hydrated more
• Give of myself more
• Take my time more
• Say thank you more
• Find myself in the moment more
• Communicate honestly and openly more
• Accept and understand my emotions more
• Let go, in general but particularly of expectations, more
• See the world as wonderful more

It was like being there for a week, for me, this year, gave me a chance to reset my personal humanity by  switching off my autopilot, all the mental things that I might do seemingly to save my time and energy, day to day, but at the expense of doing less of the things I just mentioned.

And this is not to say that there is no other ways to be more self-aware about things like this, it was just one way for me. A very unique way, I'd argue, for anyone. And as the word "more" would describe, these are things that I have done and try to do anyway, but a week at Black Rock City reinforced the foundation.

Anyway, just wanted to share. Definitely NOT a comprehensive list. If you've been to the playa, and you'd like to add to the list, please do so in a comment!!

JR aka Nexus

P.S. If you've never been, and even if you know friends who have, a good place to start would be by checking out the ten principles, if you haven't already heard of 'em.

Saturday Morning Cartoon: The TV Show

Hey there,

Just thought I'd share a cartoon, specifically an animated short.

I used to love watching cartoons as a kid. Saturday morning cartoons were a quintessential part of my weekend. In addition to reading, and other activities.

Anyway, just thought I'd start sharing some of my favorite cartoons that I come across or are shared with me. Specifically shorts because unless I'm committed to a show, that's all I have time for.

So thinking about doing this weekly, and here's the first one I wanted to share.

It was directed by Sugimoto Kousuke with music by Manabe Takayuki.

Let me know what you think,

JR

I found my dance home at Nation

Hey there,

Just wanted to share something I posted on my Facebook, regarding Nation (the DC night club):

So as I'm sharing this I'm actually starting to get a little emotional. For those that don't know, I didn't find my dancing feet as an adult in the studio, but found my dance home underneath strobe lights to house music, and other EDM subgenres. 

In fact when I took a break from college/university, dancing at Nation on a weekly basis is not only what kept me looking forward to the next week, but what made me realize how much I needed dance in my life, not even on a performing level in concert form, just as a person that was part of a community. 

Anyway, RIP, Nation. Thanks to all the wonderful memories. And very grateful to all the wonderful people I've met, kept in touch with, and have even been reconnecting with now that we're all grown up, with jobs, families, and other responsibilities :-D

This was inspired after a friend posted a link to a Flickr  album of photos from the venue's demolition, which are beautiful!!

Here's just one of 'em:

I recommend going to the album to see the rest!!

Anyway, did anyone else find their dancing feet and/or family at Nation? Please share your story in the comments below!!

- JR

Federal Furlough Fun on Facebook

Hey there,

So I realize some of you might be thinking what could possibly be fun about being affected by the Federal Furlough.

Well, one person decided that one way would be to start a Facebook group called "How I Spent My Furlough Day".

It's an open group, and this is part of what it's about:

This group was created to share stories, photos and reflections about how we spend our furlough days. It is a deliberate effort to bring a little laughter and levity to an otherwise difficult situation.

There's even an event on Monday, July 8th, the Federal Furlough Five Mile Fun Run for Freedom.

If you're around (and affected), definitely click on the link to RSVP on Facebook. And keep an eye out for any of your friends who might be affected, as there are a number of profile pics which were created and share to spread the word about the group and the event.

So check out and let me know what you think in the comments. Especially let me know if you plan on joining the group and even participating in the run. Would love to hear your story.

And if you have any other comments, even if just about the group in general (for better or for worse), please share.

- JR