Net-twerking

I'm not much of a networker. I don't even like the word networking. I prefer the less threatening, less mature, but more pop-culturally relevant self-coined term of net-twerking). I feel sleazy and opportunistic when I talk about myself and my work or the fact that I am in need of work. With that being said, I feel that since you are all reading this blog by choice and therefore might be interested, I will share my professional victories and failures with you as friends and comrades in the fight for my future. 

So! Did you know that I've updated my website? Did you even know that I have a website? 

I did! And I do! 

And it has a lot of my work on it! 

Being the baby adult professional that I am, I have recently made a whole bunch of fancy net-twerking tools to have on hand like business cards and printed resumes on linen-y paper and a portfolio and leave behinds. It's quite surreal to be able to have a physical and visual representation of all of the work that you've spent the last four years working on and… if I'm being honest, I am proud of myself. 

The link for my website has actually been on this blog for a while, but I felt that it might be necessary to call it out since it is now officially finished (for now) and has some new work on it. Anyway, if you would like to check it out the link is www.julia-patton.squarespace.com.  I hope you like it!

PS-- the beautiful and cool photos of my work that are on the website were either taken by Kara Reichart or Oli Latinovich. Who are both crazy talented. 

Galentine's Day

The Fourth Annual Galentine's Day Celebration happened two weeks ago, but.. ok... So I have to humble myself and admit something that brings me much embarrassment. 

I think I like Valentine's Day. 

In the past few years, completely unbeknownst to me, but entirely of my own volition, I have gone from absolutely loathing February 14th and going so far as to wearing all black in protest to organizing, hosting, and, worst of all, enjoying, my own annual all ladies Galentine's Day dinner party. I mean, I go all out. There are printed invites, menu deliberations, overly thoughtful inner-roomie valentine  card exchanges, decorations and many a-conversation discussing one's excitement for the upcoming day. And I wear all pink and red. I can't get enough of it. I dive in like it's a vat of melted fudge. (Which is also a great activity idea for next years party…)

The guest list and the menu of the actual party has ebbed and flowed throughout the years, but my singleness seems to be forever. So, I find myself coming to terms with the for-now-boy-less-ness of this holiday and finding solace in a day to indulge in all of the pinky, glittery, girliness that Valentine's Day offers to a bunch of ladies living together with no local boyfriends to speak of.

This year's Galentine's Itinerary

Dinner: Decadent.

Lindsay's Bruschetta

Claire's Shrimp and Grits

Oli's Waldorf Inspired Salad with candied walnuts

Frances' Roasted Asparagus

Julia's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Susie and Spencer's Gin and Jam Cocktail

Conner's post dinner cheese and wine contribution 

Movie: Terrible.

'Endless Love'

The Valentine's released romance movies from the last Galentine's Days have defied all odds and gotten increasingly worse with every passing year. We started sophomore year off with the tragic amnesia/ love driven plot line of Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdam's in "The Vow" followed up by last years murder/ domestic abuse/ love driven plot line of Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough's "Safe Haven." Both completely terrible in their own way. 

But "Endless Love", the story of two recent high school graduates from opposite sides of the tracks falling into a renegade love story (complete with the classic plot twists of disapproving father/ a criminal past/ a restraining order/ a house fire/ the decision to choose between love and basically everything else in your life) surely took the cake as not only the worst Valentine's movie I've ever seen, but quite possibly, the absolute worst any kind of movie I've ever seen. Is it a love story? Is it a horror film? Is it supposed to be this bad? I still don't know. These factors actually translate into the perfect Valentine's day movie for any single lady-- nothing tears down any lingering feelings of loneliness or romantic jealousy like watching two idiots in love completely ruining each other's lives. 

Middle of February

Olivia Latinovich brightens days and makes me wonder what could have been if I had ever been cool enough to be a cheerleader in high school. Never did have the ankle strength for that life though.  

These are two snapshots from a Sunday evening in my living room with not much narrative and nothing much to explain, but it's just like… who knew that pajamas, a reluctant reading of prose, a tupperware full of un-refridgerated parmesan cheese and these two class acts just really sum up the tone of my life right now and I never want things to change ever.

Chalk this one up to: "Things you see in Savannah, Georgia." 

And also: "Things you need to start appreciating now because it just hit you this week that graduation is officially 95 days away and although you have no idea what you're doing after that, you ain't gonna be here for much longer."

Fibers Open Studio

Friday night was the Fibers Major Open Studio and both Spencer and Frances' work was on display for all of to enjoy. Spencer worked with a group to create an installation tube of hand dyed abstract flowers. It ruled. When one is at such an Instagram worthy event, one only wonders when and where the most opportune Selfie moment will reveal itself. Spencer Malinski answers with a  clear and colorful "Here." This tunnel was so obviously begging for its own hashtag to which Spencer suggested "#falopianflowertube." Which is perfect. 

#falopianflowertube #fibersopenstudio #talentedfriends 

Frances' Senior thesis work, "Variations on Change," was also on display in practically her very own showcased corner of the Fiber's building taking up three separate walls and captivating each passersby with her multimedia and multi-medium presentation. I have been lucky enough to watch her work  slowly come together in our backyard since the beginning of this school year so to see it on display with such positive responses was just so great. Frances was working the room like nobodies baby and I am very proud of her. Talent oozing errywhere. 

I asked Frances if she minded talking a little bit about her work for the blog and she kindly agreed. 

Hi, Frances. 

Good morning. 

In a few sentences, how would you sum up the concept behind Variations on Change? 

I wish I could write this out. 

Um. It's about the transitions in life that we have and that sometimes we outgrow those transitions. And  about those places that we choose to be our environments. And how later on, we are more particular with what we want in them. 

Last year you began experimenting with this technique and the use of the pantyhose and grass. How is your current work connected/not connected to that work and what are some of the ways in which you've seen your work develop over the last year? 

The pantyhose and grass started off as growth that man could control himself and it has changed to more of a 'caretaker/nurturer' idea. Then it's moved from there into more 'transition of life.' 

Would you consider that work part of this same process, but with just further development?

Yeah. 

Your work is vastly different than a lot of your peers in the Fiber's department. Do you feel like you/your work is a part of that community? 

I don't feel like my work is necessarily "decorative" and a lot of people are more design related and I don't feel that way at all-- I'm more fine art related. And my work, even in the fine art world, is something that you couldn't necessarily sell so it's more-- I consider it more installation work. But I am dealing with fibers materials in some regards and texture and composition and color, I guess. 

Do you feel like you've found your place there or do you feel like you've just found a way to fit it to what you've decided to do?

Well, my use of materials is because I want to use those materials-- not because I'm a fibers major. I would never define myself as a fibers artist. But I don't think that majors define you as an artist. It's just what you choose to learn at that current time in school.

What are your plans with the rest of the year with Variations on Change? 

I'm having a show in three months and so I have a lot of work to do with drawings and written work and a lot more experimenting with weaving that will definitely be a part of the show. And more aspects of chance will come into the work. 

What do you mean by chance? 

Whenever I'm using grass, that's chance in itself because I can't control that. I'll leave more up to the weaving to decide and the grass to have a relationship between itself that I can't control. 

Do you see yourself continuing the exploration of these mediums after the "completion" of your educational requirements are fulfilled? 

Yes. 

You just want to continue working with it?

Yeah. 

But you don't have like some sort of grand plan like Oh, one day I want to make an entire house out of pantyhose and grass? 

No. 

Asking someone what their plans are after college could not be a more annoying question so I'll try and be creative and ask what are five things you are looking forward to after graduating this Spring?

I am excited to have a job in the museum world hopefully. I am excited to own my own loom-- go home and weave after work. And I am excited to live in Dallas and try and be better about-- not be better, but join the artistic community. Because Savannah has just been a body of students and it doesn't have any sort of art scene. 

Awesome. Thanks, Frances. 

PS- it's been a while since I've posted links to Frances' website and blog but if you are interested in checking out more of her work (which, I would highly recommend you doing) her website is www.francesrussellart.com (the first three boxes on the top of the "Work" page are some of the works we discussed in the interview) and her blog is, of course, www.themuteturnip.blogspot.com where she posts not only about her own art, but inspiration coming from fellow artists. 

Hirable

I had my first big girl interview last week and this is what I wore. For memorial purposes, I felt it deserved a full length, this is how I looked in college, maybe eventually show your kids, 'I remember buying this dress for the interview and absolutely loving it and now I can't believe I ever wore something so hideous, but hey, it was super cool in 2014' kind of photo. The kind I never ever take. I feel the interview went as well as a 10 minute interview could go-- especially after I wasted like two of those 10 minutes making weird small talk about m&m's. I felt pretty and I was proud of myself so after the interview I had an iced mocha.

Let's talk a little more about this though. Interviewing is so (emphasis on so) weird. And talking about it  is even weirder. You want to tell people about the interview, but you also don't want to tell anyone about the interview. You want to think you did well in the interview, but unless you get hired, which has yet to happen, it is clear to everyone that you did/didn't tell about the interview that you, in fact, did not do like that well in the interview. You start mentally furnishing your apartment in the city of said company, but you're also like, that's crazy. You want to get a job in fashion, but you are also terrified of getting a job in fashion. 

The other day I watched like 9 episodes in a row of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (so good) and in one of them Jerry is interviewing Howard Stern (I know. But it's still true what he said..) and Jerry asked Howard why he'd never left radio to do anything more flashy or public. Howard said because all he really wanted to do is make the announcement and not actually do the work. Which made me think. I'm so excited about the announcement (i.e. I GOT HIRED! or I'M MOVING TO NEW YORK! etc.), but past that, I have essentially no real understanding of what happens. Which to me is the perfect explanation of the interview process. I feel like I'm just working to be hired instead of working to find a path that excites me. I want to be careful and cognizant of that through this process so that I don't find myself more excited for the announcement than the actual task of working at whatever job I may be applying for. 

(PS- didn't get the job at the aforementioned interview, so, for the record, I am still very much looking for a job. And in case you are reading this and want to hire me, Hello, my name is Julia Patton and I am a fashion major as the Savannah College of Art and Design, expected to graduate this coming May and I am very interested in possible future career opportunities with your company.)

Tuesday

I don't think I articulated it very clearly on Sunday, but I'm trying to blog every day this week. 

Ok, so, with that being said, I never thought it would be possible to be out of blogging shape, but here I am, all sore and uncomfortable from yesterday's sputtery, brown watered, faucet of a post. I turned that baby on full force and just let that water run.

And now I'm mixing metaphors. Pull it together, Patton. 

The point is that I have less to give today and for reasons too boring to explain and for perhaps the first time in months, I truly have nothing to get done today. Which should be great. But I've forgotten what my hobbies are besides sewing (which I'm trying to give myself a break from) and cooking (which requires money and fridge space-- of which, I have neither) and reading a book (just finished one this morning- spoiler alert: they break up in the end) and exercising (which, let's face it, has never really been one of my hobbies). 

Solution: Make playlist.

I never can quite read the room when I post these playlists and I wonder if anyone ever listens to them, but I like stumbling upon them when I look back at old posts. Also though, I've become much more confident in embracing the very parents-y/yacht rock/country vibe that is my music taste. Essentially, it bothers me less that I'm not a huge like… I don't know… Imagine Dragons fan or something. Not that I'm above pop music. I like what I like and I like that I like it, ya know?

Oh! So random, but I just saw on Facebook that Nickel Creek is reuniting. Does anyone care about this as much as I do? I really used to like them. I really like/love the sound of a mandolin. Anyway. Here is my playlist. 

El Paso

I did a thing today where I skipped class. Normally I have class at 2:00, but I've been in a very thinky mood for roughly the past 17 hours, so instead I laid in my bed with my comforter over my head and read a new book two inches away from my face off my phone for three hours. The girls in the next room might've thought I was sleeping. I kind of wanted them to think I was. But I was just reading and thinking. And stopping every once and a while to not read and to just exclusively think. Or just to stare at the strands of hair sticking to my face and down my nose from the inside of the hood of my sweatshirt. 

I did the same thing yesterday for a few hours too.

Days like these feel embarrassing to me. Or self indulgent. Partially because they are. And I wonder if I come off like I'm pouting about something. It feels like that to me, so I wouldn't be surprised if it looks that way to the people I'm around. I find myself just wanting to be left alone. Not for any particular reason or out of anger. There are these moments when I find myself starting to barricade. I haven't been able to figure it out. But it feels like it's almost out of panic, I guess. 

I'm sorting this out as I type. I feel unsure about making these statements; is this post embarrassing? No one answer that.

I don't know what I want and I'm afraid that I won't have enough time to figure that out. This is all hard.

58 degrees in Savannah, it feels colder to me

Sunny and wispy clouds

Monday evening

El Paso by Marty Robbins 

Affair of the Heart by Rick Springfield 

Front Porch

REI Socks, Gray sweats, Lakers hoodie, brown blanket

My credit card got declined earlier today 

Graduation is 104 days away

Tempted to drive to Maine

or Paris or West

One day, I really am going to cut my own bangs and deal with the consequences. 

J. Crew

This video appeals to the 11 year old Julia who used to watch Laverne and Shirley everyday on TV Land and wanted to sew a "J" on all of my shirts. I guess I still could. There's still time. But I wonder if people would catch the reference. Or if I really should be modeling my life after Laverne De Fazio. Watch and decide. 

The art of a sinking ship Or The art of sinking a ship

So, I've sort of single handedly sunk my own blogging ship, haven't I? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I've virtually stopped posting and that when I do it's just a batch of pictures with very straightforward, "yeah, for the millionth time, you love your friends" kind of captions and explanations beneath each one.

My bad.

I really didn't mean to stop blogging and I miss the consistent relationship that I had with this medium in a way that makes me feel sort of shy and awkward in moments like these when I come back to make a post that I actually plan on putting a little time into-- like a friend who you haven't called in a while that you run into while hanging out with someone else.

Partially, Instagram is to blame. In the past, there would be something exciting, or small, or small and exciting that would happen in my day and I would take a picture or make a mental note and then plan a whole post around it, thinking about what I'd want to say for hours, writing down specific phrases that I wanted to use, formulating something that felt like an explanation of me. Those posts would eventually lead me to other places that I didn't expect and drive the blog forward. Now, it's way simple (and faster-- darn you, instant gratification addiction!) to just hit "share" and sum up whatever experience in a few lines.

But I'm truly bothered by people who use technology and social media as a giant blanket excuse for problems in our generation. So, I will also say that truly only I am to blame for the lack of blogging. A mix of time management decisions and an increased insecurity, not so much in my writing, but in the far reaching-ness of a blog where there is little writer/reader interaction sometimes makes me feel that my words 1. come off as a little needy and or 2. I feel a little… used…? Not sure if that's the right word. But sort of vulnerable in a way of like, wait a second-- you've known me inside and out for years and I don't even know your name. Not cool, man!

Nevertheless, I must move on from that feeling if I am ever going to continue to do anything even remotely related to any artistic field because essentially, that's exactly what you're signing up to do in the first place, right? Bare your soul, tell all your secrets, stand naked in front of an auditorium people with a lights on all of your moles and birthmarks and lumpy parts, hear nothing back from the audience and then do it again tomorrow in a new and interesting way. Maybe that's why I have such a hard time seeing my specific place in this world; there's so much giving and hardly any sharing.

But, I am going to try and share more. Guilt free sharing. Shame free and on my terms. Until I'm blue in the face and you are all wondering why I think I'm such a big deal in the first place. Believe me. I do not think I am a big deal-- there have been years and years and years of telling myself and knowing that I am not, in fact, a big deal. But I have learned/am learning to know that I am, at least, a deal-- some sort of deal. Or maybe just someone's deal. And that it's ok to know that.

So, I'm going to be doing some of that this week if ya wanna read it.

Empathy Nod

There is something, I've noticed, that all women learn to do at some point in their lives. I walked past it happening today immediately identified what was going on. At some point in each woman's life, a woman's nod changes from a regular nod of communication and understanding to a slower, more eye-contacty nod that is uniquely empathetic-- typically with furrowed brow and frequently followed up with a grasp of affirmation on the shoulder or upper arm.  

 It can't be pinpointed when exactly you've truly got the knack for it, but most likely, it was birthed during one, or a combination of one, of the following scenarios:

1. The first time one of your close friends goes through a breakup and you're sitting on their bed with said friend listening to her explain over and over and over again how things went wrong.

2. The first time you were included in a "confidential conversation"around your mom's friends and someone tells a sad secret. 

3. Any time another female is asking for directions in the car next to you at the stoplight and she looks worried.

4. The last scene of Pride and Prejudice. Or when Matthew came back from the war, but we found out he was paralyzed and couldn't have any kids. Let alone any sex. With Lavinia or Mary. Total empathetic nod moment. (This, of course, was followed up by an even stronger and more rapid empathy nod when it was revealed that his back had magically healed itself and there was plenty of sex to be had.)

For the record, I'm not saying that men aren't capable of the empathetic nod, although I've never seen it with such conviction as a woman.  Maybe their eyebrows are too thick to evoke that sort of connection because they weigh down their necks and don't allow such a nod. Just brainstorming here. 

That's really all I wanted to talk about today. Just a short commentary on the female condition. 

Happy Tuesday, fine plebeians.