What is Social Art? (refined…)
I was heard to say:
"So Social Art boils down to expressing ideas through the medium of human relationships…"
yes, I think that's much handier than what I was struggling with before. I do like to include a reference to beauty somewhere in there though. I do like beauty.
#canalwalk haikus
I took the shortish walk from Westbourne Park to the Paddington basin along the canal this lunchtime.
I took photos as I walked and tweeted spontaneous accompanying observations in a pattern of 5-7-5 syllables – so haiku in form if not in elegance – I think I'd warmed up a bit with the second one.
pigeons on the bridge
ignore the back of a bus
lip licking chicken
majestic westway
curves above a berlin wall
must build more stuff, must!
Don’t make me fake it!
Tremendous bits of support coming in that I'll be able to talk about once they're confirmed. However, while this is really really welcome, there's been much more response to help with kit than with direct cash support (to cover my overhead back here, some travel costs and contingency for daily subsistence).
I'm putting up an indie-gogo page shortly for small-scale donors but I'm also offering things like post-trip workshops with staff and product or brand evangelism. I've been joking today that I may have four laptops, six phones and a pocketful of dongles, but I may not be able to get over the pond in the first place!
Of course, it then occurred to me that I could do a Capricorn One-style fake journey. Sit at home for a month, tweeting only during US daytime hours and working on putting together fake photos of me at a range of American landmarks – probably spending lots of time explaining to American friends how come I was in town but didn't manage to say hello!
I don't think that's going to be as interesting as actually doing the trip. So if you know anyone who might be interested in supporting at the £250-£1,000 level do point them to me and share the sponsorship opportunities page.
Suddenly… 3 weeks to go
How did that happen, it seems only a matter of days ago that it was four weeks to go. Umm… yes… oh… I see…
Back to work then!
A journal comes back!
As a prototype for me being handed from person to person across a wide geographical area, I sent some moleskine notebooks out on a journey in the UK.
One came back today – it was supposed to go to Edinburgh before it was posted back to me.
Four weeks to go
I just made this highly inspirational first video diary to mark 28 days until I’m going to be travelling to the US – I think it has the exciting motivational tone necessary to spur you all on to… um… do something.
Well actually no, it’s not because I’ve got a cold and that’s making me miserable and not think very straight, but I just wanted to say, y’know – I’m still here and I’m still plodding on.
I know from previous experience that this is a weird time – the project suddenly seems more real because it’s happening next month, but despite all the talking I’ve done with lovely people and the tentative agreements that have been made, nothing is signed and sealed yet and so… and so… well so it maybe doesn’t seem so real, it feels like there might just be a teeny tiny risk that it will all go pear-shaped and I’ll have egg on my face. And pears and eggs just don’t go, do they?
Nonetheless, you will have noticed that I’ve added two pages today for people interested in sponsoring the trip – About the trip describes what I’m doing in general terms. While Sponsorship Opportunities gives more details of the help I’m looking for. Please pass them on to anyone who might be interested or able to get involved. Each is available as a PDF download if you want to give them to people who are afraid URLs.
Those of you who know me will recognise this phase in Lloyd’s process and will probably be rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. Yes. Again.
Interview with me with @earthXplorer from @GoingSocialTV
JD Andrews was over in London in the Autumn last year and filmed this interview about Tuttle at the Centre for Creative Collaboration.
JD’s just announced that his channel @GoingSocialTV has been picked up by the R&R network – I’m hoping to catch up with JD at some point during March – likely at SXSWi but who knows where else? 🙂
Fear of America
Not me – other people, always other people…
It’s been interesting talking to people here (mostly those who aren’t active online social networkers) about the trip.
Firstly they perceive the risk of the trip as a whole to be much greater – it’s clear that those of us who live a lot of our lives online get that everything’s going to be alright. If you’re not used to it, it does seem a bit risky and scary.
But what else comes out, I think, is just a British fear of America. I’ve been variously told that I will end up being shot, chopped up in pieces in someone’s basement in Arkansas or wake up dressed in a gimp suit and ball gag and abused in unspeakable ways.
Thanks Hollywood!
Villiers Street from above
Dunno, just grabbed me… thinking a lot at the moment about non-standard non-touristy views of London
Perfect Path 