Apr
24
I got into a long and deep discussion today on FB over a story on ABC News/GMA about girls not being allowed to wear strapless dresses to a middle school prom because they were deemed ‘too distracting’ by the principal of the school. Click on the pic or link to read the story.
Is this an example of a rape culture at work?
There were a lot of points of view, mine primarily being that what is needed is proper training for boys on how to respond to girls, no matter what they are wearing. Limiting girls because boys might be distracted is placing the blame on the girl, just as when someone blames a rape victim because she wore too short a skirt or too dark of eyeshadow. Not only is that not the reason behind rape, even if it were, the solution is to get the boys/men educated and trained about appropriate and moral behavior, not telling women they have to wear clothes that conceal.
That’s my initial take on it, what’s yours?
_______________________
Drawing, quote and commentary by Marty Coleman
_______________________
Oct
23
Yes, I am trying to draw you in.
Steps 7a-7d: see 1a-1d
Step 7e: Get a part time job teaching drawing at a community college.
Step 7f: Get another part time job doing the same thing at a different community college.
Step 7g: Get a third job doing the same thing at yet another community college.
Step 7h: Keep your job working in a restaurant, creating art and raising your family.
Step 7i: Apply for full-time teaching jobs at colleges and universities all around the country.
Step 7j: Repeat steps 7e-7i for 9 years.
__________________
Concept, drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
__________________
Trivia of the day
The teaching job I applied for that had the most applications was at the University of Virginia. There were 0ver 600 applications for one Assistant Professor position.
__________________
Oct
22
It’s a new week and we are graduating to step six!
Step 6a-6d: See steps 1a-1d.
Step 6e: Move 515 miles to first college out of high school. Miss first semester because of being blown up.
Step 6f: Move 919 miles to second college because first college closes down. Lose girlfriend.
Step 6g: Move 3,072 miles to third college because you can’t afford the second college. Get Religion.
Step 6h: Graduate from 3rd college. Get married, have kids.
Step 6i: Move 2,399 miles to go to graduate school. Have car crash that should have been an omen.
Step 6j: Move 2,431 miles to second graduate school because you get kicked out of first graduate school for being a crappy artist.
Step 6k: Graduate from Graduate school. Start looking for jobs.
__________________
Concept, drawings and commentary by Marty Coleman, who wasn’t really as crappy an artist as the professor said, but was still pretty bad.
__________________
Fact of the day
There are over 2,700 colleges and universities in the US as of 2009. My immediate family has gone to 12 of them and graduated from 5 (so far).
__________________
Oct
02
Creativity Within
I come across a lot of people who, when I say I am an artist, say in response, ‘Oh, I am SO not creative.’ My usual response is ‘You are probably more creative than you realize.’ But in truth often times I am thinking, ‘Yea, that is probably true.’ Why would I think that? Because anyone who says they aren’t creative obviously thinks they aren’t. And guess what? Those who say they aren’t something very seldom become it.
The Grand Mystery Illusion
The other reason people say it is because it is they think it is something you are born with, something ingrained, mysterious. Not something you can learn. But that is not true, you can learn how to be creative. You just can’t learn it from someone else very easily. You have to learn it and practice it with yourself. So, if that is the case, how can you become creative when you aren’t creative enough to teach yourself.
Talking to Yourself
The key is in talking to yourself. The talk is not of the ‘do this, do that’ variety. it is of the ‘hmmm, I wonder what would happen if’ variety. It is the voice of fearlessness, the voice of curiosity and the voice of joy. If you are willing to talk to yourself, encouraging yourself to try something, something a bit off the wall perhaps, you have a way to bridge that gap.
But, this is a case where you really do need to take your own advice and say, ‘OK, I’ll try it.’
___________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman. It is the second drawn interpretation of this quote. You can see the first drawing, from 2009, here.
Quote by Arthur Koestler
___________________
