Art Communities - Feedback Improves Projects

For some reason I've been coasting in this regular reverie about things long gone.  At the moment I have a Fiona Apple song stuck in my head, because it is the end of September.  Maybe it has something to do with all the art that is around me these days.  Art is something I had associated with a period of my life that is long dead.  If all Phoenix did for me was ressurrect my art, then I guess 2 years of my life was a price worth paying.  Even still, the Bay Area is the place to be when it comes to art.

Yes, Phoenix had First Fridays which were pretty cool.  That was the exception rather than the rule.  In SB the art was... well.... sort of hotel art.  It wasn't inspiring. Even still... yes, there was some art in both places that was awesome and inspiring and made me wish I had lots of moola so I could patronize fabulous talent.  Mostly however, I felt wanting and isolated in my own artsy hermitage.  It wasn't the happiest place to be.  You see art requires cross-pollination.  Some people will say it doesn't, but those people have their head so far up their ass they don't understand how inspiration works.  They don't understand what expression really is mostly because their giant ego has overtaken the room and clouded their judgment.

Inspiration requires input.  It requires different kinds of stimulus, including other people and quite frequently other talent.  Mentors can be helpful to improving the direction of an artist. Feedback is necessary to improve a piece, be it visual or verbal.  Inspiration is necessary for a piece to be great.  Put them together, and you have a winning combination.

I'm saying all this because a great non-profit in East Bay has caught my attention (thank you Lauryn and Martin!).  The Crucible is this fabulous non-profit that does a variety of sculptural classes as well as rents out space for artists and members. You can even volunteer and get access to the tools etc during your shift.  The classes themselves are a little out of our price range (and by a little, I mean very) but they make me drool just thinking about them! 

It made me wonder what might be done out there.  I like Hayward actually.  I want to bring spirit back into the down town.  It was hit very hard during the economic recession and there are many prime store fronts that are just begging for my ideas to dress them up.  The Crucible makes me want to do something for 2D media, which is perhaps a little more accessible to most people's wallets than say, Plasma art. I want to have a group of artists do a community thing in Hayward to reinvigorate the city.  Then I want there to be classes and a gallery and art for sale.  I want all this so badly....every time I walk down B street. 

But how long will we live here? How long can we be here? Would it be long enough for me to start something and see it to being established? Would doing this take me away from everything else that is brimming through my head? I do feel a bit manic these days but I feel like this would be an amazing adventure and I want people to come along for the ride.

Do you think I pursue this? Should I finish at least one project before gallivanting off to start another one? Do you know anyone who might be interested in this type of thing? It's all up in the air.  Let me know what you think. Feedback improves a project.