While I was heading over to take a friend grocery shopping, I checked my email and found a surprise in it.
Hello, and congratulations! You have been nominated for a 2014 Arts Award in the category of Imagination. We'd like to express gratitude for your good work for Spokane through the arts, and congratulate you on this recognition.
Needless to say, I was a little shocked by the email. Looking it over, the thing looked legit and nothing was asking for money or telling me to download anything. So, there was that. And in general, I was sure it seemed familiar. But that didn't stop me from wondering what the heck was going on.
After a little while, I remembered what was going on. Someone on Fb had posted a link about a group trying to bring out the art in our city. I'd jokingly asked a friend to nominate me. I figured I'd be just one of hundreds and not much would come out of it in the end. Once it was done, I promptly forgot about it.
Land us on today, when suddenly I'm receiving this email saying I've been nominated. To me, I don't really understand how it happened. Its strange, as these things don't happen to me. Sales have been sketchy lately, with some shows doing great and others not even bringing a profit. My book hasn't sold a copy in weeks and I'm trapped at 4 reviews.
Yes, good things have been happening as well, but in the long run... Its just such a crap shoot that I figured nothing would come of my work. At least, not locally.
I should explain a bit of that last comment.
Plenty of people around town have asked for help in various things. Be it money, time, product, you name it, they've asked for it. And I've tried to help as best I can. Not perfect, and I'm not seeking to say 'That wouldn't have happened without me', but I've worked to help the local community. The few times I've asked to get help, raising money or rebuilding my supplies after the theft... Well, 3 in the local community have helped. Most of the help came from people I didn't expect it to come from. Former customers, friends I haven't caught up with in ages, people like that. But in the few times I've asked, none of those I've helped have helped me back.
I'm not demanding people repay, that's not how it works. But when you see one person say 'Oh, help please?' and dozens of people rush to their side and when you say 'Help, please?' no one bothers to show up, it leaves you feeling out in the cold among friends.
Sure, we're all broke. But I've still helped. For f***'s sake, I gave a dollar to the homeless guy who cornered me to write me a poem!!
Its about sticking together as a community. Everyone bitches about how we've splintered and that they don't talk to 'Those' people, or 'they just blocked me one day', but no one sees that they're doing the damage as well. I've got friends in almost every splinter of the community. I didn't take sides. Everyones right and everyones wrong. I get invited to things and hugged upon being seen, but for the most part... No help to be had when I need it.
Sorry for the vent, but when you look at the local community and that's what you see... Its hard to imagine someone reading what your best friend wrote about you, from her heart [in the lawyery way she writes ^^] and saying 'I like them. Lets honor her in this.
Its like a little flash of hope in everything. Perhaps not all of the community is as two faced as it feels they are. [This makes me feel like the Grinch. “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”]
Anywho... I've asked a few friends to help me out, as I need head shots to do this thing. I've actually needed them for a while, but keep putting it off to not be in front of the camera. I dislike being in front of the camera. Thankfully, I've had a few people offer to help. ^^ A few aren't even local, but said they wished they were to help me out. Always nice to hear.
I'll keep you updated on the event. Sorry for the rant, but its been bothering me for a while now.
Kristy C
