Pack your suitcase baby, we’re
heading for the sunshine coast!
I often drew toucans, and
Tyrannosaurus Rex as a child, but never on the same sheet of paper. If I’d had a
psychiatrist, (and I probably needed one), he might have sorted out what these animals represented. He might have said that toucans represented joy, and Tyrannosaurus, fear. Perhaps the
toucan was what I wanted to be, and the Tyrannosaurus was what I feared I might
become. Today I am of a toucan mindset. I am thinking of toucans as I peruse a site called Residency
Unlimited.
As an infomercial, the promotional spot I would create for RU would show a view of an exotic locale: palm trees, everyone in shorts and flip-flops, with the feeling of the 1970s 7-Up TV ads (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JinBKqSCSac), which featured the charismatic Jamaican (Geoffrey Holder) sitting in a high back wicker cane chair, beneath a ceiling fan, (a red macaw perched nearby), dressed like a Caribbean Tourist Board BIG poster boy (he is 6'6"). V.O.: “Hah, hah,
hah! Happiness awaits you! What are you waiting for? Your happiness can begin
today. Hah, hah, hah. You can be the "Un-American."
RU has listings for residencies
lasting from between one week to six months. The layout is so simple even a
child could figure it out: Large colored rectangles with the titles of
the residencies. Feeling purple today? Click on the purple box. Feeling blue? Try the blue one.
RU is located within the former South Congregational Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. It supports the creation, presentation, and dissemination of contemporary art through its unique residency program and year-round public programs. Many of the programs are geared to support fine artists, but there are many opportunities for writers, filmmakers, actors, and other disciplines.
Lodging is varied as well, from huge studio spaces to one room offerings. Many provide stipends, meals, and opportunities to work alongside others in the same disciplines. There are ample opportunities to meet not only other people in the arts, but plunge into the culture of wherever you are.
Most of the residencies do cost money, but a modest sum. I found residencies in the south of France, and central Mexico, which only required participants to pay for airfare, and local transportation. Free food and lodging, a stipend, an exotic locale, and good company sounds like a recipe for happiness to me. (Some listings mention the possibility of covering airfare and local transportation costs!) It occurred to me that if one was organized it would be possible to hop around the globe for years.
Going somewhere far away can be scary, but you must fight the fear of the Tyrannosaurus, that threatens to hold you back. Imagine toucans! Imagine the good things that might come of it. Having time, for one thing - to work on a project you've put off, or can't work on because of the hectic world surrounding you. Try something new. Reinvent yourself. Be brave. Be happy. Try.
Going somewhere far away can be scary, but you must fight the fear of the Tyrannosaurus, that threatens to hold you back. Imagine toucans! Imagine the good things that might come of it. Having time, for one thing - to work on a project you've put off, or can't work on because of the hectic world surrounding you. Try something new. Reinvent yourself. Be brave. Be happy. Try.
Summer is upon us, and I don't know about you, but the idea of winging off to an adventure is rather tempting. And what of those who aren't involved in arts? There are many listings for jobs here: http://www.expatjobs.eu/
So get moving! Get your passport, pack your bags, and go have an adventure!
