dear lynda barry!

it was sooo glorious getting to see you twice in two days! you are a zillions times funnier and more awesome then i could have possibly imagined. i feel like lately i've been a tad bit burned out with being in school, but hearing you speak got me energized and inspired again. i really really dig what you said today about in your workshops always being close to people when they read their work and then telling people good! good! when they read it outloud.

in the craziness that is art school, i think it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with feedback, with people always talking about "good" and "bad" writing and telling you to change this or revise that. it is hard sometimes to remember that the process of writing, of creating, is what is amazing. is what makes it meaningful. and also to care for your art like a baby. you gave the analogy of popping out a baby and then demanding the baby to win you an award, or get you published, etc. and it made me laugh. because sometimes i see students in art school acting like that. plus seemingly being very unexcited about both their own art and the process. but i've always felt that writing (and reading) for me, is a enormous part of what makes life meaningful for me, what keeps me going. what has allowed me to get this far. it's so strange sometimes to watch people make art like they don't really care about it, when it has always felt for me like the one thing left to hang on to when all else goes to shit.

it also hit me today at the roundtable, when people were asking their questions, how much art school supports this idea of good and bad art. it was my big fear going into school for writing that it would take all the fun out of it. would make it this thing that was totally dry and devoid of anything worthwhile. i think it is easy (and costly) to fall into that.

but listening to you today made me feel not so worried. because i love writing! i love the process! and i don't want "my babies" to get me fame or fortune or pats on the back from professors, or awards. i just want to connect with other people, to make people feel not so alone, not so lonely, since that's what writing and reading has done for me since i was little. i want to give that back. and i can't help it, i gotta write! and i don't think i can ever be persuaded to not do it, or not get something out of it.

so thanks lynda for doing what you do. for being such an amazing human being. for spreading the wealth that is your thoughts and feelings about art. thanks for coming and speaking and making me laugh till i had tears in my eyes. thanks for being so sincere and down to earth. thanks for showing us your "party trick" of singing with your mouth closed. that was wild! thanks for your laugh which is the best thing ever. and thanks for giving me lots o hope that there are still people out there who encourage the kid part of everyone and being open to creativity and to playing. people who truly live their art and won't and can't ever give it up.

rock and roll,
lesley :)