Individual Artist Project

Creating a book that focuses on soundscapes will further encourage others to listen to the world around them, which I think is always important. It helps the nervous system calm down to focus on sensory components and help stay connected with listeners' physical body. I think that listening to both our body and environment is critical to our healing process, and by encouraging others' to do so, I will be bringing something positive to the community through my book in how it exists. Further, we don't have nearly enough opportunities for artists to come together in the same room and share their work and find patrons for their media. Yes, we have brick and motor stores and places where others' can find their books or art projects. But having that face-to-face conversation with authors and being able to ask questions is so vitally important. By offering a small literary festival for poets and zines, I would be able to both help promote my own book, but also help the other existing poets and authors promote theirs. Providing a space for authors and zine creators meet each other will allow for organic connections and conversations. In that way, not only will I help encourage a deeper listening to the environment, but for those in attendance to listen to each other.; My goal with this project is to focus on the completion of a soundscape-focused poetry collection that inspires a deeper attention to the sonic environment where I reside. And for authors to get a chance to converse and meet with each other at a single poetry and zine event. Part of the goal with any literary festival is to inspire others to pick up a pen and feel more empowered to write poetry or literature themselves. Seeing a larger scope of work that has been accomplished within a region lends well to that type of movement and enthusiasm from a community. At the literary festival wouldn't just be artists, but organizations like the Duluth Poetry Chapter. And other orgs with zines and literary booklets interested in attending. I'd like to get at least 8 different authors/orgs in attendance with a table. And 100 attendees to the reading and one-day zine and author event as a measurable outcome. And to sell at least 30 copies of the book. I manage a lot of different organizing projects such as the weekly coffee chat meetings held by the Duluth Poetry Chapter and their various events outside of those meetings. Those have been continuously delegated out as we're transitioning to a larger board structure and horizontal forms of leadership. I also put together the entertainment for the Duluth/Superior Pride Festival, which requires me to coordinate with an ASL team, sound tech, several bands, and about 15 poets. I already have the contacts and awareness of the community to easily coordinate getting 10 or so poets and zine artists in the room together. Putting together my book "Too Many Hats" taught me a LOT about the process of indie printing and the steps that I ran into that were tricky the first time will be much easier to navigate with a new printing of a new book. I feel confident about the process and eager to lean into the writing more comfortably now that the logistics are down.; I will know that my chapbook was a success by the comments I receive after readers have had a chance to pickup a copy, and from both verbal and written feedback at the event. I'll also know that the event was a success because I will have included a minimum of 8 authors and organizations at the event, and interacted with the attendees (at least 100 guests as a goal) throughout the process. I'll assess the success of the work by how many copies I sold, and checking in with other guests to see how well their tables did in connecting with attendees and getting out their both free and purchase-able materials. And what types of interactions they had with guests. Additionally, I could come up with a way to receive direct feedback from those who attended the event and would like to share about their experience at the event. (Such as a survey or comment card available at one of the tables)