To: Brittani

Avez-vous un peu de temps libre ce soir?

And Know That it Would Do Me Good to Hear From you: An Account of Separation Before it Occurs

I hope I can say my last words to you, "Safe travels," while they're exactly what I mean. And I hope I won't try to fit anything else into them, with a cock of my head, or the smile that makes you slap me. I don't know what I'd do, if you didn't arrive.

Errol: Custom Made

My nephew, Errol was born a little over a year ago now. My mom asked me to make her a book, so that she could record her version of his history for him. Right before she asked me to do it, I found a book at Goodwill. It had a cover which reminded me of Jay, Errol's father, who is tech and design savvy. The cover is a masculinely depicted machine, intricate, and strange. It seemed appropriate for a new boy. The book was titled, Lead, Kindly Light, and contained passages on Setting Forth, What is the Blessing?, The way of Action, The Appeal to Spirit, and so on.
I filled it with elementary school handwriting paper. The bind is a buttonhole stitch, and the recess was created with a utility knife. I used letter stamps to stamp Errol's name on the paper in the recess.

Analogies: Rules for Behavior

Analogies is a book I made while studying in France. The majority of the materials used to make this book came from Spain. I composited the images inside using Photoshop from an old elementary Spanish school book. Perhaps inspired by the Dalhi museum, it was an attempt to lead one through my process. I started with the images, and put them together as random associations, that complemented each other with little effort . Then came the writing. It's all random, until you realize that it's not and never will be again. The interpretation from different perspectives is all that matters after the process is once completed.


Technically, this book is button-hole stitched, and the inside is black and white printed on newsprint. I always want to do it myself, and my resources were considerably limited while in France. I did the printing on an inkjet printer, printing four pages to a sheet, and gluing the blank pages to make it a traditionally printed book. Hence, some distortion. The cover is probably some of my best craftsmanship, missing most of my shabby aesthetic. I like the preciousness of the size and structure, but I wish it was more meticulously, and seamlessly made.

A couple of pages from Analogies:

Beliefs: Rules for Behavior

The beliefs book is a coptic bound book, inside an old, leather, German religious book. The writing inside is hand-written, Gothic font. The pages are bound to the outside edge of the book, so it almost seems like it can't be opened when the covers are closed. You have a choice
To believe or not to
In either case:
The necessity for a willful suspension of disbelief may be rationed by the individual, but not ignored
Intimacy is an illusion perpetuated by the strangeness of infallibility
Sentimentality is the past tense of this
Sincerity
Honesty is the most tangible medium in regards to belief
Although the devil may not exist, he will do anything to get you to be dishonest with yourself
Do not be fooled
Some things to consider in regards to belief:
Conviction, History, Logic, Discretion, Documentation, Bravery, Love, Duality,
Experience

Some things to consider while not in regards to belief:
Vanity, Necessity, Fear, Conflict, Dogma, Heroism, Others' beliefs, Tradition, War, Credibility, Hope, Location, Politics, Semantics, Superstition, Death, Life, Karma, Five Senses, Parents, Science, Sex, Time, Words
Your beliefs are closely related to your self. You can't change that by changing your mind.
-it is not disbelief to change your mind
-Your altruism should not be an imposition on the beliefs of others
You do not have to be sure or right.
Your ethics don't either.
Cite your sources.

Manners: Rules for Behavior

Although a discussion on manners may seem an antiquated topic
You will find that it is the most progressive form of communication in its specificity to the individual
You parents will try to teach you
And hope you will try to learn
And at first you will extend great effort
After some time, it is completely up to
you:
Whether you practice or not
And how you do (or do not)

The majority of who we are is in the way we present ourselves
Manners are the intention behind this presentation, and the consideration of others in reference to our behaviors
They are the rules we set for these
considerations and for ourselves in order to mantain a consistency in reception
Let's say I hoped to be seen as a confident individual but did not want to be stereotypically categorized
I would amplify my personality in public, emphasizing my most unique or absurd characteristics
I would speak assuredly, but still listen
I would take an active stance on those things which I had read about and felt
confidence in
Or a stance on those things with which I most disagreed, but pretended not to
How I would shake the confidence of the opposition, knowing it as I know myself
My manners are te embodiment of those characteristics by which I hope to be represented
In this specific instance, my manners are:
unique or absurd personality traits
specific, convinced speech
and a little conflict for opposition's sake
These manners are used to achieve:
a personification of atypical confidence
Now you try.


This book is made of muslin, thread, yard, and printed fabric. The words inside were free-motion embroidered on a sewing machine, and the pages are bound in a buttonhole stitch. I wrote this in France, considering the cultural differences in social cues, and how they exist, but if you get down to it, everyone has their own social cues. There are some things which are socially acceptable, and are universal, but they can't be for everyone all the time.

Patterns: Rules for Behavior

There are many types of patterns used for many different things.
flight patterns, dress patterns, instructions, direction, driving patterns, behavioral patterns, history has a pattern relevant to the present, time, the Roman calendar, days of the week, migration patterns
No matter what, they give us directions or direction.
I do not gain knowledge from following patterns, but I do gain know how which may be applied to other aspects of my life. If I weren't in such a hurry, and if time were of no consequence, I might make my own patterns...now that would really be something
We read them to find out the information that we need.
For fun I read Douglas Coupland.
Say you are making a dress or are building a school. You read a pattern- sometimes called a blueprint depending on your
occupation-and then you understand the next step that you should take.
Don't forget the last step you took, or even the first. Remember what you're working towards, but don't always look towards it.
In the same way you learn to read a book, you learn to read a pattern, and once you do, you read a pattern to learn.
No matter at what age you learn to read, there will come days when you can't remember the name of something, or it will sound very strange to you. At that time, you should appreciate your complete capacity to abandon instinct in favor of senility. There may be things that you'd like to forget, but can't.
Musicians read music-which is a pattern of notes- to know the right way to play an instrument.
Humans use patterns the most, while animals use instinct (which is reinforced by patterns).
You have to learn the rules before you can break them.
Humans refine their instincts through patterns. They build a foundation of patterns and climb on top of them because of ambitions to do greater things-more daring things that would surprise and inspire their contemporaries.
You want to be happy.
Pattern is not the opposite of creativity, but is the beginning of it. It is the explanation for our instincts and the decisions of our hearts, because it is based in math, reason, studies, tests, observation, hypotheses, and the immortalization of knowedge through publication.
Know the rules by heart. Remember where you came from. Leave a trail of motor oil as you feed your bread crumbs to the ducks.
You are guaranteed success if you find conviction in your calculations and numerations, and if you present them professionally with charts and graphs.
Tomorrow you may go to school, or to work, and you ill follow a routine to get there safely. Your habits are written by your history and your inheritance. Your habits are your patterns.
I often wonder just what I can blame on my parents. I don't feel responsible for my accomplishments.
Be rooted and firm in them until you find it's time to change them.
When it is time, act sure of your decision until you feel sure and have had the opportunity to act assuredly.
Consistence is an important virtue in a strong peronality, so take your time in everything you do.
Consistence is also an important virtue in the following:
Ideas expressed with actions imposed
Grammar
Sleep Habits
Showing up to class
Insistence is important when you are sure of the following:
Love for something or someone
You are a politician
There is a hurricane evacuation
You are right and have the facts to back you up
Your mind is made up
There is no time left
Your favorite song is on the radio
A pattern is a plan, instinctual or intentional.
If you take fifteen minutes to make a plan before you begin any project, you will save time while implementing intention and focus of reason.
I was once given a kind of shopping list for the reasons that anyone would do anything and there are only two things on it: vanity, and necessity. I tried to think of more because I found the candor disenchanting, but the only thing that I could come up with was a third reason and it is fear.
A list is not a plan, but you are not a Virgo.
Vanity
Necessity
Milk
Eggs
Fear
Bread
Once you've made a lot of plans, and followed a lot of patterns, there will come a time when you no longer have to do either (for the most part), but until then you should plan accordingly.Once you've made a lot of plans, and followed a lot of patterns, there will come a time when you no longer have to do either (for the most part), but until then you should plan accordingly. This book is bound in a concertina stitch. It folds out so that it may hang on a wall, height wise. The materials used in it are graph index cards, vellum, a flight pattern chart printed on vellum, and fabric. The writing inside was printed out on an ink jet printer. I wrote the instructions inside in anticipation of the birth of my nephew, Errol. He is now a year old, and owns the mock-up, and original copy of this book. This book became first in a series of what is now four. I officially call the series Rules for Behavior but, loosely, they are all just nouns to me.