I’m afraid I have to ask you to be patient… if you’re waiting for the patience post.
As part of my effort to make this blog as useful, informative, fun, and vibrant as possible, I’m taking a 4-week Blog Triage class with Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris. (Click on their names to check out their blogs and see what good role models I’ve chosen!)
The first homework assignment is to describe my audience — who do I want to have reading my blog? In other words, who are you in my imagination and intention?
Well, maybe I have to start with who I am:
I move between being a creative artist (with my own imagery, experimentation with techniques, shows and other events, etc) and a researcher / writer / aspiring “expert” / spokesperson for an underappreciated sacred cultural tradition….
Since the cultural tradition is an expression of Buddhism, it’s also linked to spirituality, philosophy, and personal growth — subjects about which I often have thoughts and questions. And I invite others to question along with me.
And then there’s my life as an international nomad… which seems to fascinate others while exhausting me. Writing positively about this helps ground me and keeps the joy of movement awake in me.
So who are you, my readers, then?
You are:
- textile artists and color lovers
- Buddhist practitioners and Asian culture enthusiasts
- travelers of Tibet and India touched by the art and devotion there
You are also:
- collectors of Himalayan art interested in contemporary trends
- collectors of textile art interested in traditional methods and new ways of applying them
- art lovers ready to commission your first piece.. or your tenth
- home dwellers who seek to surround yourselves in beauty
- admirers of finely handcrafted work
- academics researching Tibetan culture
- people who enjoy questioning your assumptions, opening new possibilities, looking from new angles, and examining yourselves
- armchair travelers or adventurers experienced in expat life
- past and future visitors to the Rubin Museum of Art, the Newark Museum, the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, LACMA, the Pacific Asia Museum, Musée Guimet, and the Tibet House and other Himalayan art collections
You live all over the world. You are curious, inquisitive, and responsive. And you just LOVE to engage in conversation about beauty, growth, art, craft, fabrics, thangkas, colors, creativity, possibilities, practices for awakening, … and Tibetan art history. (Hint, hint. That means you make comments. See the comments link below? Yes, right there. That’s it.)
You’re creative, courageous, and interesting… and I just love talking with you!
Don’t see yourself here? Tell me then. Who are you?
Thank you for being part of my community.
Hi Leslie,
I love the range of possibilities you outlined for your readers’ backgrounds, and the specificity of your notes about where they may have visited. Also interesting that you identified that some visitors might be coming because of an interest in textiles and your process, while others might be drawn because of themes and the history behind your project. Thanks for your thoughts and looking forward to reading more!
Hi Leslie,
I really enjoyed your approach to this subject. You spoke with clarity and authenticity. I am looking forward to getting to know you better through your blog.
This will be fun!
Thanks,
Dianne
Thanks Dianne and Annie,
It’s so great to have feedback and to feel that my writing is speaking to someone!
Annie, I added the note about visitors to those specific museums after being inspired by specificity on your own blog. Thanks for the push.
Leslie, I absolutely love the way you write, as if we’re in the middle of a telephone conversation talking back and forth. I kept wanting to nod my head in response to your tongue-in-check prodding. Very entertaining post!
Leslie, I really appreciate your great detail. You know exactly who you’re writing for and it will pay off. I also like that you asked for the comments. You don’t get what you don’t ask for! So glad to have you in the class and be able to get to know you better.
Hi Alyson, Hi Krista,
Thanks! Wow, five comments on one post. This class is already great! I guess I should ASK for comments more often 😉 It helps to have a dedicated support team.
Looking forward to our work together!
Hi Leslie
Its been a few weeks again but I think you know who I am. I am that somehow distant communicating student of yours who is not about to disappear. (Maybe I should make and INTENTION about more regular mail service, it would undoubtedly be an improvement!) Your postings are great and it’s great to follow you around the world and through your ideas. How do you get to all these different places?
You’re a great teacher as well!
About the weekly thangka report, I saw a picture of a soft and beautiful image of Maitrya in silk from the 16th C the other day, helas no way to scan and get it to you. Maybe you’ve already seen it.
Be well
Louise
Hey Louise! Always nice to see your comments, as well as your emails with questions and experiences. I would be happy to receive more!
How do I get to which different places? The physical ones usually by plane… the ideas, well, how do any of us get from one thought to another? I don’t really know. Through (selectively when I’m able) following my interests and curiosity? Through being willing to find wisdom in some of the most unlikely places? How do you get to different places?
I don’t know whether I’ve seen that Maitreya.Where did you see it?
Ciao ciao,
Leslie
Hi Leslie!
This is a beautiful site – it’s clear you’ve put much loving care into building it. I’m looking forward to reading it often.
Love,
Bari
Thanks, Bari! I’ve been thinking for a while that you might enjoy starting a blog yourself… What do you think?