1 December

Gus And The Creeping Iphone Photo Wars

by Jon Katz
Gus And The Iphone Wars: Photo by M (Ansel) Wulf

I love this photo so much I wish I’d taken it, it was actually taken by my wife, Maria with her Iphone 8 plus.

This week, a cheery soul messaged Maria saying “I hope your egomaniacal husband knows that you are now taking better photos than him.”  Nice. Maria banned  her, she sends a nasty message monthly.

We both got a chuckle out of it, we are both intensely competitive people who pretend all the time that we are never competitive with one another.

In a global context, we are never competitive with one another.

We support one another completely, and cheer when the other succeeds. Still, if we are being honest, and we strive for that, the obnoxious social media warrior had a point. When we met, Maria didn’t have a blog, didn’t write much,  never took photos or videos.

Now, she has a blog, takes popular videos all the time with her sweet new Iphone, writes beautifully and openly and powerfully, makes beautiful art and sells all of it,  and is now taking first rate photographs as well. And very often.

I do sometimes feel tip toes creeping up on my aging body, you have to stay on your toes around here, we are both savage in our commitment to our creativity. Although she is a good deal younger.

The truth – I cannot say I’m surprised – is that she is a brilliant and driven creative, she does everything she does well and learns and grows, and she quite often takes better photos than I do, she got a good one this morning of Gus in her studio, the composition is beautiful, so is the light and the emotion.

Her videos are increasingly popular.

Maria thinks about her images, photos and videos all the time, because she works at it every day, she gets better all the time. We are simiiar in that way, we never stop thinking about our work, it is almost inevitable I would feel some hot breath on my neck.

I would be other than human if I was not aware of very good work  pouring out of my wife daily, so much of it along the same lines as mine – blog, photos, writing.

What kind of true creative does not ever look over his or her shoulder? Not this kind.

Maria’s nasty online friend thinks I must be one of those men who can’t bear their wife’s success. I am sorry for her life and marriage. People who don’t ever get competitive are not really alive. You have to see it, recognize it, laugh at it, and clobber them. Kind of turns me on.

We live very separate lives creatively otherwise, she is in her studio all day, I am in my office. I have no involvement whatsoever with her art, she has nothing to do with my writing other than to read it and tell me what she thinks.

I am also aware that Maria is enormously popular and respected. Once, I was the only one here.

I don’t have the words to say how happy this makes me, even she outperforms me from time to time (often.) It does not bother me nearly as much as it gives me joy. This is the kind of person I love, respect and wish to share my life with.

When I get off a great shot or column, I run to show it to her, and when she takes a photo like the one above, she rushes to show it to me. I love that very much. And this little edge keeps me young and on the move. I can’t afford to get lazy or lax.

We utterly support the creativity of the other. We are also humans and will be human. She also has a great camera in that phone, and can take any kind of  photos she wants.  I still have the better equipment and a few extra years of experience – my Canon and my Iphone X.

I will put up a helluva fight, I’m not dead yet.

Boundaries are important with us, we live and work within yards of each other, and we cannot help the fact that we both are very serious about my work. James Joyce said a piece of every artist dies when another succeeds, and I think there is some truth to that.

I sometimes wince when she takes a photo like this, not because I begrudge her doing it, but because I begrudge me not doing it.

When she texted me this photo of Gus – she was justly proud of it – I texted her right back, “I”m going to steal it.”

She came sputtering into the farmhouse. “You can’t steal it,” she said, “I put it up on Instagram,” she said.

“So what?” I replied, “I’ll put it up on my blog. Nobody will see yours.”

We both couldn’t stop laughing. It is sometimes fun to be challenged To not care is first death.

Go Maria. I’m right behind you.

In a flash, her photo was up on Instagram, so yes, I am aware she is taking wonderful photos. Are they better than mine? Not for me to say That one is in the hands of the fates.

1 December

Happy, Unexpected Task: Guidelines And Boundaries For Mawulidi

by Jon Katz
Boundaries And Guidelines

We were overwhelmed (happily)  a bit at the response to Mawulidi’s four carvings. His work sold almost instantly, and there is a growing waiting list for his carvings. There are hundreds of messages praising his work and congratulating him – and us – and wanting to buy his art works.

I’ve gotten hundreds of messages and e-mails so has Maria. Mawulidi is a hit, and a well-deserved one.

So I have the happy task of answering some of the most frequently asked questions and laying forth some boundaries and guidelines to make the process saner and, as always open. And to represent his best interests.

First off, we can’t (and shouldn’t) accept special orders for his work at this point.

Mawulidi does not speak English, text or do e-mail. He is a shy, quiet and formal person, devoted to his wife and children. There may come a time when he wishes to grow, that will be up to him. But now now.

When I communicate with him, it is in pre-arranged meetings with an interpreter present, I can’t just call or message him, nor do I want to. America is still quite strange to him.

Given the volume of traffic and requests, we can’t do a lot of back-and-forth with prospective buyers. If you want a carving, I’d suggest considering it and then deciding.

Maria and I are both very busy, and this is not our primary work, nor do we wish to be paid for the hours of work involved. So if you want a carving, message Maria – [email protected] – and then order it or not.

Lots of people agonize or aren’t sure, and that is understandable, but in this case, I’m afraid we just can’t accommodate that kind of back and forth. The waiting list is long and eager.

Many – many – people are sending me ideas, advice and plans for Mawulidi’s future and marketing. you know how much I love unwanted advice.

Let’s take it slow. Mawulidi cannot do a webpage or blog now, or platform on Etsy or Pinterest or Instagram or Amazon, or open a shop. He has a full-time job in a bakery, and helps raise four children with his wife. What precious minutes he has go to his carving, not his marketing.

He doesn’t have the tools to do it, and it would make him crazy. He is not drawn to technology. At the moment, we are his only outlet, that will change soon I hope.

Nor can Mawulidi take special orders, that’s not fair to the people waiting in line, and is confusing to him, as he can’t communicate with the buyers. It’s just not a good idea now. He does not need more pressure. He will never read these posts about him.

Our advice to him is to make what he wants – not what people ask for – and at his own pace,  not to scramble to sell a lot of things. He should work at his own comfortable and familiar way, be true to his own art.

We are meeting with him next week, and probably every week after for a while.

We hope to find the best way for him to be independent – we are not in the business of selling other people’s art and work. We ail also stay with him until he figures it out. i hope he goes all the way one day, but that is not up to me.

I hate to say this, but I need to: Maria and I are both swamped with work and we are not accepting any payment for this, so we have to manage our time. I don’t wish this to take away from the other refugee work or Mansion work, and I am committed to my blog and my books. This can’t be a full-time job for us.

It is today.

I’ve learned this selling photos and watching Maria, there is a tremendous amount of work involved in taking orders, processing, storing and printing them, making labels, finding safe packaging, wrapping the art, taping boxes,  pricing shipping, and trekking to the Post Office several times a day.

It is not simple. Boundaries are important.

So every week or so, Mawulidi will sell a few carvings and I will put them up on my blog, and Maria will handle the sales end of things – she is eager to do this. We won’t be doing any more than that, nor will Mawulidi, at least not for now.

If you want a carving, let Maria know – and she will let you know when they become available and  how much they cost. You will of course, have the option of saying yes or no. She will then move down the list.

There is an instinct online to always do more, be bigger, move faster. For Mawulidi’s sake, that is not a good instinct now. We’ll take it slow, do it right.

I hope this helps. I believe in boundaries and openness, and I appreciate your enthusiasm for his work. It seems a miracle to me, I am soaring over this wonderful experience.  I will stay with him as long as it takes.

1 December

URGENT: The Refugee Winter Clothing Campaign

by Jon Katz
The Refugee Clothing Campaign. Above, Nombre Zeinabou and Kone Macisse from The Ivory Coast.

As I meet the RISSE teachers and administrators and kids and adults in their programs, I’ve become increasingly aware of their urgent need for winter clothing.

Winter is approaching in upstate New York – the first for many of the refugees and immigrants and their children. The winters here can be brutal, proper clothing is essential.

Federal subsidies have been slashed or are disappearing altogether and many of the people I am meeting and getting to know simply don’t have clothes for the frigid upstate winters. Many of the adults and their sons and daughters don’t have boots, only flip-flops and sneakers.

In this part of the country, children who don’t have snow pants can’t go outside to play.

So many of the refugees and immigrants come from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, they have no experience of Northeast winters. And they have little or no money to buy winter clothes.

The refugees came to America to escape hardship, starvation, natural disasters and violence. Most of them came with nothing, and they need everything. I think this request is very important. I know a specialty of the Army Of Good is getting clothes and necessities to people in need, I’ve seen it all year.

This week, I asked the RISSE officials if it was all right for me to summon the launch a winter clothing campaign on my blog and launch a major winter clothing campaign for the refugees and immigrants starting out in America.

They were thrilled. They will eagerly accepted donated or purchased clothes, or direct donations.

All clothing should be sent to RISSE Winter Clothing, RISSE, 715 Morris Street, Albany, N.Y., 12208.

This is urgent, the hard winter is just weeks ago. The children and adults of RISSE need winter clothing – sweaters, jackets, winter socks, long underwear,  winter boots. The children in particular need snow pants, sweatshirts, sweaters, winter wool caps, jackets and scarves.

For the women – most of the adult refugees are female – the sizes should be smallish. People can send used clothing if it is clean and in good shape. This morning, Susan Popper, a supporter of good deeds, messaged me to tell me about swap.com, the country’s largest consignment and thrift store site, she said she used swap.com to buy winter clothing for the RISSE campaign.

She said the prices were good, she bought 11 jackets and sweaters for under $100, and the site offered free shipping. Amazon also offers winter clothing for women and children at low prices. i purchased fleece jackets and winter socks on Amazon and sent them to RISSE.

In addition to sending used boots, sweaters and clothing, you can donate directly to RISSE, they accept Paypal and major credit cards.

I’ve seen firsthand what this group of generous spirits can do, I hope you can help the RISSE adults and children in need of this help during their first winter on American soil. I hope we can once again show them the true heart and soul of America.

Once again, you can send new or old clothes to  RISSE, Winter Clothes, 715 Morris Street, Albany, N.Y., 12208.

I will keep this campaign going on my end until everyone has the clothes they need for winter. The refugees face enough difficulties without freezing. Thanks much.

 

1 December

Sold: The Carvings Of Mawulidi Diodone Majaliwa

by Jon Katz
Sold

Happy news. I am pleased to tell you that Mawulidii Majaliwa’s wood carvings – all in single pieces from the wood of Bedlam and Pompanuck Farm – sold out in minutes Thursday night.

The crane sold for $200 – more than the asking price, and the Guinea Hen sold for $150. That does not include shipping.The two blue pigeons  sold for $100 each plus shipping.

Maria has offered to process the sales without any commission. She says there is a considerable waiting list for the pieces Mawulidi is working on now. If you wish to be added to the list, please e-mail her at [email protected].

Please don’t e-mail me, your names will be lost.

Twenty-five per cent of the carving sales will go to RISSE, the refugee and immigrant support center in Albany. The rest – every penny – will go to Mawulidi.

I received hundreds of messages and requests (and advice of course) about Mawulidi’s work, it touched a deep chord in many people. This is partly because of Mawulidi’s story – his family did not survive the Congo Civil Wars.

He was in a refugee camp in Tanzania for 20 years. But mostly, I think,  because the pieces are beautiful and unusual.

I have rarely seen this kind of craftsmanship, that kind of carving takes an enormous amount of skill.

I should mention that Mawulidi almost certainly would not be admitted into the United States today.

That is a tragic thought. He belongs here, he is a brilliant artist and a gentle, humble man. I bow my head once again to the Army of Good, who rushed to help this worthy person. He is what America is about to me and to others.

Mawulidi was denied permission to take his carving tools – given him by his grandfather –  with him to the United Staes. He had to leave them behind.

The Army Of Good send him donations for new tools, I found some online and bought them for him. He is a bread baker, he has a wife and four children.

Mawulidi is new to America, he  speaks little English and has never used a computer. He is not yet able to manage to do his own marketing. I am happy to help him for now, we will help him get there.

Obviously, there is a great market for his work.

So I’ve decided to sell his work on my blog until a permanent solution can be worked out. Fascinating to see where all of this goes. I never imagined selling wood carvings on bedlamfarm.com. Somehow, it fits.

Maria will keep track of the money and the shipping, something I would surely mess up. She is eager to do this, and I am, as always, grateful for her. Mawulidi is very special and we are honored to support him. And he is certainly a creative in need of encouragement. He had given up the thought of ever carving wood again.

RISSE will continue to get 25 per cent of the sales, they have been helping Mawullidi since he came to America, He will get the rest. We are not taking any money from these sales.

We’ll sort it out after the holidays. Mawulidi is working on more carvings, I will hopefully get them in Albany next week, he has invited met to meet his family and have dinner. I look forward to that.

Many people wrote to tell me the price for these carvings was too low, but we all feel they should remain low for now.

Mawulidi, a humble man who respects poverty,  wants his work to be available to everyone, not just wealthy people. Money is not the only reward for him. Given the demand, we will raise the prices slowly.

If you are interested in buying one of his wood carving’s or getting on a waiting list to buy one, contact Maria at [email protected].  Thanks so much.

Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”  – Thomas Paine.

 

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