Artsy Fartsy

So yesterday was one of those days that felt like it would never start, and then it felt like it would never end. Since I thought it would be my last free day for a while with my interviews and orientations this weekend/next week, I figured I would do something I wanted to do. I've been dying to go to a museum here since the last time I tried to go to one in Los Angeles (with Jeff, last year), it had closed by the time we got there. I found out that the MOMA and MOCA are free on Thursdays from 5:00pm to 8:00pm thanks to Wells Fargo, AND that the MOCA was showing The Cool School, a documentary about the Ferus Art Gallery--what really brought modern art to LA.

Earlier in the day I went to Runyon Canyon. It was probably a mistake to go in the middle of the day, especially since I went the night before. The combination of the heat and my tired legs made it super hard. I went up the canyon's steepest face first, which I never do, and I was dying. I felt like a wimp since I'd hiked the thing maybe ten times since I've been to LA, but I was struh-guh-ling.

I biked home after that and took a shower before I made the trek to the MOCA. I planned out my whole route online, planning to bike there. Biking turned out to be a crappy idea since the screws in both my handlebars and my seat are coming loose. So I hopped on the Metro (which was FREE because they were doing maintenance on the ticket machines) and got to the MOCA just in time.

The documentary itself was awesome. I highly recommend it to those interested in art. It reminded me a lot of Dogtown and the Z Boys, actually, the documentary about the Zephyr skate teams back in the 70s. What these artists in the Ferus Gallery did was unlike anything going on in the nation, artistically, let alone the wasteland that was Los Angeles back in the 1960s. They started the Ferus Gallery with Walter Hopps and single-handedly put Los Angeles on the 'art' map. Really, really cool story. And great art. The coolest part was seeing Frank Gehry talk about all these guys and sharing stories about all their hijinks, knowing that I was right across the street from the Disney Concert Hall.

The walk home was my favorite/least favorite part of the day. The area around the MOCA/Disney Concert Hall is beautiful at night. It's very clean and official-looking in some parts and artistic and serene in others. I got on the Metro, and this wave of exhaustion hit me. I don't know if it was dehydration or what, but I was soooo incredibly tired. The thought of walking home made me want to lie down and take a nap.

Anyway, I did end up walking/biking home. I swear, my feet will develop a coating of steel over them in the next few weeks. They need a pedicure so badly. And I don't get pedicures.

The walk home gave me a lot of time to think, though, about what I want out of this city. If I even want to be in this city at all. I love Los Angeles, but there's something about it that can rub you the wrong way, especially in a few particular areas. So, I've been thinking these past few weeks about what I want to do. I've actually been reading my patriarchal blessing a lot, trying to figure out what it is I'm meant to do. That's something I'm really trying to keep in mind right now. I know there are things I want to do (work on movies, write, etc) and there are things I'm meant to do (which are to be determined). I still have a part of me that wants to be involved in academia and teaching/working with non-profits, etc. So, I need to reconcile these two and figure things out. And the sooner I can do that, the better.

Anyway, that's my rant. Right now I'm sitting in a Starbucks on Beverly Dr. with my Mac, working on writing and reading screenplays. This is part of Los Angeles that I could definitely get used to. Minus the teenagers (none of whom can possibly be older than 16) making out in the corner. It's 2:30 in the afternoon, kids. Go reach your potential.

That's all I got.