I’m reading a book called “Why We Broke Up” right now, which is a collabroation between Lemony Snicket author Daniel Handler and painter Maira Kalman. I love it on many levels. But what I love MOST about it is the fact of the collaboration between the two creators. The book developed with input from both of them, and they’re now touring together in support of it. They have an HILARIOUS report going, with attitude, and finishing each other’s sentences, and giving the audience a quiz about how romantic they (the audience members) are. The night I saw them read, I scribbled in my journal “Either start painting or get painter friends STAT.”
Well, this is not a painter friend. BUT. Last week Irish singer (and general favorite) Colleen Raney asked me to develop a limited-edition block print of the cover art for her newest album, Cuan.
I could say I accepted, or I could say I FLIPPED OUT AND HAD THE BEST WEEKEND I’VE HAD SINCE MY LAST BIRTHDAY. And they would mean the same thing.
51 prints, six or seven really, really bad movies (I’m losing count on purpose), 18 hours of work, and two nights of 3 a.m. bedtimes later, my first professional collaboration is complete. The prints will be available at Colleen’s CD release shows this weekend in and around Seattle, and online after that, if there are any left. (!!!!)
Last night Colleen told me I would be great at improv, because I’m a big ball of Yes. First of all, this is an EXTRAORDINARY compliment, and if I think about it too long, I’ll cry. Second of all, she didn’t know when she said that that if I had a personal manifesta on paper, right at the top would be the Golden Rule of Improv, which has driven my life since I first heard it from the improv troupe at Oxy:
YES AND.
