Okay, I have to go back in time to talk about this moment.
It’s April 2024. I am feeling generally horrible. Five months before this, I was told I would never be able to do something I am getting my degree in. Instead of creating art, I start writing a senior proposal with the basic in a published paper titled “Nightmares and Dreams on Progesterone: Trans* Embodiment and Intermedia.” The published paper was essentially an autobiography/instruction guide for art from a creative named Lorelei d’Andriole, and her work in performance art. I fell in love with this particular paper, and emailed the author immediately. Once I figured out that I was heading in this direction with my video essay, I emailed Lorelei again, and we set up a Zoom meeting from her home in Lansing, Michigan.
Lorelei was an absolute joy to talk with. She gave me honest, thoughtful answers about the work I am going to produce, and she even gave me advice about the future in an interview about her work. We talked about the struggles of practicing art as transsexuals, what the transition period looks like for artists, and some of the topics mentioned in her work. I won’t spoil the whole interview– because some of it is for the video essay– but meeting and talking to Lorelei was the first step I needed in order to take this project from point A to point B.
This project was stagnant the past few weeks. There is not much to do when you are working with nothing, but I do see the vision of this project getting clearer, which is something I could not say two weeks ago. Now, time for more research and scripting.