Originally, two years ago when I decided to buy this domain, I had a vision of a business where I would go around and offer my services to help corporations improve their image by hiring me as a resident artist. In my towne, Milwaukee, there's a local historic hotel with an impressive, but saccharine art collection. Good stuff, well executed, but sweet, tired images. This hotel several years ago began an artist in residence program. They hire an artist to work on site and donate a painting at the end of their one year term. It's a good gig and many artists compete for it.
I hired a manager for a while and told the manager an idea that I had for Milwaukee's then tallest building. I wanted to create a position of curator for their mezzanine art gallery. The building has no art gallery. But it does have large blank walls. I suggested to my coach that I would manage this endeavor and they would pay me to do it. "Good idea," he said, "And you know what else? you know the hotel residency? You know why they do that?"
I was off guarded, I had never given the why a picosecond of thought.
"For their image," he said. "It shows how cool they are. Well here we are in Milwaukee's old tallest building and right across the street they're building a new sexier skyscraper. Maybe they want an image lift. Also, I think that the price you just named is too low."
Then I took an opportunity to host a radio show on a local radio station. I called it Image For Hire, after the name of my new business idea. the show would be for individuals what the larger business was to be for corporations. I intended to present ideas that can get us from here to awesome, that is, increased imagination, spirituality, art appreciation, and just plain old looking better. i was going to teach people how to dress.
Take note: dressing in pajamas, sweats, and t-shirts and jeans everyday is not acceptable.
That was the guiding principle. And yet here I am forking over the same content that I have always done, a comics-based dynamism. Where will I go from here? I had a second goal when I took the shift on the radio. I wanted to discover my message. Twenty-six episodes in and I still don't know what I'm doing. Much like this blog, my vlog Skrauss Speaks, You Listen, the podcast/Radio show is a record of my enthusiasms.
What is this? What am I doing here? Where is the Imago Dei? All of these questions and more will be answered in future installments. Keep digging in, Cavedweller.
This scene occurred in Stone Creek Coffee in the fifth ward, AKA the 88 nine location. This kid here is a well-dressed web designer. You should hire him.