tara king

Earlier today, I found this great article, 5 Rules for Arts Organization Websites. While everything she said still applies, it was written in 2012. Time for an update!

1) Newsletter sign-up

Dear America,

I voted today and I'm sad to report that even though I've been listening to this presidential race nonsense for like TWO YEARS NOW, I will have to vote again in five months. FIVE MORE MONTHS.

What if we all take this oath:

Writing earlier about how I became a person who flosses (riveting!), I recognized a familiar element: the lightbulb, the eureka, the click. The flip of the switch.

When I wrote about the flip of the switch before, I didn't think much of it, except, "Thank God that happened," and then went about my merry way.

I decided that I would read 16 books this year (an increase over 12 from last year). I'm at 12 already so I'm feeling like a champ.

I haven't been reviewing them, but that's ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE.

Much vaunted, rarely attained.

I am not, as you may know, particularly consistent. I do my best to present a fairly consistent self, to not fall to pieces or shape shift entirely, but over time it just isn't possible to be the same person all the damn time. Mercurial, chameleonic. Never thought of myself that way, but it becomes more and more apparent that that's how I am. And I think it's how we all are.

Dance Resource Center (who I am very honored to be working with) holds monthly gatherings for the Los Angeles dance community on the first Thursday of each month, 9-11 am. The group welcomes everybody, and it was one of the first places that made me feel like somebody in this bar godforsaken megalopolis beautiful city knows my name and is happy to see me.

I believe in generosity.
I believe in being nice to other human beings and giving them the benefit of the doubt.
I believe in the benefit of the doubt, generally.
I believe in the power of writing.
I believe in strategy.
I believe in incremental change.
I believe in maintainability.
I believe in not shitting the bed.
I believe in ongoing learning.
I believe in educating others.
I believe in speaking clearly and compellingly on technical topics.
I believe in circling, wandering, jumping and rambling on personal topics.

I just spent the last five hours with Paul dredging up old algebra skills in an attempt to finally, once and for all, figure out HOW MONEY WORKS.

Okay, that's not the question we were trying to answer.

The question is: How can I know my business is financially healthy?

It shouldn't be hard. There are all kinds of axioms, including "Concern yourself with making your money, spend it later." A business without profits is not a business for long. Etc. etc.

I rode the bus to Venice Beach and back today. It cost me $3.49 ($1.75 each way, minus the penny I found in the parking lot). It arrives every 10 minutes-ish, and gets you pretty much right to the beach in under an hour from where I live. Boom.

I love Venice Beach. Before I moved to a place with an ocean next to it, I imagined my beach time as a serene, isolated experience, which is not so much the Venice experience. I have to admit to myself: I really like the crazy humanity of Venice.

I'm stuck, right now. I'm not sure what to write about and in some ways, that's the beauty of this particular experiment. I have always been of the "keep the pen/fingers moving" school of free writing, but I confess: When I've done that for too long without sharing, the writing gets really weird and boring. I get bored with myself. I spend a lot of time talking about my problems and then self-soothing--finding a way out of the terror and the sadness and the fear.