Fun Math Games - Monty Hall and Nim

You unlock this door with the key of imagination.  Behind it is another dimension.  A dimension of goats.  A dimension of cars.  A dimension of counter-intuitive probability tricks with which you can astound your friends.    You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas.  You've just crossed over into:  The Math Games Zone.

Alchemy: Its history and theory

My friend Michael McConnell is designing a gallery exhibit about the periodic table of the elements.   I am a rabid Alchemy enthusiast, so Michael gave me a special assignment:  By Spring 2013 I shall create a 10 minute (or 10'x10'x10') presentation on the elements as understood by the Alchemists.  To prepare for the project I wrote this "thesis" to base my work around.  Here I shall take a "just the facts, Ma'am" approach to the history of Alchemy and focus mainly on what was pertinent to the periodic table.  Still, talking about Alchemy is not an exact science because Alchemy itself was not an exact science, but rather, a "philosophical art" for which each Alchemist had his own unique approach and theories about what he was doing.

The origin of Alchemy:

Hellenistic Egypt, ca 300 BC.  Greek colonists look at the religion of the Egyptians and see similarities between their god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth (The-Thrice-Great).  Both were gods of language, gods of magic and psychopomps (in charge of transmitting souls from one world to the next, like the grim reaper) In the minds of some, the two figures merge into one character called Hermes Trismegistus. 

"Structural Model" of Creative Consciousness

I was thinking a lot about what made my strongest past work strong and what motivates me to create. A topic on which I'm always generating new theories.

Sometimes I say "it's a common aesthetic quality, a matter of taste."
Sometimes I say "It's because I crave artistic challenges and puzzles."
Sometimes I say "It's all about educating people."

But every time I come up with a generalization like that, I can see where it doesn't apply and I quickly throw it out.

Then I realized that my FAVORITE work resonates on all three levels.
An unconscious level, a personal level, and an interpersonal level.

These three "levels of artistic consciousness" correspond roughly to Freud's idea of the "Structural Model" of the psyche — Id, Ego, and Super-Ego.

Diagram of Art

(Diagram and statement from 2010)

On Art's Place in the Scope of Unique Human Activities.

There is often debate among both artists and critics about what constitutes art. To some, art comes from the play instinct. To others, art is about communication. To others, art is about self-expression and is deeply private. Others see art as public and believe it is about improving (by either provoking or beautifying) the community.

Proponents of each definition of art sometimes are at each others' throats. Each could cite perfect examples of things that are purely communication, purely play, purely private or purely public works —or some combination of two or three of these attributes— that are not *quite* art. Frequently, Theorists use these examples of "not-art" to attack their opponents positions.

Art isn't synonymous with Communication, Play, Public Work, or Self-Expression. But it IS these things!
Well... Which is it?

So I'm a writer now.

The four thoughts that brought about my rekindled love of writing:

1.

First, I was reading about a great woman polymath named Blanche Ames.  When Blanche died, her daughter wrote, "For her to have an idea was to act."

Which meant to me, instead of thinking about how I'm going to do something, or how much I want to, if I have an idea I should just act on it.  It's freed me up creatively a lot.  I stopped writing "to-do" notes to myself in my journals, and when I did that it freed up all that time and space and creative energy so I could do real writing.  Substantial writing, the kind with ideas.

Resurgence of Dreaming

Resurgence of Dreaming Manifesto
By Thomas Boguszewski and Michael McConnell

     An abundance of cameras and global internet access have made everyone into photographers, filmmakers, and journalists. This new media of the masses has made a critical mass aware of the flaws in our system. Thus, artists pursuing social realism become redundant. In this era, what role do artists play?

     I pledge to bend my art to a new purpose.
     From here on out:

• I enact a resurgence of dreaming. 
• I take responsibility to provide a plethora of alternatives to society. 
• I posit potential solutions to the problems people face. 
• I make my visions attainable, though they are born of dreams. 
• I am aware of and celebrate human nature. 
• I find hope not by denying reality, but by admitting to it and adapting it. 
• I provide examples of how one can live a happy, virtuous life in a world where the traditional cycle —Schooling, employment, earning, consumption, procreation— has been exposed as flawed. 
• I believe that we must never give up on happiness even when old methods have failed. 
• I know it is folly to cling to failed methods! 
• I actualize my personal visions. 
• I also give voice to, and interpret the dreams of others. 
• I depict characters who step outside the normal system. 
• I break the rules and make my own. 
• I encourage others to do the same. 


• I make it clear that any world I dream may be useful and may make us happier, but is not the best possible world. 
• I do not know the one right way to do things. 
• I do not have all the answers (anyone who says he does is out to hurt you.) 

Furthermore,

• I know that this set of goals is only right for certain times and purposes. There are many wonderful reasons to make art out there. 
• I do not sanctify this or any document. 
• I break this pledge whenever I want.

(X)______________________

24-hour comic - Oct 1 2011

So this is my answer to the creative challenge of this year's 24-hour comic (to create a 24-hour comic in 24 hours).  I was only able to make 8 pages during the 24 hour period, but that's okay.  I tried my best.  This project is made of firsts:  My first 24-hour comic, my first time using bristol board, my first time using ink and watercolors together in a "real" comic.  It was a great day.  Photos of the event to come.

How to Cook a Story with Thomas "Bake-a-chef-ski"

I created a comic to submit to the cookbook-themed comic anthology "Just Add Ink" created by Altered Esthetics and the International Cartoonist Conspiracy.  It's a two-pager, but I'm presenting it here in the form of 8 4-panel strips, just because I can.