One of my photographs was in Acting 201, a show put on by the Midwives Collective last Friday night. Each participating artist was given a line and then asked to create a photograph based on that line. My line was "It's gonna be really easy" which evoked the feeling of someone who was both powerful and overconfident. Who is both powerful and overconfident, I thought to myself, as I prepared to take the photo.

Of course, because I am me, I thought of a Supervillain.



This is Dr. Mercury. Dr. Mercury is an insane star child and chemist. She is the kind of person who would believe that a overly complex plan would be very easy, who would fight someone on a rooftop and who would have blood on her teeth.

The opening was very cool - a big crowd, lots of really cool art on the walls, and, one of the most fun parts of an art opening, we got to dress up! Jared dressed to match my hair, and I got dressed based on a dream I had. This produced some snappy outfits, if I do say so myself.

The Midwives themselves are a cool group of women. Talking to two of them after the show, it was obvious how devoted to art they are. They are committed to education, to sponsoring thought provoking work over work that might be commercially viable, to supporting local artists, young artists, female artists, and to opening up the art world to many different visions. Talking to them was refreshing in a way that surprised me. I didn't even know I was thirsty.




( Below the cut: A photo my mom took and Jared walking away dramatically )

Yesterday was my first wedding anniversary. Some say that the first year is paper, and for Jared and I, that was true, because we spent the day surrounded by protest signs. We marched on Washington DC with the National Equality March, and really, I can't think of a better way to celebrate our own commitment to each other than to help other people gain the legal rights that we enjoy. What a pleasure it was to be surrounded by love! I feel newly inspired to work locally towards the goal of equality and justice for all people. What a wonderful day!

The above photo was taken by a handsome guy who was there with his boyfriend. We traded taking photos when we marched in front of the White House. Thanks, handsome guy!


( March on Washington )

Good Morning Internet, it's my birthday!

Above is a recent picture, taken by Rae Winters. In it, I'm underwater, which is pretty awesome.

I woke up this morning and my husband handed me this: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/japanfan/b625/ It is even more awesome when you are holding it in your hot little hands. He also made me a truly awesome costume which I will soon take a photo of to show the world it's awesomeness. It needs the right background to reflect how cool it really is.

What do I want for my birthday, internet? Hmm. Well, perhaps if I took your photo, you could put it up as an icon for today. That would be pretty cool. An internet full of my photos. :-)

But mostly, what I want is to see my good friends and to eat sugary things.

Tonight, I feast.* MWAHAHAHAHA!




*On vast amounts of pasta.

Last night I dropped off a piece at the Midwives Gallery for their show "Acting 201". The premise of acting 201 is artists using a prompt to act out a moment. The prompts consisted of a single line that the artist would then interpret to take a self portrait. The artists were free to interpret the lines however they chose.

My line "It's gonna be really easy." brought up visions of someone who is overconfident in their own power. Of someone embarking on a task that should be difficult for someone else, but for them, will be, or they think will be, a lovely piece of chocolate cake.

For me, this prompt summoned up a vision of a Supervillain. Supervillain's are utterly self confident, make grand statements an again and again, believe that this time, this time, it will all be so very easy.

So the entry is a Supervillain, blood in her mouth, a black blade in her hand. The show is for one night only, on Friday, October 9th, three days after my birthday and two days before my first wedding anniversary. The show starts at 6pm and goes to 10pm. There will be lots of local artists present and, of course, the Midwives Collective, which is full of delightful ladies who are committed to art and local artists.

I saw a young lady with turquoise hair yesterday and I became intensely jealous. Oh, stupid social strictures that require "normal" colored hair within a business environment. I don't mind the paycheck, but I would love to have turquoise hair.

I would still wear a suit! Promise!

Seriously. I would love to dance the Macabray.


This is what we'd need:

Graveyard, Town Square, Outdoor Field.
(I think I know a few graveyards we could use)

At least 12 people willing to dance on camera
(might be able to rustle this up)

A choreographer
(Don't know any - unless some of you have talents you're not telling me about)

A selection of at least 6 period costumes
(Yes, but they are all in my size)

Someone willing to hold a camera
(Might be able to find)

A video editor
(May be able to beg)

A group manager
(need a dedicated super-organizer)

A director
(Know a few, none of them local)

It would be so amazing to have a spooky dance performed and taped and shared. To gather a group of artists to create something just for the purpose of making something awesome that people in the world will love. It's weird, having the desire to create things that are essentially fan fiction in dance form. It would be awesome, but is it worth the time and effort and energy to create something that is fan fiction (in dance form) of someone's work? Wouldn't it be better to spend the time working on my own artistic work? But if it's fulfilling, is it worth it anyway? Is taking the time to create something with friends and artists, no matter how derivative, always worth the time and energy? Would most of us have just played video games anyway?

(Every day, I come up with ideas like this, and then wrestle myself into doing my own stuff. If I made every internet video I ever thought of, I would have a huge collection by now.)


Inspired by:
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/09/bet-you-thought-i-was-oh-hang-on-i-used.html

All I'm saying is that if Mur Lafferty is kidnapped, we should check the abandoned toy factory/carnival/chemical factory/trainyard/watertower outside of town.

Mur Lafferty's "On Love": http://isbw.murlafferty.com/2009/09/25/on-love/


PS: Come in costume.

Supervillian, Star-Child, M.D.Ph.D.

A villain can be many things – from the casual cruelty of the hobbyist to the concentrated machinations of an expert. But Arching, the true Arching of a hero, that, my friend, takes love: blackwell.livejournal.com/268457.html


( Dr. Mercury: M.D. Ph.D. )

A villain can be many things – from the casual cruelty of the hobbyist to the concentrated machinations of an expert. But Arching, the true Arching of a hero, that, my friend, takes love.  Oh, it’s often thought that it’s hate, boiling rage or vengeance that fuels the rivalry between a hero and villain, but this is only the surface of the grand story. Deep down, beneath the rage, beneath all that fire and vitriol, must be love. You must love your hero, my friends; you must love her like she is your own child, like she is a part of your soul. When another villain tries to kill your her, it is jealousy you must feel. When she falls in love, you kidnap her lover because she cannot give so much time and attention to someone who isn’t you. Anyone who dares take her attention from you must be destroyed.

But you can be no mere stalker. No mere obsessive. You must make yourself worthy of her – you must shine as her darkened mirror – you must glow in her refracted glory. It is through you that she is great – because she can defeat you, is she all the more glorious.

You must follow her, watch her, bide your time with her, adore her, memorize her movements, impersonate her. You have to make her costume yourself, as she must have done, sewing together the spandex and leather, slipping into that smooth fabric, the shine against your skin. Look at yourself in her skin, her flesh – you are inside her now, you wear the mask that is her face and you know her at last.

At some point, you will team up with her. She will be persecuted, condemned – driven from her sanctuary by the mob that once exalted her. You will be there for her, as you’ve always been. You will help her hunt down those that have hurt her and you will destroy them together. But then, after her enemies have been struck down, you will betray her, because you can never be just an ally, because you love her, you love her with every ounce of blood that pumps though your blackened heart.

If she falls by the hand of another, you must destroy them for daring to touch what was yours. And if you kill her, if you crush her heart in your hands, if you burn her to nothing in acid, if you do manage that, you must follow her into that night because you are dead without her, nothing, burned away.

To Arch takes love. Anything else is just playing games.

"The only people for me are the mad ones. The ones who are mad to love, mad to talk, mad to be saved; the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." -Jack Kerouac

Sometimes, in my dance around the internet, I see the usual hatred and disgust for people who look, act, feel or live outside of some unspecified mainstream ideal. I see this, and I'm reminded of this quote by Jack Kerouac. I am so glad that I know the mad ones - I am so honored that my life has lead me to the people who burn. I am so lucky that I get to see people who create, who desire, who are passionate. I'm glad I get to talk to people for who make me push myself forward. I am glad that I know people who strive, not to be normal, not to fit in, but for an elusive, intangible greatness, for whom life is an art that they can master, but never perfect. I am glad they do not conform. I am glad they worry more about what is right than what is in fashion. I am glad that I know the risk takers and heart breakers. I'm glad it's not simple or easy but weird and hard and oh, so glorious.

Congratulations to Megan and Andy! Thanks for letting me shoot your beautiful wedding.

Photo by Rae Winters
Post by J.R. Blackwell
Models: Dan and J.R.

Original Here: www.flickr.com/photos/10088739@N08/3892497131/

( On Black )

Photo by Rae Winters
Post by J.R. Blackwell

Original Here: www.flickr.com/photos/10088739@N08/3892497141/

The hardest thing about underwater modeling isn't holding your breath, it's floating. The body seems determined not to sink, to bring you to the surface. If this looks like I'm actually holding this young lady underwater, it is because I am.

Things I learned this weekend: How to know, from the shifting of her shoulder muscles, when a young woman wants to breathe again. The cold that makes your fingers tingle is a sign to stop swimming. That to introduce two cool people to each other is one of the delights of living.

On Monday I had the pleasure of modeling for photographer Rae Winters during one of her underwater shoots. It was a little cooler on Monday, but the water was fine, at least till the Sun hid behind the trees, and we got to take lots of shots.

Underwater modeling is certainly the most difficult modeling that I've ever done. I had some practice last year and that helped me to prepare for this year. I can hold my breath for longer than most (personal best is five minutes) but it's not just about holding one's breath - it's about understanding how you need to move so that water doesn't go up your nose and hit the back of your head like an angry truck. It's about thinking about your face and your pose while you aren't breathing.

Rae did a lot of neat experiments that day, but one of them resulted in my favorite picture which she titled "Falling". This shot took three tries to get, each one where I fell backwards into a pool, pulled myself out, fell backwards, pulled myself out, fell backwards, and boom.

Rae edited the top photo and I edited the bottom one. Rae and I have similar artistic tastes such that if we were to do a shoot together, I think that our style is similar enough that the shots would meld pretty well. However, I think that this particular edit nicely demonstrates our differences. In Rae's photo, I am falling, bubbles blooming around pink skin, a flutter of blouse. The woman in the photo is letting go, releasing herself into a pool of bright blue. She is in clear waters.

The woman in my photo appears to be committing suicide, headed into a place without light, her skin washed out, the water green and dark.

Rae and I are going to have art babies together. We are going to bring our models and ideas and cameras together and we are going to kick everything in the teeth.

We also do weddings.

My Ten Favorite Self Portraits
At least, for today.


Day 220: Teiresias


Teiresias is my favorite self portrait. It was taken on a day when I was exhausted, over halfway through my 365 Days project and starting to lose steam. I had no idea what I wanted to do that day except maybe go to sleep.

Usually, on days when I'm not feeling creative, I end up doing something that is less than stellar. This day though, with some help from the Creative Director (my husband) I forged through and took the photo. I knew I wanted to do something without my head, and I had this image of a figure floating in space. Jared helped me to drape the cloth just right and I took the photo. I am so happy with the result. This photo, the only hard copy of it I will ever create, is owned by Tee Morris, one of my greatest Patrons. I'm so happy it lives with him.


( Favorite Self Portraits )

Tea Party

This is a photo that grew on me. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Jared made the prop in this photo, a prop that was a part of a magnificent costume, a photo, and now, may have a part in a play. Sometimes things you create start to have lives of their own.

(My mom took this picture. Also seen - Cmar, Nobilis and Jared!)

On August 7th I had my first ever solo art show. It was amazing! Constellation books is an adorable space, the kind of bookstore where you want to take a kid to help them understand how cool books are. They feature local authors and indie publishers and the kind of books that would be difficult to find in big booksellers. Lauretta, the owner, was so sweet. She is obviously dedicated to making her store a place for the community - she showcases local artists, musicians and writers, and it's clear that this bookstore is a community meeting point. It's the kind of place that brings people together.

Lauretta told me that the crowd that came out was one of the largest to ever come to one of these openings. It was great to see so many friendly faces. I was really nervous about the show but I am pleased with how the photos look on the wall. It's neat to see Blood and Sand wrapping around the walls of a room. There is something about seeing my art displayed that feels really satisfying. It's been driving me to produce more.

I hope this is just the first of many art shows. It's so neat to talk about something I work on, largely by myself, alone, in a small room. It's great to be social about art. To hear what other people see and get their impressions of my photographs. People have so many different interpretations! It's delightful. I also had fun pointing out various things in the photographs which people may have missed on first viewing - like a tiny moon in the corner, or a flash of red to the side. It was so much fun.



I didn't take many photos that night, but I did take this one of Jared. He's so handsome. I think I'm in love with him. Maybe I should ask him out on a date, or something.

A lot of new people have added me recently from the various projects I've been working on, and I thought it might be a good idea to give a run down on who I am and where you can find me.

Who I am!

I am a writer and photographer who lives in Philadelphia. I occasionally do some burlesque and contortion but only on special occasions. I love science fiction and fantasy and so that is what I write and photograph. I enjoy spending time with my husband, roleplaying, costumes, sexy people, smoothies, weight training, yoga, riding my bike, working in a castle and most vampire fiction. (Though not all.)

I have been published in print and on the web. I was first published in the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster with an essay about Cake. It's hilarious. I'm told that Richard Dawkins has read it, which pleases me to no end since I am a Richard Dawkins fangirl. I have been published by Escape Pod, Hub and other fine magazines. I am a founding writer to 365 Tomorrows, which continues to produce a new piece of science fiction daily.


Warren Ellis said some lovely things about the 365 Tomorrows project in relation to "Burst Culture".

"*365Tomorrows was an ideal reaction to sf publishing in new media, the concept of flash fiction and the way the medium works. 100-word bursts of speculative fiction, daily. JR Blackwell’s gotten herself a career out of it. And note how 365T kept producing and fulfilled its mandate even as sf sites and sf print magazines died on either side of it."

He is right, I did get myself a career out of it. It was that and hard work. Always the work.

My photography has been on the covers of books and in magazines. I have been on the covers of books by Tee Morris, Mur Lafferty and Matthew Wayne Selznick. SubLit Magazine was the first to feature my photography, and Flames Rising was the last. I just finished up "Her Side" a collaboration of photography and words with Mur Lafferty that should be available for sale as a book. Can't say when yet. "Her Side" is also available as a gallery show, so if you manage a gallery, or if you want to see it in a gallery near you, contact me! I recently had my first art show at Constellation Books, where my prints are still available for viewing and sale. "The Hive" ,a photo project that was the brainchild of Mr. Kyle Cassidy, will have a showing down south in the Fall that I am hoping I can be attend.

Current projects!

I'm currently collaborating with a visual artist that lives in Philadelphia and a poet that lives in South Africa.

I am working on an illustrated novella with an illustrator that I have lovely dreams about.

I'm in the finishing stages of my roleplaying game "Shelter In Place" which I will be sending out to my trusted team of awesome game masters to test on their own crowds soon. I am working to have it available for sale come Halloween.

I am adding text to my layout of my 365 Days Book, which will be made available through Blurb. I am doing my best to make it reasonably priced - though having a book with over 300 photos does tend to make it difficult to keep under $40 - but I shall do my best!

Jared Axelrod and I are working on a comic script together. If you were in our office right now, you would see a giant board with index cards and plot points. We write something in this every day.

I am preparing to shoot two weddings, a debonair podcaster and a really hot pregnant lady in the Fall. I am excited about all of these things. These things are so awesome that I think I'll have to buy a new lens to celebrate.

That's not quite everything, but a lot of the others things are secret or on the back burner just for now. It looks like this fall is going to be a busy, busy, time. Busy, but good.




I can be found at these lovely places on the internet:

My website: www.jrblackwell.com
Shelter In Place: http://shelterinplace.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jrblackwell
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrblackwell/

I recently had the pleasure of talking to a young woman who was just about to enter her Junior year of high school. She was a smart student who had, in my opinion, a very mature outlook for her age. She told me about how her teachers and councilors were telling her all about how the rigors of high school life were preparing her for the rigors of being an adult. They told her that the working world is far more difficult than High School - that in High School, she was being sheltered, protected.

I was happy to tell her what a load of bullshit that idea is. I remember that line well myself. Sure, high school has it's highlights, it's good points. And yet my life now is far better than my time high school. The downsides of high school are so degrading that if they existed in my life now, I would consider things to be going poorly.

Examples!

I can carry over the counter drugs with me at work. If I get a headache, I can take them, at my own discretion. I can carry drugs that have been prescribed to me by my doctor at work, and I can take them whenever I feel it is appropriate.

If I am sexually harassed or assaulted at work, I can report it, and that person will be suspended and probably fired and I will no longer have to work with them. In high school, if no one is bleeding, who the hell cares if someone touched your breasts? (Answer: NO ONE)

Anyone who assaulted me at work, for any reason, would be fired.

As an adult, I can go to the bathroom whenever I want. I do not need my bosses permission to go to the bathroom. I do not need to avoid drinking any fluids so that I don't need to pee until 3pm.

If I go to a job interview, and I notice that the facilities are terrible, I cannot be forced to work there. In fact, I cannot be coerced into taking any employment that I find unacceptable. I am free to search for a job that is best suited to my skills that has an environment that is pleasant to work in.

If I work at a place where bullying is accepted, it is not against the law for me to quit.

On that topic, I can leave my job at any time. Though it is polite to give as much notice as possible, if I find the work environment to be unacceptable I can leave. Sure, there may be financial and career consequences, but I can legally leave if I want to.

I may choose the hour during which I eat.

I may drink water at my desk during the day. This isn't seen as an insult to my boss. It's just seen as drinking water.

I may wear a hat whenever I like.

If there is an emergency, I can leave my workplace to attend to the problem.

If a co-worker steals my belongings, it is a firing offense.



I understand that high school is different than work - high school is full of children, children who sometimes cannot be trusted to give themselves over the counter drugs, children who have legal rights to an education despite their penchant for sexual harassment.

The working world can also be demanding - we are expected to work hard to earn our pay. But I would much rather work hard than be in a environment that is degrading, where I fear for my physical safety, where violation is common-place, where the facilities are filthy.

If my life now was like high school, if my "real life" as they say, was at all like the lack of freedom and harassment I experienced while in high school, then things wouldn't be going well for me at all. Perhaps then, that is how high school prepares you for real life - but showing you what you have to work hard to stay away from - how your earning power gives you freedoms that if you lost, you would lose your freedoms as well. Perhaps high school is a warning for the young mind - fail, and you will go someplace very much like here, except in that place, there isn't a prom.