Round-up from the kura barn/mixed-media-creative-studio-in-process…
this is the key to the main (of 3) mighty heavy doors to the get into the kura barn. if this key gets stuck inside, well we’re hosed. it looks simply but its a deliberate puzzle to open the vault
Next up, going to attempt to carry up a big shelf cabinet – then, hopefully can squeeze in another bookcase and start unloading the huge stash of records and books into something more manageable. [Update: done]
In the meanwhile, here’s a few odds and ends of items which maybe didn’t get floated out there, just to, well… float em out, round em up for your amusement along the way. Progress and all. Annotations in-line with evidence.
so much Tintin stuff! including many “bootleg” remixes – seen here with sea capn’s black globe and brass laternK. Foster painting, property of R. Scales (still smelled like DTES stank)Ryoko having dress-up fun with old scouting sash and camp hat of pins and fringe (yes she thinks i’m adorably weird)explaining the Ryoko what lederhosen are and why i have a fancy pairstill life of fringe suede jacket and sea capn’s globe and latern with Walt Whitman-esque wooden statue in the backgroundyup, another view of the beloved suitcases – while they are lovely, tis truly the contents which are important, so much to be revealedclothing sash mostly organized – winter items, hockey.soccer jersey, costumes/specialty wear, the bins of hats and scarves in there too and then a blue bag of kinda things in limbo (my indoor closet is rather limitedOf course, must get the stereo set up but, there’s a little broken plug connector thingy snapped off inside of the speaker connector place. Not quite sure how to resolve but… One revolution at a time. This is a great little Onkyo set-up repatriated to its origin land – need a new CD deck to match / and figure out the mixing board for other projectsa rack of jackets! including US forest service, a Saskatchewan hockey team, a corduroy Inuit, camel air emergency fancy clothes (used for lobbying efforts) so on – seen with Vancouver collage on easel and a load of media and board gameshard to tell from this snap but in these boxes is an epicly eccentric and varied record collection – will share as i get to it but oh wow, we’ll have funa few books set aside for another look or sudden serviceyet another panorama of the project in process – so much done, so much to dowhich is better: the handmade Mavilli hat (with ear flaps), the curlig sweater (with patches), or the moustache/sideburns combo
Update: each of these majestic suitcases now carries a specific subset of collections, ergo:
one has dossiers and scraps and supplies for making more scrapbooks
another, completed large form scrap books; another has all smaller sized journals, notebooks, diaries etc
next contains “paper point collages“ from various presentations and talks over the years
yet another contains little valuable trinkets from here and there and you
then there are a couple of classic typewriters in cases
a big blue bin filled with percussion odds and ends
another blue bin filled with collections of collections (pins, patches, playing cards, glasses, cameras,…)
another big stack of letter writing supplies with stationery, postcards, paper sets etc.
another satchel bulging with empty notebooks awaiting their turn for scribbles…
And this is just one shelf of many many shelves – below the shelf is boxes of photos, letters, childhood artifacts and the like.
Making great progress and today’s task is hauling up a sturdy shelving cabinet to start offloading records and books / hopefully can get the stereo set up although there’s a little bit of a problem with a broken speaker connector part. ~ Could really use a few elves to enjoy the process with > making sure to keep my pace slow to not “crash” > It’s all quite exciting (oh by the way, yesterday all the clothes and costumes etc. mostly got sorted, folded, stashed)
Note: Heading into the barn to play with artifacts. if no update in 3 days, send snacks & tea (we’ve brought enough to last til then) :)
Notes from the kura barn (day one):
As I opened up dozens of boxes today to kind of do a “rough sort“ and see what I’m dealing with, so many thoughts and emotions flooding back – However, work to do with intent of pulling out a few artifacts for upcoming Jack Kerouac workshop (oh yeah, don’t cancel don’t cancel everything proceed normally etc. etc.)…
Anyhow, I collect collections and, in various cigar boxes, shoeboxes, and satchels of different kinds I have assortments of:
* playing cards (despite the fact that I don’t know how to shuffle or any card games) * pins of all sorts * lighters and coasters from all around the world * belt buckles and belts (many of these used on old suitcases) * felt pennants and other classic Vancouver odds and ends including expo 86 artifacts * dozens of amusing hats – also scarves and hats and more hats * cassette tapes (primarily ones from garage band from decades ago * CDs (commercial as well as from people who said “dude you got to hear my band“ and gave me said CD) * plenty of vinyl (oh my!) / Many of which I never had a chance to listen to as I ordered them and they were drop shipped to various friends and brothers’ house * suitcases filled with hitchhiking signs, presentation “paper point“ collages, and dozens of scrapbooks, journals, diaries, notebooks, sketches… dozens
Overall, I have about six-eight of my old-timey suitcases, two typewriters, all sorts of fun outfits (we’ll see what still fits after I do a lot of laundry as most is a bit musty) and then dossiers of travel ephemera from various trips as well as the already constructed “static montage” story boards that I create for various trips. In other words, have enough projects to keep me going for a while.
Plus loads of art supplies and office supplies and stationery supplies. Also a stereo and a bunch of recording gear and another 2/3 of the boxes I haven’t opened yet.
And then of course there is art, both originals and prints and posters… Took the time to unroll some posters and start to flatten them out, then re-organized all the framed art into big boxes with similar pieces as we start to hang up stuff all over the house and barn etc. etc. (we don’t have near enough wall space but that’s another story, we can swap out exhibits if you know what I mean).
Fck Stats, Make Art at SxSW, March 13, 2009 was a big day for me speaking to a load of my pals and smart/interesting folks at the big crazy con-fab. Where i really dialed in my schtick with the old-timey suitcase fulla treats and “paper point” collages to direct the story.
That night, saw Black Angels rock Psychedelic fest, had a sip of whiskey and a lil puff o something with them afterwards. Met the marvellous queen of Austin Kim Eitze, rode in a magic pedi-cab and rode that good vibe through days of hi-jinks leading to the next few years of rocking so many speakings gigs including TedX, Pecha Kucha x4, Northern Voice, Assoc of Alt Newspapers, and a return to SxSW for “Crowd Sourcing Projects like Tom Sawyer“.
Anyhow, always more to say but came here to share a roundup of the Fck Stats Make Art gig with a buncha snaps, tweets, blogs and whatnot. I have a great hat from David White and a best shirt ever and of course a smoking jacket and pipe cause im not a savage.
“HootSuite’s hippie artist shares his packing dogma”
Canadian travel blog Toque and Canoe recently profiled me and my packing devices and methods for an article series about how people pack, what’s in their suitcase etc., ergo: “Olson is an avid traveler apart from work which – aside from the fact that he has the coolest piece of luggage ever – makes him an ideal candidate for our latest In the Suitcase post.”
Me in Toque and Canoe – Suzanne Ahearne took photo
Not long ago, we had a chance to meet with a few of the folks at HootSuite’s stylishly hip head offices in Vancouver.
The people behind this cutting edge Canadian company have designed a platform which helps almost six million users effectively manage their social media networks. If you work online, you probably use it.
In fact, HootSuite is growing like crazy around the planet and that growth can be attributed in part to Dave Olson – the company’s VP of Community. He, along with his tribe of community builders, travels the globe connecting with users and potential customers alike.
But Olson is an avid traveler apart from work which – aside from the fact that he has the coolest piece of luggage ever – makes him an ideal candidate for our latest In the Suitcase post.
photo by suzanne ahearne
Q. Tell us, Dave, about your favourite suitcase.
A. I have a tiny old hard shell suitcase with stickers all over it. It was actually made by prison labour on Alcatraz. It’s kind of fallen apart and I have to put a leather belt around it to hold it together. But it fits as a carry-on. And it’s a beauty.
Q. Can you describe your travel essentials?
A. I take the minimal in terms of clothes, thinking of them as a uniform. I always bring along a notebook. I have a pencil case with pencils and watercolours in it and I have an eye mask. I’m a horrible sleeper. All that goes in my backpack. In my suitcase, I take art or presentation supplies – depending on what I’m off to do. I always bring my spork and a little insulated lunch bag so I can buy things at the market. Picnics are what make travel awesome. There’s nothing like going to a French market and buying bread, cheese and wine and sitting in a park with the Tour Eiffel right there. Then you can keep the leftovers for later. Thrifty.
Q. What do you never pack with you?
A. I almost never take a camera because cameras put a barrier between people. People aren’t zoo animals. I do take an audio recorder. I record little sound-scene and audio adventures when I’m traveling. This whole kit packs into the size of a camera. Microphones invite people in. I like to have things with me that start conversations and build relationships.
Q. How would you describe your packing style?
A. Minimalist. Wherever you’re going, they have stuff. So I get to do things like go and find toothpaste in Japan. I pack comically light, renegade-style.
Q. Are you a guy who likes to bring home souvenirs?
A. I keep little ephemeral paper objects. Ticket stubs. Crappy postcards. I’ll take an empty scrap book and make it real time on the trip. Then you return home and BAM, the whole trip is documented and you can share it with your friends. I was on a train in the rain in Spain (ha ha) and had my scrap book with me and I ended up partying with all of these great folks. Great way to bridge those cultural gaps. I also like to bring back coins. Little things. I like tiny things.
Q. What stands out as your most memorable souvenir from travels abroad?
A. The first time I went to Europe as a 20-something-year-old – with $200 and no return ticket – I took a watercolour notebook and watercolour pencils. I made (a dozen or so) little paintings on that trip. To me, they’re more valuable than anything I could have hauled back. I don’t generally buy things and ship them back. But I do have a weakness for funny hats.
Q. Any other must-have travel gear?
A. I take one awesome pair of pants. A piece of rope and a little flashlight. You never know what’s going to happen. You may need a clothesline or you may experience a power outage in a strange country. Keep in mind, I don’t really travel four star. I don’t stay in fancy hotels. I feel out of sorts in those places. I’m much more of an oddball bed and breakfast or end of a dirt road guy. I’m a semi-professional couch surfer as well.
Q. What do you think people’s personal packing style says about them?
A. If you see people lugging around a bunch of stuff, you say ‘Rookie! Rookie! You don’t know what you’re doing!’ People get hung up on the details and expect to take their whole home life with them on the road. They take the same things and expect the same routine. I wonder why it is they’re leaving home at all. Then again, I’m the guy who brings all his art supplies and sits in parks and pretends he’s a painter. So I must live in a strange fantasty land.
Q. What do you think your packing style illustrates about you?
A. That I’m a delusional arts and crafts hippie.
Q. Any more thoughts on your favourite suitcase?
A. Well I have two of the old-time suitcases, and an old picnic basket. They’ve become trademarks when I travel and do my talks and community building efforts. People wonder what’s inside. It’s as if they think a clown is going to pop out and wave his hands! Oh yah, and when you travel with an old beat up suitcase? You’ll get searched by customs. Every. Single. Time.
