Fam, I want to formally welcome you to this new space of creativity and sharing where I hope we can build an even closer and more fruitful relationship.
I’m calling this new space my C.S.A.
As many of you know, C.S.A. stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” – a food system that allows for a closer and more direct relationship between the people, the produce, and the producers.
With a C.S.A., folks can purchase memberships (or subscriptions) to a farmer and in return receive “shares” of seasonal produce from that farmer throughout the farming season.
The Farmer gets guaranteed financial support from their local community, helping them mitigate risk, manage cash flow, and focus on the actual task of farming (instead of spinning their wheels trying to market and make sales), all while building a stronger relationship with the people who eat the food they grow.
The Subscriber/Member gets ultra-fresh food, straight from the source, with all the flavor and health benefits that come along with it, access to often new varieties of produce, and the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of and connection to the food they eat and the farmers/lands that grow it.
It’s a “win-win” situation.
But above and beyond the individual benefits, by cutting out all the middle men between the farm and your table, a C.S.A. cuts down on all the transportation, warehousing, and retail costs of the larger industrial agriculture systems (and all the pollution, chemical preservatives, and shady labor practices that come along with them). By keeping it local and direct, a C.S.A. increases access to nutrition-rich food while at the same time benefitting the local economy, environment, and overall health and wellbeing of the community.
So it’s really more like a “win-win-win” situation.
Which got me thinking… why don’t we do this with other things..?
…which got me thinking… why don’t I do this with my thing?
As an artist I am constantly tilling and sowing seeds of inspiration into the soil of my imagination. With the aim of growing expressions that feed the soul.
I’ve grown a lot over the years. My storage is full of produce I’ve cultivated and harvested. But somewhere along the way, the middle men in my industries got in the way. I was sold on the idea that galleries and museums, agencies and record companies, corporations and media conglomerates were the only way “I could make” it as an artist, were the only real market for my work.
And I actually drank that cool-aid for a while, until it started to make me sick.
Now, on the other side of recovery, I’ve finally come to realize what I really need is community.
So this is what I aim to do with this Substack: use the C.S.A. model for art instead of agriculture, and deliver ultra-fresh artistry, straight from the source to you, with all the flavor and health that come along with it
DANIEL’S C.S.A. - What to expect
As subscribers the shares you will receive from this Community Support Artistry will be an assortment of work in the 4 categories delineated below:
1. SOMETHING OLD
This is when I’ll be digging in the crates for past work that either resonates today or illustrates some skill, lesson and/or evolution in my practice.
2. SOMETHING NEW
…Pretty self explanatory, that new-new, fresh-out-the-oven, pre-released, work-in-progress stuff.
3. SOMETHING BORROWED
This will be me sharing something someone else created that inspired or charged me in some way.
4. POINT-OF-VIEW
This is where I’ll share my current thoughts, perspectives and meditations.
Essentially my version of an Op-Ed.
Yes, I’m aware of the matrimonial undertones, don’t worry, I’m not trying to rush things :).
Each category will feature work of different mediums, approaches, styles, disciplines making each share completely unique.
Like agriculture, art does not always cater to the predictable, and often defies expectation. So even I can’t be sure of what each share will bring.
But that’s part of the fun.
One caveat: like agriculture art can also be fickle. Storms may come, crops may fail, and the land may occasionally need time to recharge and replenish (are the farming metaphors getting too much?) So while I endeavor to be regular with my shares, there will most likely be variability in their frequency and density based on the natural ebb and flow of life.
That being said, I am excited to commit to sharing more consistently, generously and courageously than I have before. Because that’s why you are here and why I chose to do this whole thing in the first place. Deal? Deal.
Shares officially begin this February
Right in time for Black History Month.
It seems only fitting, given that all that I do, I can do, because of the genius, beauty, perseverance & love of the ancestors and history-makers that came before me. I hope in some way to contribute to that legacy through my work and life.
It is not lost on me that both art and Black History are under attack by this new administration. All the more reason to double down on supporting, making and sharing more of both.
Happy Black History Month ya’ll, let the sharing begin.
Till then, be art.
Sincerely,
-Daniel
I’m always glad to connect with local agriculturists, mostly at farmers’ markets or farm stands. Along with the real food, I also like to hear their stories, and the occasional shared recipes and knowledge. Growing plants for food, beauty and enhancement of place can be done over a range of meaningful scale. Best of luck with your CSArts projects! I like the metaphor.