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Sometimes it is a relief to be told what to do. We are two artists who are trying to come up with new ideas every day. But our most joyful and even profound experiences often come when we are following other people´s instructions. When we are making crepes froma recipe, attempting to do a handstand in yoga class, or singing someone else´s song. Sometimes it seems like the moment we let go of trying to be original, we actually feel something new- which was the whole point of being artists in the first place. With this revelation in mind we founded the website Learning To Love You More in 2002. Visitors to the website are invited to accept an assignment, complete it by following the instructions, and send in the required report (photograph, text, video, etc.). The report is then posted online by our collaborator, Yuri Ono. We tried to come up with assignments that we would want to do ourselves; often they came directly out of our personal lives or art practice. Five years later there are more than five thousand reports on the site.
The best art and writing is almost like an assignment; it is so vibrant that you feel compelled to make something in response. Suddenly it is clear what you have to do. For a brief moment it seems wonderfully easy to live and love and create breathtaking things. Harrel Fletcher & Miranda July |
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