thanks, pal

if you want to hear the truth

ask a child

before an institution

pinches their constitution

blurring all intuition

leaving the squared off

from the perfectly rounded whole

if you want to stay honest

raise a child

listen like a student

trust as a friend

follow with enthusiasm

the perfectly rounded sound

of truth

if you want to grow

learn from a child

-- doug smith 4/21/1988.

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Man with Three Hands

Man with Three Hands - mixed media collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress

An unusual feature of this collage is that it is assembled in landscape mode instead of portrait. It feels more informal than usual for me, also. Lift and Separate - collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress

Terra Cotta

Whatever floats your boat matters. Send yourself on a journey unique to your character, special for your strengths, resilient to your challenges. My dad once made a canoe. He carved it out of a single piece of wood. He told me that it floated, the way a canoe should, but it leaned to one side. I never got in that canoe but I did see it. It's a gift to be able to make things out of wood, even if the first time you try it comes out a little wabi sabi. Terra Cotta - collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress

Contrary Facts

it was a fortune in facts tested against emotions processes swirling we sat by the fire mumbling vague traces of truisms we did not believe there was a time when a fact was a fact where is that now? Contrary Facts - collage, mixed media sketch by Douglas Brent Smith, from Journal #33, Life In Progress, 1998

Competitive Reflex

What color would you say that rose is? My default is red, but it could be many other colors. Perhaps orange. Even yellow is possible. What color do you see? "But I don't see any color, Doug -- it's in black and white." "Is it? Is it really?" "Why did you keep using that clip art you created of the circle arrow?" "Must have liked it." "I wouldn't call this a collage, would you?" "Nah, just mixed media. Fun, though." "Maybe." Competitive Reflex - mixed media sketch by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life in Progress

Truth and Honesty

Wrestle with this if you will. Honesty isn't always truthful, and truth isn't always honest -- combining the two is a delicate art seldom mastered. -- doug smith

Bad Presentation Habits

People are distracted if you assemble an engine while you are making your presentation. Also, if you take photos of light posts and give them fancy names (like Howard Smith), or share tea with the ladies while the rest of the group stares in disbelief, feeling left out, feeling out of place. Is that the presentation that you intended? It wasn't easy to assemble a room filled with geniuses. Now what do you do? Bad Presentation Habits - collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress

No Brain No Anxiety

We didn't have a garage, our neighbors, the Amy's did. Reverend Amy and his family lived next door. That is me sitting on the Chevy, wearing a Davy Crocket hat. I was a big Davy Crocket fan and had the theme song on a yellow 45 rpm record, which of course I sang to vigorously. What's your earliest memory from childhood? No Brain No Anxiety -- collage by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress

Kiss Me Goodnight

Kiss Me Goodnight -- sketch by Douglas Brent Smith, 1998, from Journal #33, Life In Progress. This first version is a "cleaned-up" and censored scan. The original (but still censored) scan is below, with the notebook paper lines visible. Which one is better? I don't know. I think maybe the original (still censored) scan. Let's just get bold enough and not censor it. I'd tabled a matching piece of paper in the upper right hand corner. Now, in the scan below, I have restored the sketch to its original form, including the bit of journal writing in the upper right hand corner.

douglas brent smith

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