M.A.I.L. #3: P.O.S./ Optimist 1/17

OK, I've been a bit buried lately. Time to start shaking it out!

I had set up some "mail art inspired by" swaps before, and then scrapped the idea as I did not seem to have my finger on the pulse of the group. ZMACS keeps changing, and so do I, so I am resuming the Mail Art Inspiration Love (MAIL -- cute, huh? Well, I try ..) with something .. unexpected.

P.O.S. is a Minneapolis-based hip-hop/ punk artist, who has undergone some pretty intense challenges in his life, including a kidney transplant. I randomly came across his video "Optimist" and thought that so many aspects of the song -- the video style, the lyrics, his expression of what it is to be hopeful in a survival sort of mode -- were interesting and appealing to me. I loved it.

Here is the video; warning that there is one gratuitous swear word in it. Also, someone drinks from a Solo cup. A blue one. I promise that you can handle this video! Here is a link to the lyrics from genius.com.

So, here is the M.A.I.L. deal -- make one partner one piece of mail art inspired by the video link above and send it to them -- a zine, an ATC or two, 3inches x 5 inches of inchies, a polyptych in an envelope, a postcard, a pocket creation of some sort, an "envie", a ... well, no one has taken me up on my mailable paper hat offer, but I am still putting it out there ... be creative and let yourself go.

I screen participants and angel any unsent swaps. I encourage everyone to be an optimist about their abilities and capacity to relate and to create -- times like this are up, up for whatever, how are you? :)