Compass Project: Guerrilla Poetry

As of February 20th, 2012 the Compass Project has begun. Guerrilla poetry (and prose): my words slapped onto stickers and then stuck all around this fair city – and hopefully beyond, sooner than later!

This project was born from a few things I feel very strongly about, and from the great admiration I have for graffiti and street artists. Over the past few months, more than ever I have experienced the ephemerality of all things. It’s indescribably frightening and challenging but in the end – the secret is letting go. I wanted to release my words to the world all the while knowing they were impermanent – they could get torn off, blown away, destroyed by the elements – but what mattered is that they were there, for however long they’d stay, even if it was just for a day. It feels liberating to give your work to the world without expecting anything in return. It’s also a comment on gatekeepers and the subtle game they play with the creative psyche – it’s about taking the control back and not letting anyone else legitimize your art and what you do. We can get rejected from publications, festivals, galleries, anthologies, competitions, you name it, a thousand times over – but that doesn’t mean we’re not good enough. It doesn’t mean we should conform to what they are looking for. It doesn’t mean we should wait for someone else to say we’re a “REAL” writer, artist, filmmaker, singer.. Just be it. Don’t wait. In this case, I put my words where I wanted them to be, on anything and everything – I didn’t ask for permission. It’s part of the thrill. It is also my hope that the words themselves will challenge or inspire anyone who comes across them. Sometimes you just need a sign, you need advice, you need to know that someone’s looking out for you – and in my experience, many of those moments have come from stumbling across words and quotes at the exact time I needed it – in books, online, in the street, even on the end of a teabag string.. So these are my words, my compass – at this time when so much in my life is transitory, my words will be too. And I’m learning that – it’s okay. - ajd, 2/25/12

Here’s some highlights…

PHASE II - click to see

PHASE I - see below!

Don’t be shy!
If you’ve seen a sticker & liked it or want me to send you some, email me!

Thank you!
The project has been featured on HerHattan NYC and Dutch Kills Collective.