Marlee interviews Danielle Freiman, our resident artist visiting from Somerville, Massachusetts. Danielle went to school at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and her current practice includes making arrangements (organizing sentimental objects neatly to create a new narrative), making jewelry, and collaborating on improvisational dance pieces in Boston. She also makes zines and has a series titled Good Habits. Danielle and Marlee talk about creating accountability structures, which Danielle does by writing manifestos. First inspired by the Muff Tuff Manifesto by her friend Sarah, she wrote The Radiant Friendships Manifesto as an attempt to hang out with her friends more often. Manifestos layout intentions of a big idea, solidify it, and put it on paper to start a conversation about. Hopefully putting things on paper, and making a list, helps us approach these big intentions.
Words of wisdom:
“Sometimes, even if you want to stay home, if you’re feeling well, and you’re feeling like you could stay out for a few more hours, you might actually benefit from being around these people.”
Projects at Have Company:
Danielle prioritized sleeping and eating and moving at a comfortable pace without expectation. She taught workshop on manifesto writing, the group talked about circumstances that would lead to writing a manifesto, as well as what it means to check-in and give yourself time, and give yourself permission to take up space.
Danielle also wrote a manifesto for being at Have Company and put it on the wall:
- 1. sleep as much as you want (can)
- 2. make arrangements in the space
- 3. communicate about what you need
- 4. take some times and space to reflect and heal
- 5. talk to as many people as you can
- 6. don’t be afraid of going outside and being lost
- 7. process inward and outward
- 8. find some treasures
- 9. move slowly
Things to be excited about:
Meeting new people and being in love!
- Starting a new job and figuring it out! Danielle is just weeks into a new position as office manager at Fathom Information Design after working for two years at the awesome shop, Magpie.
- More Zines! Good Habits Zine Vol. 3 is on it’s way soon…
- Reading! Danielle picked up a copy of The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Mother Fucking Sad at Have Company, and is stoked to read the perspective of someone who knows that sometimes things are very hard. She says “Things might not be fine… for weeks, and you might not be able to do a lot of things. Or you might not talk to anyone, for a long time, but know that you can always return.”
PS- Danielle offers listeners the chance to get in touch to talk more about anything- she promises she will get back to you: danielle.freiman@gmail.com