The Idea Sharpener

One of the side effects of being a person compelled to do everything is mind altering loss of sleep.   I spend much of the night obsessing over processes and possibilities.  I’ve tried everything.  I’ve gotten too good at counting backwards from 100.  I can say the states in alphabetical order.  I can even say the alphabet backwards.  None of it works.  The only thing that really works is to write down my ideas as they come to me.  I wake up and rummage in the dark for a scrap of paper and writing utensil of any kind to sooth my thoughts and help me sleep.  As a result, my night stand is a tumbling waterfall of receipts with scribbles on them, bookmarks carelessly torn out of pages, and post-its with half written words scrolled in eyeliner.   All these hasty documents are meant to be read again at a later date, inspiration for brilliant projects.  But really, they fall to the floor and end up sucked into the vacuum. 

One night I reached into the drawer and pulled out an unused role of receipt tape that I had brought home from work.  My co-workers were kind enough to save all the roles of paper that no longer fit the new register in the gift shop.  I believe the conversation went something like this: 

“What should we do with these?”

 “I don’t know.  Give them to Emily.”

The receipt tape prompted another concept: an idea roll.   All my nights ramblings contained in one place to be sorted through and deciphered later.  No more world changing inventions lost under the bed, only to be pawns in a game of cat and dust bunny.  I just needed a place to keep it.  Fortunately, I had a pencil sharpener, some bolts, and a part from an adding machine my neighbors gave me for my birthday.  Together, with my new welding and braising skills, The Idea Sharpener was built.

Come to the Nokomis Gallery in Minneapolis from 2pm-4pm today, Dec 10th, 2011 to interact with The Idea Sharpener in person along with other works by Emily Organ.  What dreamy sculpture would you like to see next?