To-Don’t

Like a lot of my projects, the To-Don’t series has been years and years in the making. It started a decade ago when I was still in college and also working at an ad agency. I felt completely overwhelmed with my endless to-do lists. The amount of reading alone I needed to do for grad school felt like too much, throw in a ruthless work environment with unrealistically quick turn-around, I felt like I was constantly drowning. To manage my stress, I would sit at my desk and write to-do lists, which increasingly included nonsensical items. Over the year, these lists have become pure fantasy. I write to-do lists for imaginary people, sometimes they create miniature stories, other times they explore psychological dramas. Often, they are just an amalgamation of random snippets I overhear from movies, podcasts, social media, graffiti, or overheard conversations. Every time I’ve moved, the first thing I’ve done in my new place is establish a fresh wall of to-do lists. My favorite place to exhibit is in my bathroom, where I find a captive audience for a period of time.