Life on the road, while hugely thrilling and life-affirming, has a way of turning life-as-you-know-it upside down round and round inside out.  It ain’t easy to drop everything and hit the road for a month, living with 5 other people in a minivan, juggling the daily logistics of a touring art show, trying to find peace in constant motion, working with new people and situations each day, not knowing where you’re going to sleep most of the time, making sure everybody’s happy and full, working with little to no money, always being on (even when you’re off duty). It was challenging out there, mentally, physically, spiritually. … There’s so much to say about it. But I digress (until a later date). All I’ll say for now (on that note) is that we’re all still friends, still working and playing together, and we’re stronger for having put ourselves to the test. And I look forward to doing it all over again (but this time with money). …

Just two months after returning from the roads of Eastern Canada – the tour wheels still whirring in our ears – we packed up the show again and, with help from the Brooklyn Art Project, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition and others, we took our devilish antics to New York City, on NYC Roadtrip 11, for one last banger on Devil’s Night in Brooklyn.

Now we’re back in Toronto, recovering (just barely) and preparing for the final installment of the show, where we’ll chronicle the whole tour experience through an exhibition, video screening and oral storytelling session. Round and round we go. It never stops. Who knew when we started this thing that it would keep expanding has it has.

- posted by crew leader Ryan

Here’s a little collection of photos that speak to me.

Trois-Pistoles, QC. Image by Karol.

Our fearless crew in Fredericton, NB.

Our portable zine library in Sackville, NB.

Packing up the van, again. Image by Joey.

Me with one of many poutines. Image by Karol.

A rare pic of Terror Clown. Image by Karol.

Portable drawings, Cornwall, ON. Image by Karol.

Sheltered from the rain at Messtival, Moncton, NB.

Inside an old schoolhouse in Pugwash, NS. Image by Karol.

Ritual. Image by Karol.

 For the New York City Edition of
We Made a Deal with the Devil

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: OCT 26

Methinks is seeking performance art and installation proposals from independent artists and collectives of all stripes – especially those committed to the development of fun, innovative and creative storytelling – for the New York City edition of We Made a Deal with the Devil, a touring art show hard on the heels of a month-long tour of Eastern Canada. 

For proposal guidelines, please see SUBMIT.

Returning from an adventure is always a mixed bag. Initially, I was energized. I felt a sense of purpose, belonging, and friendship that can only come from being on the road. Returning the van and dealing with the beating we gave it was a nightmare (more on that when the insurance company starts returning my calls), but somehow it was also fun. It kept me in tour mode. Overall, I can say that I gained a stronger sense of empowerment from spending a month problem-solving my way through physical challenges, group dynamics, and a low, low budget.

And then came the crash.

Down I went, into a dark place of disillusionment and disappointment. Not everything I had created on the road was going to last back at home, and I knew it. A few messy personal issues came back to haunt me and I watched my new-found sense of control blow away in a premature autumn breeze. On top of all of that, my apartment needed cleaning.

So what did I do you ask? How am I now? The short answer is: busy. Life picked itself up again, school started, and I settled back into the Toronto groove. I am comfortably occupied with projects and responsibilities. And now we’re taking the show to New York! Most days just thinking about those wheels-a-turning again is enough for me to enjoy what I’m doing here. After all, even though life at home is so full of that frightening R-word (I’m talkin ‘REALITY’ folks), it truly is what you make it.

And I intend to make it good.

Things To Be Grateful For #1: The incredible spiderweb in my backyard

Things To Be Grateful For #2: A shaky Toronto skyline

Things To Be Grateful For #3: Time to myself!

- Crew member Alex.