To Look with Love

AG: Is there a text—literary, theoretical, or otherwise—that you return to in moments of doubt or transition, something that anchors your creative and political vision?

JTD: That’s an interesting question. I don’t have a singular text I return to, but I do regularly turn to writing. Recent favorites have been Yung Pueblo’s books, as I mentioned, and I’ve also been reading books about the creative process including Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” and Julia Cameron’s “The Right to Write.”

Music is also a big influence—two of my favorite artists are Lori McKenna and Brandi Carlile, who, not surprisingly, are masterful, emotional storytellers.

AG: If there’s one gaze you hope people carry with them after seeing this show—one way of “looking” at others or themselves—what would it be?

JTD: I hope people feel seen and loved for exactly who they are and that my work inspires them to live fully and authentically. I also hope my work encourages presence and gratitude and functions as a reminder not to take anything for granted—life, time, relationships, love. We never know what is yet to come.