Journal Assignment: Street Haunting!

Prompt!
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What pleasure, or even security, is there in joining "the vast republican army of

anonymous trampers", as Virginia Woolf puts it? How so? How might this type of
experience, of becoming an anonymous member of a crowd in the city, "haunting" the
streets, be a part of a productive way of orienting oneself to the world? As an artist?!

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Response!
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When going out for a walk in a crowed city, one blends in with others around

them and observes the world with near impunity. Once camouflaged by dozens of other
bodies and emboldened by a pack instinct, the world becomes their personal diorama.
In wandering and viewing, one will be exposed to many walks of life. One has the
chance to ponder each vignette for just a moment before being swept along by the
current of people. After three or four distinct, intricate, yes abrupt stories play out in
ones mind, they begin to get a glimpse at the enormity of the human world. Perhaps
ones relative smallness will give them a sense of place. Or perhaps they will only end
up further lost than before. Either way, it is an essential part of the process for an artist
or for anyone pondering life. As the day draws to a close, fatigue causes ones veneers
to drop. They act more truthfully and instinctually. With all the souls and stories laid
bare, the harvest is bountiful for the artist. Inspiration is ripe fro the picking.!
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