In the summer of 2002 I packed up my beat up Subaru Loyale, a car I affectionately called the Battle-Wagon, and left Ann Arbor, Michigan for New York City. I left what might have been a loving relationship and a several job prospects for a city where I knew only a couple people and had no jobs at all. It was the ballsiest thing I had done to date and I was terrified. It was the last time I had to use my car and effectively the last time I needed my license. I let my Michigan license finally expire in 2006 not having a use for it in a city of subways. I used my passport for a few years when I needed ID for any official purpose until I finally got a New York ID around 2008. And that was that as far as driving was concerned. I thought I’d never leave New York and with so many other distractions I never renewed my license.
Yesterday I finally fixed that oversight from the 2000’s and received a drivers license in Pennsylvania. I’m elated to have this little bit of independence back and look forward to getting a car again, even as I long for the day that I can move back to New York.
The whole saga of getting this license has been a thorn in my side for years. I always had an excuse for why I wasn’t working towards one. Getting this issue finally solved proves to me that I can still do big things and that for the most part the road blocks that are in my way are put there by myself.
So on this, for me momentous, occasion I thought I’d show some images of artwork from 2002, when I moved the New York; from 2006, when I gave up the Battle-Wagon and let my Michigan license expire; from 2008 when I finally got around to getting a NY ID card; and finally this year, when I finally got over myself and got the new license.
And here’s the new license:
It’s a little simplistic but I had Beyoncé’s “Flawless” in my mind all day as I was thinking of how getting this licence is another act of self-love, gaining a little more independence one day at a time. So here it is:
Okay so that’s really it for 2016. Next week I hope to have some really good studio days so I can tackle that drawing for Pilot 6. When that happens I’ll surely blog on it. Until then Happy New Year!
Anthony Smith Jr. 