"Hey! I put some new shoes on." - May 1-3, 2009

This may come as a surprise, but I am not one of those girls who enjoys the prospect and purchase of a pair of new shoes. I much prefer to buy comfortable, cheap flip flops that I can wear for years until holes develop as a result of my dragging feet than to drop over a hundred dollars on stilettos that I’ll wear with one dress on one occasion. It may not surprise you to know then, that I have been wearing the same pair of Nike sneakers for basically any outdoor activity since my dad purchased them for me over 7 years ago. That’s the great thing about shoes… you may put on a few pounds or drop some weight but your shoes will always fit. So, no sense in buying new ones if the old ones are still in one piece.

Here’s a picture of what I’ve been dealing with:


Amazingly, I was under the impression that it was completely safe for me to be running in these things. The first few times I went out last week to see what my level of stamina was, these bad boys slammed some pavement with me. They have also accompanied me on 3 Walks For Hunger (20 miles each) and plenty of camping and hiking trips.

The first few runs were outrageously painful. It was hard to breathe, move, push through the pain. Everything was hard. But I figured it was supposed to be that way and gave myself some mental lectures for letting myself get so out of shape. It wasn’t until Thursday night that I visited Runner’s World online and realized a pretty big error on my part. Turns out, shoes are a pretty big deal when you run. Oops.

So, on the first of May, the first day of this challenge I’ve given myself, I visited the New England Running Company in Beverly, MA to buy my first pair of Running sneakers. I had done a little bit of research before going, so I had a price range and I knew basically the kind of support I was looking for. The woman took a look at my gait, made some recommendations and sent me on my way with these babies:


I had no idea what I had been missing! The support offered by these shoes is incredible. The back of the shoe is snug, holding my foot in place and in a position that promotes healthy posture while running. The front (toe box) is open, giving your toes room to spread out as you push off from the pavement. These things were designed to function as the most crucial tool for runners and having a pair of my own was greatly satisfying. I bought a few other things this weekend to compliment my goals and these spiffy shoes:

3 sports bras (I can’t believe I’ve never had one of these)
2 pairs of running shorts
2 wicking shirts
3 pairs of moisture controlling socks
1 iPod shuffle (I hear that listening to distracting music while you run makes the time go faster)

So after a bit of a shopping binge (something I’m definitely NOT known for) I hit the road - one step at a time. Spending money is certainly a great motivator. Gotta put all this stuff to use!


Yeah, that's right, I'm a Beast!

I'm finding more and more that as an adult, its important to set goals for yourself. After school years, work takes over and personal time seems to dwindle. I've spent the last few years wading through this new part of my life - transitioning from one place to another. Unfortunately, I've found that I've spent less and less time taking care of myself, specifically exercising. Last week, I went with my boyfriend to a canoe race that he was competing in with his company. The experience was the kind of motivation I needed. I've gotten very weak recently, mostly as a result of the sedentary nature of my daily life. So, I've set a goal.

I'm giving myself one month to become a runner. I've done some research, talked to some seasoned experts and have mentally prepared. I've never been particularly good with matters of stamina, but then again, I've never really tried.

I'm going to catalog my experiences over the coming month. By June 1st, I hope to be running ever day - and enjoying it! The ultimate goal is to participate in and finish a road race of some kind by the end of the summer. Wish me luck!

Jen Salamone

April 29, 2009

So far, most of what we've put up has been poetry, but the scope of this blog is intended to be far wider than that. We are going to begin rolling out some of our other ideas shortly. Josh and I are both interested in a number of different writing techniques and styles as well as social and political criticism. We are hoping to keep the variations of material broad and entertaining for anyone who comes by to visit.

We hope you enjoy what we are working on.

Jen

April 8, 2009
April 15, 2009
April 22, 2009

What's this all about?

We wanted to give all of our visitors and readers some insight into what has inspired this project and where we are hoping to take it. If you have any questions or are interested in submitting a piece to be featured here, please send us an email at jenandjoshblog@gmail.com. Thank you!

From Jen:

Greetings! Thank you for visiting this space that Josh and I have begun to create. I met Josh in 2008 when he began working in the cubicle next to mine. We never really spoke to one another until one day we began emailing back and forth over something that we had both seen in the office. A few months passed and we realized that so few face-to-face conversations had taken place between us. We sat less than 10 feet apart, but spoke almost exclusively through email. We were both so intrigued by this social environment that our office had created and were equally delighted by what it had shown us. Josh and I both have an incredible amount of creative energy that has been bottled up over the last few years as we've each joined the corporate world. After some thought and consideration, we began discussing the creation of a project that would allow us to work collaboratively on all different types of art. Several brainstorming sessions later (through email and real-life chats), Deconstructing the Muse was created.

Since beginning this project, we have found that the amount of art we are each producing has increased exponentially. We are constantly hatching new ideas and working out ways to participate mutually in one piece, taking two different approaches to create one final experience for you. We hope to make this a constantly changing and growing community for art and those who wish to participate in its creation.

Thanks again for visiting and please stop by from time to time to see the new things we're working on.

From Josh:

The great thing about Deconstructing the Muse is the dynamic that it was born from. Jen and I are both artists who are forced to engage ourselves in corporate employment to "make a living." The question that seemed to be at the root of this collaborative endeavor was, "Where are the muses in a life spent largely confined to a cubicle? " Where does one find inspiration and beauty in a stark white office environment that, by design, inhibits creativity?

For me, this blog is equal parts realism and escapism. Realism in that it is a space to examine the daily cycles of the life that I am living. Escapism in that it is a place to bring art to life from reservoirs of beauty that are kept inside, and perhaps not experienced on a daily basis. Jen and I want this to be an oasis of art for others who are confined to parameters that are dictated by economy rather than aesthetic. We are also eager for all types of art as submissions. Together we can truly deconstruct the muses of our daily lives.

Please incorporate (pardon the pun) yourself into this site. The concept that has bolstered art through numerous different cultures, from Renaissance to post-modernism, is the collective. My goal is to create a virtual gallery that highlights a variety of media, all of which is united by the theme of art as something that is freely given and freely viewed.

To echo Jen's statement, thank you for taking time to visit this site. We hope that you will return often as both an audience member and a participant.