another first, in stream of consciousness

dearest,

It's raining in Chicago. I've grown quite fond of the city over the last few days. Today I wrote a poem, just before the rain hit, discussing the split visions of my future. The more time I spend amidst artists of New York and Chicago, the more I want to be recognized as one. I find myself now forced to make the decision of following the art- or activist-influenced route, and all of these questions come to mind: Can the artist really affect social change? Or is the artist constantly limited by the will of the audience? Is the top down approach really any more effective or is the activist similarly always limited by the will of the politician...Probably, yes and yes, but do I honestly think I can get a job at the epa with a nose stud? Shaping your future can be quite difficult when you don't know what type of material you're dealing with. We shall see what decision I come to. In the meantime, I'm leaving Chicago.