You are a busy young woman! I am delighted that you would like
to drop by on Friday ... or any Friday you can make it. There really
isn't anything you need to bring except yourself plus your "computing
device of choice."
Beginners are more than welcome, they are essential ... and a huge reason why I am being low key about recruiting.
I
am looking for those individuals who are motivated to explore what we
are doing because it interests them. And it may take some time to
assemble that core group, but it is essential that none of us feel
obligated more than being motivated by our interest. However, the goal
is to be able to support ourselves economically from the "fruit of our
labor," from what we do. On the other hand that goes without saying, I
suspect.
Also, there are numerous structured
courses that someone can take and we are not competing with them. A
significant problem -- from my pov -- is that a person has to sign up
and put down the money in order to really get a feel for whether they
want to seriously pursue either coding apps or creating content. So my
approach is to "come on down and kick/pass the ball around a bit" to see
where it leads.
The downside is that many of our youth aren't
attuned to this type of "open court" interaction outside of sports, but I
remember it well from the brief times I would hang out with the Beats
(Beat Generation) in North Beach in San Francisco in the early 1960's.
And it's the story of the Village and what is now happening in enclaves
in Brooklyn and elsewhere ... and I think (as I wrote recently): "The
Rack is a sweet spot on Springfield Ave, a thoroughfare that runs
in a straight line from the heart of Newark to the upscale community ot
Millburn, a New Jersey affluent Township, with the two ends converging
in Maplewood ... and now with The Rack to channel the synergy of this
dynamic confluence of diversity."
It is this
multicultural, diverse ethnicity & socioeconomic confluence with so
many young people from so many different backgrounds, but all speaking
the same language with common symbols to coalesce/converge around ...
well, I think it is one of the most exciting places on the planet for
potential. And I will keep trying to put together the right ignition
switch to turn it on to creating for the digital universe ... coding
apps and creating content ... the gold mines and oil fields of
opportunity for today's youth with talent because while privilege can
grease the skids for talent, it can't be effective without it. And
motivated talent if given opportunity will create wealth, which is the
history of the middle class, especially in the USA ... from the first
settlers through the gold rushes, through homesteading, through drilling
for oil ... and other endeavors with "open enrollment" as it were ...
and this is not to try to teach you something you don't already know, it
is explaining my "world view."
And just as we had
towns and cities with their commerce grow up around the gold and oil
fields, the farming communities, we have the "Silicon Valley-style"
economic growth around the new mother lode of the digital future. And
being so close to NYC, we're a natural ... and if we can meld our
diversity into creating our future then I believe we will have also
created a community that will thrive in the manner of our (at least my)
ideals: an economically strong, well-educated, creative and productive
middle class that provides "space" for every individual to fully grow
positively (need I qualify it?) into their existence as a human being.
Anyway,
I go on and on ... and I look forward to seeing you on any and all
Fridays that you wish to come. It's an open court. You can run with the
ball.
at 1844 
