Dear Guru Maharaj,
PAMHO AGTSP,
Even though I'm not the best at showing it, I'm so grateful to have you in my life. I've been working hard to lay the foundation for the service I hope to perform in the near future, and I appreciate that in the meantime you've shown endless patience with me, and trusted me to make my way forward in life as best I can.
I appreciate that you go out of your way to be personal with your disciples, that each one of us can feel confident to go to you with our joy and our difficulties and feel accepted and encouraged and empowered to go on and become the best versions of ourselves we can be. Because you are truly caring, you are the best result of all of Srila Prabhupada's endeavor. Because of Prabhupada, my generation has access to personalities like you, who are the greatest asset to the human race in these dark times. People who are wise, and humble, and kind, and gentle, and honest.
Things are changing rapidly for me lately and growing more complex, just as I desired. So it's been difficult to know where to begin writing. Lately I've been thinking deeply about my relationships and feeling many things which are difficult to express.
It's been over a year now since I formally became your disciple and since I resumed my career as a working artist. Since then, a great deal has taken place, but I'll just recap a few main points:
•Built up a new body of work in a new medium, consisting of over 1000 artworks in various genres, sizes, and styles.
•Created an online sales funnel with social media, website, blog, email list, and crowd funding profile.
•Conceptualized my creative process with artist statement, biography, and numerous letters and essays. I documented my work in physical and digital portfolios which I plan to self-publish as a collectible introduction to my life, work, and ideas.
•Experimented with network marketing and learned some valuable skills, although I went into debt to protect my customers assets when the business went under.
•Worked as an intern at a print/frame shop and paid off my debt while learning a new trade related to my profession.
•Assisted Baradraj prabhu in laying the foundation for a transcendental artist colony, and became acquainted with gold leafing techniques from him.
•Curated my first group exhibition, participated in dozens of other exhibitions at notable galleries and live events, and found a lucrative online market for prints of my artwork.
•Served the devotees with illustrations for books, albums, publications, and with transportation and storage.
I've been in a long distance relationship with a likeminded devotee girl in Dallas who is also a freelancer and an artist. We have compatible astrology and we get along well so I'm planning to move to Dallas soon to get married. She is a tutor and a ghostwriter for masters students so we look forward to delving into some research projects together soon.
My girlfriend Reivin lives next to the temple and her landlord is a devotee, so we will have very low rent, and between the two of us we will barely ever have to work to pay bills. My plan is to use online resources to learn as many instruments and languages as possible, to review all my basic academic knowledge through the ACT, to take free online uni courses on topics related to my art; to provide incisive social commentary which details how all societal problems stem from a deeper existential crisis, and visionary audio/visual explorations of utopian and dystopian scenarios that I intend to write, animate, and score myself with selected artist collaborations.
I'm currently revamping my online presence and designing an art series and product line around a new crowdfunding concept I'm super excited about. I look forward to being able to donate more towards your preaching efforts and collaborating more with other devotees.
I've got a long way to go but I feel healthy and happy, like I'm exactly where I need to be. I know that Krishna sees my true desire to serve and I fully trust Him to protect me in all circumstances. I feel blessed to be surrounded by so many saintly people, and I hope that I can contribute something of value to the devotional community. Thank you, Maharaj, for accepting the austerity of leadership. I hope I can serve you better as time goes on.
Your servant,
Ekāśma Dās
HpS -AGTSP . paoho. I could not read all this but scanned a lot. Of course, "get up early and get your rounds done" is the the enzyme that makes everything else work. Write again when this Vyasapuja mountain of mail shrinks.
