Because it is January 14th,

I promised myself two things: to see the sun rise and to see the sun set.

I only achieved one of these, but I did see the moon twice (including a wild moon-chase that led me to my first self-portrait of the day, a clothed but raunchy image in the middle of an empty but centrally urban street).

I also photographed myself in two unfamiliar bathrooms (one being a gas station at six am), two of my meals, multiple freeways, numerous birds, containers of snakes, a woman with two long braids held together by yellow ribbons as she stood outside a stadium, myself crying and sweating and bathing, a blue fir tree (amongst a forest of others), a cat with a elementary schoolboy name but a body larger than my own, a couple of bodies of water, smoke from coffee factories, two trains and my own bicycle shadow.

In two weeks I will begin printing a collection of this work in limited edition. I'm making it to give it away.
I am not going to share any most of it online. 

I want to wrap it in paper and pack it in a box and stand in line at the post office.

I want your hands to tear apart where my hands began.

It's not for sale, but it's not free.

If you would like a copy, you have two options (the surefire one first):

1.) Shoot a roll of 35mm film on your manual camera, rewind the film, put the film in an envelope with an easy-to-read return address.

When I get the film, I will send you my birthday collection.

When I get around to shooting my surprise images over the film, I'll share our work with you (and the big, bad Internet).

2.) Write me a postcard.

This is almost cheating since my initial idea was a birthday collection ONLY for film-swappers. But I know some people don't have manual cameras or cameras at all or maybe you're just not into the chaotic randomness of giving away your material or scared of what I might shoot atop it. I get it. 

So write me a postcard or any sort of non-formal-letter-ish item. But it can't be store bought. Well, it can be, but it has to have a handmade detail. Make sure it has your return address written clearly. You don't even have to put your name on it! 

That's it.

I'm gonna make something. February 1st is my goal date. I'm only going to make a few.

Even if I love you. 

Even if we already film-swap.
Even if I respect and admire and am inspired by everything you do:

no film / no postcard = no birthday book

Here is my address:

Traci Lynn Matlock
 
Box 524169

Houston, Texas 77052

And look, teasers from what I've developed already!

 * * *

(caveats -- and I'm sure I'll think of more)

a.) Be sure not to rewind your film back into the film's container; keep a little tail of film sticking out of the cylinder. Write me or google it if you have questions.

b.) If the images on your roll of film are internet-sensitive (or public-phobic), please let me know ahead of time. It's not a deal-breaker, but I'm not gonna lie and say I wouldn't prefer printable, internet-able material. In full disclosure, I'd really like to make this into a book project too.