So What is Wit's End?
Spoiler alert...I'm not sure either.
So, what is Wit’s End? Or the better question to start with, where is Wit’s End?
There used to be this sign in my hometown. It was easy to miss; the whitewashed panel stood well back from the property edge and was hidden behind overgrown branches.
The sign read “Wit’s End.”
I lived past Wit’s End. Anytime I wanted to get home, or more importantly, anywhere else, I had to drive past the faded demarcation of sanity’s edge back to relevancy within city lines where life progressed.
As soon as I could, I moved to NYC — the opposite in almost every way. I thought I was leaving Wit’s End, but the city turned out to be a different kind of Wit’s End altogether. On the average Tuesday, I feel overwhelmed by the idea of doing my laundry or grocery shopping — everything is harder than it needs to be because so many people are doing it all at once. Before I felt like I was losing my mind at the edge of the world, but it was a whole different type of insanity at the center of it.
It’s easy to be uncomfortable in the unpredictability of the city and the cultural overload, but in reality it’s an opportunity for self expression or a new level of personal acceptance. Your tiny apartment? That’s an invitation to seek out a community or public space and feel inspired beyond your comfort zone. Anonymity can be lonely…or freeing. Bask in this chaos, and wonderful things seem to happen. This is Wit’s End.
Easier said than done, right?
I’m not the first one to write about New York this way. I’m using the city as an example to explain how Wit’s End is representative of the value or intent that I bring to my exploration here. It’s scary to put something out into the world and not know where it will lead. Contrary to instinct, I will bask in the chaos.
I have to warn you, my work may not be curated or even very coherent. I’ll come right out and say it — that’s hard for me — I love refining my work and getting something just right before I share it with the world. But that’s not the point. The point is to get started, figure out what works or what I’m drawn to, adjust, and keep going.
What if Wit’s End isn’t a destination, but a journey?