Meet Eric Aldrich | Teacher, Writer, and Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Aldrich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, how do you think about risk?
Risk indicates opportunity. It may be an opportunity to try something new, learn a skill, connect with other people, or any number of outcomes. Risk can also be a natural motivator insofar as uncertainty can offer a thrill, sharpen the senses, or feed a curiosity.

Some of my creative projects involve exploring abandoned places or out-of-the-way infrastructure, like tunnels under the city. I’m looking for artwork like graffiti, and particularly spots where people write small chunks of narrative in marker or paint. The risk of entering places where I am an observer stimulates my own art, whether that be writing or photography, because I get to see things few others see and then share my findings with others in my artistic community.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art works in a few mediums – writing, photography, and video – but I primarily consider myself a writer. These days, I mostly write creative nonfiction. My essays focus on how people interact with the environment, whether that’s nature conservation efforts, illegal street art, or photographing wildlife. For example, my essay “Eyes in the Wild,” which is available on BorderLore (borderlore.org), documents how hobbyists and conservation organizations use motion-activated game cameras to learn about wildlife in the southwest.

I’ve recently begun composing creative photographic essays that use captions to tell a story or explore a theme. My piece, “Aghor Meditation in Alamo Tunnel” is forthcoming in Diagram (thediagram.com) and features photographs of graffiti in a drainage tunnel under the city of Tucson alongside prose examining the psychological effects of places like tunnels and abandoned buildings on artists and photographers.

The main lesson I’ve learned is that my curiosity must fuel my projects. If I am not amply curious, then I get bored and don’t complete what I set out to do. I have also learned that there are many, many people out there and if I am curious about something, chances are there is an audience who shares my proclivities.

Professionally, I’ve been teaching for my entire adult life. I began as a high school English teacher in Massachusetts, then taught at Arizona State University while I worked my doctoral degree, and finally ended up at Pima Community College in Tucson where I teach writing and literature. Teaching underwrites and encourages my other pursuits and gives me a community to share my curiosities with. I deeply value my students and colleagues for the encouragement and support they provide.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Tucson, Arizona and there is a lot to do here!

Tucson is a Unesco City of Gastronomy. We have some amazing food inspired by the Sonoran Desert, Northern Mexico, and indigenous cultures in our area. As far as food is concerned, I would want my friend to try the fry bread and other cuisine prepared by Tohono O’odham cooks outside the historic San Xavier Mission. We’d also need to have the Frida Kahlo tostadas at Tumerico. Other culinary must-haves include dinner at The Coronet, Sonoran hot dogs, and, if we’re lucky, tamales from the back of an old lady’s car in a parking lot.

Southern Arizona’s natural environment is unique and amazing. The greater Tucson area hosts a million residents, yet it’s easy to ramble through the Tucson or Catalina Mountains and see no one on your hike. I would certainly take a visitor to the Wilderness of Rocks area on Mt. Lemmon and, if they are a strong hiker, to the disused Madrona Ranger Station in Saguaro National Park.

I’d also want my guest to see some of the amazing street art here. From huge, sponsored murals by artists like Joe Pagac and Danny Martin, to colorful graffiti courtesy of the YPN crew throughout the city, there is a lot of public art, both legal and illegal, to enjoy.

Lastly, I would hope my guest would want to visit the University of Arizona Poetry Center, join us for an Odyssey Storytelling event, and hit up a punk show at 191 Toole.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my friend and mentor, Frankie Rollins. Frankie is a writer and the founder of the Fifth Brain Collective, a business dedicated to encouraging others to create art. The Fifth Brain Collective is all about fostering creative confidence in writers and artists through collaboration and mutual support. The collective grew out of our writing group, a.k.a. The Bug Club, which also includes Sandra Shattuck. The three of us met at Pima Community College where Sandra and I are still English professors. Frankie also taught English before starting Fifth Brain.

The idea for the Fifth Brain Collective began when Frankie was on sabbatical and composed a book on writing titled “Do You Feel Like Writing: A Creative Guide to Artistic Confidence.” Though Frankie was the main author, Sandra and I were collaborators from the beginning and supported Frankie as she developed her project.

The term “Fifth Brain” refers to the subconscious or background cognitive processes that support creativity even when the artist is not deliberately creating. That concept helps artists trust their creative processes and feel connected to their work even when life is busy and the risks of producing art seem daunting.

I am so grateful my friend Frankie has included me in her projects and goals. The Fifth Brain Collective currently hosts online classes and writing groups, as well as supporting individual artists through creative coaching. As a business, our collective is off to a strong start in its first year and we are so excited to see where things go in the future!

Here’s the Fifth Brain website – https://www.fifthbraincollective.com/

Website: https://ericaldrich.net

Instagram: @ericjamesaldrich

Linkedin: Eric Aldrich

Twitter: EricJAldrich

Youtube: @LoFiOutdoors

Image Credits
All pics by Eric Aldrich except the screenshot of Terrain.org. Site design for Terrain.org by Simmons Buntin.