Do lists obscure our dreams--or help us articulate them? Help an artist consider this question.

Here's a request from a fellow To-Do List collector. . . always happy to help out a fellow investigator of our listmaking condition.

I am an artist and a professor at Emory University in Atlanta. This fall, I am having an exhibition at The Spruill Center for the Arts in Atlanta that features an installation called To Do. I am collecting thousands of to-do lists from myself, friends and strangers and covering a room in the gallery from the ceiling to the floor with these lists.

The idea behind the installation is that sometimes by concentrating on routine tasks, we obscure the larger purposes of our lives. for me, to-do lists are often a symbol of the daily grind. I struggle to find time to do what is really important to me, because I am so busy trying to get through the day and all it demands of me.

The installation will be a physical manifestation of the amount of time we spend running errands and performing routine tasks. You can look at my public Facebook page to get an idea of the project.

I am collecting lists from now until Sept. 5, 2011.