Sharing is Caring: Part 2

Well, readers, it's a long time coming. I kept promising a sequel to this post,  but a lot of outside influences made it difficult. That, and I'm also a little bit lazy.

In this post, I'll talk about my favorite Rap album, one of my favorite Foreign albums, and my favorite album that fuses two genres. So, seeing as this is long overdue and I'm sure you all are itching for new music, let's get started.


1. Rap: K'naan's Troubadour

 Living in Minnesota has shown me a large swelling of Somali population. I admittedly didn't know a whole lot about Somalia, so when I heard K'naan hailed from there, I simply repeated, "Where?" to which my friend wisely replied "Listen to his words and you'll find out." I was so intrigued by this poet's turn of phrase and ability to rhyme both predictably and unpredictably. Yeah, a lot of you know him from his World Cup smash hit "Wavin' Flag" (this album version is markedly different, and I would argue it's better), but make damn sure that it's not the only song of his you're familiar with. His blend of references to pop culture, other hip hop artists and his hardship in his homeland make each of his songs a bit of a surprise every time I listen to them without losing a familiar feel. With his ability to turn an unfinished rags-to-riches story into a verse full of fable-like morality (with a subtle wink to Muslim faith and Somali culture), I hope K'naan continues to make music-- Especially if it expands on what this album accomplished.

Favorite Tracks:

• America
• ABC's
• Take A Minute
• Bang Bang
• Wavin' Flag

My Favorite Lyrics:
From "Bang Bang", a red-hot love song that drips with summertime attraction, these lyrics always bring someone to my mind who I used to have a thing with. Now it's nothing romantic, but certainly it's always good to remember good times spent with someone close.

"She’s so hot she’s a scorch-ian,
Killing me softly,
Lauryn or Kevorkian,
Couldn’t tell if she’s coo-coo or corky, when
I asked her her name she said “Call me Ten.”
Testing, testing
Things just got more interesting
She’s dressed in a vest pin, double-breasted holster,
A very Western toaster,
She ain’t nothing Kosher.
Ah… she lets me closer.
Hotter than a pepper-crusted Samosa
While I try to keep my composure."

2. Foreign: Gigi Shibabaw/Abyssinia Infinite's Zion Roots

  This is a diamond in the rough that I picked up from my college's limited music library. My college has/had a fairly sizable Ethiopian population, so it's no wonder the library tried to get their hands on some Ethiopian music. The first thing I noticed was that the number of songs in English on this album is exactly 0. So, naturally, I loved it. Each of the songs has a complex rhythm, without sounding busy. It sticks out among a lot of African music because it's more harmony-based, like Western music, rather than putting more emphasis on polyrhythmic structures. In layman's terms, you hear more voice and instruments that can balance out the percussion. It has a nice energy level throughout: Vigorous at times, but this album can relax. That said, the album always stays in motion, and that complex, rhythmic motion is what sells me 100% on this album.

Favorite Tracks:

• Aba Alem Lemenea
• Ethiopia

My Favorite Lyrics:
From "Aba Alem Lemenea", a song I adore for so many reasons, I chose just one word that's repeated numerous times throughout the song. In English, it simply means, "Why?"

"Lemen? Lemen? Lemen?"

3. Fusion of Two Genres, Classical and Metal: Nightwish's Imaginaerum

Okay, so, "fusion" may not be the right word for this album. That's merely because there are very few words for this album: "IT FUCKING ROCKS"  is the phrase that comes to my mind. I've been a fan of Nightwish for years now, especially since their hit release Once, back when they had their old singer, Tarja Turunen. Now, they blown my mind by creating not only an album, but a musical film of the same title that tells the allegorical story of why Tuomas composes for the band, and offers a glimpse into the band's collective imagination. Imaginaerum starts off with the only Finnish song on the album, Taikatalvi, which sounds like a music box's melody gone horribly wrong. From there, the Imaginaerum draws you in deeper, with heavy numbers like Ghost River and I Want My Tears Back, until you hit the climax of the darkest piece, Scaretale, which is reminiscent of Tim Burton-esque horror combined with every nightmare you've ever had, retold in an oddly entertaining way. After that, the album slows down a bit with downtempo songs such as Rest Calm and The Crow, the Owl and the Dove. However, after that, you're reassured that the album can't end so slowly (After all, it's fucking NIGHTWISH), and Last Ride of the Day closes the main part of the album with a powerful chorus promising "Such an incredible high". After that, a short musical number (Song of Myself) follows with a long poem recited by different band members and other unknown voices, questioning what is worth valuing. Finally, the musical score for the film version of Imaginaerum brings the album to an amazing theatrical close. Nightwish has done it again. Onnittelut, Nightwish.

Favorite Tracks:
All of them. Seriously. A few stick out, though.

• I Want My Tears Back
• Rest Calm
• Last Ride of the Day

My Favorite Lyrics:
From Last Ride of the Day, showing what's in store yet despite the fact that it's near the end of the album-- their imagination isn't so limited!

"Once upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of life
the beauty of this ride ahead such an incredible high
It's hard to light a candle, easy to curse the dark instead
This moment the dawn of humanity
The last ride of the day!"

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Go forth and do good things, my friends.

A Brief Overview of Arcane Magic

In the novel I am writing, there is a lot of mention of different forms of Magic. For funsies, I'm going to show you how much work I've put into it!

The Arcana is the most commonly known form of magic, and Magi (Male Magister or Mage, female Magistrix or Mage) , Wizards, Sorcerers, Binders, and other Arcanists are heavily trained in the proper, responsible usage of the Arcane.

Arcane magic draws its power from a specific kind of energy called Ley, that envelops and penetrates all things. When the Ley energy is drawn into the individual and stored there, it is then referred to as "mana". The amount of mana one can store can be increased through rigorous mental training and intense focus.

The Ley is everywhere, but certain areas contain a higher concentration than others. These create"Ley lines" that crawl all over, through, above, and below the terrain, ocean, and air of the world that pulse with intense amounts of energy, quite similar to blood vessels of an animal. Indeed, through the eyes of the Arcanist, the world is a living thing because of the Ley.

The Ley governs many, if not all, of the natural world's laws, including (but not limited to) gravity, time progression, color perception, and heat. For this express reason, because Magic bends (but not breaks) the laws of physics, it is VERY risky to cast arcane magic around a Ley line.

Contrary to popular belief, very few people are completely incapable of learning to perform Arcane magic. Although it is more than uttering a few words and waving your hands around, simple spells can be learned by just about anyone, given enough time (and, of course, access to the information). The average spellwork requires a spoken component, a magic Circle, and in some cases certain hand gestures.

Arcane Magic can be divided into 7 separate Classes of magic.

-Etymology
Etymology is the study of the phenomenon of Language. Equal parts spellwork, linguistics, and philosophy, Etymology examines how bindings can be made between certain words or phrases and energy in order to construct a spell. Etymology is the most convoluted and complex of all the Classes.

-Illusion
The sudden fog rolling in, the black cat that just crossed your path twice, the wall your hand passes through... All are the work of the Illusionist. Illusion seeks to trick the senses in any way possible. This said, it's also the most fragile Class of the arcane because as soon as the subject realizes that a certain item of spellery is Illusion magic, it begins to fall apart quickly. However, the more skilled an Illusionist (and the weaker the mind of his target), the more unlikely it is.

-Biomancy
The most mysterious and, without doubt, most controversial Class of magic, Biomancy is the manipulation of mysterious Life energy, called "Qi" or "Chakra" by some. Skilled Biomancers can pull life from an ancient, thriving tree and transfer all of that life energy into small saplings to ensure healthy growth, into himself to heal wounds and cure disease, or even into dead animals to rewind the mortal coil. Biomancy requires a source AND a destination-- One cannot simply kill (using Biomancy) without giving life to something else. It is a very live question and the subject of many debates whether or not Life energy is completely separate and independent from mana.

-Sealing
Sealing magic involves binding certain aspects of an object or target and making it so that if any of those aspects try to change, it is considerably more difficult. For example, am exceptionally skilled Sealer could bind a lake in winter so that it doesn't thaw and melt come Spring, or even partway into Summer. Because such magic bends the Ley into pretzels, the more complex a Seal is, the more mana must be spent and the less time said Seal will last. In addition, Sealing is also heavily regulated, partially because it's the most familiar Class to non-Arcanists as many Sealers make livings binding Candles that don't melt, axes that don't dull for some time, and in extreme cases, they handle what could be perceived by the common man as "demonic possession".

-Transmutation
Transmutation is the most difficult of all Classes because it seeks to change the base nature of an item into something else. Not just magic, but also a science (and in some hands, an art), Transmuters are able to change pencil graphite into diamond, but also to forge an entire weapon out of a stone floor they sit on. Transmutation is often used as an art form, because the skilled Transmuter can sculpt whatever material they want into whatever shape they want, within reason.

-Warding
Though by definition it means to protect, any spell that enchants, ensnares, or shields is Warding. Certain Warders may learn to fend off Illusions, others may grant a weapon an unnaturally keen edge, and still others may set traps of certain viciousness forseen by few. Warding is the most practical form of manipulation of Mana because it seeks to infuse the mundane with the Arcane.

-Evocation
Some faerie tales speak of Arcanists able to breathe fire, call down Lightning, freeze a lake so cleanly it reflects as a mirror, and even screech like banshees. All of those tales are true-- At least in theory. They refer to Evocation, which is manipulation of raw energy to a form that comes most naturally to Ley energy: Natural disasters, phenomena of weather and elemental forces. Because the Ley pours energy into such things without being manipulated by the hands of arcanists, Evocation is either the cleanest or the messiest spells you can learn to cast. Because this Class has the capacity for the most destruction, Evokers have much lower life expectancies than other Arcanists.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Sharing is Caring: Part 1

Music has always been a big part of my life, from my own dabbling in piano, guitar, trumpet, djembe, and other instruments, to voice, and even just listening to many different genres. Music is in my blood, too--Everyone in my family (even my extended family) has some degree of musical talent, whether they utilize it or not.

I think the best thing you can do with music is share it. Therefore, I've decided to share with you my favorite album (of each genre that I like) of all time! Now, I want to break it up into five groups of three so that I can go somewhat in depth regarding my favorite tracks and favorite lyrics, as well as a general overview of what I think of the whole album.

1. Indie: Bon Iver's Bon Iver

 What I love about Bon Iver is mainly the uniformity of this album. The songs sound deeply related without getting superfluous or repetitive. It is easy to listen to, as well. It's relevant and poignant, but never loses that feel of soul. It's a good nighttime album, if you just want to have a quiet, reflective evening. Bon Iver never gets too loud or too fast, and most importantly, it doesn't pull any punches with its lyrics (no matter if they seem nonsensical or not). Bon Iver's made a large impact on the Indie music scene, and I have a feeling these cats aren't done yet.

Favorite Tracks:

• Minnesota, WI
• Calgary
• Beth/Rest

My Favorite Lyrics:
From Beth/Rest, this single line always jumps out at me more than the others because unlike all the other lines, this is straightforward and strong.

"I ainʼt living in the dark no more
it's not a promise, Iʼm just gonna call it"

2. Alternative: Linkin Park's 1000 Suns

  When I tell people I'm a fan of Linkin Park, I sometimes get a weird look in return. They get a bad rap for their angst-ridden lyricism in their early music, but I grew up with them and have watched them mature. Linkin Park's first two albums were good and fine, but I always had the feeling that the band could do more than down-tuned rap-metal. Then they released Minutes to Midnight and showed that they had some real diversity and skill in their musicmaking. A few years later, 1000 Suns hit and I was certain I had made the right decision in staying with them. 1000 Suns is one of my favorite albums of all time, because it tackles themes of American Exceptionalism, the danger of nuclear warfare, brotherhood, and standing up for what is truly right, coupled expertly with memorable quotes from J. Robert Oppenheimer, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mario Savio. 1000 Suns is as political as it is creative, and it does both quite subtly and powerfully.

Favorite Tracks:

• When They Come For Me
• Waiting For The End
• Iridescent
• The Catalyst

My Favorite Lyrics:
Oh, God, I have so many from this album, but my favorite come from Jornada del Muerto (Spanish for Journey of the Dead), which simply repeats two Japanese words:

"持ち上げて、解放して"

They read "Mochiagete, Tokihanashite" and translate to "Lift me up, let me go." The lyrics are then repeated in English in the song The Catalyst.


3. Metal: Mastodon's Crack the Skye

 When Mastodon's drummer, Brann Dailor, was interviewed about the album, he gave this description:

 "There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he ends up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin's body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin's body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin needs to get him back into his body before it's too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down…there are some obstacles along the way."

 So, pretty much, Mastodon does a lot of drugs. But, on top of that, this album has a lot of underlying themes. It's meant to signify the Greek element, aether, symbolized in the transmigration of spirits. Dailor explained the alternative spelling in the title, a reference to his sister who committed suicide at the age of 14:

 "Her name was Skye, so Crack the Skye means a lot of different things. For me personally, it means the moment of being told you lost someone dear to you, [that moment] is enough to crack the sky."

Favorite Tracks:
I seriously love every one of these songs, but certain ones that always stick out are

• Oblivion
• Divinations
• Ghost of Karelia
• Crack the Skye

Favorite Lyrics:
From Crack the Skye, I think these lyrics are really strong and tell of Dailor's love for his sister.

"Desperate heathens flock to sirens; guard your heartache well.
Mama, don't let them take her. Don't let them take her down!
Please tell Lucifer he can't have this one. Her spirit's too strong!"

To be continued in Sharing is Caring: Part 2!

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Community College Blues

I'm sitting here, more early in the night than late, eating instant noodles with a Bob Marley shirt on, listening to public radio.
I don't think I can get more College than this.
I say that, but a few of my friends from "real Universities"
May read that and get pissed.

Today I met two new people because I couldn't resist showing off my German skills
(which, anymore, don't actually exist)
And within five minutes of talking to them, I was already on the topic of why high school sucked.
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

I stopped in on an Asian Diversity Club meeting, despite being incredibly not Asian, because of the offer of free food.
And a cute chick.
But mainly free food.
I'm kind of a dick.

I hung around for 12 hours of doing nothing despite having attended classes that I enjoy.
It was a little bit tiring.
I did some philosophy readings, Emerson and Prothero
So my neurons are still firing.

This rhyme scheme isn't working
So let me change it up.
And if you like it,
Maybe drop some change in the cup.

I'm staying up late, writing about War Paint
and domestic restraint
and social complaint,
but I won't faint
I'll let my pupils dilate
As you let your hips gyrate
As I orate
And dictate
And narrate
In a spoken word Vulgate,
Like a holy book from Heaven's Gates

And just drop a clever little notion,
About how each one of us is an ocean

At least, so said a poet that I admire.
But don't forget to respire,
Because before we retire
I would like to repeat words like barbwire
So just call me a surefire squire knight,
Because community colleges are all right
And all these little nuances that I think they're having
Are really showing me exactly how to stay savvy.

I just wrote this about 5 minutes ago, a bit of freewriting to make sure I'm still exercising my brain. 

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

The Symphony of the Universe

Symphonium Universi

The world is singing! Do you hear it?
The world is singing. All you have to do is listen.
On this spinning globe, there is so many millions of expressions of life!
They all are singing out in a beautiful choir of existence,
That hits me like an earthquake that brings me to kneel
In reverence. I can’t help put part my lips to sing along with them.
When all the noise is blocked out, and you stop to listen
You can hear it.
The world is singing.

I sit on the floor, with eyes closed and ears eager to listen.
The familiar pat-pat-pat of raindrops on my window
Ushers in a welcome rain.
Nature is has lifted its voices too.
I hear strings and voices in the Wind, drums in the Earth,
Horns and cymbals in waterfalls, raindrops and rivers.

Now I know why sages travel to mountaintops, prophets spend months in the desert
And the wise know the value of quiet.
It’s not so they can get away from the world!
It’s so that they can get closer to it.

We are part of it! Do you hear us singing along?
Hallelujah, we sing!
Let all creation join in!
We are here, we are alive!
Let us do what is good and right
And let the innumerable expressions of life create!

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring

 and Google+ .

Thank you for reading. Stay Human, my friends.

Interview 2: Flex

Earlier this month, I interviewed my good friend Jeremy. Today I’m writing about a mutual friend of ours, another influence of mine, and a fellow member of Random Receipts, Fidelis. I’ve most often seen Fidelis making music on a piano, djembe or goblet drum, but he’s also a talented writer, painter, and singer. 

-So how did you get involved doing creative work, and how long have you been writing?
I've been creating ever since I can remember. I recall when I was a small boy, my older brother would draw comic book super heroes and cut them out, and we would play with them. I was maybe 4 or 5 years young at the time. So since then, creativity has been in my life. That been said, I only just started to write music on the Piano Forte since the 3rd week of November, 2010. Aside from that sort of writing, I wrote my first poem in 2009 and since then I've been forming quotes and writing spoken word pieces. Before writing though, my primary means of expression is painting. I started to paint in the early half of 2007. And so I guess you could say that, I really began to take art as a whole, more seriously, since I was 17.

-So far, what has been your best memory doing creative work?
I have lots of great memories, but honestly as I write this, it is the day after I performed at 'Honey' [a lounge] in Minneapolis, and it was pretty awesome!! I also really enjoy working with my group members from Random Receipts, everyone involved, including the interviewer on this blog [aw, shucks] - is talented in their own unique way and so working alongside Random Receipts is always a great time for me.

-What piece that you’ve written do you feel best expresses you?
I'd say that my piece titled 'The Catalyst' is the one piece of spoken word that truly captures my inner truth, i.e. my inner most fear. Otherwise all of my pieces, poetry, painting, piano compositions, short stories, best express me.

-What has been your biggest influence in your writing?
Life and its experiences influence me the most in creating; as broad as that sounds.

-Any advice for people who want to get into the creative scene?
Yes. Enjoy yourself in your art, whichever it may be. Have passion for it. Dedicate your time in practice. And, share it!

-A quote that inspires you?

"In all forms of it. Our art, in years to come, will define our time. And so therefore we must create!!"

- Fidelis Odozi.

THE EYE WITNESS

My thoughts are naked as I sit amidst very relaxed trees that surround a body of water where two lovers stroll together from one end of the lake to the other.
I suspect the lagging lover to be the male because of the way in which he tails her with admiration and drinks the flow of water behind her glide every now and then.
She turns abruptly to him at the loud sound of an awaking fish.
He moves closer to her as though to say, 'I am here, do not fear.'
Far off into the distance a lonely bird stalks the two lovers and does a brilliant job staying out of sight. He or she might have been an ex boyfriend, a very protective parent, or perhaps an ex girlfriend, hell, how should I know?
Suddenly though, an even louder sound enters the air, its a human being smacking his floating device on the water.
I Shout at him. I say "Hey! You over there, you're disturbing the love birds!"
I then realize that I too am adding to the noise but it is too late, the birds by now have panicked and so they changed course and hurried down a different direction.
I felt terrible about this.
I felt as tho I played a huge role in the destruction of a lovely stroll down the stream.
But things turned out for the better, it seems, because due to them changing directions they were able to spot the stalker and so they swam even closer together
And were on a new path, one that was far off into the distance with no stalker and no human beings.
It was beautiful.
I got up and walked back home with a smile that slowly turned into laughter.
I might have looked crazy to the people driving by, but hell, I had just witnessed love on water.
I had absolutely no care at all.

--Fidelis Odozi

Fidelis is an old soul, the first Nigerian man I ever met, and shows me that he truly lives up to his name which means "Faithful". His eye for art and affinity for phrases puts a smile on my face.

If you like what you've read, want to learn more about Random Receipts or about this blog, or even just spread the word about this blog, you can like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Thank you for reading.  

The Dog Days Aren't Over Yet

I've been getting into the local (Twin Cities) art and music scene a lot lately. I've found myself continually wanting to go into the cities. The suburbs have been driving me crazy lately. They have no personality, they have no realism. They're just one house after another after another, and they don't have any soul to them anymore.

Seriously, does this look exciting to you?

I know that an apartment in the cities would hardly be any different from that, but the difference is that I'd be able to go out and get a taste of those intangible things I love: Music, art, people, personality.

However, first I need a job. I have applied at everywhere (literally everywhere. I honestly wish I was exaggerating.) within biking/walking distance, and to many places outside of that radius. I can't pay for all of my classes without a job, so among the other obvious reasons I should get one, it's more important now than ever. If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, maybe leave it in the comments or tweet it to me or post it on the blog's Facebook page.

I wrote this piece a while ago when I was contemplating my discomfort in the suburbs.

Sorry, Suburbs

Sorry, Suburbs, we've had a good run
But it's just not working out.
I've decided I need to pack up and leave.
You're just not the same neighborhood I fell in love with.

When I was a kid, I would go exploring in my back yard,
A field of endless towers of corn
And I would break the stalks, rip off the ears
And fashion myself a Samurai's sword
To wield in gallant, epic battles against invisible assailants.

I remember finding magazines I was much too young for
In a creek half a mile away.
I remember saying out loud to myself,
"Why would anyone publish something like this?"

I rode my bicycle to No-Name Park
Dug my feet deep into the sand
And felt the heat between my toes.

Now, for me, there's too much past here, and not enough future
And conformity is on me like a downtown moocher.

Each building lies in a perfect little row, sprouting up as though sown from the seeds of real estate
And being farmed by agents with perfect Colgate Total smiles, alabaster teeth shining
Like the houses they show off.

Each of those model homes flowers into a husband and a wife,
And two children (an older sister and a younger brother)
And a small, yipping dog, and a minivan, AND a Prius,
And an above-ground pool, and a wooden deck, and...
Slow down, Smiths.
Why are you always jonesin' to keep up?

No-Name Park has had a generic title forced upon it,
The creek has dried up with barren, dusty rocks biting at the shore,
And the field has been trampled underfoot by the "New Development".

From the roof, I see lawns freshly mowed,
Windows spritzed into a perfect sheen,
Two garage doors like blind eyes staring me down.
I see this pseudo-perfection and taste bile in the back of my throat.
This assembly line of American Dreams is putting me to sleep.

The Dog Days aren't over yet, despite what Florence says. I'm still trying to get a job, trying to keep the suburbs from getting to me too bad, and trying to keep my chin up.

If you like my writing, you can like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Thank you for reading.

Interview 1: Jerem-why

I've started to meet some really interesting people doing my own creative work, so for my own sake I wanted to ask them a few questions about what they do. The answers I got back were really interesting, so I think I'll share them with you. Today, you will learn a little bit about my good friend Jeremy, who is a spoken-word artist like myself.

-Jeremy, how did you get involved doing creative work in the first place?
"I would have to say that I got involved in doing creative work when I met Fidelis, Josh, and Natan [other members of the group] and we started jamming out in the piano rooms at school just freestyling. I used to write a lot when I was 18/19 but not until 4 or 5 months ago did I really start to dive into writing from the depths of me."

-So far, what has been your best memory doing creative work?
"I would have to say that the best memory I have doing creative work would have to be the joy and elation of sharing my piece "My Brother" with Fidelis face to face just after I had written it. There was an immense creative energy between us that I felt upon reading that to him."

 -What piece that you've written do you feel best expresses you?
"To be honest, even though it was written while I was withdrawing from Nicotine, I would have to say it is my piece "Dear Non-smoking Friends" because before I wrote that piece I had never been so honest in my writings...ever."

-What has been your biggest influence in writing?
"My biggest influence in my writings have been [the other members of] Random Receipts. Each and every person involved with the group has inspired me in ways I cannot explain with mere words. But most definitely the sharing of creativity between all of us is what inspires my writings most." 

-Do you have any advice for people who want to get into the creative scene?
"My advice for people who want to get into the creative scene is to stop trying to get into the creative scene. You are already a creative being who creates every moment of every day which means you are already in the creative scene-- you just don't realize it yet. Try and find wonderful people who's ego's aren't too inflated, try and find genuine people who are accepting of others works and share with them everything you've ever written even if you're scared shitless to do so. Either that, or, come hang out with Random Receipts!"  

-A quote that inspires you?

"The answer is never the answer. What's really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you'll always be seeking. I've never seen anybody really find the answer. They think they have, so they stop thinking. But the job is to seek mystery, evoke mystery, plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom. The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer."

-Ken Kesey

The reason this quote inspires me is because it reminds me of the Dao.


Creativity is flowing through my veins, step to me and you'll get love filled words 
that will destroy your ego more quickly than clinched fists will damage your physical body, 
consider me something similar to godly the way I create something out of nothing, 
so I ask you...to the plate, what is it that you bring? Do you draw, paint, sing? 
What is it that you have to offer the world around you? 
I ASK YOU, what is it that you do? 
You must answer this question before I allow you into my temple because my inner realms are sacred, 
there's only room for love, not hatred. 
I'm not down with fake shit or a quick fix, I'm not here to listen to your clever words the way you play tricks, I'm in the moment so consider me present, 
if you're searching for a guru I have nothing to share with you, no life lessons, 
I'm over the endless nights of self created stresses, 
I have left anxiety begging me for more but you should've seen how quickly I shut that door. 
Goodnight to the fear of night and good morning to the love of day, where sun filled skies, and the chatter amongst birds guide me along my path and show me the Way.

--Jeremy Kemp 


I had a lot of fun contemplating Jeremy's answers. He has a lot of insight into the world around him, and he oftentimes isn't afraid to share what he's thinking. 

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Thanks for reading! 

A Walk Through the Forest

I've been filling my time up with three main activities: Playing Pokemon, rereading some of my favorite books, and searching for some form of employment. Two of these three activities have been successful, and I don't think you need to think to hard to guess which one has been a flop. I'm not terribly stressed about it, though. As much as I genuinely do want to work, I don't at all mind the downtime either. With my parents working, my younger sister at school, and my older sister and brother in law doing their own thing, the house is quiet. That sounds pretty obvious, but trust me, between the girls of my family (who can and will talk your ear off) and the student teachers that have in the past lived with us, the house normally had some form of noise going on. It wasn't obnoxious, but it wasn't exactly what I would call peaceful.

So I've been doing a lot of writing and a lot of thinking. You'll get to see the writing before too long, but only after I think it's "done". I put the term in quotation marks, because as Leonardo da Vinci once said,  

"Art is never finished. Only abandoned."

 I think that's true for a number of different reasons. The first reason being that the artist will always have more to express. This artist could choose to express that idea (or set of ideas) all through one piece, but that then risks spoiling the purity of the expression found in a particular single piece. Thus, the best choice for the artist is to continue the work in another piece. Whether the artist ever realizes it or not, all of her pieces are interconnected because of that one intrinsic feature.

Another reason that art is never finished is that once the artist has chosen to abandon a specific piece, she leaves everything up to the eyes or ears of the audience. It's very scary, being a painter or singer, a writer, sculptor, or speaker. You are revealing your real self to your audience whenever you display your work. Each time you put work out there, you essentially open the door so that anyone may come in and say "Listen here, bub, this sucks and I'm going to tell you every reason why."

In a way, every artist is walking through a deep, dark, dense, damp forest. I don't mean a bunch of trees outside a schoolyard, I'm talking an Old Growth forest where the trees are so ancient that they block out light from the sun so smaller plants rarely grow beneath the huge blanket of branches and leaves. The kind of forest that you might be scared to walk through-- not because of what could be in there, but because you fear altering some part of it. Every artist's soul is like that forest. Each branch, root, bird, beast and insect hums with life.

Walking through the forest is intimidating, but through practicing their art, they are able to traverse, map, and really familiarize themselves with the forest and navigate it and travel from one area to another, eventually coming to a completely different and new region: the soul of another. Through art, the artist discovers herself and this helps her come closer to others.

My art is mainly through words, as you all have seen. I always feel like it's not very good, but I try and get it out there so I can become better and better. I try and connect (albeit indirectly) with my readers, and with other artists, by just writing a lot, whether I think it's shit or I think it's enough to make Ralph Waldo Emerson roll in his grave.

I haven't forgotten about the original purpose I gave this blog: To use my words to fight for what I know is right. Even if it seems subtle or even absent, I am sharpening my blade with every stroke of the key.

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."
— Ira Glass