May 31 pic

Waterfall

Hi Ho- Hi Ho- Off to the movies I go

The last time I set foot in a movie theatre, it was to see The King’s Speech.

But, off I went today to see Cowgirls ‘N Angels. This is a delightful, family friendly movie. I recommend it. The level of acting talent in this movie was very good. I enjoyed the style of shooting–where you could see colors and brightness and sky. (I’m on a kick where I’m complaining about dark movies and shaky camera cinematography.)

This is a movie that we worked on last year as background extras. So, it was within the realm of possibility that I might see myself on the big screen. Life long dream stuff here. Fingers crossed.

Not this time.

Oh well. I’ve seen other movies that I’ve worked on before, but had not seen myself on the silver screen for them. So, I still have a few movies in the pipeline where it may happen. That’s one of those ‘bucket list’ items that you really look forward to. Even if it’s as a background extra, it’s still such fun and an accomplishment to see yourself on the silver screen. I’m so pleased to have been a part of this production. There are some movie sets that are awful. This set was great–friendly, relaxed, easy-going. We had a good time while we were there.

After that, it was off to the races to hear a friend’s band. That was cool. I always enjoy live music, and these guys were tight. After that, I had a nice supper, drove home, went to a friend’s BBQ, and here we be!

It was a good day. I need to get out of the house more. Seems like all I do is work (day job), work (creativity), and exist in that cave mode away from creativity. No where in my life is there much room for fun these days. So, today, I goofed off and made the whole day fun.

Talked with my business partner about shooting a music video. He was all in. Seems like we discuss a lot of video projects, but I just don’t have the strength and umpth to pull them off. So, this is something that can be actually done, without universe-sized efforts. I can’t wait to share this music with the world. This song is getting that “wow” kind of reaction, so I hope that that keeps on happening.

Happy Memorial Day! With warmest thanks to those who have served.

Freedom is not free.

Close ups

Am working to learn my camera better. I am frustrated with its limitations, but am happy with what all it can do. So, this week, I’ve worked to learn the “close up” feature, which on my camera is called “macro”. There are many, many variables involved. And I’m learning to read a histogram. Woo- hoo!

Honeysuckle

Red flower

Dandelion

So, at least my knowledge of the creative world is progressing in some way. I called a photographer friend to give me an evaluation and I asked if I was on the right track (ie: am I wasting my time here?). She said no- I wasn’t wasting my time. And thank you to the many wonderful reader comments I’ve had regarding photography. It’s something I really, really want to pursue. (Along with everything else. Gee–not enough hours the day).

Part of the problem is that I don’t have that many vistas to shoot here. I live in a very rural area, and a lot of the countryside looks the same. Fields and sky and power lines and fences. There isn’t that much variety. I could spend hours taking pics of sunsets, but to have a horizon of power lines and oil derricks and things rather ruins the shot. So, I’m limited by the geography of the land. I want to go to Colorado and take mountain pictures, and go to Maine and take sea-scapes. Oh well, you do what you can do. And my knowledge of the camera is growing, so that’s something. In all art, any bit of knowledge is worthwhile.

I don’t have a sense of confidence about photography yet. In other art, when I’ve been around the block a few times, there comes a sense of…arrogance, perhaps. In all art, there needs to be a sense of arrogance to say, “Yes, my work deserves to exist. My work has value.”

I have achieved that place in my music and musicianship. I am there in writing (if they don’t like it–phooey on them! LOL). Filmmaking I’m still learning the technical stuff. Acting–I am SOOOO there already. Painting I do not have enough knowledge in to be confident about at all. So, photograhy is like that, too.

I used to apologize for playing my cheap guitar. Finally, one guitar man told me: if it sounds like a good guitar–it is a good guitar. (In other words, it doesn’t matter what I paid for it. What matters is how I play it, and what I think of my work.) After that, I quit apologizing about my guitar. And a whole lot of other things.

We went to a lighting seminar for filmmaking one time. They lit and built a scene with very expensive equipment. Then they built the same scene with everyday equipment. I’m talking work lights like I have in my garage, tin foil, cardboard, etc. The lesson learned there is: use whatever you need to get the job done, and do not apologize for anything.

Art is sooo subjective. There is no right or wrong. Each piece of art, no matter what form, exists. It is valid. The most important thing is: do I like it? If I say it has merit, then it has merit. If anyone else, even one single person likes it too, that’s just gravy.

That’s not to say I don’t want feedback and want to learn and improve and get better. But, for photography, I’m still at the level of, “Is this good? Does this have a right to exist? Does it stand on its own?”

The rest of my creativity is dormant at the moment. I can’t create from nothing. I have the desire to create, but there are times when your life force, or life energy is diverted elsewhere. This is one of those times. I used to agonize about not accomplishing more (who are we kidding? I always agonize about not accomplishing more. It’s the refrain that people hear from me over and over.) But, when life throws you a curve ball, you just handle it, dodge it, bat it, and keep going. So, when I can function in creativity again, then I will. I always have so much more stuff in my head to do, than my body can actually do. So, in the meantime, I’m watching my tv shows, doing everyday things, and just putting one foot in front of the other. When the wellspring of creativity fills up again, I’ll be ready for it.

Have a lovely week.

Peace, baby!

Feeding the Soul V

Hanging On

Remnant

Vanishing

Chisholm Trail

Rushing

Mighty

Haiku

Let’s go  shoot photos

Country drive – take life in hands

Too many oil trucks

Feeding the soul IV

Purple

Red

Yellow

Fire

Green

 

Have a colorful week!

Feeding the Soul III

Standing

 

Complicated

 

 

Perfect

 

Perspectives

 

 

Splash

 

 

Antebellum dreams

Not much creativity going on here.

At least photography is working.

Wishing you peace.

Feeding the soul II

Movement

Dreams

So there!

Reflections 2

All photos by me.

Feeding the soul

Tranquility

Reflections

Oops!

Ebony and Ivory

I feel like I’m standing in the wrong place

I wonder which was the way to Albuquerque

Poetry

Smokey and the Bandit

Profound truth:
“When you tell someone something,
it depends on what part of the United States you’re standing on
as to just how dumb you are.”

It’s all about context
And timing

Who has time for pretension
Deliver me from pretentious bullshit

Burt Reynolds had it right.
Choose your time
Choose your words
Choose your audience

****

Find the right time for something.

Find your context.

Find your audience.

      For the things that you can’t say one way, say another. If you can’t say it in biography; say it in poetry. People will spend years debating the meaning, tearing it apart, finding context you never intended. But still…when you ache for people to know something, find a way to say it.

     Songwriting. Poetry. Some people seem to think that songs are poems set to music. Perhaps sometimes they are. Not in my case. The place from which each springs, in me, is different. The creative process is different.

     I’ve been writing my biography as I journey through life. Then I’ve been through so much that can’t be written. I’ve lived enough for  three or four lifetimes already. Who would believe my story? Who would believe my journey? I don’t even believe the path life has taken me to get here.

     I’ve been writing a collection of poetry for the last fifteen years or so. But like all of my work, there are things that are front burner and back burner. Poetry has been back burner for a long while.

     Then, several days ago, I wrote a poem. It helped soothe. It facilitates understanding. It gives context.

     So, for the things I can’t say in the biography…I can say in the poetry.

     “Smokey and the Bandit” – the above poem, to be published in the forthcoming edition of poetry…entitled: _Lifetimes_.

Jazz

This evening, I got to attend a concert with great musicians and musicianship.  It’s truly inspiring what good music can do–how it can carry a person through. How do people out there live without music?

Tonight’s concert was divided into 3 setups. The first was a high school jazz band, and they were good. The second was students from four different schools playing together. The third was a group called Stillwater Jazz, and they were non-students who play together–obviously for fun and enjoyment. But more than that, when you are a musician…you have to play. You have to make music. Music pours out of you. So, this group called Stillwater Jazz had true musicians. I wish I had been a part of that when I lived in Stillwater.

It’s so inspiring. I come home and wonder why I am not playing with a group like that. Why am I not playing more jazz (on multiple instruments). (Oh yeah…I’m too busy trying to earn a living, write books, record music in studio, and the 20 other things I’m trying to handle).

A body can only do so much. And I made an intellectual decision  years ago to focus the brunt of my music on publishing/songwriting and place live performance in second place behind that. I don’t regret it. This is the right decision for me. My future in music is in publishing and songwriting. But still…hearing such talented musicians tonight, you really, really, really regret not being up there.

So, thanks to all the great musicians tonight who inspire the rest of us. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world.

Peace.