A short rant brought on by a little too much thinking

As I was reading one of my friend's poems, I noticed how much I liked the story intertwined with the message. It made me realize that everything is a story with an overall message. The same goes for anything; photos, artwork, music. I realized that when I write, I know my message but not the story I need to tell to get to it. But with my photos, I can tell that story, because I can capture the story of nature, or a person, or a city. The same goes for music; a solo is an opportunity to tell a story, and is recognized as such. My favorite musician and director says it all the time to soloists, "Tell your story, man!" How could I have let that message slip by me all this time? Well, the past is the past. Now I truly understand why I take the pictures I do and how I play music the way I do. All that's left is for me to find a way of writing I can use to tell a story.

Sun

Sun

Rays of happiness 

guiding us through life.

But they go away every night.

Is this why night 

brings the worst out 

in everyone?

Robberies and adultery.

without the rays of sunlight to guide us,

we are lost.

No light means no happiness.

Then a teacher, a friend, a different source of light

Something that reminds us that we 

don't have to have the sun.

That life is what we make of it,

because it is 

LIFE.

Escape

Dread

a dreadful word.

Dread 

a powerful emotion.

Dread

a butterfly in my stomach,

always trapped there.

Dread

a sense of fear that I wrestle.

Dread

powerful, overwhelming hopelessness

Dread

I am immersed in it eternally.

Dread 

a romantic's worst nightmare.

Dread

a numbing sensation of sorrow

that I will never escape.

On faith and pure people

A lot of people claim to have faith.....they go to church, or they claim to believe in a higher power. But how much of it is real? How many people thoroughly ruminate on their true beliefs, what they really love and trust in. Reverence should be the centermost value of a faith. Not fear of going to hell, and most definitely not "believing" because you are told. I truly believe in reverence to nature, some people to a higher power. Faith is about belief and respect. It is our job to explore what we believe, to question, to think, and therefore grow. Emerson said "The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence." Humans tend to believe in things they cannot prove indefinitely exist....That way they can always question and try to find answers, or make up answers to believe in. I am not advocating one "faith" over another, but rather faith in general. People need faith in something."Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail (Emerson)." If we do not have reason to get back up, hope, something to believe in. That is where we get our motivation, at least the majority of people do. The purist of us (I am definitely not one) do not need someone or something to motivate them... they have reverence to themselves and their thoughts, and other people. They can do the right thing without needing to have it justified by a higher belief....In essence, faith is reverence, is goodness. Reverence for others and for yourself matters more than going to church or pretending to believe in something.

Pop painting

This is what I spent an hour of my life on today....taking a picture of Aubin and making it into an old pop culture painting style.

Then Below is Jax, which I did selective color on to glorify his bandana...

Jazz=happiness

Oxman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGdgKk2p4_I

Nature meets the city