Cheers

Waiting,
All smoke and no fire,
Painting,
Street signs with bald tires,
You can come as you are,
But stay like you were,
You can love like you own,
but you’re paid what you’re worth,
cold as hard evidence,
but truth's not for certain,
windows left open,
but close all the curtains,
when grass hugs the sunlight,
like arm hairs with goosebumps,
to capture the warmth,
and shiver off sun-up,
clouds feed the trees,
the trees feed the people,
People fill the church,
And the church feeds the evil,
Brainwashed from birth,
And grainfed with gravity,
Of permanent dark,
after life filled with tragedy,
when what matters least,
is hope for what’s coming,
cause you’re nearly deceased,
when you’ve just started running,
when you’re counting the hours,
you’re just wasting time counting,
missing valuable pieces,
of the puzzles surrounding,
start at the corners,
and build towards the middle,
place all the big ones,
to fill in the little,
when it’s all said and done,
you’ll stand up above it,
see how far it’s come,
and maybe you’ll love it,
so here’s to still living,
and here’s to still breathing,
and cheers to coming,
and going,
and leaving.

Art appreciation.

For a while, I really thought I only liked and appreciated art that I could see myself doing, or creatively imagining. I always liked guitar based rock, but never got into hip-hop and rap until I ended up playing in bands that had that element in what we did. Now it's a vital part of me.

But I think I was wrong.

I see plenty of art now that I know I could never possibly create, but I have a deep appreciation for it. I realize now, that it's not because I could see myself doing it, but because I see pieces of me in it.

Sounds almost as selfish, I know. But it's true. If something speaks to you from an artistic intangible creative place, then it's connecting to a part of you on a deeper level.

I went to school for visual arts, but I've never chosen it as an expression of mine. I don't have a creative need to make visual art. I don't see things in my head that I feel need to be communicated to the world.

But I can look at other people's visual art, and connect with them on that level. Not everyone, in fact it's rare that something hits me or has a effect on me, but it happens. I was at a street festival last month and came across a painter who had a style that really connected with me. I saw his work and stood stunned, like I was viewing a piece of myself. I can't imagine everyone made that connection with this guy's work, as plenty of people viewed and moved on. But I was held there, in awe. It hit me deep enough that I was too intimidated to meet the artist.

I appreciate great video and movie work as well. Storytelling through the use of images and sound seems easy enough but so many people do it poorly or by the numbers. Baz Luhrman has a visual style that is bold and ambitious, but gripping and beautiful. Dude has some balls to try and present his art in the form of a publicly consumed format such as big box office movies, but he does it and it's great. But not everyone gets it. I can't see myself making his specific art, but then again why would I? It serves it's purpose and speaks to me, and moves me. Thus causing me to feel the need to make my own.