I'm going to post some old blogs here to get started. This is because they are still relevant and it gives me a chance to re-edit them. With that said:
What opportunities have you been given? Which ones have you discarded?
I have been asked, "Why Phillyside?" (the business that I have started) for not only general conversation, but also for introspection by friends and neighbors alike. I am not an artist, I make art but it is not the primary focus of my creative endeavors. It is not so easy to pin down one reason.
There was this girl, she broke my heart. Boo. That's not a reason, that's an excuse and a lousy one at that.
I really like art. Well, I really like playing guitar and piano, too, but I'm a much better casual observer.
I come from an artistically inclined family. Hardly.
I want to see people with ambition succeed at what they do. In business terms it's called maximizing your potential or return on investment. It's hard to do that; you always have to compromise your integrity to get what you want. It's easy to loose sight of your vision. What are you trying to say when your job drains every bit of your energy from you? You get paid so little and your debt or rent is so high. Then thirty percent goes to the government? What do they do with all that money? Reinvest it in you? No, I do not think so. What part of your tax dollar goes back into helping fund you, as an artist? Two percent. I'm not going to get into specifics, but I believe that is a realistic number. Over fifty percent goes to the military. If only a portion of that money could be reinvested in the arts and more into education, don't you think that we might be able to educate people enough that they might be able to think our way out of a constant state of war? The more we spend on wars, the less we spend on education which creates more dumb people destined to be cannon fodder. Look at China right now for example; you would be foolish to believe they are not creating the largest army ever to exist. It's a terrible cycle and it's far past time to change our direction of thinking and spending. Lets show people how to create, rather then destroy or dominate. All I am doing is trying to make the best of the limited amount of resources that we already have.
I want to see people stop hurting and struggling and trying so hard. I want to see someone with passion follow it through and create something that is bigger then they ever thought they could. Down with the office secretary, down with the high-class waiter, down with the retail managers and the print shop clerks. I'm through with being paid for the right to live; it's time to be paid for the ability to create.
You need not be a great artist; all you need is a single spark, a single idea. You never know where it could lead you if you don't follow it. You cannot follow it unless you have the support to develop it. Let's join together, let's help each other, and let's believe in each other from now on.
What opportunities have you been given? Which ones have you discarded?
I have been asked, "Why Phillyside?" (the business that I have started) for not only general conversation, but also for introspection by friends and neighbors alike. I am not an artist, I make art but it is not the primary focus of my creative endeavors. It is not so easy to pin down one reason.
There was this girl, she broke my heart. Boo. That's not a reason, that's an excuse and a lousy one at that.
I really like art. Well, I really like playing guitar and piano, too, but I'm a much better casual observer.
I come from an artistically inclined family. Hardly.
I want to see people with ambition succeed at what they do. In business terms it's called maximizing your potential or return on investment. It's hard to do that; you always have to compromise your integrity to get what you want. It's easy to loose sight of your vision. What are you trying to say when your job drains every bit of your energy from you? You get paid so little and your debt or rent is so high. Then thirty percent goes to the government? What do they do with all that money? Reinvest it in you? No, I do not think so. What part of your tax dollar goes back into helping fund you, as an artist? Two percent. I'm not going to get into specifics, but I believe that is a realistic number. Over fifty percent goes to the military. If only a portion of that money could be reinvested in the arts and more into education, don't you think that we might be able to educate people enough that they might be able to think our way out of a constant state of war? The more we spend on wars, the less we spend on education which creates more dumb people destined to be cannon fodder. Look at China right now for example; you would be foolish to believe they are not creating the largest army ever to exist. It's a terrible cycle and it's far past time to change our direction of thinking and spending. Lets show people how to create, rather then destroy or dominate. All I am doing is trying to make the best of the limited amount of resources that we already have.
I want to see people stop hurting and struggling and trying so hard. I want to see someone with passion follow it through and create something that is bigger then they ever thought they could. Down with the office secretary, down with the high-class waiter, down with the retail managers and the print shop clerks. I'm through with being paid for the right to live; it's time to be paid for the ability to create.
You need not be a great artist; all you need is a single spark, a single idea. You never know where it could lead you if you don't follow it. You cannot follow it unless you have the support to develop it. Let's join together, let's help each other, and let's believe in each other from now on.
What a beautiful thing.....