A Forward by Rachel Webb
I had waited all evening, sitting patiently at my computer. The final few jazz tunes played, and a few thank-you’s to the sponsors who “make it possible to have programs like these.”
Then the announcer welcomed me (well, the listeners, too) to All Things Considered. She introduced her guest for the evening, Mr. Martin Atkins. She gave a brief description of Martin, and the quadrillion hats he wears, thanking him for coming to speak. Asking a few questions-primarily discussing his new and upcoming book, Tour:Smart. Martin gave a short synopsis of what the general focus and message he wanted to reach out to convey to fellow musicians that would help give them the knowledge to actually succeed in this crazy industry of music.
I listened intently, hungering for more and more ideas and no sooner than it had started, it seemed I heard, “Well, thank you, Martin for being on our show!”
I sat there and could not imagine why he only was on for such a brief time.
I was drawn to know more about this amazing person and decided to check to see if Martin Atikins had a Myspace account. Yep! Everyone has one. Thinking about it in hindsight, people of that caliber have assistants that have assistants who check something as frivolous as Myspace, right? Despite that thought, I shot a short note to him and complained about how I had hoped he would have spoken longer, I was annoyed with that show, I was disappointed to not have gotten what I was looking and hoping for.
The next day, low and behold, Martin Atkins shot me back a friendly email saying, “Well, Rachel, get me down there and I’ll talk all about my book”
Ah!! I was elated and worked to see where and when it would work out to get him here.
We found a venue, planned a date, everyone that attended was taking in every morsel he offered. He gave us all so many amazing ideas, things I had never thought of, as a solo artist, or in a band. He had a killer presentation, and then the poor guy, who had just driven in and had to immediately buzz to Atlanta that same night, sat and just answered question after question from all these musicians, with no end in sight! Every time you thought the Q&A was finished, up popped a hand. Great questions, great answers.
After this visit, Martin became someone with whom I looked up to a great deal. His book is, in my opinion, the most important thing I have read for a career in music. I firmly feel every single musician should own it. (and I am not getting commission, FYI)
He has become someone in my life that answers anything I wonder about. I am POSITIVE I must annoy the hell out of him, but this guy takes a page of maybe 30 questions, and shoots answers to each one. He genuinely wants to aid and to help. He has done it all, and wants to show musicians the ups and the downs of the music lifestyle.
Martin amazes me. I was so grateful to be able to meet him in person and give him a big hug to him at NAMM this past year.
I cannot thank him enough for the insight and the motivation he has given me. I am inspired in so many different angles in the industry of music. I have been studying music since the age of 4 and he has had the most impact on my esteem.
In closing, I want to give one example that meant a lot to me, and I have taken it to heart.
I posted some song that I recorded one night, bored..just played guitar, laid some vocal tracks, and played some strings over it.
A buddy of mine sent an email saying he would “advise me to take it off… the strings were way out of tune, and it sounded pretty bad.”
Next in my inbox was a message that was so ironic it kills me. My shattered little esteem hits “next” and there was a message from Martin, subject “Rachel!” I opened it, and he said “I had no idea you sang so well!” I shot him one right back, sharing the irony of the previous message, and said I was going to take it down. He literally immediately sent a reply with a story of his own that would help me learn to believe in myself.
He said that he had purchased a piece of furniture for one of his sons. It was an old art-deco piece with old paint that he planned to strip and fix up. As he removed layer after layer of the old, chipped up paint, he finally stopped. He said that he took all the roughness, authentic charm of what was once a pretty cool piece of furniture, he stood back and realized that old weathered and worn paint was holding it together, and now all he was left with was..”a piece of shit”. “Rachel, your friend is an idiot. Don’t listen to people that put you down. Sure, it could have strings out of tune. All I was paying attention to was the gravelly coolness (I will NEVER forget that one!!! Bragging rights galore!) of my voice.”
And that was it for me. I am not perfect, I have weathered and chipping paint, but man, I am a good musician, and a wiser and more confident one because of Martin Atkins.
He has been a supporter, a teacher, and an inspiration to me. I really hope that most all musicians will have a “Martin” in their lives. I consider mine better because of him.
-Rachel Webb
Interview with Martin Atkins by barbee cain
I recently had the honor of interviewing Martin Atkins and have to say I felt as though I could have spent hours engaged in conversation with him with out ever a moment of boredom. He is a true entrepreneur with a desire to share what he has learned with other people. He is currently lecturing on his Tour Smart Tour and will be here in Orlando at Taste October 18th at 7pm. It is a free show for all ages and I encourage all to make it. The book, Tour Smart And Break The Band is a compilation of several industry professionals that offer their advice on the business of touring. It has been out 18 months and still remains on the top ten music books on Amazon. It’s a covers many of the mistakes and revelations collectively that they have had and how you can learn from them. Why should this be of interest? In Martin’s words,“ I don’t teach independent record label management because I think people need to know about that stuff, I teach it because it is a brainwork for business and entrepreneurial activity that translates into other fields.” He continues, “If a bunch of kids are excited about how to run their own record label and be on the tour bus with flat screen TV’s, if that creates a back drop where I can teach them about geography, mileage, logistics, strategies, planning, Exel spreadsheets…. whatever it takes to plant that seed.”
Martin lectures all over the world and designs those lectures to fit the audience he is speaking to. He said that they are more like a stand up comedy act and networking event than going over his book. He decided to write the Tour Smart book after teaching a class at Columbia College who’s curriculum was based from a book that was written in 1962. He felt it was completely unacceptable to be teaching from such and archaic source unless it was on Shakespeare or The Roman Empire. So he dedicated a year and a half to writing a book that was current with not only his experiences but many others that had valuable experience to share as well. While Martin is touring, he collects marketing from all different bands and shares them at his lectures to inspire others. During his lectures he finds that he spends much of the time engaged in the active process of helping people hook up with people they should know or helping people make connections with others that they can benefit from. One of his strong beliefs is that relationships need to be made in order to survive. He believes one of the problems in the music industry is that people are hesitant to help one another due to ego or fear of competition. He tries to instill the concept that in order to move forward one must let their guard down, open up and help other bands out. In his words, “ If one band helps 10 other bands, then one of those bands is going to end up doing ok somewhere and that band that helped them will end up opening up for them or going on the road with them, whatever, someone will return the favor.” He reiterates that for those who really want to succeed that it is time to retool, helping other bands is the way to begin. He adds that playing for free, using negotiating skills, building relationships are what will bring the money. If people like you, the money will follow. He also made the important point that money alone will not make you successful, it cannot buy momentum. You need to play, do the work, build your relationships and fan base from the ground up, creating a solid foundation in order to be successful. He states that if you were to build a fan a day, over two years you would have 730 fans, whereas if you where to try and create 730 fans in a day, it would not be possible.
I found him to be quite inspiring and know I will certainly be buying his book and staying in touch. He is a wealth of information with the genuine desire to share it with others. The best news is, You can meet the man himself @ Taste in college park at 7pm on October 18th. FREE!
Tell him barbee sent you, cause I think he is rad!
namaste
barbee cain
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Reel World of Zack Parker
In September of last year, I found myself gearing up to spend 5 weeks of my life working on the set of Quench, a full length feature directed by Zack Parker. This would be my first HD production and it would push my creative and physical boundaries to new levels.
Zack was raised in the small industrial town of Richmond, Indiana. Art was not prevalent in his home outside of some painting that his mother had dabbled in, in her youth. Sometime around 7 or 8 years old his parents were going through divorce, and it was then he would discover an interest in the arts. It was a babysitter that shared this common interest and would stimulate his creative appetite. She taught him how to draw and model with clay and by the time he was 11 he would be ready for his first encounter with film. His father bought a Sony HI-8 handi cam and Zack cut his directorial teeth filming clay animation. He taught himself how to work the camera to get his desired result. When he got to middle school, he already had a few animated shorts under his wing and was enjoying the process of movie making. In school, when presented with a book report or science project, he would request to make a movie instead. His teachers were accommodating, and despite the fact that it was a considerable amount more work, it was worth it because he enjoyed the creative process.
In 1994, Zack saw Pulp Fiction and this would be a turning point in his understanding of movie content and what a director was. It was unlike anything he had ever seen and he was rather intrigued by Quentin Tarentino. The fact that he was an independent director, producing quality content without following “the formula” was inspiring. He didn’t come from money, and worked in videos stores as a kid, illuminating the concept that one could actually make a living out of this. Zack realized that his own passion could actually be a job! He respected his father and his business but had no intention of following in his footsteps. He had his own dream to live.
Despite being sheltered from movies like The Shining and The Exorcist, he was drawn to horror movies. It was thrilling to be frightened, and he would do movies with his friends just so he could do the make-up and special FX. Eventually, he found he enjoyed the making of the movie more and began to evolve to a new plateau of filmmaking. He enrolled in every art class that he could and also attended a radio and television class. Zack was able to incorporate his radio and television as his study hall and spent most of his spare time learning to edit. He found that he learned the most from watching movies as he understood the “language” of cinema. While in school, he met fellow student Brandon Owens in gym class, and a budding partnership had sprung. Brandon had actually made a real movie, a mixture of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, entitled…”Reservoir Fiction”. It had impressed Zack, “This movie had credits and everything”. For a class assignment, he was required to make a video. The other kids made 5 minute videos. He and Brandon teamed together and produced a 60 min film. When it came to the grade it was a definite A, yet they felt like it was worth much more!
The experience they had extracted from making their movie was beyond the grade.
Zack would be the first in his family to attended college. He enrolled at Ball State University under the impression that they had a film program but found it to be more of a broadcasting school than a film school. Although alumni David Letterman had put some financing into the broadcasting department, his hunger for filmmaking would not be satiated at this college. In his freshman year, he met a senior, Jen Schaffer, who was starting a student run production company. He submitted an English project as his script to be considered for production. Out of twenty or so entries, his was chosen. The script was entitled, Sanity, about a day in the life of a paranoid schizophrenic. Jen asked if he wanted to direct the film as well and Zack obligingly accepted the task.
His film would be shot over summer break so every possible minute until then would be spent gleaning all the knowledge he could on becoming a director. He started attending more movies than ever, got all the books on directing that he could, and attended an acting class to “better understand the language of actors”. His new venture required 100% of his focus. He stopped attending classes and stayed up nights on end absorbing information. It was through the editing major assigned to edit his film, that he learned “non-linear” editing and we was even given the opportunity to edit some of his own work. The film was shot in black and white and showcased to the student body with about a 50/50 approval rating. Some people just didn’t get it, and thought it was “like a foreign film”.
Some did get it, and one of those people happened to be a new teacher who was a working director in LA. He had come to Ball State to teach a new directing class and insisted Zack attend his class. He was able to pull some strings so that the second year freshman could attend his senior level directing class. Upon completion of his class, the teacher said Zack had learned all he could in the sleepy town of Richmond and needed to head west to LA. He knew he still had a few more years left to complete his degree at Ball State, so he started working on his first feature intending on shooting it there. In the meantime, Zack gathered his college savings and any monies he had and headed out west. He ended up getting a job, no pay, as a PA for Roger Corman in LA. He started by sweeping the lots, parking cars, making friends with the crew. Despite the lack of income, he was assured three meals a day on the set.
He signed up for UCLA extension classes where he took Producing classes so he could meet up and coming producers. He really had no desire to produce his own films, so it seemed the intelligent thing to do was to associate himself with tomorrows producers. He was 19 at the time while the other students, in their 30’s, were experienced professionals. This was another situation where he was attending advanced classes trying to prove himself to his peers. He pitched his idea for his feature Inexchange and found an interested party to produce his movie. He promptly returned to Indiana to start casting.
Zack had now begun the next process of manifesting his first feature. To his surprise, the investor later decided that she was not going to be able to finance his movie. He was back in Indiana, no job and no movie and he had to let everyone already cast know it wasn’t going to happen, for now. It seems, those Producing classes had more meaning in his life than just for networking. Now he had to learn how to produce his own movie. He came to the realization that “no one was going to give me a movie” “no production studio was going to beat down his door and beg him to make his film”. He would start the learning curve by producing two shorts, one was written and directed by his friend, Brandon Owens and was entitled, Liquidate. The other short, Deception…he wrote and directed, and was accepted at the Slam Dunk Film Festival, the third largest film festival to play along Sundance.
When asked how he is different from another director he retorted, “Out of every story that has been told the only thing original thing you can bring is yourself.” There are bits of him in everything he does. His inspirations are Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski and Alfred Hitchcock and believes them to be “true innovators” of film. Zack believes that his current project is always his best as he is always learning and growing. He looks at everything he has done and sees how to improve on the next project. His ultimate goal is to be able to make films with as little interference as possible. It’s not surprising to find that he is also his own business manager and has created his own business plan that he follows to the letter. In his mind you have to do what you say you are going to do.
Every time he makes a movie, he generates more contacts and new friends. This is necessary in the business of independent filmmaking. If you want to produce your own movies, and don’t have a huge pool of resources, you have to be resourceful. In this organic world of movie making, one has to inspire others that are passionate about your artistic vision. You have to know when to call in favors. The trick is working with a small budget but making it look like you have spent much more. This process will include bringing people on that are new in their fields and need experience, but there are areas you have to know where to spend the money and hire the people that can make or break your film. So where does the money come from? He puts no money up front, but finds investors that wish to see his work completed. When the film makes money, the investors make their investment back plus 5%, contract deferments are paid out, and the remaining is split 50/50 between he and the investors.
I asked him how he sees the Internet as a tool for movie making. He said that the Internet in an invaluable tool in getting your work to a much larger fan base. Myspace has been a huge networking tool which has led to 11 other countries have selling rights to Inexchange. He was unsure about whether or not he likes the concept of people downloading his movies, i.e. being more accessible and cheaper. In his mind, movies are meant to be watched in a theatre. It’s not just the size that matters, but the group energy that adds to the whole experience.
In closing, his words of advice to young filmmakers are, “Take a good look at everything that is accessible to you and go ahead and make your movie. So much is available as far as technology goes that you can’t fail if you don’t quit. If you keep trying you don’t fail.”
His second feature, entitled Quench, is premiering June 30th in Richmond, Indiana. After this it will go straight to various film festivals so it can gain a buzz before presentation to distributon companies. The film is so different than anything currently out there that it doesn’t fit in any genre and most distributors won’t know how to market it. So he will get the public interested in it first and let it create it’s own genre.
Movie stills and behind the scenes shots
QUENCH- Teaser Trailer
Add to My Profile | More Videos
**
((if the above cannot embed in the article, the please link to here for the trailer URL:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2032200864)) **
Zack can be found here:
talentdatabase.com
alongthetracks.com
Myspace.com
I want to thank Zack Parker for sharing his insight and experiences.Also thanks to talentspeaks.com and talentdatabase.com hosting arenas for creative expression. If you don’t know what it’s all about, here is a summary:
Talent Speaks is a web discussion that explores how advancements in electronic networking and digital technologies are quickly creating opportunities that will empower independent artists to achieve success through self promotion. As the Internet continues to evolve with far-reaching networking tools, artists now have an unrestricted ability to promote themselves to the global audience. New Media methods are creating a New System that allows artists (musicians, designers, photographers, writers, etc) to deal directly with consumers, bypassing the traditional hurdles of an outdated art and entertainment industry. As a result, scores of independent creatives will benefit both professionally and financially, to achieve success through their networking efforts and the support of their fans.
This forum serves as a sounding board for the world’s emerging talent pool and as a pilot study for a new, visionary web-based talent program called theInspirit. Once launched, theInspirit will teach the ‘art of self-promotion” and encourage creative artists to network with buyers and fans around the world. Through the use of a proprietary suite of promotional tools, the program will create immediate exposure and economic opportunity for millions of creative people around the world.
The New System (as opposed to the old) will undoubtedly rewrite how art and entertainment is produced, promoted, distributed and sold throughout the world. It will offer exposure and success to hundreds of thousands of artists instead of a privileged few. Today’s creative minds are opinionated, New Media has spurred an era of voice and choice, and talent is speaking loudly.
If you haven’t browsed around the site, do so! Sign up to be a beta tester for talentdatabase.com and get involved in the new generation of creative expression.
Namaste
barbee
Zack was raised in the small industrial town of Richmond, Indiana. Art was not prevalent in his home outside of some painting that his mother had dabbled in, in her youth. Sometime around 7 or 8 years old his parents were going through divorce, and it was then he would discover an interest in the arts. It was a babysitter that shared this common interest and would stimulate his creative appetite. She taught him how to draw and model with clay and by the time he was 11 he would be ready for his first encounter with film. His father bought a Sony HI-8 handi cam and Zack cut his directorial teeth filming clay animation. He taught himself how to work the camera to get his desired result. When he got to middle school, he already had a few animated shorts under his wing and was enjoying the process of movie making. In school, when presented with a book report or science project, he would request to make a movie instead. His teachers were accommodating, and despite the fact that it was a considerable amount more work, it was worth it because he enjoyed the creative process.
In 1994, Zack saw Pulp Fiction and this would be a turning point in his understanding of movie content and what a director was. It was unlike anything he had ever seen and he was rather intrigued by Quentin Tarentino. The fact that he was an independent director, producing quality content without following “the formula” was inspiring. He didn’t come from money, and worked in videos stores as a kid, illuminating the concept that one could actually make a living out of this. Zack realized that his own passion could actually be a job! He respected his father and his business but had no intention of following in his footsteps. He had his own dream to live.
Despite being sheltered from movies like The Shining and The Exorcist, he was drawn to horror movies. It was thrilling to be frightened, and he would do movies with his friends just so he could do the make-up and special FX. Eventually, he found he enjoyed the making of the movie more and began to evolve to a new plateau of filmmaking. He enrolled in every art class that he could and also attended a radio and television class. Zack was able to incorporate his radio and television as his study hall and spent most of his spare time learning to edit. He found that he learned the most from watching movies as he understood the “language” of cinema. While in school, he met fellow student Brandon Owens in gym class, and a budding partnership had sprung. Brandon had actually made a real movie, a mixture of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, entitled…”Reservoir Fiction”. It had impressed Zack, “This movie had credits and everything”. For a class assignment, he was required to make a video. The other kids made 5 minute videos. He and Brandon teamed together and produced a 60 min film. When it came to the grade it was a definite A, yet they felt like it was worth much more!
The experience they had extracted from making their movie was beyond the grade.
Zack would be the first in his family to attended college. He enrolled at Ball State University under the impression that they had a film program but found it to be more of a broadcasting school than a film school. Although alumni David Letterman had put some financing into the broadcasting department, his hunger for filmmaking would not be satiated at this college. In his freshman year, he met a senior, Jen Schaffer, who was starting a student run production company. He submitted an English project as his script to be considered for production. Out of twenty or so entries, his was chosen. The script was entitled, Sanity, about a day in the life of a paranoid schizophrenic. Jen asked if he wanted to direct the film as well and Zack obligingly accepted the task.
His film would be shot over summer break so every possible minute until then would be spent gleaning all the knowledge he could on becoming a director. He started attending more movies than ever, got all the books on directing that he could, and attended an acting class to “better understand the language of actors”. His new venture required 100% of his focus. He stopped attending classes and stayed up nights on end absorbing information. It was through the editing major assigned to edit his film, that he learned “non-linear” editing and we was even given the opportunity to edit some of his own work. The film was shot in black and white and showcased to the student body with about a 50/50 approval rating. Some people just didn’t get it, and thought it was “like a foreign film”.
Some did get it, and one of those people happened to be a new teacher who was a working director in LA. He had come to Ball State to teach a new directing class and insisted Zack attend his class. He was able to pull some strings so that the second year freshman could attend his senior level directing class. Upon completion of his class, the teacher said Zack had learned all he could in the sleepy town of Richmond and needed to head west to LA. He knew he still had a few more years left to complete his degree at Ball State, so he started working on his first feature intending on shooting it there. In the meantime, Zack gathered his college savings and any monies he had and headed out west. He ended up getting a job, no pay, as a PA for Roger Corman in LA. He started by sweeping the lots, parking cars, making friends with the crew. Despite the lack of income, he was assured three meals a day on the set.
He signed up for UCLA extension classes where he took Producing classes so he could meet up and coming producers. He really had no desire to produce his own films, so it seemed the intelligent thing to do was to associate himself with tomorrows producers. He was 19 at the time while the other students, in their 30’s, were experienced professionals. This was another situation where he was attending advanced classes trying to prove himself to his peers. He pitched his idea for his feature Inexchange and found an interested party to produce his movie. He promptly returned to Indiana to start casting.
Zack had now begun the next process of manifesting his first feature. To his surprise, the investor later decided that she was not going to be able to finance his movie. He was back in Indiana, no job and no movie and he had to let everyone already cast know it wasn’t going to happen, for now. It seems, those Producing classes had more meaning in his life than just for networking. Now he had to learn how to produce his own movie. He came to the realization that “no one was going to give me a movie” “no production studio was going to beat down his door and beg him to make his film”. He would start the learning curve by producing two shorts, one was written and directed by his friend, Brandon Owens and was entitled, Liquidate. The other short, Deception…he wrote and directed, and was accepted at the Slam Dunk Film Festival, the third largest film festival to play along Sundance.
When asked how he is different from another director he retorted, “Out of every story that has been told the only thing original thing you can bring is yourself.” There are bits of him in everything he does. His inspirations are Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski and Alfred Hitchcock and believes them to be “true innovators” of film. Zack believes that his current project is always his best as he is always learning and growing. He looks at everything he has done and sees how to improve on the next project. His ultimate goal is to be able to make films with as little interference as possible. It’s not surprising to find that he is also his own business manager and has created his own business plan that he follows to the letter. In his mind you have to do what you say you are going to do.
Every time he makes a movie, he generates more contacts and new friends. This is necessary in the business of independent filmmaking. If you want to produce your own movies, and don’t have a huge pool of resources, you have to be resourceful. In this organic world of movie making, one has to inspire others that are passionate about your artistic vision. You have to know when to call in favors. The trick is working with a small budget but making it look like you have spent much more. This process will include bringing people on that are new in their fields and need experience, but there are areas you have to know where to spend the money and hire the people that can make or break your film. So where does the money come from? He puts no money up front, but finds investors that wish to see his work completed. When the film makes money, the investors make their investment back plus 5%, contract deferments are paid out, and the remaining is split 50/50 between he and the investors.
I asked him how he sees the Internet as a tool for movie making. He said that the Internet in an invaluable tool in getting your work to a much larger fan base. Myspace has been a huge networking tool which has led to 11 other countries have selling rights to Inexchange. He was unsure about whether or not he likes the concept of people downloading his movies, i.e. being more accessible and cheaper. In his mind, movies are meant to be watched in a theatre. It’s not just the size that matters, but the group energy that adds to the whole experience.
In closing, his words of advice to young filmmakers are, “Take a good look at everything that is accessible to you and go ahead and make your movie. So much is available as far as technology goes that you can’t fail if you don’t quit. If you keep trying you don’t fail.”
His second feature, entitled Quench, is premiering June 30th in Richmond, Indiana. After this it will go straight to various film festivals so it can gain a buzz before presentation to distributon companies. The film is so different than anything currently out there that it doesn’t fit in any genre and most distributors won’t know how to market it. So he will get the public interested in it first and let it create it’s own genre.
Movie stills and behind the scenes shots
QUENCH- Teaser Trailer
Add to My Profile | More Videos
**
((if the above cannot embed in the article, the please link to here for the trailer URL:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2032200864)) **
Zack can be found here:
talentdatabase.com
alongthetracks.com
Myspace.com
I want to thank Zack Parker for sharing his insight and experiences.Also thanks to talentspeaks.com and talentdatabase.com hosting arenas for creative expression. If you don’t know what it’s all about, here is a summary:
Talent Speaks is a web discussion that explores how advancements in electronic networking and digital technologies are quickly creating opportunities that will empower independent artists to achieve success through self promotion. As the Internet continues to evolve with far-reaching networking tools, artists now have an unrestricted ability to promote themselves to the global audience. New Media methods are creating a New System that allows artists (musicians, designers, photographers, writers, etc) to deal directly with consumers, bypassing the traditional hurdles of an outdated art and entertainment industry. As a result, scores of independent creatives will benefit both professionally and financially, to achieve success through their networking efforts and the support of their fans.
This forum serves as a sounding board for the world’s emerging talent pool and as a pilot study for a new, visionary web-based talent program called theInspirit. Once launched, theInspirit will teach the ‘art of self-promotion” and encourage creative artists to network with buyers and fans around the world. Through the use of a proprietary suite of promotional tools, the program will create immediate exposure and economic opportunity for millions of creative people around the world.
The New System (as opposed to the old) will undoubtedly rewrite how art and entertainment is produced, promoted, distributed and sold throughout the world. It will offer exposure and success to hundreds of thousands of artists instead of a privileged few. Today’s creative minds are opinionated, New Media has spurred an era of voice and choice, and talent is speaking loudly.
If you haven’t browsed around the site, do so! Sign up to be a beta tester for talentdatabase.com and get involved in the new generation of creative expression.
Namaste
barbee
Inside The MInd Of Steve Zuckerman
Inside the mind of Steve Zuckerman.
I recently returned from GEMS (Global Entertainment Media Summit) held in NYC at the December. It was a league of informed creatives with a wealth of knowledge and willing to share. They were warm, connective and there of their own accord. They were there to offer their insights about a changing industry of the arts and answer all the questions that the audience has to offer. They were giants, so to speak, that showed that they were just people, like everyone else and were interested in see other creative people find their way in what they love to do. All in all it was a wonderful experience.
Steve Zuckerman had produced this event. This was his brainchild. I have to give this man kudos for the execution of such a fine product. It generated the passion of change.
I asked him for an interview and we spoke over the phone as to make sure and get the full vibe of what he had to say ☺
So here we are in the mind of Steve:
When Steve was four he was first influenced buy Ed Sullivan introducing the Beatles. It had made such an impact on him that he wanted to BE Ed. He wanted to showcase new talent. Later he would be introduced to Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and he then wanted to be Don Kirshner and introduce new talent. The creative endeavor of Henry Fonda in 1962 a movie entitled “Fail-Safe” literally changed his life forever. The movie showed him the “ecology of life” and how society lives in lies and fear. He then produced his first event in his junior high school, an Ecology Festival.
Steve decided he wanted to be in “the industry” and created reasons for the right people to talk to him. He pushed himself into the areas of his interest. Yet, he would create a concept, well executed ideas and present them to the people that he wanted to be involved. This requires research. Steve said that he uses the Internet as an essential tool for research. He looks at several different sites every day and sees what people are saying. When he finds those like minds he contacts them via email and sometimes though a phone call. He partners up with different business partners who share a common principle but maintains creative control. Why? Because he has earned it ☺
What is inspiring Steve today? He is inspired by the things that he loves and compelled to move and change the things that he dislikes. One such thing, in particular, that irritates him is the palpable sellout of Rolling Stone Magazine. This was a magazine that had its roots in San Francisco, Haight Ashbury hippie district, counter culture. Now they have a reality show that finds its writers based on who gets voted off, or who is the most popular. It now seems to be embracing the current fad of pop-culture.
He is in dismay at the American culture and the tolerance of the “here today and gone tomorrow” concept. Immersed in the common vote, it sees that the magazine has lost its roots, its core incentive. He understands that all things must change and should! You can, however, maintain your core beliefs and continue in today’s world maintaining your original intent and produce more “investigative journalism and take more of a political stance”.
What is he doing now? He is busy with Bob Kosch and Roger Corman creating a new media company called Total Access Live. It is a company based on old core industry values on today’s changing platform. It serves to empower the people with information from renowned sources. Its desire is to improve the way artists are educated.
I asked him what is it about what he does that is different from other promoters. His reply was, “They work! Kind of live making a watch and putting all the pieces together to create a working instrument.”
A few extra tidbits:
What is your definition of success?
SZ: Being able to do what you love, know who you are, leave a positive impact on others, know you are still evolving and know that what you believe in today may change tomorrow.
What are some special projects or events that stand out and are special to you?
SZ: 1. Playing piano at a nursing home for thirteen years at Thanksgiving.
2. Being introduced on stage, for the first time, by Howard Bloom as a musician after being interwoven in it for 28 years.
In your opinion, who are some of the most influential artists in the last 50 years?
SZ: James Brown, Sly Stone, Buddy Holly, Steve Earl, Kurt Vonnegut, Susan Sarandon…to name a few
All these people had the intention of true creative expression and not trying to fit into a popular mold.
I would like to thank Steve for his interview. He is a warm energy with the pure intent to change his world and leave his mark. Also thanks to talent speaks.com and theInspirit.com for the arena for creative expression. If you don’t know what it’s all about a summary is:
Talent Speaks is a web discussion that explores how advancements in electronic networking and digital technologies are quickly creating opportunities that will empower independent artists to achieve success through self promotion. As the Internet continues to evolve with far-reaching networking tools, artists now have an unrestricted ability to promote themselves to the global audience. New Media methods are creating a New System that allows artists (musicians, designers, photographers, writers, etc) to deal directly with consumers, bypassing the traditional hurdles of an outdated art and entertainment industry. As a result, scores of independent creatives will benefit both professionally and financially, to achieve success through their networking efforts and the support of their fans.
This forum serves as a sounding board for the world's emerging talent pool and as a pilot study for a new, visionary web-based talent program called theInspirit. Once launched, theInspirit will teach the 'art of self-promotion" and encourage creative artists to network with buyers and fans around the world. Through the use of a proprietary suite of promotional tools, the program will create immediate exposure and economic opportunity for millions of creative people around the world.
The New System (as opposed to the old) will undoubtedly rewrite how art and entertainment is produced, promoted, distributed and sold throughout the world. It will offer exposure and success to hundreds of thousands of artists instead of a privileged few. Today's creative minds are opinionated, New Media has spurred an era of voice and choice, and talent is speaking loudly.
If you haven’t browsed around the site, do so! Sign up to be a beta tester for theInspirit.com and get involved in the new generation of creative expression ☺
Namaste
barbee
I recently returned from GEMS (Global Entertainment Media Summit) held in NYC at the December. It was a league of informed creatives with a wealth of knowledge and willing to share. They were warm, connective and there of their own accord. They were there to offer their insights about a changing industry of the arts and answer all the questions that the audience has to offer. They were giants, so to speak, that showed that they were just people, like everyone else and were interested in see other creative people find their way in what they love to do. All in all it was a wonderful experience.
Steve Zuckerman had produced this event. This was his brainchild. I have to give this man kudos for the execution of such a fine product. It generated the passion of change.
I asked him for an interview and we spoke over the phone as to make sure and get the full vibe of what he had to say ☺
So here we are in the mind of Steve:
When Steve was four he was first influenced buy Ed Sullivan introducing the Beatles. It had made such an impact on him that he wanted to BE Ed. He wanted to showcase new talent. Later he would be introduced to Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and he then wanted to be Don Kirshner and introduce new talent. The creative endeavor of Henry Fonda in 1962 a movie entitled “Fail-Safe” literally changed his life forever. The movie showed him the “ecology of life” and how society lives in lies and fear. He then produced his first event in his junior high school, an Ecology Festival.
Steve decided he wanted to be in “the industry” and created reasons for the right people to talk to him. He pushed himself into the areas of his interest. Yet, he would create a concept, well executed ideas and present them to the people that he wanted to be involved. This requires research. Steve said that he uses the Internet as an essential tool for research. He looks at several different sites every day and sees what people are saying. When he finds those like minds he contacts them via email and sometimes though a phone call. He partners up with different business partners who share a common principle but maintains creative control. Why? Because he has earned it ☺
What is inspiring Steve today? He is inspired by the things that he loves and compelled to move and change the things that he dislikes. One such thing, in particular, that irritates him is the palpable sellout of Rolling Stone Magazine. This was a magazine that had its roots in San Francisco, Haight Ashbury hippie district, counter culture. Now they have a reality show that finds its writers based on who gets voted off, or who is the most popular. It now seems to be embracing the current fad of pop-culture.
He is in dismay at the American culture and the tolerance of the “here today and gone tomorrow” concept. Immersed in the common vote, it sees that the magazine has lost its roots, its core incentive. He understands that all things must change and should! You can, however, maintain your core beliefs and continue in today’s world maintaining your original intent and produce more “investigative journalism and take more of a political stance”.
What is he doing now? He is busy with Bob Kosch and Roger Corman creating a new media company called Total Access Live. It is a company based on old core industry values on today’s changing platform. It serves to empower the people with information from renowned sources. Its desire is to improve the way artists are educated.
I asked him what is it about what he does that is different from other promoters. His reply was, “They work! Kind of live making a watch and putting all the pieces together to create a working instrument.”
A few extra tidbits:
What is your definition of success?
SZ: Being able to do what you love, know who you are, leave a positive impact on others, know you are still evolving and know that what you believe in today may change tomorrow.
What are some special projects or events that stand out and are special to you?
SZ: 1. Playing piano at a nursing home for thirteen years at Thanksgiving.
2. Being introduced on stage, for the first time, by Howard Bloom as a musician after being interwoven in it for 28 years.
In your opinion, who are some of the most influential artists in the last 50 years?
SZ: James Brown, Sly Stone, Buddy Holly, Steve Earl, Kurt Vonnegut, Susan Sarandon…to name a few
All these people had the intention of true creative expression and not trying to fit into a popular mold.
I would like to thank Steve for his interview. He is a warm energy with the pure intent to change his world and leave his mark. Also thanks to talent speaks.com and theInspirit.com for the arena for creative expression. If you don’t know what it’s all about a summary is:
Talent Speaks is a web discussion that explores how advancements in electronic networking and digital technologies are quickly creating opportunities that will empower independent artists to achieve success through self promotion. As the Internet continues to evolve with far-reaching networking tools, artists now have an unrestricted ability to promote themselves to the global audience. New Media methods are creating a New System that allows artists (musicians, designers, photographers, writers, etc) to deal directly with consumers, bypassing the traditional hurdles of an outdated art and entertainment industry. As a result, scores of independent creatives will benefit both professionally and financially, to achieve success through their networking efforts and the support of their fans.
This forum serves as a sounding board for the world's emerging talent pool and as a pilot study for a new, visionary web-based talent program called theInspirit. Once launched, theInspirit will teach the 'art of self-promotion" and encourage creative artists to network with buyers and fans around the world. Through the use of a proprietary suite of promotional tools, the program will create immediate exposure and economic opportunity for millions of creative people around the world.
The New System (as opposed to the old) will undoubtedly rewrite how art and entertainment is produced, promoted, distributed and sold throughout the world. It will offer exposure and success to hundreds of thousands of artists instead of a privileged few. Today's creative minds are opinionated, New Media has spurred an era of voice and choice, and talent is speaking loudly.
If you haven’t browsed around the site, do so! Sign up to be a beta tester for theInspirit.com and get involved in the new generation of creative expression ☺
Namaste
barbee
Follow Your Bliss
Follow your bliss. I was watching a behind the scenes documentary recently at The Blue Man Group and the founders were discussing what inspired them to get started. One important concept that empowered them was to “follow your bliss” and today seems to be the essence of their shows. This is something I can relate to.
Ten years ago I stepped out of the corporate structure and followed my bliss and decided to make a living as an artist. The most wonderful thing about doing what you love and living a job of self expression is the journey, not the end result. It is a beautiful concept to give of yourself, communicate and to make a living at it. Everyday is my job and who I am. It takes a tremendous amount of tenacity, will and determination to create yourself as a commodity. You work much harder than you would for another as we have ourselves to satiate. When you are your own commodity you have the power to determine the quality of what you have to offer. In this day and age we are so much more empowered to create the outcome of our artistic future.
There is only a minute percent of the society that is being sold to us as artistic expression and I don’t believe it represents my tastes. The same song drones on the radio, the same formula of action hero garbage is on the theatre screen and there is general lack luster of entertainment in the mainstream. I stopped watching TV, listening to the radio and reading the paper because to me it was all rubbish. I am not a hermit that lives in a cave but I tend to select how I entertain myself a bit differently than what the “market” is selling. I see local bands that are amazing and should most certainly be heard globally. I read articles and stories posted on the internet by “unknown” writers that are very intriguing and informative. I communicate with my community as to what other people have found to capture their interests. I have been immersed in scads more culture by being a part of it instead of just paying my X amount of dollars to see what has been deemed as entertainment. This is an incredible time to express yourself, and make a living at it. With the emergence of the internet, email, social networks and the ever growing distaste of how things have been done, we are in an era that is seeking true creativity. It’s the corporate buzzword and what people are seeking. At one time you had to get through someone’s “people” to have audience with them and now you are as close as a click of a button. A new way of connecting is moving in and it puts the ball in your court. I have been able to be in front of people that I would have never imagined because of the accessibility due to the electronic age. If people can preview who you are and what you do online, then THEY can decide if you have what they want.
I searched my interests, joined social networks and started submitting my stuff anywhere and everywhere and the ball began to roll. You have to be proactive, consistent and determined to showcase your talents in every possible arena. You don’t have to be dead to be appreciated as an artist! You constantly have to put your energy out and IT WILL COME BACK! It seldom comes back the way you expect it but it always comes back.
Here are some of the avenues I have taken:
Google alerts are awesome! You simply key in precise words i.e.: “writer needed” and it will scour all that has been posted on the web and send you alerts in your email. This has proven to be a very valuable tool for me.
After doing Google searches for henna and artists as well as photography, eventually I was asked to submit my work for this issue of The Art Fix.
(pic) I also had an entry accepted for another issue of The Art Fix
By joining a photo sharing network flickr.com, I submitted to JPG magazine and was accepted.
By sending out press releases every time I do a show, eventually someone showed up and did a story on me
Orlando sentinel (located through my website under Press)
http://www.barbeecain.com/main.html
I was asked by a filmmaker at one of my shows to be the subject of a documentary and held a show at The AKA, in Orlando, teamed up with other creative types and created a show to preview the film. I invited the media once again and they came.
(picture) I got a job filming a couple of TV shows from an online ad
I did a film from online casting site mandy.com
I was asked to be a part of Soulclipse the solar eclipse in Turkey via a fellow photographer that I had met on Tribe.net
barbee
www.barbeecain.com
Ten years ago I stepped out of the corporate structure and followed my bliss and decided to make a living as an artist. The most wonderful thing about doing what you love and living a job of self expression is the journey, not the end result. It is a beautiful concept to give of yourself, communicate and to make a living at it. Everyday is my job and who I am. It takes a tremendous amount of tenacity, will and determination to create yourself as a commodity. You work much harder than you would for another as we have ourselves to satiate. When you are your own commodity you have the power to determine the quality of what you have to offer. In this day and age we are so much more empowered to create the outcome of our artistic future.
There is only a minute percent of the society that is being sold to us as artistic expression and I don’t believe it represents my tastes. The same song drones on the radio, the same formula of action hero garbage is on the theatre screen and there is general lack luster of entertainment in the mainstream. I stopped watching TV, listening to the radio and reading the paper because to me it was all rubbish. I am not a hermit that lives in a cave but I tend to select how I entertain myself a bit differently than what the “market” is selling. I see local bands that are amazing and should most certainly be heard globally. I read articles and stories posted on the internet by “unknown” writers that are very intriguing and informative. I communicate with my community as to what other people have found to capture their interests. I have been immersed in scads more culture by being a part of it instead of just paying my X amount of dollars to see what has been deemed as entertainment. This is an incredible time to express yourself, and make a living at it. With the emergence of the internet, email, social networks and the ever growing distaste of how things have been done, we are in an era that is seeking true creativity. It’s the corporate buzzword and what people are seeking. At one time you had to get through someone’s “people” to have audience with them and now you are as close as a click of a button. A new way of connecting is moving in and it puts the ball in your court. I have been able to be in front of people that I would have never imagined because of the accessibility due to the electronic age. If people can preview who you are and what you do online, then THEY can decide if you have what they want.
I searched my interests, joined social networks and started submitting my stuff anywhere and everywhere and the ball began to roll. You have to be proactive, consistent and determined to showcase your talents in every possible arena. You don’t have to be dead to be appreciated as an artist! You constantly have to put your energy out and IT WILL COME BACK! It seldom comes back the way you expect it but it always comes back.
Here are some of the avenues I have taken:
Google alerts are awesome! You simply key in precise words i.e.: “writer needed” and it will scour all that has been posted on the web and send you alerts in your email. This has proven to be a very valuable tool for me.
After doing Google searches for henna and artists as well as photography, eventually I was asked to submit my work for this issue of The Art Fix.
(pic) I also had an entry accepted for another issue of The Art Fix
By joining a photo sharing network flickr.com, I submitted to JPG magazine and was accepted.
By sending out press releases every time I do a show, eventually someone showed up and did a story on me
Orlando sentinel (located through my website under Press)
http://www.barbeecain.com/main.html
I was asked by a filmmaker at one of my shows to be the subject of a documentary and held a show at The AKA, in Orlando, teamed up with other creative types and created a show to preview the film. I invited the media once again and they came.
(picture) I got a job filming a couple of TV shows from an online ad
I did a film from online casting site mandy.com
I was asked to be a part of Soulclipse the solar eclipse in Turkey via a fellow photographer that I had met on Tribe.net
barbee
www.barbeecain.com
Tastes Like Turkey!
my time is nearing an end in this jewel of a place.
I have just left my rooftop breakfast and çay (turkish tea)
yesterday was spent milling about around the city. I had to buy some proper clothing as i had nothing to wear because everything i owned had been muddied by the festival. I left my laundry at the desk and it has returned to me today clean and folded….way…. SO WAY!
I bought some turkish tablecloths and made some clothing out of them… very fashionista! I had coffee on the rocks…literally… on these enormous rocks jettisoning from the Mediterranean sea, a cafe makes its home. You can sit and have drinks and some bread with tomatoes … cheese and cukes and sun or swim or just chat and watch the boats go by. today my power puff possie, reppin australia,brazil, manchester and the FLA are planning to head back to our “rockin” cafe and do some swimming… drinking and chillin with the owner, Omar. It is absolutely the most wonderful place and watching the med sparkle like a million diamonds is insane. We are then off to a 15th century turkish bath that includes being totally scrubbed,oiled,rubbed and saunaed. I am looking forward to this immensely. I also want to work a tour of athena and apollo´s temples. there are so many things to see and so little time but i am thankful for what i have been able to take in. Another amazing experience is walking through the city and several times a day the most elegant prayers are sung from a loud speaker echoing throughout the city streets. It indicates it is time to pray. I feels so ancient and I like to close my eyes and just let it resonate through my brain. i took a video of the old town gate and the prayer song… it was stunning. Turkey is so diverse and truly democratic. It is a muslim country that maintains it’s separation of church and state and people live in peace with their differences. You can pray; not pray, drink, not drink, wear head covering or not. Shopping is a social experience. I end up at the end of the day drinking my body weight in tea and learning so much about different people and their cultures and extending my global family profoundly. I would love to come here often!!! it is simply breathtaking and full of the most wonderful people, food, culture, visual treasures and surprises.
i have taken 2000 photos so far and i am so anxious to share them…
I know as well that after faring the festival and all it brought us in challenges, that i am a bad ass mutha!
I have just left my rooftop breakfast and çay (turkish tea)
yesterday was spent milling about around the city. I had to buy some proper clothing as i had nothing to wear because everything i owned had been muddied by the festival. I left my laundry at the desk and it has returned to me today clean and folded….way…. SO WAY!
I bought some turkish tablecloths and made some clothing out of them… very fashionista! I had coffee on the rocks…literally… on these enormous rocks jettisoning from the Mediterranean sea, a cafe makes its home. You can sit and have drinks and some bread with tomatoes … cheese and cukes and sun or swim or just chat and watch the boats go by. today my power puff possie, reppin australia,brazil, manchester and the FLA are planning to head back to our “rockin” cafe and do some swimming… drinking and chillin with the owner, Omar. It is absolutely the most wonderful place and watching the med sparkle like a million diamonds is insane. We are then off to a 15th century turkish bath that includes being totally scrubbed,oiled,rubbed and saunaed. I am looking forward to this immensely. I also want to work a tour of athena and apollo´s temples. there are so many things to see and so little time but i am thankful for what i have been able to take in. Another amazing experience is walking through the city and several times a day the most elegant prayers are sung from a loud speaker echoing throughout the city streets. It indicates it is time to pray. I feels so ancient and I like to close my eyes and just let it resonate through my brain. i took a video of the old town gate and the prayer song… it was stunning. Turkey is so diverse and truly democratic. It is a muslim country that maintains it’s separation of church and state and people live in peace with their differences. You can pray; not pray, drink, not drink, wear head covering or not. Shopping is a social experience. I end up at the end of the day drinking my body weight in tea and learning so much about different people and their cultures and extending my global family profoundly. I would love to come here often!!! it is simply breathtaking and full of the most wonderful people, food, culture, visual treasures and surprises.
i have taken 2000 photos so far and i am so anxious to share them…
I know as well that after faring the festival and all it brought us in challenges, that i am a bad ass mutha!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Saturday, February 11, 2006
size matters glass is my friend
June 12th 2005 (original post)
Still in Forth worth heading for the zoo, our Texas stay has been quite the long one so far. I am anticipating leaving despite the fact that I adore Amy and Brian and their kids. Christian is having fun playing with some kids his own age as well. They are just the coolest of people! Nonetheless I am getting ancy about heading west. It is a strange feeling to be out of civilization en mass, a tighter bond is created with your present community (family) and you tend to be prone to be happy together. I am happy with my family no matter where we are but when all the obstacles of society are removed, the TV, the radio…all of what modern technology has for us to “keep connected” you tend to cleave to one another for enjoyment. Those advances in our technological world tend to serve as distractions and separate us. The ability to just BE is much harder and the desire to DO is much stronger.
Later…
We left the zoo and just ate at Macaroni Grille. We had a wonderful meal and now we are all stuffed. The kids had some gift certificates that their dad had given them so it made eating for 5 and getting stuffed affordable…still on this blasted budget J We all were ridiculously hungry and thirsty after 1 ½ hours at the zoo. It is very hot in mid day Texas; I seriously wouldn’t doubt the potential of frying an egg on the pavement. I did get a lot of nice pics of the animals panting. They were so obviously hot. In one respect, it is awesome to have the wild so attainable and up close and safe from being in harms way. I was viewing the white Bengal tigers through the heavy Plexiglas, actually I was coming around the corner and saw the two tigers from a distance hanging out with one another. In something I would describe as a split second, one tiger had spotted me and came lunging toward the window. A moment ago it was wayyyy over there, the next, it was right in my face. I didn’t get the feeling that it was coming over to say “hi” or get it’s picture taken, this was a predatory lunge. I was saying my thanks to the wonders of thick Plexiglas or whatever separated me from emanate doom. I wasn’t freaked about it, just noted that this tiger was operating on an instinct… it saw me through the clear glass and was going for it. I am glad it still had that instinct and hadn’t been completely jaded to the zoo experience. Although having the “wild” so attainable it does sadden me that we have plagued the earth with such fervor that it’s other inhabitants have to live behind restrictive barriers and their natural ways altered for our convenience…. very similar to how we treated the Native Americans. It was bizarre to see the same inhabitants in the zoo that we did in the wild. I actually killed a baby scorpion that was crawling on Scotty’s collar, sorry fella… we don’t need no stinking scorpion bites and you were heading for the neck… R.I.P…. It seems we have been in Texas forever and yet is has been a week +. It is so incredibly large. the first day we headed out, we were in four states and now we are in Texas a week has flown by. It’s 106 degrees and it’s 7 pm, it was probably 120 degrees earlier today. We are heading to New Mexico tonight. Christian has befriended Amy and Brian’s kids and one of them is 8, as he is, and they have very similar personalities… they have dubbed one another as twins, interestingly enough Amy and I feel the same about each other.. who knew? We just pulled off the most phenomenal shoot of the four elements. It is another milestone achievement that I feel wicked cool about! For the record, Texas IS the land of donuts! I have never, in my life seen so many donut shops… kind of like coffee shops in Seattle!
for more pics go here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbee/sets/637921/
Still in Forth worth heading for the zoo, our Texas stay has been quite the long one so far. I am anticipating leaving despite the fact that I adore Amy and Brian and their kids. Christian is having fun playing with some kids his own age as well. They are just the coolest of people! Nonetheless I am getting ancy about heading west. It is a strange feeling to be out of civilization en mass, a tighter bond is created with your present community (family) and you tend to be prone to be happy together. I am happy with my family no matter where we are but when all the obstacles of society are removed, the TV, the radio…all of what modern technology has for us to “keep connected” you tend to cleave to one another for enjoyment. Those advances in our technological world tend to serve as distractions and separate us. The ability to just BE is much harder and the desire to DO is much stronger.
Later…
We left the zoo and just ate at Macaroni Grille. We had a wonderful meal and now we are all stuffed. The kids had some gift certificates that their dad had given them so it made eating for 5 and getting stuffed affordable…still on this blasted budget J We all were ridiculously hungry and thirsty after 1 ½ hours at the zoo. It is very hot in mid day Texas; I seriously wouldn’t doubt the potential of frying an egg on the pavement. I did get a lot of nice pics of the animals panting. They were so obviously hot. In one respect, it is awesome to have the wild so attainable and up close and safe from being in harms way. I was viewing the white Bengal tigers through the heavy Plexiglas, actually I was coming around the corner and saw the two tigers from a distance hanging out with one another. In something I would describe as a split second, one tiger had spotted me and came lunging toward the window. A moment ago it was wayyyy over there, the next, it was right in my face. I didn’t get the feeling that it was coming over to say “hi” or get it’s picture taken, this was a predatory lunge. I was saying my thanks to the wonders of thick Plexiglas or whatever separated me from emanate doom. I wasn’t freaked about it, just noted that this tiger was operating on an instinct… it saw me through the clear glass and was going for it. I am glad it still had that instinct and hadn’t been completely jaded to the zoo experience. Although having the “wild” so attainable it does sadden me that we have plagued the earth with such fervor that it’s other inhabitants have to live behind restrictive barriers and their natural ways altered for our convenience…. very similar to how we treated the Native Americans. It was bizarre to see the same inhabitants in the zoo that we did in the wild. I actually killed a baby scorpion that was crawling on Scotty’s collar, sorry fella… we don’t need no stinking scorpion bites and you were heading for the neck… R.I.P…. It seems we have been in Texas forever and yet is has been a week +. It is so incredibly large. the first day we headed out, we were in four states and now we are in Texas a week has flown by. It’s 106 degrees and it’s 7 pm, it was probably 120 degrees earlier today. We are heading to New Mexico tonight. Christian has befriended Amy and Brian’s kids and one of them is 8, as he is, and they have very similar personalities… they have dubbed one another as twins, interestingly enough Amy and I feel the same about each other.. who knew? We just pulled off the most phenomenal shoot of the four elements. It is another milestone achievement that I feel wicked cool about! For the record, Texas IS the land of donuts! I have never, in my life seen so many donut shops… kind of like coffee shops in Seattle!
for more pics go here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbee/sets/637921/
Ego let God out of the box
Ego is our teacher, without it we have no limitations… without limitations, all things are possible. Ego is necessary to teach us worth, value and uniqueness. However, if we decide to offset our strive for the balance of polarities then we will not learn what is needed to learn from our teacher. Look at the patterns we keep creating or “the things that keep happening to us” whether we create them or they just keep showing up, when you take notice, you can find out what each situation hold for you to extract the marrow. When there is an absence of limitation, all things exist as ONE. It is God, out of the box. We try and constrain that concept, yet I AM … IS… no exclusions. SO ego is here to serve us yet if we serve it, we offset the balance… more pain… more suffering,until… you get it.
The great american journey :)
Original date:
June 10th, 2005
After many mini dramas and obstacles we left at @ 1 am and entered Panama City Florida @ 8 am. We did however gain an hour and couldn't get in to Falling Waters park for another hour. The park was home of Florida's largest waterfall. Evidently it was quite large but we didn’t stay long enough to see what it really had to offer. I believe that at least half the crew had anticipation about this journey and a Florida park with mosquitoes and pine trees wasn't holding much excitement. When we started this trip I proclaimed that the only "plan" was to be in Dallas by the 10th for the shoot. That was my only obligation. I wanted to be able to just go with the flow and see where it took us, be open to all possibilities. An interesting observation with this concept is that everyone still has their own expectations and understandings about what's going on and what they want to do. The most vocal usually wins out and that usually leaves the least vocal, irritated or cheated. We are all ( 5people) learning important lessons in communication. We are learning how to assert what we want to do and listen to another's desires as well, then come up with a democratic solution which still requires a certain amount of sacrifice somewhere along the way. Democracy is not always the best solution when all people are not voting. We traveled four states in less than 24 hours: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. We breezed through the French Quarter, bought some post cards, took pictures and then went to Baton Rouge and camped in Tickfaw State Park. We were set up about an hour and already eating dinner. I had driven most of the early part of the trip, through the night and early Am. Night driving is more my bag and I had my ADHD med to keep me focused and not in my own little lala land. Yet, when we finally settled at the end of 24 hours and I had not slept or eaten, I was in meltdown mode. My heart was racing, my body was pissed off at the misuse and the message was clear "EAT AND PARK YOUR BUTT ON THE COT AND TAP A NAP!" Eventually I leveled out and I was listening to all the frogs signing... and I was telling Heather how cool it was to drive through huge fields of fireflies... when Scotty came in to the tent to get us. He insisted that we come outside and escorted us into the black forest canopy and it was aglow with sparkling lights like a well strung Christmas tree. To me, it seemed as if I was in a magical forest or a scene from Ferngully and fairies were converging everywhere! There were also occasional flashes of lightening to further increase the dramatic effect. Pinpoints of light would pop in and out of existence and the sky would flash. We got up and grabbed a bite to eat at our campfire and headed to Lafayette. Once there, we ate @ Prejeans and had the traditional Cajun Cuisine which was sumptuous. We sat in the car trying to plot out our next adventure. The deal is... it's great to be in the moment and just go but we have a SUPER limited budget, so little things like "where do we sleep" are things to consider. Still have not gotten our IRS return and waiting on a check from a henna client. W/O those monies, it makes it much more of a challenge to be spontaneous. We have had a few moments of frustrating communication failure, but looking at the whole picture, I think we are all happy to be where we are. We all feel fortunate to have the opportunity and love one another. We are driving in a Ford freestar together for two months and that... in itself is quite a challenge, one that we are all up to tackle. It's all good. I am enjoying being with my family, seeing new sights and gaining new experience!
June 10th, 2005
After many mini dramas and obstacles we left at @ 1 am and entered Panama City Florida @ 8 am. We did however gain an hour and couldn't get in to Falling Waters park for another hour. The park was home of Florida's largest waterfall. Evidently it was quite large but we didn’t stay long enough to see what it really had to offer. I believe that at least half the crew had anticipation about this journey and a Florida park with mosquitoes and pine trees wasn't holding much excitement. When we started this trip I proclaimed that the only "plan" was to be in Dallas by the 10th for the shoot. That was my only obligation. I wanted to be able to just go with the flow and see where it took us, be open to all possibilities. An interesting observation with this concept is that everyone still has their own expectations and understandings about what's going on and what they want to do. The most vocal usually wins out and that usually leaves the least vocal, irritated or cheated. We are all ( 5people) learning important lessons in communication. We are learning how to assert what we want to do and listen to another's desires as well, then come up with a democratic solution which still requires a certain amount of sacrifice somewhere along the way. Democracy is not always the best solution when all people are not voting. We traveled four states in less than 24 hours: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. We breezed through the French Quarter, bought some post cards, took pictures and then went to Baton Rouge and camped in Tickfaw State Park. We were set up about an hour and already eating dinner. I had driven most of the early part of the trip, through the night and early Am. Night driving is more my bag and I had my ADHD med to keep me focused and not in my own little lala land. Yet, when we finally settled at the end of 24 hours and I had not slept or eaten, I was in meltdown mode. My heart was racing, my body was pissed off at the misuse and the message was clear "EAT AND PARK YOUR BUTT ON THE COT AND TAP A NAP!" Eventually I leveled out and I was listening to all the frogs signing... and I was telling Heather how cool it was to drive through huge fields of fireflies... when Scotty came in to the tent to get us. He insisted that we come outside and escorted us into the black forest canopy and it was aglow with sparkling lights like a well strung Christmas tree. To me, it seemed as if I was in a magical forest or a scene from Ferngully and fairies were converging everywhere! There were also occasional flashes of lightening to further increase the dramatic effect. Pinpoints of light would pop in and out of existence and the sky would flash. We got up and grabbed a bite to eat at our campfire and headed to Lafayette. Once there, we ate @ Prejeans and had the traditional Cajun Cuisine which was sumptuous. We sat in the car trying to plot out our next adventure. The deal is... it's great to be in the moment and just go but we have a SUPER limited budget, so little things like "where do we sleep" are things to consider. Still have not gotten our IRS return and waiting on a check from a henna client. W/O those monies, it makes it much more of a challenge to be spontaneous. We have had a few moments of frustrating communication failure, but looking at the whole picture, I think we are all happy to be where we are. We all feel fortunate to have the opportunity and love one another. We are driving in a Ford freestar together for two months and that... in itself is quite a challenge, one that we are all up to tackle. It's all good. I am enjoying being with my family, seeing new sights and gaining new experience!
Monday, January 16, 2006
eye spy with my piggy tail
i hennaed my hair and now i am one step away from nappy hair girl
i am am red head, sprite vixen girl :)
i am am red head, sprite vixen girl :)
Thursday, November 03, 2005
alex angel
i took a picture of alex at my show and this angel just happened to be right in his profile, imagine that ;)
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