THE CHURCH BELLS ARE RINGING

It's Sunday morning and the church bells are ringing. Literally. I live across the street from a church and it's ten minutes to 9. The first sermon starts at 9. This same bell has been rung every Sunday for the past 150 years. Nevada City, CA, where I live, was built during the 1850's when they found "gold in them there hills!"

There's something about the sound of that deep, slow clang that I find comforting. I don't know if it's some DNA memory of western culture over hundreds of years, or just the fact that somehow after 8 months of living here, it now says to me, "good morning, it's Sunday!"

I work most Sundays so it's not like it signifies a day off, but I always try to take a walk or do at least one thing to clear my head before the weekly cycle repeats itself. People are more relaxed on Sundays. They sit at cafes or window shop. Traffic isn't as predicable. I like the energy of just walking down the street.

The bell will ring again about 10:15 as a call for the 10:30 sermon. I haven't gone to any sermons yet so I don't know how they are. I haven't even been inside the church. They sold hot dogs there during the Christmas festival and they have events in the back room from time to time. That door is right across the tiny street outside my window.

I'm not Christian or Catholic, so church visits have mostly been limited to weddings and odd special occasions in my life. But I love that big bell ringing. And I love Sundays. I love living next to a landmark. So much history in this small beautiful town.

With 3 new art + music shows booked before the end of the year, my plate is full. My days are mostly filled with painting, new songs, graphic design, and trying to find ways to pay for art show supplies while keeping my lights on. This schedule doesn't care what day of the week the calendar says it is.

It's a great life mostly, but I'm also feeling a lot of pressure. Even painting and music have a lot of logistics involved. I find it difficult to just "turn it on" and "turn it off" during the specified periods quarantined for creativity (if there are any). It lacks a certain romance. But I'm grateful to have as many opportunities as I do, and I plan on making the most of every one with the resources at my disposal.

Somehow on Sunday the load feels lighter. I'll probably be leaving Nevada City soon for work reasons, but I'm going to enjoy this place and those church bells as much as I can until then.

PHEW!

Wow. This year has been quite a blur so far. I finally released my "No Apologies" cd. I also got the idea, booked and delivered my first art & music show. After 3 1/2 months of round the clock working, refining, and learning, i packed my car and drove to LA. With a lot of help, I got it set up and it went amazing. I had no idea how much work it was going to be, but sometimes a little naivete can help us be bold. Or stupid. In this case, I'd call it bold. Maybe because it worked. If it hadn't, I'd be saying it was stupid. Amazing how sometimes just when we need it, the right person or thing shows up.

In spite of all its beauty, the world feels broken and inefficient to me most of the time. But every so often, things just click.

I was able to donate some of the proceeds from the show to the frostig center to help children with learning disabilities. It felt great to do. I'm really enjoying painting, and pursuing all the new ideas i have now as well. My world and my mind are open. And now that I got a little sleep, I'm interested to see what's next. More art shows are in the works, new multimedia ideas, songs, and a shorter stint in europe beginning in a week or so. Goin' back to Dali's house!

Got Shine?

I had to go down to LA for a few days for some meetings and a couple of cowriting sessions. After living in LA for so long, it felt strange to be flying in for a visit. But it felt good. I'm loving living in the mountains right now. New ideas are flowing in every day. This is quickly turning into one of the most creative periods of my life.

I was hungry (what else is new?) at the airport and had some free time before boarding, so I grabbed a burrito at La Salsa in the food court in my terminal. I was sitting eating my lunch when I noticed a little shoe shine stand to my left. Shoe shine stands are pretty common in a lot of airports, but the girl who was working there was a whole different story. Black hat. Leopard scarf. Patent leather apron. And light blue eyes with a vibe you could feel from the Cinnabon to the Mongolian BBQ. Just looking at her made me smile.

I finished my lunch wondering if she'd let me take her picture. She was inspiring and would be a great painting. It's hard for me to ask people sometimes because they tend to have no idea how interesting they are and wonder why I'd want their picture. Then I have to explain how fabulous they are, and because they don't believe it themselves, they almost never believe me. And then IF they say "yes", the picture is uncomfortable and forced. I guess my technique needs improvement.

I figured it was worth trying though, so I walked up and asked this girl. At first she looked at me weird and was probably wondering what my deal was. Was I creepy? Was I trying to pick her up? She thought for a minute then said "if you get your shoes shined, you can take my picture."

"How much?"

"$7.50."

"Done."

She obliged the photo below. Her name was Angelina. The back of her shirt said "Got Shine?" and as you can see her last name was a stage name. Evidently she's a "Shine Therapist." She then said that her shift was over and her co-shiner, Michelle, a licensed "Shinologist," would actually be working on my boots. No problem. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer to ask. And I'm glad I was wearing boots. My sneakers wouldn't have allowed this to happen.

Michelle proceeded to not only shine my boots, but make them look better than they did when I brought them home new. While she was working, a man walked up and asked if he could be next. She said yes, and he climbed up on the seat next to me. The chairs were those tall regal old school shining thrones. So there we were. Two kings chatting for a few minutes while Michelle performed her mini miracle on my feet.

Joel was a financial planner with clients in 19 states, and a really cool guy. We talked about the world, music, money, life and the finer points of Davis, California. I got his card, and if I had any finances worth planning, I'd certainly want to call him.

When Michelle finished my boots I shook both their hands and walked away a happy man with a handful of great new memories...and some damn shiny boots. It was the perfect beginning to what turned into a wildly successful trip to LA.

So if you ever find yourself in the Southwest Airlines terminal at Sacramento airport, wear some shoes worth shining. And bring your camera. It'll be worth it.

Before Angelina left, she asked me what I do for a living. When I told her, she got excited and asked if I'd write a blog about my experience. So Angelina, here you go. Thanks for making my day.

WHAT'S THAT? SNOW?

After over 6 months of travel, hotels, couches, extra rooms and floors, I got to say something today that I haven't said since April..."I'm home." I left the city to be closer to nature for awhile and create. I've been working the whole time since I've been moving around and I'm tired. It's been an incredible ride and this new chapter feels good.

I'm in the mountains and it's snowing here right now. For an LA boy like me, this is quite an event.

I spent my 2 months in Los Angeles in meetings and developing an idea I have. Now I'm here in this new place to create new art. New music. I'm excited about what's next for me. My "No Apologies" cd will be released in January and I'm excited about it.

This is something I've always wanted to do. Make a space to simply be with myself with minimal distractions and see what comes up. One more time in my life I'm stepping out of my box. Out of my comfort zone to see how the weather is...and it's a beautiful day.

The Home Depot Art and Hobby Store

I stopped by Home Depot the other day to check on the price of different wood options for some art I'm working on. I'm not exactly the handiest guy in the world, but I love Home Depot. As soon as I start wandering the aisles, I get ideas. Wild, fun and totally bizarre ones...that copper piping would make a great frame with some wire. Or a collage of these vents could be really cool. Maybe that gate would look good on a wall with one of those signs. Or a collage of those signs....It's endless.

So I'm roaming the lumber section and contractors are looking at me funny. They're there for work supplies and I'm in my city boy boots with nice jeans all clean and proper. Inevitably one of the guys that works there comes up, "can I help you, boss?" And I ask about the properties of caulking and whether it could spiral into a cone to make a volcano. Or how to use it to make an igloo. He looks at me, laughs and then tries to answer my question. I bet they get a lot of crazy questions working there...from those contractors, to the clueless "do it yourselfer", to the artists like me. Some of the people that work there really do know a lot. And I'm grateful.

Next time you're bored or in the mood for an adventure, I suggest a visit. Recommended visiting hours are after 10pm if your local store is open that late or weekday afternoons if you're fortunate enough to have the time to go during that window. Try the lumber section. Electrical. Plumbing and lighting.

Open your mind and have fun. A tin man made from foil and metal piping might be just what you need for your garden. Or a giant ball of multicolored tape could work beautifully in that entry way. What says, "I love you. C'mon in and relax" more than that?

Happy Tuesday

I can't believe it's been this long since my last post. Amazing...I find myself in the now familiar position of experiencing so much in the span of such a short time, it's impossible to keep up with my writing. The more I open myself up to my new life, the more it's opening itself to me.

Returning to Los Angeles has been difficult. I'm traveling still which helps (recent adventures include a 10 day Buddhist meditation course and a songwriter event in Colorado), but it's distracting for me here...and I miss Europe...the people, the way of life....the beauty. Not that LA isn't beautiful. It is. But it's not what my soul is calling for right now. I want quiet. I want nature. I want new experiences. I want to create more. So I've decided not to stay. I'm not sure where I'm going yet, but that's not a new concept for me. It'll reveal itself. I'll go on a couple pilgrimages and check it out.

Having had the experiences of the past 5 months has left me altered. I'm still me, but different. I'm not comfortable in my old clothes. I'm not comfortable in my old car. I'm not comfortable in my old city. It's weird, but I've learned to listen to these feelings and roll with them. Trust them. Let the old skin fall away. It's been fun shopping for new clothes. I go into these stores with absolutely no idea what I want. Literally. I wait for something to appeal to me and then I try it on. The sales person always asks "can I help you find something?"

"I don't know what I like anymore. Any suggestions?"

When I do find something, some of it works, and some is ridiculous. The boots I like. The new hat, yes. That scarfy thing at the Levi's store?....not so much. And that electric blue button down shirt was hilarious. It looked good in my mind...what can I say? At least I had the sense not to purchase it. Wish I could say that about that leather vest I bought in the 90's. It sat in my closet abandoned for years. I never took the tag off, but couldn't bring myself to donate it to the Indian Guides.

To say that I'm living in a new headspace is an understatement of apocolyptic proportions, but I can say this. As challenging as what I'm doing is for me, I've never felt so free, both emotionally and physically, calm, creative and content with my life.

Happy Tuesday

The Magic Hat

I lost my hat.
The magic hat.
It's been in almost every picture I've taken of myself on this European trip, as well as in all my videos.
I loved that hat.
I'm thinking of writing a eulogy for it. I either left it or dropped it somewhere around the train station in Marseilles while looking for the bus depot to take me to Aix-en-Provence. I had it. Walked 3 blocks to find the bus and when I there, it was gone. Vanished. And I was too tired to walk back up the hill. I had gone too far and would've had too many places to look. I had to let it go.

That hat could take any ensemble I came up with and make it look good, no matter how silly or questionable my hygeine i was. It was perfect for bad hair days...or when I just didn't want to deal with it. And being that I'm currently on a 10 day trip with only a tiny backpack (didn't want to bring the orange dufflebeast), it was the last shred of vanity I was clinging to. All bets are off now. I'm in hotels, so my skin is clean, but that's about all I can vouch for at this point.

I had to make some tough choices packing this bag. The razor didn't make it. Too heavy. And after 6 threatening emails from Ryanair about the weight limit for my carry on, I wasn't going to risk it. Couldn't I have made a different sacrifice? Perhaps. But 2 pair of pants wasn't going to cut it, and I had to bring all my work stuff.

I'm in Aix-en-Provence right now. Not exactly the fashion capitol of the world, but definitely a shoppers' delight. Unfortunately the only hats I've seen so far would either require me to also purchase a skateboard to have it look right, or I'd have to change my name to Pierre. "The Magic Hat" I loved so much was from Old Navy. Four dollars on the clearance rack, so you never know. I might get lucky. I have a small head though and hats aren't easy for me to find.

It's so hot and dry here, that my dried straw afro hair is right out there for us all to enjoy now. Me and anyone who happens to walk by and look in my general direction.

So the pros and cons of this moment?
Cons
I'm hatless and have bozo the clown hair.
I'm exhausted from not being able to sleep last night. The brain couldn't unplug. I got up at 5:30 for the obligatory urination and never made it back to the promiseland.
Pros
It's Saturday.
It's beautiful here.
It was time for a new look for me anyway.