Category Archives: Musings

Daydreaming for the Fuck of it

Insert imaginative expression and possible non sequitur here.

I’m constantly daydreaming. Unfortunately these wonderful and playful aspects of my imagination get met with a pragmatic set of questions:

*Could I get a grant for that?
*How much time would it take to develop into a full piece?
*Do I really need a suspended trapeze that is two feet off the ground that I only use for a 2 second inside joke? Continue reading

The Cult of Optimism within the Hardcore Movement

Image courtesy of Bent Objects by the amazing Terry Border!

The word cult gets thrown around a lot. Whenever someone uses the term it is usually aimed at a group of people who are behaving in such a manner that arouses suspicion. We live in a society, therefore we need each other. It’s pretty simple. We cannot sustain ourselves without other human beings. However we parcel ourselves off into subsets of subsets to find those who seem like-minded. This way we cannot only get things done but we can also establish some level of trust. Once this happens it’s very easy to be persuaded into ways of thinking and feeling that aren’t necessarily your own. Continue reading

Mental Illness is soooo 2012

In the wake of the Newtown shooting there has been a lot of talk about needing to open up the conversation about mental illness. As I started listening to the coverage and conversations I started to get peeved at how the term was being thrown around as if it encapsulated every mental state that may have a negative connotation. As an artist and metalhead it also brings to light the necessity to get clear about the stereotypes associated with being a “creative type”. Continue reading