Michael

It was great to be surrounded by a plethora of artists here in the Houston, Texas Bayou City Arts Festival for two days. The amount of creativity was extraordinary. Paintings, sculpture, photography, glass works, jewelry, wood works, textiles and mixed media were spread out over several city blocks.

I was really inspired not only in my own creative pursuits in photography but in other areas of my life. The large number of vendors opened up my mind to new ideas and concepts. They were a catalyst in shifting my perspective about what is possible and more importantly what I am capable of accomplishing.

I’m always amazed at what the human mind can think and create. The possibilities are truly endless. Seeing the evidence crammed into a small geographical made for an exciting weekend.

I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen.

Look for creativity and you will find it. Practice creativity and you will become it.

Michael

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music. - William Stafford

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. - Vicki Baum

Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another. - Author Unknown

I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance. - George Balanchine

As I said yesterday, I flew into Austin to see my niece dance after working hard in the three week Joffrey Ballet Workshop held in San Antonio, TX every year.

Well, I haven’t seen her dance in almost two years and the progress she has made is dramatic. There were moments where she seemed to defy gravity and float across the stage. How does she do that? I was very impressed.

It’s obvious she enjoys dancing. The glint in her eyes gives it away. The other thing I love is that she is fulfilling a dream. I believe when you do that, your life fundamentally changes in very positive ways. Thanks Morgan! You’ll be bringing a lot of joy to many people with your dancing ability. That’s a really good thing.

A bonus for me: I got to practice some technically challenging photography; i.e. low light, lots of movement and etc. Very fun!

Have a great day!

Michael

Erica and I went to see WALL-E on Monday night. Pixar has done a remarkable job with this film. The animation is superb, detailed and realistic. The character of WALL-E is completely fascinating. You will really believe that he has become partially human.

The movie was uplifting and made us smile and laugh many times. It was quite easy to connect with the characters. WALL-E also highlights possible consequences of our actions as a species on this planet. Nothing wrong with that. Anything to get us thinking about where we are going and what we are doing is okay by me.

I think all ages should see this G rated movie. Enjoy. Smile. Laugh. Be entertained. Think a little.

Have a great day!

Michael

There will be a rain dance Friday night, weather permitting. - George Carlin

I’ve collected a few YouTube videos highlighting some of George’s funnier performances. Again, if you are offended by any his videos, please stop watching.

Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television - Very explicit language! So, be warned now. (10:38 minutes)

All About “Stuff” - Self-explanatory. (5:09 minutes)

On Soft Language - How words and phrases have changed over time. (6:55 minutes) - Very good

Airport Security - Love this one. (8:02 minutes)

Baseball and Football - Differences and some similarities. (4:48 minutes)

The Sanctity of Life - May be religiously offensive to some. (3:45 minutes)

We Like War - Hmmmmm. (2:56 minutes)

Our Similarities - Very good one. (7:52 minutes)

Things that come off your Body - Some gross stuff here, but funny. (10:54 minutes)

I hope you enjoyed these. Here’s to George!

Michael

I was sad to see that George Carlin recently passed away. He was one of my favorite comedians of all times. In celebration of his comic genius I’ve gathered some of what I think are his funniest quotes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Some may trip over the edge of what you may personally find acceptable. All I can is just read past them quickly and move on to the next one.

“I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don’t have as many people who believe it.

If God had intended us not to masturbate he would’ve made our arms shorter.

Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that ...

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.

By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.

What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?

When someone is impatient and says, “I haven’t got all day,” I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

There’s no present. There’s only the immediate future and the recent past.

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me . . they’re cramming for their final exam.

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.

Michael

Last Sunday night, I was pleasantly surprised to watch Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova win the Academy Award for their song called Falling Slowly. Both Glen and Marketa were the stars in the movie Once. It’s a great story about making music, collaboration, budding relationships and following your dreams. This song also has a very special meaning to Erica and me.

According to Glen Hansard, the movie was made in 3 weeks, for $100,000 and shot with two handy cams. What’s amazing is how much the success of the characters following their dreams in the movie was paralleled by their real success outside the movie. Their success should be an inspiration to many artists and others following their dreams.

I really enjoyed Marketa’s comments after accepting the award:

Marketa Irglova:
Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you.

Dare to dream and don’t give up. This song was written from a perspective of hope. Great words to live by, don’t you think?

Watch the movie. Hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Michael

I’ve been working on learning a new song on the guitar for many days now. It hasn’t helped that I’ve been traveling a lot and haven’t had a guitar to practice on. Even so, I was having a difficult time getting the rhythm part which included a lot of single string picking. The more I tried, the more frustrated I got. I decided to take about a week off from playing that part. I wanted to let my frustration cool down.

Tonight, I picked up the guitar and tried the part again. No luck. I was not getting it. My determination only increased. There was no reason I couldn’t get this. So, I played the song several times on my stereo trying to play along with it. I then turned off the stereo and played the part at about half speed.

Viola! I finally saw/felt the pattern of play that I was reaching for. I practiced for about 30 minutes on this one piece. I continually improved over that time. It was a great feeling.

Every time I reach an impasse with my music, I give myself some leeway to make a bunch of mistakes, stay relaxed but focused, believe that I can figure it out and remember that I’m doing this to have fun. Sometimes I have to release my frustration and replace it with some patience, but generally speaking my four part formula works. I use it for other aspects of my life also.

If you are working on something new, just remember my four steps and maybe you will have the breakthrough you are looking for.

Have a great day!

Michael

I have been watching this show because I’m fascinated with people who are pursuing their dreams. I’m interested in how they respond to challenges presented to them, how they feel about their dreams and how they react if their dreams are shattered.

The Fox channel seemed to focus on the despair and agony of the contestants that didn’t make it compared to the ones that did. But, there were clearly two distinct reactions to the message that they had not made the cut. The first group was devastated, cried profusely and stated that their life was ruined or something along those lines. These people had definitely put all their eggs (hopes and dreams) into one basket and were having difficulty dealing with the removal of their dream. Did they have realistic dreams to begin with? Did they want something so much that it blocked out all other items? Did they fail to have backup plans if this didn’t work out? Were they there to have fun or only to have some moments of fleeting fame?

The second group had a completely different attitude when told they had not been picked for the show. Their reactions went something like this: I gave it my best shot, even though that wasn’t good enough to be on the show. I’ll continue to follow this dream. I’ll continue to follow other dreams. I had fun trying. My daughter is the most important part of my life, not being on American Idol. I still have my friends. I still have other parts of my life that are fulfilling to me.

I think we can learn a lot from the second group’s reactions. I believe that these people had developed an inner core of “happiness”, self-esteem and confidence which gave them the strength to deal with any situation that could come their way. All of these people are inspirational in my opinion. It was a pleasure to watch them work through the ups and downs of the competition.

Michael

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. - Buddha

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. - Buddha

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. - Buddha

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

I just finished reading Deepak Chopra’s 2007 book, Buddha - A Story of Enlightenment. It’s a fictionalized account of how Siddhartha The Prince became Gautama The Monk and ultimately Buddha. Buddha was born 563 B.C. as Siddhartha and died in 483 B.C. after spreading his message for over 40 years.

I really enjoyed the story and I feel that Deepak showed immense creativity in piecing together the few known facts about Buddha’s life into a compelling story. Deepak helped to clarify (at least in our imagination) how Buddha came to the message that he spread in the later half of his life. Buddha believed that all of humanity’s problems stemmed from the fact that we all suffer in some fashion or another.

I recommend this book if you are at all interested in Buddha’s life. Just to be clear, this is not a book about Buddhism though there is an appendix that answers questions about it. It’s primarily a story about Buddha; his birth, his life, his message and his death.

Buddha’s Four Noble Truths:

First Noble Truth: Life contains suffering
Second Noble Truth: Suffering has a cause, and the cause can be known.
Third Noble Truth: Suffering can be brought to an end.
Fourth Noble Truth: The path to end suffering has eight parts.

Buddha’s Eightfold Path:

• Right view or perspective
• Right intention
• Right speech
• Right action
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindfulness
• Right concentration

Michael

I enjoy the Super Bowl every year, but the commercials are quite special. I’m always amazed at the incredible creativity that is displayed during those 30 second or so advertisements. This year is no different. There were numerous ads that were really outstanding tonight.

The human mind and soul are infinite in their ability to create something new, something fresh, something different and unique. I’m endlessly fascinated by what we can do. I find a lot of inspiration from this level of creativity. We have the ability to solve all problems and overcome all obstacles. All it takes is the application of creativity through inspiration.

Hats off to the minds behind the commercials from tonight. Hey, about applying that level of creativity to rest of the year?

Have a great day! Be an instrument of creative inspiration.

Michael