I Now Remember

My soul is happy. Chicago makes my soul happy. Now, the city doesn't get all the credit. I'm the reason I love this city, because Chicago reminds me how fearless I am. This city reminds me that I'm the type of person who sees what they want and goes after it. And then conquers it. And today this city slapped my recent insecurities right out of me. 

Thanks Chicago. I owe ya.

Double Dose of Happiness

Because I need it today.

Quote Doodles

Did these awhile back but found them tonight. Oddly enough, they all seem pretty relevant at this exact moment. Kinda nice how that worked out :)

Happiness

New Series: Happiness

I'd Rather

I'd rather be stuck
Between the couch and the wall
I'd rather be drunk
And feel nothing at all
I'd rather be done
With nothing to fear
I'd rather be anything
Besides being stuck here

I'd rather be angry
With someone to blame
I'd rather be happy
And you feel the same
I'd rather be friends
Than nothing at all
I'd rather be stuck
Between the couch and the wall

Random Pondering

Saturday Night Scribbles

Practicing some different handwritten type styles :)

Best Day Haiku

Best day of my life
Until tomorrow's sunrise
Bringing a new best


That is all :)

Behind the Scenes

I spent last weekend working on a big project for a good friend. It's a 3x5ft banner to go on stage with him when he has shows. A lot of time and heart went into the project. And in the end, I think it's perfect.  It fits him and his music perfectly. Perfectly.

Below is the behind-the-scenes, leading up to the delivery :)

Sketch and first color.

Added the white. Love the white.

Blue added. Ninja added. 

Protective coating time. 

Stand is assembled.

Stand is painted. Ready to deliver.

Awesomeness upon delivery. 

Charcoal Dreads are Cool

A concert poster based on a charcoal sketch I did :)

Lyrics in Layouts

I love song lyrics. I love design. I love what happened when I combined the two.

The Battle with Myself

The heart says do good,

Help others, change the world. 

The head says make money, 

Create stability, build security.

The heart says to trust.

To have faith in people and goodness. 

The head says be skeptical.

Use logic. Demand proof.

I'm in a constant battle with myself. 

And no matter what side wins, I lose. 
Boy I'm sick of losing. 

The heart says love more. 

Love with everything you've got.

The head says build walls.

Be cautious. Avoid pain.

The heart says let it out.

Use tears to let it all go.

The head says it's not worth it.

That none of this is worth tears.

I'm in a constant battle with myself. 

And no matter what side wins, I lose. 

Man I'm tired of losing. 

The heart says move on. 

To start the healing process.

The head says to fight. 

That logic says I'm right. 

If the heart wins, 

I'll lose something good. 

If the head wins, 

I'll lose something good too. 

I'm in a constant battle with myself. 

And no matter what side wins, I lose. 

I'm so fucking tired of losing. 

iPhone Photography

Train Metaphors Make Me Laugh

Awhile back I wrote a terrible train metaphor. An embarrassingly bad train metaphor. I mean bad. Luckily the person who read it knows me well enough to not judge. Or I'd like to think so. Anyway, below is my response to my original train-wreck of a metaphor. You see what I did there? Ha.


Terrible Train Metaphor, Part 2


I've taken a train to Texas.
I've ridden one to Illinois.
I once bought a ticket to Boulder.
But I knew I'd always come home.

I always end up on this train.
I always bring along more baggage.
It's the train of hope and laughter.
It's the journey I enjoy most.
It doesn’t matter what our destination be.
Because at the end of the day there's always you and me.

I've taken a train to heartache.
I've ridden one to joy.
I once bought a ticket to loneliness.
But I knew I'd always come home.

I always end up on this train.
I always bring along more baggage.
But it's the train of comfort and confidence.
It's the journey I enjoy most.
It doesn’t matter what our destination be.
Because at the end of the day there’s always you and me.

This train will make it's stops.
There will be detours and rides alone.
We each will travel other trains.
But I know we'll always come home.

We always end up on this train.
We always bring along more baggage.
It's the train of strength and friendship.
It's the journey I enjoy most.
It doesn’t really matter what the destination be.
At the end of the day all that matters is that there's a train for you and me.

The Story of the Pasadena Dam

The story of the Pasadena Dam was a collaboration between me and Perry. It was inspired by a day hike in Pasadena. We weren't sure the history of the area and were curious about some of what we saw on the hike. Clearly the place needed a story, so we took it upon ourselves to write it. And then we unleashed it to the world through Wikipedia.

The completely fabricated history of the Pasadena Dam was quickly removed from Wikipedia. But it was a good tale, supported with links to facts, figures and made up corporations. And although it was short-lived, it will forever exist in this screenshot.

Click to enlarge. It's worth the click, believe me.

My Art, My Outlet

I needed a new blog for my art and writing. They just didn't belong on Real Thoughts from a Faux Expert. So this is where they'll live. Get excited. 

I used to paint. I used to write. Many, many years ago. And then life happened and I stopped. But recently I decided to make the time for it again. I need the outlet. I need a way to get my thoughts out of my head. Sometimes the thoughts manifest themselves as sketches. Sometimes they're song lyrics without the music. And sometimes they're just thoughts quickly scribbled on paper. 

They may mean nothing to any of you, and that's alright because I do this for me.