Works in Motion

I asked myself today, "What did we do before Youtube and Facebook?" It's a rhetorical question, but I felt like it was very deep to contemplate it for a minute or two. With recent technology, I've thought about how it has almost erased the ability to write and communicate on an intelligent or deep level. Right now, I'm nearing the halfway mark of my next novel, which is a very important project to me, because I really had to research and go outside of my comfort zone for this one. But I find it's been a bit of a challenge to think retrospectively. After a while, we've become so indoctrinated with the mundane cycle of work, social media, and gossip new or gossip TV, that it's hard to even visualize the past days for me. I've been trying to detach and go back in time like some writers do when working on pieces. I was reflecting the other day about how interaction, conversation, and going outside to enjoy creation used to be natural. Now, you have to force yourself because staring at a computer screen is natural now. Ask yourself what you spend the rest of your day doing, when you aren't sleeping or hooked to social media and reality television marathons.

  Even myself, as a sports nut, I find if I do binge watch sports news, I will burn hours watching repetitive coverage, when not watching the actual events. Then I blog occasionally about events, but that too gets repetitive. And you can't count outings with family and cliques as stepping away from social media when you are attached to it on the go. Go to any gathering, and you'll notice everyone  glued to their phones during so called conversation. And the scary thing is that it is no longer considered rude. It's become commonplace. Even when you do to outings or events, social media is still funneled back into your face with the same event organizers. Every 60 year old soccer mom, or newscaster has a twitter handle, and spends their time tweeting. It's all about gossip and news.

  Art and music are some of the only things along with sports, that, when I'm immersed in it, depending on what it is, I feel taken a bit back in time. I've been going over Wing Chun instructional videos with a teacher I studied from years ago. He too has now been bitten by the social media bug, and is actively involved, but at least he remains old school in his approach. I really enjoy taking his material in. Even interviews are not what they used to be with athletes or other celebrities. Every statement in an interview is a bland, "It is what it is." I think Keith Thurman is a breath  of fresh air as far as intellects go. It's rare to see any athletes these days that articulate and contemplative. He has a very broad and inquisitive mind, that goes beyond technique in boxing. His interviews have been some of the only ones I haven't skipped through, or turned off.

  Anyway, I rambled enough. Just food for thought. Here are a few new art pieces, a poem I completed, titled, "Your Definition," and the early release of the upcoming album, "Religion."

YOUR Definition

So I'm seeing 3 guys pummel a 4th, and as he goes to scream out in agony,
They cry before he does, indignant at his disapproval, until they can keep going.
And I look on with tears and rage in my eyes, thinking, "There's no way I can be him."
And yet you think I will.
What exactly do you call love?
Is it giving what you feel like to another,
Or fulfilling their needs even to your deficit?
It was a battle of about 20.
I didn't think I'd survive, but I took one vile creature down.
Fallling into unconsciousness, I'm in the back seat of a getaway truck.
Is this real?
Why aren't you controlled?
I'll believe you if we get away.
All I ever wanted was to be loved.
All I want now is to be free.
The edge of the universe with nothing but God's grace is a dream sanctuary.
I have no faith in what is called the people.
This and that tumult of religous apathy is life and love
As YOU define it.
And it is totally wrong.
Your confusion is not validated or amplified with popularity.
For all of your wickedness, I would love to be the vessel
Of your destruction, if not your healing.

Album- "Religion"
https://soundcloud.com/jokatech/sets/religion-soundcloud-early-release