Seeing Faces Is Instinct, Hearing Music Is Primal

As our baby develops inside my wife, eyes are sealed shut while ears begin to function.

We hear before we see.

Peace.

Why DID I Buy Hugh's Book?

Fear of exclusion from the conversation.

No, that's negative.

Desire to be included, to belong, to be human.

That's more like it.

I've known Hugh's book would be out for quite awhile. I'd read the original blog posts that turned into the book. I'd received the PDF copy of that initial version from a friend on Twitter.

But a funny feeling came over me when I knew they were actually available in the Barnes & Noble down the street. That "I have to have it" feeling. You know?

Sure, I could justify buying it because Seth told me it was different from the previous versions of the content, but it wasn't that. In truth, it wasn't the content of the book driving my emotion. It was the social content of the object itself.

I subscribe to Hugh's newsletter, one of very few things to which I've given my permission to push content to me. It's Hugh's story that is so captivating for me, his Life. Whatever he creates, the biz card doodles, the moleskine drawings, the wine promotion, the corporate marketing, it's his story and the way he tells it through his communication, his humanity that gets me. I don't really know why, and it doesn't really matter. But I feel actually lucky to be a part of his conversation with the Universe.

I actually got a little endorphine rush seeing 2 copies of the book on the shelf in the business leadership section. I almost bought both, so I could give one away.

I'll certainly read it and probably post a bit about the content, but I wanted to share this part of my conversation with the Universe with you.

Peace.

Straight From The Crate - Vinyl Art Show

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SHOPAROONI kindly directs your attention to

STRAIGHT FROM THE CRATE
presented by Keith Corcoran
June 26 - July 26
Opening reception June 26, 7-10pm

Once again, NYC transplant and general Cleveland do-gooder Keith Corcoran brings together 33 1/3 of the hottest artists on record with his latest curatorial endeavor STRAIGHT FROM THE CRATE.

Using old vinyl records originally destined for the trash as their canvas, the participating artists have created a diverse collection of traditional and contemporary art.

This show runs from June 26 through July 26 at the very hip Shoparooni Gallery Annex in Cleveland's Waterloo Arts District and features artists from Cleveland, LA, NY, Arizona and Australia.

In an effort to take some of the mystery out of art buying, this show, unlike others, will be "cash-and-carry," meaning if you see something you like, you can take your new-favorite-artwork home with you that night, straight off the wall!

"The overall goal of the show," says curator Keith Corcoran, "is to put high-quality one-of-a-kind artwork in the hands of the average citizen at a price that won't break the bank."
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I've sent Keith 3 pieces: Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and David Bowie. If you follow the link above to the show's blog, you can check out links to the other artists. The styles are really varied. Should be a cool show!

Peace.

Art And Money Are The Same *GASP*

My friend Prince just tweeted this, an academic paper abstract discussing art and money. It says there is no inherent conflict with artists making money, with commerce in art.

Phew.

I was worried. The "starving artist" image still persists, but I've never gotten it. I thought maybe I was backwards.

Maybe I'm lucky because what I create has as its purpose human connection. It's hard in today's world, especially in capitalism, to connect without the sordid topic of coin coming into play. But it's all about stories, languages. Money is just talking. So is art. Why would they conflict?

The key for us all is to remember it's about people, about humanity, about culture, about creativity. How we connect is fundamentally unimportant, invisible in fact, if we communicate effectively and efficiently. A painting by Van Gogh still says what it always has, but people perceive it differently. Owning stock in a company still says what it always has, really, but people perceive it differently as well.

Think about it. What is the difference between taking your Life, working, earning money, and going and buying a taco & taking your Life, working, painting records, and going and buying a taco? Art and money are the medium for communicating one's humanity.

The rub, I think, happens when commerce is allowed to commoditize, flatten, and homogenize creativity. The fix is to re-humanize our economy, remember people. All of them. All of them involved in creating everything we have in this Universe. At its core, it's all expression, unfoldment of Life. It's all connected, with ripples of communication spreading, reflecting across humanity.

What do you think the current global economic upheaval is about? Right. Art.

Peace.

SOLD - Elton John 06/11/09

Life Online

I just read a post by Trent Reznor on his NIN site basically about backing away from social media and life online in general. See, he's in love. So cool. It's great to be able to see into other people's bubbles.

What's awesome is that he's just a guy. A guy like you and me, living his Life. That's what's so cool about this new direct connection between creators and consumers. I strike up a conversation online with Jason and then he ends up commissioning this Bono for his wife for their anniversary. No middleman, no service provider other than the mostly invisible network provider and Twitter. Just Jason and I.

I think what's happening is sort of the re-humanization of money, capitalism, commercialism, consumerism, and production. We get to see Pres. Obama eating a burger, looking at art. Yes it's a buzzword, but transparency is truly a good thing.

I know I pay more attention now to checkers at stores. I think more about the workers at the factory that made the crap I'm buying. I think more about the farmers and the people who made the machines that feed me. I feel connected to people through stuff. Not isolated by that stuff.

Hugh MacLeod just got his brilliance published, in the system, at Border's. You can buy it on Amazon for your Kindle. Cool. Even cooler is that I have a connection with him, personally, online. It is real, true.

For someone basically just starting out, just reaching out to find his audience, the ability to connect directly, genuinely is amazing. One can develop a friendship with someone in Chicago or Canada just as easily as around the corner. That friendship can involve commerce just as easily, without establishing the traditional salesman/customer relationship that essentially isn't real. One can truly connect with humanity, with creativity, with culture. One can have those connections with fans who are friends and friends who are fans, people who come to care.

You realize, I'm talking about me and you.

Peace.

SOLD - Bono 06/10/09