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Showing posts with label Steph Jordan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steph Jordan. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2014
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Believer - Ramel Jasir Artist
Today I'd like to introduce you to Artist Ramel Jasir. Ramel is a fascinating Artist with a unique style and a love for color that comes out in big bold beautiful works!
Hi there Ramel. How are you today?
I am wonderful….
How’s your year going so far?
So far my year is going great. 2011 has been very good to me thus far.
I have to say, your work is beautiful. It’s so unique and detailed I can only imagine that you’ve had Artistic Vision since childhood. Is that the case?
Yes I have been an artist since my earliest memories. Like all children I started off drawing with crayons and school pencils but I was always very meticulous and was always trying to be the best artist in my class.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia in an area called Prentis Park on Elm Avenue.
Was there a creative outlet for you as a child?
Mostly drawing…. I was the youngest of 7 children on my mother’s side. By the time I was born my siblings were a few years older and one sister had already had a child of her own a few months before I was born. So I kind of grew up as an only child in my household because by the time I was about 11 or 12 everyone had moved out of the house except for me. So drawing was something I did all day every day. I had many sketch books and I would draw on the front and back of very page…..lol
What types of activities did you do in school that influenced you?
When I was in the second grade I use to draw pictures for other kids…. I usually charged a quarter which was big money in the second grade. I would draw pictures for other kids if they had a project or homework etc. so I always had a little extra lunch money. In high school, I was a little rebellious and craved attention, so I use to draw pictures of other students and faculty on the classroom desks. It was many months before they found out who was doing it. The pictures were hilarious because I was pretty good with realism by high school and I drew pretty fast. I never sat in the same desk during some of the classes and I would move from one desk to another right after drawing a picture and no one really noticed because I sat towards the back of the room. Other than, that I took art as an elective but I hated the class. Drawing fruit and still objects was boring as well although I appreciate still artwork nowadays.
Sounds like you had a lot of creative fun and skill as a child. Did you know then what you wanted to do with your life?
Well, I wanted to be an artist and everyone told me that was what I should do but there were always those to spoke about the “starving artist” and that you can’t really make any money drawing so I kind of stopped drawing for many years. I did a lot of abstract collages in ink towards my senior year, but girls, alcohol and the streets kind of ended any thoughts of pursuing an art career. To this day, I have not really drawn a complete picture in pencil since maybe 1988. I have done many abstract ink drawings but graphite and charcoal were mediums of choice.
What medium(s) do you work with?
Nowadays, I paint in mostly acrylic but I use graphite or charcoal in some of the work as well. I like to mix a lot of different mediums especially when it comes to texture. I may use joint compound, molding paste or even thick Gesso mixed with paint. My favorite is mixing Plaster of Paris with water and Gesso to make an interesting texture and it dry very fast. I have yet to use oil paint in any of my works but I plan to very soon. I have even used candle wax, which hardens pretty quick but I like the affect when I spread it quickly on wet paint with my palette knife.What inspires you to create?
My Queen, children and simply the joy sharing and creating are my greatest inspirations. I love the seeing people’s faces when they see my artwork for the first time. I am not one of those people that can just start a conversation but if you ask me a question it is on….LOL. So the interaction with people when showing my work at home or at an exhibition is inspiration with in itself, especially when someone is able to find some kind of connection within my work. On April 6th 2011 I will be having my first solo exhibition. I will be showcasing many of the pieces from my first two years as an artist. All but about four of the 35 or more pieces that will be shown were created after June 15, 2009 which was the day I found my self unemployed for the first time since I was a teenager. Not to mention that we had a baby on the way due in July. I had created several paintings before then but that day I really got serious and my subject matter seemed to change as well. That same summer I finally met some of my father’s children after years of searching and found out that I was the youngest of 33 children and also discovered that I was of Thailanese and Colombian descent on my fathers side. It was only the second picture I had ever seen of my father who died when I was 6 years old and I saw a picture of my grandfather for the first time who was from Thailand. I also found out that my great grandfather on my mother side was Caucasian and that my great grandmother was native American. Of course all of this threw me for a cultural loop. As I started to explore my ethnic background and family history, I started to discover other forms of indigenous art along the way. My palette went from mostly earth tone to multi-colored pieces in which I really enjoyed to create. Music was a critical factor in the direction of my paintings as well. Especially after I lost my job all of my paintings were mostly created while listening to music from Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, El Gran Combo, Cheo Feliciano etc. and Fela Kuti. So Music was every instrumental in regards to the energy in my work so naturally a lot of my work is embedded with a lot of Taino Art and symbols. So again, this show will chronicle my first 2 years as an evolving visual artist show casing several different forms of indigenous and traditional contemporary art. One of the goals of my show is to try and transcend ethic or racial lines through my art by exposing those who visit my show to aboriginal art, northwest Indian art, African art, taino art etc all in one show…. These are forms of art that many would not have been otherwise exposed to. Sorry if I got of track a little. That's OK. We love hearing all of the details! Do you have other Artistic outlets?
Yes, I write poetry and short stories…. And also play acoustic guitar from time to time.
I know that you are a Father. Do you include your children in the creative process? What is that like?
Well I have a one year old that will be two in July…. We have a two bed room duplex which is pretty big but not big enough for me to have a separate studio so part of my front room has been turned into part studio. It works out because I am a clean freak so I keep it pretty tidy….. but my son is always there while I am painting and always trying to get to my paints. No matter what I do or how loud I may yell, he will strategically re-evaluate his next plan of attack and this goes on day after day LOL but I love working around my son and it gives him an opportunity to see me in action and I can’t wait to purchase him his first paints. When my older children come over, they love to see the new work as well. It catches their attention for about 1 or 2 minutes and then it is off to the Xbox 360. Again I like having my son around but we do have to get a larger place soon so that I can have my own studio space.
Who are some of your favorite Artists?
There are a few. Haida artist Bill Reid, a multitude of old school aboriginal artists, Monet, Picasso of course and several local artists such as Sharon Bachman-Hanson, Clayton Singleton and the great Wayne Potrafka who has been one of the consistent pioneers of art in Hampton Roads for years.
What is the story behind ‘Itchy Eye’ and ‘The Believer’?
Well, 'Itchy Eye' is my first composition in regards to paintings so that was one is special for me. I mean, I did another painting that look like a little promo for Halloween or something but I consider Itchy Eye as being the first painting that I was really proud of. It was all trail and error and I had no idea how to paint trees. Even when I was drawing with ink and graphite I never used trees in my drawing. So that is why the branches are coming out from the side of the painting. So I decided to run with it because the yellowish moon looked like an eye so I wanted the branches of the tree to look like the veins of a person’s eye. I had no idea how to mix paint and no idea of light composition or orientation in a painting as well but I like how it came out. I may never sell that one.
'The Believer', was something quickly done in February of 2010…. I was thinking about my son when I did it because he has gray eyes and I had not seen him in several months being that he lives in a different state. Even though the picture is not of a child, my son inspired the eyes…. I knew that the eyes and orientation of the nose and mouth were not really correct but I liked it and left it alone…. I painted it in about 20 to 30 minutes. I originally called it “The Grey Fox” after this cool older cat that use to live down the street from me when I was a child. He was tall and cool as hell. The women in the area called him the Grey Fox LOL but I renamed it the Believer because he looked more spiritual to me than anything.
What’s coming up Artistically for you?
Like I mentioned before, I have a solo art exhibition coming up on April 6, 2011 at the Old Dominion University VA Beach campus. The opening reception is from 6 to 8pm and the show will run through April 29th. It is actually co-sponsored by Norfolk State University. I also have some work that will on exhibition at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach on April 8th so it will be a busy week. I will be doing a couple of exhibitions in Europe as well in which I an working out travel and shipping now. Other than that I am looking forward to throwing a big birth day bash/art show on my birth day in July. I will be turning 40….. What better way to get my mind off of turning 40 than to have an art show!
Do you have any inspirational words you can offer other Artists?
Yes I do. Here are a few quotes I tell myself several times a week. 'Plan your works and work your plans'. 'Those who fail to plan, plan to fail'. 'The first time you settle for less is when you get less than what you settle for in the first place' and most importantly, 'Anything that your mind can conceive can be brought for onto the physical plane so make it happen'. Don’t sit around waiting for opportunity to come knocking, create your own opportunities and most importantly learn the business side of art so you will not fall for any dealer, collectors scams out there and there are plenty.
Thank you Ramel. That is great advice! Where can we find out more about you and your Art?
You can hit me on Facebook Ramel Jasir on Facebook All friend requests are welcome.
My email is rameljasir@gmail.com and I have my website under construction and will be posting the new site on my Facebook page by April 1, 2011.
Thank you so much for sharing with us. You are a fabulous Artists and Energy and we wish you a Fabulous Career!
Thank you for having me and give me an opportunity to share….. Peace and Light
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
He Came, He Cooked, He Conquered! - Chef Chaz
Hi everyone! I’m happy to introduce you to Chef/Artist Charles "Chef Chaz" Smith and his company Culinary Artists! With many delicious years of experience, travel, knowledge and determination Charles is on his way to Culinary stardom and I’m happy to be able to share this interview with you.
Hi Charles! Let’s start at the beginning of Charles Smith. One thing we discover is that all Artists had the creative energy even as small children. Even if they didn’t recognize it. What were you like as a child?
My parents say I showed skill in drawing as early as age 4. I was an imaginative and creative child. I enjoyed reading about other countries. My maternal grandmother worked for a wealthy family and was an excellent cook. She was also multi-lingual and a real "foodie". I remember she would take me to some of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh and other cities and never made any food strange to me. By age 10 I loved caviar, veal sweetbreads (thymus/pancreas), foie gras and escargot. This prompted me to want to create new things to eat at home.
Are there other Artists in your family?
I have two older brothers who are artists, but I can't remember them painting after marriage.
Charles do you remember you first experience cooking a meal and what it felt like?
Before I was old enough to use the stove myself, I would melt things in or on the toaster creating bizarre concoctions to set beside my dad's dinner plate when he got home from work. I remember the pride I felt watching him eat what I made. To this day he's one of my biggest fans.
When and how did you realize you wanted to be a Culinary Artist?
With close to 15 years of hotel/restaurant experience and a degree in art, I would often create dishes for my gallery receptions. But I soon realized although many people enjoyed the art...everyone loved the food. BINGO! Birth of The Culinary Artists!
How did you get your start down the path?
Since I'd worked or managed nearly every front-of-house restaurant position and had been cooking for friends for years, it was a natural transition into catering.
Charles I’ve seen a wide variety of your fabulous dishes. What are your specialties and favorites?
About 12 years ago I started traveling to different countries learning about the foods that I love. I spend a few weeks or a few months soaking up as much as I can. I'm comfortable with the food of India, Thailand, Italy, Morocco and Spain. But since most of my years in the industry were in French restaurants...French food is still my favorite cuisine.
What are some of your ‘Kitchen Dos and Don’ts?
DO wash hands often
DO use the freshest and best ingredients possible
DO keep your knives sharp
DON'T forget to taste everything
Always cook with passion from the heart
What’s the largest affair you’ve catered? Do you work alone?
I was hired to cook for a weeklong church convention. I took 3 helpers with me and they put us up in a hotel to cook lunch and dinner for 200 - 400 each day. I do all of the cooking.
What would be your Dream setting for preparing and catering a meal?
Recently I enjoyed being a Private Chef in Beverly Hills. But, in general I love to cook for people who know good food and love to eat. Also having fresh ingredients on hand is key.
You were on ‘Grill It’ with Bobby Flay in August 2010. Aside from being able to cook with Bobby, what was a personal best about that experience for you?
Cooking side by side with an Iron Chef like Bobby Flay was an amazing, But the high point was when he tasted one of my dishes and said, "Wow, that's good and cooked perfectly!"
Where can we see that episode?
Food Network will re-air shows periodically and of course I was given a copy of my episode. But for those who missed it...maybe they'll post it to their archives.
What’s next for The Culinary Artists?
What's next? Expanding our corporate catering, the Take Home Chef/ Private Chef service is bigger now and I'm being hired for weeks at a time even flown to other cities. Drive-By Gourmet is in demand, an exclusive underground supper club and a cook book on the horizon.
You also paint. Fabulously I might add. What medium do you like best? Do you paint regularly?
Thank you! Pencils was my first medium and many say still my best, I still paint abstracts and portraits, but now by commission only...like the one I did for Whoppi Goldberg.
Here's a portrait I did that includes the "cooking dynamic" of my mom'side of the family. The grandmother I spoke about, the grandfather who was also an excellent cook (I never met him) and my mom (in this portrait she's about 21)
Here's a portrait I did that includes the "cooking dynamic" of my mom'side of the family. The grandmother I spoke about, the grandfather who was also an excellent cook (I never met him) and my mom (in this portrait she's about 21)
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful Art. What Inspiration/Advice would you give to upcoming Culinary Artists and Artists in general when it comes to following the Dream?
Believe in yourself. Work hard for what you want and hone your skills to get there. You have the power to shape your future.
Thank you so much Charles. Fabulous interview and we wish you all of the success and colorfulness in the world! :-)
Thank you so much Charles. Fabulous interview and we wish you all of the success and colorfulness in the world! :-)
How can we find out more about you and Culinary Artist?
plus various magazine and newspaper archives (Whirl, Pgh Post Gazette, City Paper, Tribune Review, CMYK Graphic Design Magazine)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
CONTEST #1 - Inspire Us!
Appreciation Contest :-)
Here are the rules for the contest...plain and simple :-)
Comment on the Post about the contest with Inspirational Words...your own words only. No quotes from other authors. Your inspiration should be directed at Living, Life, or Love. No profanity, nothing negative.
Contest open to people following on the 'Living In Color with Steph Jordan' FB FanPage or the 'Living In Color with Steph Jordan' Blog. Links on the Side Bar for Following. All entries will be added to a hat and a random winner will be drawn. There may or may not be a second prize. The winning name will be pulled on video so you can see the draw!
The prize package includes a 12 x 12 Scrapbook, several sheets of designer paper (including beautiful alphabet punch outs) , a hole punch, a small dragon fly punch, 3 rubber stamps, 2 packs (4 ea) of assorted blank greeting cards with envelopes. 10 Pages of Stencils. Others goodies may be added.
Contest ends 6/15. Be sure to leave your comments as this announcement may be updated but will not be re-posted.
Life is good! Free stuff makes it fun LOL~
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
ON THE AIR!
Hi everyone! :-) The first online episode is up! :-) Drop a line if you can ok? Much Love!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Musically Speaking - Elise 5000
There are some people so dedicated to their dreams and so focused that you know without doubt they will accomplish what they set out to do. This young lady, Elise 5000 is one of those people. According to Elise she was born to do music. She is full of energy and music and definitely heading in the right direction.
Hi Elise. So let’s start with how long have you been singing?
I've been singing for quite some time now since childhood and participated in the honor choir in elementary school which was audition only as they picked all the best singers for the entire county to compete on state and national levels. I've been a recording artist since I was 16. I had a deal with an indie label. There I learned how to produce music and record in a professional studio setting.
Elise how old are you and where did you grow up?
I'm 22 years old going on 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I grew up in the middle Georgia area in a small military town called Warner Robins GA!
Who were some of your influences growing up?
My influences are Jodeci, Aaliyah, Al B Sure, Michael Jackson, Mary J Blidge, SWV, Timbaland, Missy, The Neptunes, Zapp, Dru Hill, Teddy Riley, Brian Alexander Morgan, Mariah Carey, Beyonce/Destiny's Child and many more.
Was it always your dream to be a Music Star?
Yes! ALWAYS! I cant imagine doing anything else.
What was it like when you realized this was really happening?
It was amazing! Before I decided to go hard at this music, I was depressed and I couldn't figure out why. It had been months since I had written a song and I was just going to settle for a career in radio which was the easier choice. Well, I broke up with my boyfriend (thank GOD) and finally had time for me. I locked myself in my room with my keyboard and started writing and producing. I felt like I was coming back from depression. I felt alive again. So I traveled to a friend’s studio to re-produce my composition on a Digital Audio Workstation and recorded the record. That was the turning point in my life that pulled me out of depression and taught me about myself. That was the birth of Elise 5000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What inspires you to Sing?
I have no idea! Well, lots of things inspire me. The movie Avatar inspired me a lot! Listening to other great artists, visiting a new and exciting place, good vibes and energy, happiness, beauty, art, emotions, feelings, moods all inspire me. EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN inspires me! Good books, new thoughts that I may acquire. Anything and Everything. But I think it is GOD touching me. A fragment of the Universal Mind speaking to me and sharing with me pieces of the universe! Each and every song is a gift from God. Once I'm finished making a song (especially a really good one) I say "Thank you God for that gift".
This is one of the headlines I found about you? “Elise 5000 Named Cakewalk’s “Your Music: Anytime, Anyplace” Songwriting Contest Winner!!!” Talk to me about that. Did you amaze yourself by beating out over 4000 other contestants?
I did amaze myself because I totally didn't expect to win. I just entered something in just to be doing something. I'm glad I did too! ;)
I listened to ‘Star’ and actually danced my way around the laptop and had to come back after the song was over LOL. I got almost a funky disco pop snappy thing going! What would you call your style of music?
I haven’t really thought about what I call it. Hum....Let me make up something now! Um... Well it is really like a funky pop. The "Star" record is meant to be sort of electronic pop, experimental, but with an urban flare! I try not to categorize my music. I hate being in a box!
You also have a song called ‘Everybody Else’ featuring T-Pain. Did you write that song? What was it like collaborating on that?
No I didn't write that record. A very talented songwriter called Secret Da Songwriter wrote my lyrics however I did write my part of the hook: "huh?, Yeah, foreal?, Ok, that's whats up" If you wanna consider that writing! It was fun working on that record I had a blast vocally arranging that one. It’s so me and I was in the moment with that record! Shouts to T-Pain! He's a beast! I can't wait to work with him foreal!!!
What’s in the works for you?
Major mixtape coming up! I’m so excited about it! Album coming soon! More hot singles! More hot music! I just want to make people happy with my music!!
You do Elise. And I’m sure they’ll be happy about it for a long time. Thank you!
To learn more about Elise and her music be sure to visit her website www.Elise5000.com
Hi Elise. So let’s start with how long have you been singing?
I've been singing for quite some time now since childhood and participated in the honor choir in elementary school which was audition only as they picked all the best singers for the entire county to compete on state and national levels. I've been a recording artist since I was 16. I had a deal with an indie label. There I learned how to produce music and record in a professional studio setting.
Elise how old are you and where did you grow up?
I'm 22 years old going on 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I grew up in the middle Georgia area in a small military town called Warner Robins GA!
Who were some of your influences growing up?
My influences are Jodeci, Aaliyah, Al B Sure, Michael Jackson, Mary J Blidge, SWV, Timbaland, Missy, The Neptunes, Zapp, Dru Hill, Teddy Riley, Brian Alexander Morgan, Mariah Carey, Beyonce/Destiny's Child and many more.
Was it always your dream to be a Music Star?
Yes! ALWAYS! I cant imagine doing anything else.
It was amazing! Before I decided to go hard at this music, I was depressed and I couldn't figure out why. It had been months since I had written a song and I was just going to settle for a career in radio which was the easier choice. Well, I broke up with my boyfriend (thank GOD) and finally had time for me. I locked myself in my room with my keyboard and started writing and producing. I felt like I was coming back from depression. I felt alive again. So I traveled to a friend’s studio to re-produce my composition on a Digital Audio Workstation and recorded the record. That was the turning point in my life that pulled me out of depression and taught me about myself. That was the birth of Elise 5000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What inspires you to Sing?
I have no idea! Well, lots of things inspire me. The movie Avatar inspired me a lot! Listening to other great artists, visiting a new and exciting place, good vibes and energy, happiness, beauty, art, emotions, feelings, moods all inspire me. EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN inspires me! Good books, new thoughts that I may acquire. Anything and Everything. But I think it is GOD touching me. A fragment of the Universal Mind speaking to me and sharing with me pieces of the universe! Each and every song is a gift from God. Once I'm finished making a song (especially a really good one) I say "Thank you God for that gift".
This is one of the headlines I found about you? “Elise 5000 Named Cakewalk’s “Your Music: Anytime, Anyplace” Songwriting Contest Winner!!!” Talk to me about that. Did you amaze yourself by beating out over 4000 other contestants?
I did amaze myself because I totally didn't expect to win. I just entered something in just to be doing something. I'm glad I did too! ;)
I listened to ‘Star’ and actually danced my way around the laptop and had to come back after the song was over LOL. I got almost a funky disco pop snappy thing going! What would you call your style of music?
I haven’t really thought about what I call it. Hum....Let me make up something now! Um... Well it is really like a funky pop. The "Star" record is meant to be sort of electronic pop, experimental, but with an urban flare! I try not to categorize my music. I hate being in a box!
You also have a song called ‘Everybody Else’ featuring T-Pain. Did you write that song? What was it like collaborating on that?
No I didn't write that record. A very talented songwriter called Secret Da Songwriter wrote my lyrics however I did write my part of the hook: "huh?, Yeah, foreal?, Ok, that's whats up" If you wanna consider that writing! It was fun working on that record I had a blast vocally arranging that one. It’s so me and I was in the moment with that record! Shouts to T-Pain! He's a beast! I can't wait to work with him foreal!!!
What’s in the works for you?
Major mixtape coming up! I’m so excited about it! Album coming soon! More hot singles! More hot music! I just want to make people happy with my music!!
To learn more about Elise and her music be sure to visit her website www.Elise5000.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
THE EDUCATION OF JJ SEMPLE
One of my favorite things about being able to do these fascinating interviews with the wonderful colorful people I've met along the Journey is the information gleaned from them. There are so many facets of life and people that we are unaware of unless brought to light.
Recently someone mentioned to me 'Kundalini Yoga'. Of course being the inquisitive or even nosy (LOL) writer I am, off I went to investigate. What I found was many forms of Kundalini. However, the descriptions and explanations I found were short and not really informative. So what a better way to find out than through an expert. Fortunately I didn't have to look far.
Meet JJ Semple. JJ is the Author of several written works, a teacher, student, and so much more. Thank you JJ for giving me sharing with us.
Steph: First, I’d like to thank you for this interview and congratulate you on the work you’re doing. The Internet is a pillar of popular communications, now and for the future. Thank you for finding a creative way of using it.
JJ are you a Healer, Therapist, Coach, Consultant?
All of the above. I don’t see a difference. They’re just different ways of communicating and energizing, some one-on-one, some with groups. The most sincere of these attempts to instill a sense of self-reliance in the individual and/or to introduce him/her to various practical processes for self-improvement.
Today, I am now primarily a writer, speaker, and teacher. That is, I try to communicate proven notions of self-reliance and self-improvement to the widest audience possible. For thirty years I dealt with individuals and small groups; now, having assimilated enough hands-on practice and knowledge thanks to my Kundalini experience, I am widening my message though books and through the Internet. From time to time, I still work with individuals and with small groups because I love it.
What message? The only way we can truly realize our human potential is by changing the negative aspects of our human nature, those aspects that keep holding us back. Kundalini, a dormant energy resource within each of us, is the most powerful means of accomplishing this. What’s more, it’s free of charge. It doesn’t cost anything to activate this energy and make it work for us on an individual and collective level.
JJ, please describe ‘The Kundalini’ and how it works?
Kundalini is misunderstood. I recently created a website dedicated to clearing up the confusion. I’m still adding content, may never finish. That’s the beauty of the Internet; you never run out of cyberspace.
Most people have some notion that Kundalini is the biological Life Force energy dormant in our bodies. It’s a couple of words thrown together. I copied this off my website. There are so many similar definitions. None of them are really satisfying. It’s not fully possible to define a phenomenon like Kundalini without experiencing it. It’s like trying to define death. You need to feel it happening in order to understand it.
At this stage in my life, however, the evolutionary aspects that Gopi Krishna focused on interest me most. Kundalini is a biological reality, a scientific fact. Nature included it in the body for a reason. If it didn’t serve a purpose, evolution (big E) would have eliminated it. That’s what Evolution does — eliminates the unnecessary. In this case, eliminating Kundalini would be tantamount to eliminating all future human evolution, all future improvements to the human species.
For Kundalini is responsible for every evolutionary change in our species. Moreover, it’s the key to our future evolution. It’s the future of our brain and our DNA. The neuroplastic changes produced in the brain through Kundalini are transmitted to future generations through DNA. That’s how we have evolved so far; that’s how we will continue to evolve. By the incremental changes in DNA that took place in the brains of exceptional people being passed along to future generations.
Kundalini is a scientific fact, not just some spiritual mumbo-jumbo. It’s part of a very successful early school of scientific research, one the ancients performed in the laboratory of their own bodies. And it produces measurable, quantifiable results, albeit in the metaphysical, instead of the physical, realm.
Most people don’t understand that Kundalini is “available” to them, don’t know how to activate it. They don’t know that Kundalini was once actually active in their beings, that it is responsible for their bodily substantiation, that they can re-activate it. Getting this series of facts across to a larger public, at the same time dispelling some of the popular myths about Kundalini, is a long-term task.
What is your experience in this field?
I activated Kundalini in 1972, almost 40 years ago. It was a full and permanent awakening, a rare phenomenon. Five years later, I visited Gopi Krishna in Kashmir to discuss my experience. At the time there were very few books on Kundalini. In fact, the experience was widely misunderstood — what caused it, what effects it induced, how to manage it, how to live with it.
Gopi Krishna is the father of modern Kundalini research and the only other person I’ve met whose Kundalini was active day and night from the time he activated it through meditation until the day he died. His book 'Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man' is a masterpiece. It’s a memoir and a how-to, a guidebook for activating and living with Kundalini. And it took him 30 years of living with Kundalini to be able to write it.
The same thing happened to me. Once Kundalini becomes active, so much happens, the individual’s brain changes so dramatically and so continually, it takes time to assimilate everything. Like Gopi Krishna, I needed years of living with Kundalini, years of adjusting to the changes it induced in my being in order to write about it.
Not that I was inactive during that period. I spent a lot of time working with groups and a lot of time cataloguing the various changes within my body and being. They are described in my books.
Gopi Krishna liked the fact that I had used 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' as a meditation method for awakening Kundalini. He told me that a safe, repeatable method for activating Kundalini was needed and charged me to continue making a reliable, repeatable version of Golden Flower Meditation accessible to all. I have spent the last 40 years doing this.
What is the Golden Flower?
The Golden Flower I know about comes from the book of the same name 'The Secret of the Golden Flower'(SGF). The term is also used in a dubious new-age context, something I know nothing about. The book is another matter. Complied in 8th Century by Chinese adepts, it is a manual on raising Kundalini. The terminology — the Chinese, Hindu, Taoist, Tibetan influences — may vary, but the secret techniques described in the book lead to the same end.
I used the book as a basis of my practice to activate Kundalini. After, because most Westerners find the wording in the SGF opaque, I modernized the method for today’s practitioner. My books contain valuable information on the secrets behind the Golden Flower.
How and when did your Journey lead you down this path?
Good question. I consider the journey as important as the destination. In fact, my book 'Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time' is not only a memoir and a how-to, it’s also a detective story.
A childhood injury deformed me. If it wasn’t for the accident that caused my injury, I might never have discovered the amazing transformative power of Kundalini. The extraordinary factor in my case was that my injury occurred when I was very young, so young I actually suppressed all memory of it.
Years later, when I was thirty-four, a stranger handed me a book entitled 'The Secret of the Golden Flower'. It was a serendipitous moment, the beginning of my recovery process. I didn’t realize it at the time. In fact, I put the book away for over a year. Sometime later I picked it up and began practicing the method of meditation in the text. At first I thought I was wasting my time.
But the method was for real. Not only was it for real, this ancient method turned out to be the safest and most complete Kundalini method I’ve run across in my forty years of research. Anyway, upon awakening, the Kundalini recognized my deformity and immediately began to restore my body to its original state, the state of perfect symmetry that existed before my accident.
It took a lot of detective work to unravel the mystery. I spent a lot of time getting to the bottom of my condition and finding a means of correcting it.
On your site it says ‘Kundalini is the source of creative energy’. Can you give a short description of what that means?
First, let’s understand what’s meant by the term creative. Kundalini triggers creative effects in many areas. Would you call autonomic self-healing creative? I would. In the sense that it starts a process of removing limitations and enabling. The individual discovers new talents and capabilities never before explored or realized.
Would you call 'overcoming addictions' creative? I would. Kundalini brings about an entirely new “human being;” brain chemistry is altered. The mind matures. Creativity and self-discipline flourish. I had never written a book or directed a film. Gopi Krishna never spoke German (German came to him spontaneously). Friends of mine never wrote, acted, painted, or composed music. Not until they awakened Kundalini. Once it happens, creative powers start to appear spontaneously.
What’s more, Kundalini changes the whole decision making process, introducing elements of logic and clarity into an often too emotional process.
'The Secret of the Golden Flower' talks about the Conscious and the Primal Spirits. The Conscious Spirit is the state we’re born into, one governed by the five senses and by emotion. The Primal Spirit is the eternal, immutable power of nature. It doesn’t know the alphabet or multiplication tables; it is the creative force of nature. Once you re-awaken Kundalini — something every individual can do — the Primal Spirit replaces the Conscious Spirit. It’s our job, should we desire to realize our full potential, to reawaken the Primal Spirit, the source of all forms of creative energy.
Please talk to us a little about your books 'Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time' and 'The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death'
'Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time' is a memoir, a how-to, and a detective story. How can a book be all three? Well, my first concern was to make the book readable. According to my reviewers, I have succeeded. It’s written in the first person and moves quickly. Readers tell me they can’t put it down. Nevertheless, I knew my biggest challenge with a book that moved quickly was to find a seamless way of integrating meaningful content. I decided that telling the story of my Kundalini awakening contained more than enough content. After all, it began at my birth. I realized I couldn’t leave anything out; I had to tell my life story warts and all, and do it in under 200 pages. The book is 186 pages.
In 'The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death' I changed style and voice. Why? My first book read like a novel. In the second, I needed to step back from the process itself as an actor and take a critical look at it. Some readers couldn’t identify with this new approach; I’m not sure I could have done it any other way. You can’t please everyone. The two books go together; the second is a continuation of the first.
The backward-flowing method is the secret meditation technique. I consider it to be the secret of life. Why? It’s the third step in Golden Flower Meditation (GFM), the most reliable, safest means of awakening Kundalini. Why do I also say it’s the secret of death? Because GFM links up with 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead'. Mastering Golden Flower Meditation and its key backward-flowing sublimation technique prepares the individual to overcome the obstacles to accepting death (as described in 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead', in order to facilitate the whole death-rebirth cycle. The Circulation of the Light talked about in 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' is the same light encountered by those who have undergone near death experiences (NDE). If one can experience this light, know and understand its eternal purpose while still living, how much better will he/she be prepared for the actual moment of death and the challenges posed by navigating the afterlife?
What are the benefits of the Kundalini and Kundalini Meditation to ones personal health and healing?
GFM delivers pretty spectacular results. As in Ponce de Leon — Fountain of Youth-type results. On the back cover of 'The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death', I list the effects gained from mastering Golden Flower Meditation: Triggers autonomic self-healing mechanisms capable of correcting defects due to neural degeneration
Rejuvenates the brain and the body as a result of intense activity; Retards the aging process; Reverses self-destructive and addictive behavior; Heightens and enhances consciousness through the awakening of various metanormal effects and powers; Refines the being to the point where the individual is able to effect a release from Karmic bondage; Clearly demonstrates that the ego spirit persists after death; Facilitates the transition into the next state of being.
What is Diaphragmatic Deep Breathing? How important is this Breathing method?
It all starts with breathing.Breathing is the most important exercise you’ll ever do. Unfortunately, most people don’t breathe correctly. 'Diaphragmatic Deep Breathing represents the crucial first step of the Golden Flower. Kundalini Meditation method, a step each practitioner must learn before attempting the backward-flowing method.
You also do a Podcast. What is it about and Where can the readers find it?
The Golden Flower Podcast covers a variety of Kundalini and Golden Flower Meditation issues, many of the same issues covered in my books and on my website. However, the spoken word format has a decidedly different impact. Listeners tell me they like the Podcast because the setting creates an intimate effect.
You can subscribe to my Podcast through iTunes or through Podcast Alley.
My next multimedia project is a foray into ITV — Internet TV. I’m planning a high-quality (HD) ITV interview & commentary show. We’ll discuss the scientific aspects of human potential as well as its metaphysical aspects.
I created a spoken word CD for Diaphragmatic Deep Breathing'. The exercises in this CD are set to Universal World genre music I composed and arranged. Golden Flower Meditation uses the nervous and respiratory systems to trigger a host of metabolic and somatic activity in the human body, especially in the internal organs. Through Golden Flower Meditation, the nervous system is stimulated such that the natural chemical substances of the body are recombined and used for self-healing, rejuvenative purposes, and greater overall awareness. But it all starts with breathing ...
Thank you so much JJ for educating us on The Kundalini. Wishing you many more years of Color, Peace and Kundalini!
To find out more about JJ, his books and his teachings visit his FaceBook page at JJ on FaceBook or visit these sites:
http://www.commonsensekundalini.com
http://www.goldenflowermeditation.com
http://www.lifeforcebooks.com
Recently someone mentioned to me 'Kundalini Yoga'. Of course being the inquisitive or even nosy (LOL) writer I am, off I went to investigate. What I found was many forms of Kundalini. However, the descriptions and explanations I found were short and not really informative. So what a better way to find out than through an expert. Fortunately I didn't have to look far.
Meet JJ Semple. JJ is the Author of several written works, a teacher, student, and so much more. Thank you JJ for giving me sharing with us.
Steph: First, I’d like to thank you for this interview and congratulate you on the work you’re doing. The Internet is a pillar of popular communications, now and for the future. Thank you for finding a creative way of using it.
JJ are you a Healer, Therapist, Coach, Consultant?
All of the above. I don’t see a difference. They’re just different ways of communicating and energizing, some one-on-one, some with groups. The most sincere of these attempts to instill a sense of self-reliance in the individual and/or to introduce him/her to various practical processes for self-improvement.
Today, I am now primarily a writer, speaker, and teacher. That is, I try to communicate proven notions of self-reliance and self-improvement to the widest audience possible. For thirty years I dealt with individuals and small groups; now, having assimilated enough hands-on practice and knowledge thanks to my Kundalini experience, I am widening my message though books and through the Internet. From time to time, I still work with individuals and with small groups because I love it.
What message? The only way we can truly realize our human potential is by changing the negative aspects of our human nature, those aspects that keep holding us back. Kundalini, a dormant energy resource within each of us, is the most powerful means of accomplishing this. What’s more, it’s free of charge. It doesn’t cost anything to activate this energy and make it work for us on an individual and collective level.
JJ, please describe ‘The Kundalini’ and how it works?
Kundalini is misunderstood. I recently created a website dedicated to clearing up the confusion. I’m still adding content, may never finish. That’s the beauty of the Internet; you never run out of cyberspace.
Most people have some notion that Kundalini is the biological Life Force energy dormant in our bodies. It’s a couple of words thrown together. I copied this off my website. There are so many similar definitions. None of them are really satisfying. It’s not fully possible to define a phenomenon like Kundalini without experiencing it. It’s like trying to define death. You need to feel it happening in order to understand it.
At this stage in my life, however, the evolutionary aspects that Gopi Krishna focused on interest me most. Kundalini is a biological reality, a scientific fact. Nature included it in the body for a reason. If it didn’t serve a purpose, evolution (big E) would have eliminated it. That’s what Evolution does — eliminates the unnecessary. In this case, eliminating Kundalini would be tantamount to eliminating all future human evolution, all future improvements to the human species.
For Kundalini is responsible for every evolutionary change in our species. Moreover, it’s the key to our future evolution. It’s the future of our brain and our DNA. The neuroplastic changes produced in the brain through Kundalini are transmitted to future generations through DNA. That’s how we have evolved so far; that’s how we will continue to evolve. By the incremental changes in DNA that took place in the brains of exceptional people being passed along to future generations.
Kundalini is a scientific fact, not just some spiritual mumbo-jumbo. It’s part of a very successful early school of scientific research, one the ancients performed in the laboratory of their own bodies. And it produces measurable, quantifiable results, albeit in the metaphysical, instead of the physical, realm.
Most people don’t understand that Kundalini is “available” to them, don’t know how to activate it. They don’t know that Kundalini was once actually active in their beings, that it is responsible for their bodily substantiation, that they can re-activate it. Getting this series of facts across to a larger public, at the same time dispelling some of the popular myths about Kundalini, is a long-term task.
What is your experience in this field?
I activated Kundalini in 1972, almost 40 years ago. It was a full and permanent awakening, a rare phenomenon. Five years later, I visited Gopi Krishna in Kashmir to discuss my experience. At the time there were very few books on Kundalini. In fact, the experience was widely misunderstood — what caused it, what effects it induced, how to manage it, how to live with it.
Gopi Krishna is the father of modern Kundalini research and the only other person I’ve met whose Kundalini was active day and night from the time he activated it through meditation until the day he died. His book 'Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man' is a masterpiece. It’s a memoir and a how-to, a guidebook for activating and living with Kundalini. And it took him 30 years of living with Kundalini to be able to write it.
The same thing happened to me. Once Kundalini becomes active, so much happens, the individual’s brain changes so dramatically and so continually, it takes time to assimilate everything. Like Gopi Krishna, I needed years of living with Kundalini, years of adjusting to the changes it induced in my being in order to write about it.
Not that I was inactive during that period. I spent a lot of time working with groups and a lot of time cataloguing the various changes within my body and being. They are described in my books.
Gopi Krishna liked the fact that I had used 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' as a meditation method for awakening Kundalini. He told me that a safe, repeatable method for activating Kundalini was needed and charged me to continue making a reliable, repeatable version of Golden Flower Meditation accessible to all. I have spent the last 40 years doing this.
What is the Golden Flower?
The Golden Flower I know about comes from the book of the same name 'The Secret of the Golden Flower'(SGF). The term is also used in a dubious new-age context, something I know nothing about. The book is another matter. Complied in 8th Century by Chinese adepts, it is a manual on raising Kundalini. The terminology — the Chinese, Hindu, Taoist, Tibetan influences — may vary, but the secret techniques described in the book lead to the same end.
I used the book as a basis of my practice to activate Kundalini. After, because most Westerners find the wording in the SGF opaque, I modernized the method for today’s practitioner. My books contain valuable information on the secrets behind the Golden Flower.
How and when did your Journey lead you down this path?
Good question. I consider the journey as important as the destination. In fact, my book 'Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time' is not only a memoir and a how-to, it’s also a detective story.
A childhood injury deformed me. If it wasn’t for the accident that caused my injury, I might never have discovered the amazing transformative power of Kundalini. The extraordinary factor in my case was that my injury occurred when I was very young, so young I actually suppressed all memory of it.
Years later, when I was thirty-four, a stranger handed me a book entitled 'The Secret of the Golden Flower'. It was a serendipitous moment, the beginning of my recovery process. I didn’t realize it at the time. In fact, I put the book away for over a year. Sometime later I picked it up and began practicing the method of meditation in the text. At first I thought I was wasting my time.
But the method was for real. Not only was it for real, this ancient method turned out to be the safest and most complete Kundalini method I’ve run across in my forty years of research. Anyway, upon awakening, the Kundalini recognized my deformity and immediately began to restore my body to its original state, the state of perfect symmetry that existed before my accident.
It took a lot of detective work to unravel the mystery. I spent a lot of time getting to the bottom of my condition and finding a means of correcting it.
On your site it says ‘Kundalini is the source of creative energy’. Can you give a short description of what that means?
First, let’s understand what’s meant by the term creative. Kundalini triggers creative effects in many areas. Would you call autonomic self-healing creative? I would. In the sense that it starts a process of removing limitations and enabling. The individual discovers new talents and capabilities never before explored or realized.
Would you call 'overcoming addictions' creative? I would. Kundalini brings about an entirely new “human being;” brain chemistry is altered. The mind matures. Creativity and self-discipline flourish. I had never written a book or directed a film. Gopi Krishna never spoke German (German came to him spontaneously). Friends of mine never wrote, acted, painted, or composed music. Not until they awakened Kundalini. Once it happens, creative powers start to appear spontaneously.
What’s more, Kundalini changes the whole decision making process, introducing elements of logic and clarity into an often too emotional process.
'The Secret of the Golden Flower' talks about the Conscious and the Primal Spirits. The Conscious Spirit is the state we’re born into, one governed by the five senses and by emotion. The Primal Spirit is the eternal, immutable power of nature. It doesn’t know the alphabet or multiplication tables; it is the creative force of nature. Once you re-awaken Kundalini — something every individual can do — the Primal Spirit replaces the Conscious Spirit. It’s our job, should we desire to realize our full potential, to reawaken the Primal Spirit, the source of all forms of creative energy.
Please talk to us a little about your books 'Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time' and 'The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death'
'Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time' is a memoir, a how-to, and a detective story. How can a book be all three? Well, my first concern was to make the book readable. According to my reviewers, I have succeeded. It’s written in the first person and moves quickly. Readers tell me they can’t put it down. Nevertheless, I knew my biggest challenge with a book that moved quickly was to find a seamless way of integrating meaningful content. I decided that telling the story of my Kundalini awakening contained more than enough content. After all, it began at my birth. I realized I couldn’t leave anything out; I had to tell my life story warts and all, and do it in under 200 pages. The book is 186 pages.
In 'The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death' I changed style and voice. Why? My first book read like a novel. In the second, I needed to step back from the process itself as an actor and take a critical look at it. Some readers couldn’t identify with this new approach; I’m not sure I could have done it any other way. You can’t please everyone. The two books go together; the second is a continuation of the first.
The backward-flowing method is the secret meditation technique. I consider it to be the secret of life. Why? It’s the third step in Golden Flower Meditation (GFM), the most reliable, safest means of awakening Kundalini. Why do I also say it’s the secret of death? Because GFM links up with 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead'. Mastering Golden Flower Meditation and its key backward-flowing sublimation technique prepares the individual to overcome the obstacles to accepting death (as described in 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead', in order to facilitate the whole death-rebirth cycle. The Circulation of the Light talked about in 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' is the same light encountered by those who have undergone near death experiences (NDE). If one can experience this light, know and understand its eternal purpose while still living, how much better will he/she be prepared for the actual moment of death and the challenges posed by navigating the afterlife?
What are the benefits of the Kundalini and Kundalini Meditation to ones personal health and healing?
GFM delivers pretty spectacular results. As in Ponce de Leon — Fountain of Youth-type results. On the back cover of 'The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death', I list the effects gained from mastering Golden Flower Meditation: Triggers autonomic self-healing mechanisms capable of correcting defects due to neural degeneration
Rejuvenates the brain and the body as a result of intense activity; Retards the aging process; Reverses self-destructive and addictive behavior; Heightens and enhances consciousness through the awakening of various metanormal effects and powers; Refines the being to the point where the individual is able to effect a release from Karmic bondage; Clearly demonstrates that the ego spirit persists after death; Facilitates the transition into the next state of being.
What is Diaphragmatic Deep Breathing? How important is this Breathing method?
It all starts with breathing.Breathing is the most important exercise you’ll ever do. Unfortunately, most people don’t breathe correctly. 'Diaphragmatic Deep Breathing represents the crucial first step of the Golden Flower. Kundalini Meditation method, a step each practitioner must learn before attempting the backward-flowing method.
You also do a Podcast. What is it about and Where can the readers find it?
The Golden Flower Podcast covers a variety of Kundalini and Golden Flower Meditation issues, many of the same issues covered in my books and on my website. However, the spoken word format has a decidedly different impact. Listeners tell me they like the Podcast because the setting creates an intimate effect.
You can subscribe to my Podcast through iTunes or through Podcast Alley.
My next multimedia project is a foray into ITV — Internet TV. I’m planning a high-quality (HD) ITV interview & commentary show. We’ll discuss the scientific aspects of human potential as well as its metaphysical aspects.
I created a spoken word CD for Diaphragmatic Deep Breathing'. The exercises in this CD are set to Universal World genre music I composed and arranged. Golden Flower Meditation uses the nervous and respiratory systems to trigger a host of metabolic and somatic activity in the human body, especially in the internal organs. Through Golden Flower Meditation, the nervous system is stimulated such that the natural chemical substances of the body are recombined and used for self-healing, rejuvenative purposes, and greater overall awareness. But it all starts with breathing ...
Thank you so much JJ for educating us on The Kundalini. Wishing you many more years of Color, Peace and Kundalini!
To find out more about JJ, his books and his teachings visit his FaceBook page at JJ on FaceBook or visit these sites:
http://www.commonsensekundalini.com
http://www.goldenflowermeditation.com
http://www.lifeforcebooks.com
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Dawn of a New Diva - Renaissance Austin
Meet Renaissance Austin - Artist, Designer, Poet, Dancer, Singer, Dreamer, Entrepreneur. This Queen of creativity and style is indeed Fearless and Living In Color.
Renaissance, one of my favorite parts about being born and raised in Los Angeles has always been the colorful people and Art and you definitely personify that!
Thanks so much!
First of all, I love your name Renaissance Austin, Talk to me about that.
Gladly! Renaissance Austin for me is like going from Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe. It's an artistic name that embodies completely who I am and I believe it was destined for me. Considering that I record music and perform every now and then, I was always toying with the idea of what I would name myself artistically as many artist do. As I played around with my own name and being dissatisfied I finally went to the dictionary to look up the word renaissance as the Italian and French Renaissance periods I love greatly, the French Baroque period being my favorite. I discovered that it meant "rebirth" representing these time periods where love, music, poetry, the performing and visual arts, and freedom was so high, thriving, and all worth living for. It was perfect and exactly who I was. To me, it was the divine rights of passage crossing over into a greater part of myself that will impact the world through my artistic creativity!
I had a blast growing up in Los Angeles. Childhood was sweet! For the most part it was just me and my twin brother being raised by my father actually which was very rare because I didn't know any other children who were raised by a single father, so I believe that my upbringing was quite unique to began with. He was very, very smart and as my older sister says, on the edge of genius, an odd ball, and a computer wiz. Growing up we had about 7 computers in our home, tons of books, school materials, and plenty to eat! My dad was a great cook who had spent 9 years in the navy as a chef. You see I love talking about him. He was a biker previously, but by the time my brother and I were born, he didn't bike much, but would take us on the motorcycle for a couple of rounds around the block. I think we were like 6 years old! LOL. He worked at the mechanic shop around the corner from our home taking us with him and it was great. He had wonderful friends that took really good care of us. I remember climbing through cars that were being worked on and one friend in particular that came with his pet snake. It was huge and I was so fascinated. He put the snake around my neck and I knew that I wanted one of my own because I wanted to be like Michael Jackson! LOL
I tell you, being raised from the male perspective is highly interesting. Every Saturday was beach day. We would go fishing at Playa Del Rey, El Dorado Park, or Redondo Beach. My brother and I would leave my dad as he tended to the fishing poles and run off to the other side of the beach or play under the bridges pulling mussels of the rocks and grabbing crabs. Those were the days where kids could run off and parents not have to worry about them. (I sound old now LOL). We were just like regular children playing on our block with other kids on the street, playing with bugs, riding bikes, climbing my neighbor's avocado tree. Those were the good days, the beauty of the 80's.
I was still much more shy than my brother and I figured out early on that I was sort of peculiar, different from the other kids, and as we started growing older I would stay to myself more, dreaming, visualizing my life, reading, writing, all of those things. Overall it was a very sheltered life within the city, but what I loved most were the road trips to Vegas or just taking a Sunday drive after church, with no traffic by the way, that allowed my imagination to go beyond the city limits...
Were there heavy influences there for you as far as your Art and Creativity are concerned?
Indeed there are many. My grandmother and designer uncle are my two greatest influences when it comes to fashion, sewing, and crocheting. I don't remember this story, but my grandma tells it all the time how I would try to sew on the sewing machine when I was like 4 years old. She says I would make the sounds and try to make the fabric move but my feet weren't long enough to touch the petal. So I really believe that family I was born into is where I was meant to be. I would flip through all of my uncles sketch books and by the time I was 11 I was already sketching my own designs. The greatest lesson that my grandma taught me was quality and to always make sure the inside looks just as great as the outside. A person should be able to wear an outfit inside out. That's how well it should be made, so I try, with every piece that I make, to implement that golden rule. It's a must and you can never get around it. It's definitely the influence of "excellency".
Is this what you always wanted to do?
That's an interesting question because what I've always really wanted to do was sing, and yes, I do sing, and record, perform, and do some small traveling, but I believe that all of this other creativity is like icing on the cake. I actually never imagined I would be crocheting, knitting, and running an online shop. But with more mature thinking these days and looking back, I realized that I was on that path anyway. So I understand that there are some things you can dream about and visualize that don't always take place and there are some things that you don't dream about all and they do take place. Because my father was a single father, so many women would give him trash bags full of clothes for me. I would rummage through those bags excited to see what was in them. Many of them were too big, so that is where I would began altering things by hand and redesigning them to fit my taste and I was younger than 10, you see! I would pull curtains off the window and make skirts. But did I ever think or dream I would be a designer? Not at all! But here it all is right before me and I accept it with enthusiasm and grace.
Renaissance you do so many things. What are they and of them which is your favorite?
I think I do almost everything that has to do with the visual and performing arts. One day I will pull out an old video of me dancing on VHS for crying out loud and put it on YouTube! I haven't danced in a few years now, but I do dance, sing, write songs, poetry, and stories. I love sci fi the most. I am really good at choreography, hairstyling, and makeup. I paint and have used my paintings in designs that I've sold in the past. I am a photographer and most of all I love to inspire through all that I do. That's the greatest skill. And of course my favorite is singing.
Are you self taught?
I am self taught on a few things, not on all. I was taught to crochet at the age of 8 by my Grandma. I caught on so fast that I just took it and ran with it. Once you know the basics, learning other stitches and techniques come very easy. Singing for me is a natural gift, but I always believe that natural should still be honed too. I took a couple of voice classes to have a better understanding of what I was doing and to come out of my shyness. Rhythm and dance come very easy to me but again, I've had some of the best instructors in military drill, ballet, modern, and jazz dance, teaching me discipline and perfection. When I picked up knitting and I just decided to learn really quickly just to be on Knitty Gritty on the DIY Network! I watched a couple of videos on Knittinghelp.com and voile! It was more simple then I thought. I also believed that already knowing how to crochet played an important factor in learning how to knit. Same as jewelry design and assembly. I am still learning new techniques every day, but I always take into consideration what my grandma tells me, "learn everything, learn it all".
You’ve been on some Television shows. What are they? What was that experience like?
In the crafting arena, I was a knitster on Knitty Gritty and had the opportunity to meet Lily Chin. She was so wonderful to me, very positive, and upbeat. The experience was really great and inspiring. For singing, I've been on numerous shows on both MTV and VH1 networks, such as, Next, Celebrity Fit Club, Flava Flav, who is actually one of the sweetest men you could ever meet. He actually brought tears to my eyes with his positive words and appreciation of us being there. I was on a wedding show and have sang at number celebrity weddings with coverage in US magazine. I have one commercial under my belt and look to do more. The experience for me is like home. The stage, lights, sets, and being around costumes and props feel more like home to be then being home sometimes! It is where I am able to fully express myself artistically and display my gift as I was meant to.
You have an Online shop. Are there plans for other businesses?
Yes, I have lots of plans for other business ventures. I am looking to expand my music more and am very excited about that. After selling online for 2 years now and seeing that Etsy has a music section, a section I never really thought to go after, I am now looking to use that section very heavily. I look forward to doing a lot of fun things with my favorite music genres, house music, R&B, relaxation, Soul, and Pop. I am planning to record my poetry, create CD's and poetry books to accompany the CD. I am very, very, happy to get this other expression of me out there for the world to enjoy. It's very difficult right now in music, labels have pretty much crumbled and Artists have to find their own way and go back to grass roots and that is what I am doing.
What colorful things can we expect to see from you in the future?
Everything that I have to give is what you will see from me. I leave no stone unturned. I am expanding my Etsy shop even more and will eventually have vintage pieces, mainly clothing, and jewelry. It's a true passion of mine. I've spent my whole life shopping in thrift shops while my peers were going to the mall. So far I have my Body Knit collection and the new Goddess collection. I am working on a California collection as well which will be more lightweight yarn, ribbon yarn, and lightweight dresses and a line of lingerie and swimwear.
I will be creating a bridal line of crocheted dresses and accessories for the earthy, simple, but queenly bride. My sister keeps on insisting on this one dress that we saw in a magazine a couple years ago, so influences from that particular dress will be included in the California collection. My brother who is a driving force in my business and who just finished a wonderful fashion class helps me design for our men's collection. We have finalized the new designs for crocheted and knit hats, 70's inspired knit skinny ties and bow ties, and cardigans and sweaters, both knit and crocheted.
I will be expanding my YouTube channel greatly this year finally being able to get more crochet and demonstration videos uploaded. And because it is a channel, I have organized shows to display every talent I have, mapping out my show called "Blue Light Sessions", a music show. There will be a dance show, craft show, and a round table discussion show for those who have a voice and can talk about their experiences and the current times bringing solutions on how understanding can bring all people together no matter what "pedigree", upbringing, or side of the tracks you come from. So I really look forward to invited guests, from musicians, producers, writers, and activists.
What Inspirational words do you have to share with us Renaissance?
I will say, live your life to the fullest and with integrity. Don't be afraid of anything. If you are holding off learning a new craft or haven't tapped into your creative side, which I believe no matter what, everyone has one, then do so now. Every decision we don't make, but the ones we can make, think them through well, but do not prolong them, set your heart on it and go for it. Whether it was the right choice or wrong one, you learn from it and then in the learning you receive what was right true...Live with a good and pure heart, love what you do, be patient in what you don't love doing because it's not forever. Life is a journey, so keep driving!
Another fun and fabulous interview! Life is full of so many wonderful colorful people. Thank you so much Renaissance. Be sure to update us on all of your fun upcoming wonders!
Live In Color!
Renaissance, one of my favorite parts about being born and raised in Los Angeles has always been the colorful people and Art and you definitely personify that!
Thanks so much!
First of all, I love your name Renaissance Austin, Talk to me about that.
Gladly! Renaissance Austin for me is like going from Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe. It's an artistic name that embodies completely who I am and I believe it was destined for me. Considering that I record music and perform every now and then, I was always toying with the idea of what I would name myself artistically as many artist do. As I played around with my own name and being dissatisfied I finally went to the dictionary to look up the word renaissance as the Italian and French Renaissance periods I love greatly, the French Baroque period being my favorite. I discovered that it meant "rebirth" representing these time periods where love, music, poetry, the performing and visual arts, and freedom was so high, thriving, and all worth living for. It was perfect and exactly who I was. To me, it was the divine rights of passage crossing over into a greater part of myself that will impact the world through my artistic creativity!
I had a blast growing up in Los Angeles. Childhood was sweet! For the most part it was just me and my twin brother being raised by my father actually which was very rare because I didn't know any other children who were raised by a single father, so I believe that my upbringing was quite unique to began with. He was very, very smart and as my older sister says, on the edge of genius, an odd ball, and a computer wiz. Growing up we had about 7 computers in our home, tons of books, school materials, and plenty to eat! My dad was a great cook who had spent 9 years in the navy as a chef. You see I love talking about him. He was a biker previously, but by the time my brother and I were born, he didn't bike much, but would take us on the motorcycle for a couple of rounds around the block. I think we were like 6 years old! LOL. He worked at the mechanic shop around the corner from our home taking us with him and it was great. He had wonderful friends that took really good care of us. I remember climbing through cars that were being worked on and one friend in particular that came with his pet snake. It was huge and I was so fascinated. He put the snake around my neck and I knew that I wanted one of my own because I wanted to be like Michael Jackson! LOL
I tell you, being raised from the male perspective is highly interesting. Every Saturday was beach day. We would go fishing at Playa Del Rey, El Dorado Park, or Redondo Beach. My brother and I would leave my dad as he tended to the fishing poles and run off to the other side of the beach or play under the bridges pulling mussels of the rocks and grabbing crabs. Those were the days where kids could run off and parents not have to worry about them. (I sound old now LOL). We were just like regular children playing on our block with other kids on the street, playing with bugs, riding bikes, climbing my neighbor's avocado tree. Those were the good days, the beauty of the 80's.
I was still much more shy than my brother and I figured out early on that I was sort of peculiar, different from the other kids, and as we started growing older I would stay to myself more, dreaming, visualizing my life, reading, writing, all of those things. Overall it was a very sheltered life within the city, but what I loved most were the road trips to Vegas or just taking a Sunday drive after church, with no traffic by the way, that allowed my imagination to go beyond the city limits...
Were there heavy influences there for you as far as your Art and Creativity are concerned?
Indeed there are many. My grandmother and designer uncle are my two greatest influences when it comes to fashion, sewing, and crocheting. I don't remember this story, but my grandma tells it all the time how I would try to sew on the sewing machine when I was like 4 years old. She says I would make the sounds and try to make the fabric move but my feet weren't long enough to touch the petal. So I really believe that family I was born into is where I was meant to be. I would flip through all of my uncles sketch books and by the time I was 11 I was already sketching my own designs. The greatest lesson that my grandma taught me was quality and to always make sure the inside looks just as great as the outside. A person should be able to wear an outfit inside out. That's how well it should be made, so I try, with every piece that I make, to implement that golden rule. It's a must and you can never get around it. It's definitely the influence of "excellency".
Is this what you always wanted to do?
That's an interesting question because what I've always really wanted to do was sing, and yes, I do sing, and record, perform, and do some small traveling, but I believe that all of this other creativity is like icing on the cake. I actually never imagined I would be crocheting, knitting, and running an online shop. But with more mature thinking these days and looking back, I realized that I was on that path anyway. So I understand that there are some things you can dream about and visualize that don't always take place and there are some things that you don't dream about all and they do take place. Because my father was a single father, so many women would give him trash bags full of clothes for me. I would rummage through those bags excited to see what was in them. Many of them were too big, so that is where I would began altering things by hand and redesigning them to fit my taste and I was younger than 10, you see! I would pull curtains off the window and make skirts. But did I ever think or dream I would be a designer? Not at all! But here it all is right before me and I accept it with enthusiasm and grace.
Renaissance you do so many things. What are they and of them which is your favorite?
I think I do almost everything that has to do with the visual and performing arts. One day I will pull out an old video of me dancing on VHS for crying out loud and put it on YouTube! I haven't danced in a few years now, but I do dance, sing, write songs, poetry, and stories. I love sci fi the most. I am really good at choreography, hairstyling, and makeup. I paint and have used my paintings in designs that I've sold in the past. I am a photographer and most of all I love to inspire through all that I do. That's the greatest skill. And of course my favorite is singing.
Are you self taught?
I am self taught on a few things, not on all. I was taught to crochet at the age of 8 by my Grandma. I caught on so fast that I just took it and ran with it. Once you know the basics, learning other stitches and techniques come very easy. Singing for me is a natural gift, but I always believe that natural should still be honed too. I took a couple of voice classes to have a better understanding of what I was doing and to come out of my shyness. Rhythm and dance come very easy to me but again, I've had some of the best instructors in military drill, ballet, modern, and jazz dance, teaching me discipline and perfection. When I picked up knitting and I just decided to learn really quickly just to be on Knitty Gritty on the DIY Network! I watched a couple of videos on Knittinghelp.com and voile! It was more simple then I thought. I also believed that already knowing how to crochet played an important factor in learning how to knit. Same as jewelry design and assembly. I am still learning new techniques every day, but I always take into consideration what my grandma tells me, "learn everything, learn it all".
You’ve been on some Television shows. What are they? What was that experience like?
In the crafting arena, I was a knitster on Knitty Gritty and had the opportunity to meet Lily Chin. She was so wonderful to me, very positive, and upbeat. The experience was really great and inspiring. For singing, I've been on numerous shows on both MTV and VH1 networks, such as, Next, Celebrity Fit Club, Flava Flav, who is actually one of the sweetest men you could ever meet. He actually brought tears to my eyes with his positive words and appreciation of us being there. I was on a wedding show and have sang at number celebrity weddings with coverage in US magazine. I have one commercial under my belt and look to do more. The experience for me is like home. The stage, lights, sets, and being around costumes and props feel more like home to be then being home sometimes! It is where I am able to fully express myself artistically and display my gift as I was meant to.
You have an Online shop. Are there plans for other businesses?
Yes, I have lots of plans for other business ventures. I am looking to expand my music more and am very excited about that. After selling online for 2 years now and seeing that Etsy has a music section, a section I never really thought to go after, I am now looking to use that section very heavily. I look forward to doing a lot of fun things with my favorite music genres, house music, R&B, relaxation, Soul, and Pop. I am planning to record my poetry, create CD's and poetry books to accompany the CD. I am very, very, happy to get this other expression of me out there for the world to enjoy. It's very difficult right now in music, labels have pretty much crumbled and Artists have to find their own way and go back to grass roots and that is what I am doing.
What colorful things can we expect to see from you in the future?
Everything that I have to give is what you will see from me. I leave no stone unturned. I am expanding my Etsy shop even more and will eventually have vintage pieces, mainly clothing, and jewelry. It's a true passion of mine. I've spent my whole life shopping in thrift shops while my peers were going to the mall. So far I have my Body Knit collection and the new Goddess collection. I am working on a California collection as well which will be more lightweight yarn, ribbon yarn, and lightweight dresses and a line of lingerie and swimwear.
I will be creating a bridal line of crocheted dresses and accessories for the earthy, simple, but queenly bride. My sister keeps on insisting on this one dress that we saw in a magazine a couple years ago, so influences from that particular dress will be included in the California collection. My brother who is a driving force in my business and who just finished a wonderful fashion class helps me design for our men's collection. We have finalized the new designs for crocheted and knit hats, 70's inspired knit skinny ties and bow ties, and cardigans and sweaters, both knit and crocheted.
I will be expanding my YouTube channel greatly this year finally being able to get more crochet and demonstration videos uploaded. And because it is a channel, I have organized shows to display every talent I have, mapping out my show called "Blue Light Sessions", a music show. There will be a dance show, craft show, and a round table discussion show for those who have a voice and can talk about their experiences and the current times bringing solutions on how understanding can bring all people together no matter what "pedigree", upbringing, or side of the tracks you come from. So I really look forward to invited guests, from musicians, producers, writers, and activists.
What Inspirational words do you have to share with us Renaissance?
I will say, live your life to the fullest and with integrity. Don't be afraid of anything. If you are holding off learning a new craft or haven't tapped into your creative side, which I believe no matter what, everyone has one, then do so now. Every decision we don't make, but the ones we can make, think them through well, but do not prolong them, set your heart on it and go for it. Whether it was the right choice or wrong one, you learn from it and then in the learning you receive what was right true...Live with a good and pure heart, love what you do, be patient in what you don't love doing because it's not forever. Life is a journey, so keep driving!
Another fun and fabulous interview! Life is full of so many wonderful colorful people. Thank you so much Renaissance. Be sure to update us on all of your fun upcoming wonders!
Live In Color!
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