Artistically Speaking with Larry Hatfield

"I have always been drawn to visual art. However, it seemed so futile, uneconomic, unimportant, as the common sense voices said.  Without a living mentor/example, it was difficult to see a way forward. I have tried to deny it, to avoid it, even to give it up. At times, survival seemed all that I could manage. But I returned to art again, and again. Nothing else fits the expression of who I am."  Larry Hatfield

I met Larry Hatfield at a shoot for a Cable Show in the works. As I interviewed a guest I noticed that Larry, sitting on the other side of the studio was sketching and was impressed to see he had made great sketches of the guests I was interviewing.  As you know, Art immediately catches my eye and there you have it! 

 

 

Fountain at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

Hi Larry. How are you?

Your work is beautiful. Very detailed and colorful watercolors.  I love the fact that I recognize many of the places you paint.

Where did you grow up?   

I grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, part of the Quad Cities, once the farm implement capital of the world, Weyerhauser started there bringing logs down the Mississippi until the dams and bridges went in. The first Railroad Bridge over the river was there. Where the Rock River and Hennepin Canal flow into the Mississippi. The home of Criminal, John Looney, who was portrayed in the movie "Road to Perdition".  They changed his name to Rooney. The last battle with Native Americans East of the Mississippi, The Blackhawk War, was near there. There was a large encampment of Sauk and Mesquakie in Rock Island 

Wow Larry. Thank you for that bit of education. I love it!  What were you like as a child?   

I played a lot outside with friends, caught crawdads in the creek, made bows and arrows and slingshots, climbed trees--we lived next to a large wooded area.

What were your creative activities as a child? 

Our neighborhood group of kids invented games, built tree-houses, underground houses that filled with water and spiders and were abandoned. After I had some art classes in school, I remember going out to draw on my own a few times. I remember watching my mother practice the Vibes in the living room (this was an influence that I recognized much later)

Do you remember if you thought “I’m an Artist” when you were young? 

No, I don't think I had a category of "Artist" in my brain to place myself into.  I didn't know anyone, hadn't heard of anyone, who was an artist. In high school I learned that a neighbor had gone to Paris to study painting, but he was a proprietor of a small neighborhood grocery, not a practicing artist.

What medium(s) do you like to work with most?   

I have always liked pencil, but the last three and a half years, I have been trying to learn to paint with watercolors.

What types of things inspire you to paint? 

Briefly I'll say that I am a Christian and I look at the landscape as God's Creation.  Which means that being creative is not random/accidental,  but in tune with the highest reality.  There is a great deal of diversity but also an order, kind of like Jazz with its improvisation but also with the standards. J. S. Bach would write J.J. and S.D.G in the margins of his compostions. Sometimes he spelled them out, Jesu Juva (Jesus Help), and Soli Deo Gloria (only God's Glory).

You’ve visited other Countries in the name of Art? Where have you been and what would you say is the difference between what you saw and learned there and here? 

I have traveled to Western Europe a few times.  My wife and I lived in London for about 18 months. I am not qualified as an art critic or historian. It seems that sometimes Americans have followed European trends and sometimes the other way. In general, I would say its more acceptable, legitimate, to be and artist in Europe than in America. There isn't much of a cultural space for artists here.  We are either very pragmatic, utilitarian, or celebrity oriented to see that painting is worth doing unless you can become a celebrity artist.

What is the Plein Air painting experience like for you? 

Plein Air, just means painting on site outdoors. It comes from the French "en plein aire"  if my French is right.  The gamut of color and light that is present in the outdoors can't be captured on camera. The color gamut of photography is considerably smaller, and commercially printed pictures are very much less full of the color of the creation.  The experience of being there encompasses everything you can think of, light, color, sound, weather, etc. and that is part of "seeing the place".  The challenges are that the light is always changing, shadows move, bugs crawl on you and the painting, birds bomb you. In Oregon, I had a squirrel perch above me and drop bark and pine cones on me while chattering away, protesting my presence.

Do you have other Artistic outlets?   

Right now I am concentrating on watercolor.  In the nearly 30 years that I was working full-time and couldn't paint or draw, or was too discouraged to. I found that growing flowers was like painting my yard with color. And coaching soccer had a satisfaction of seeing patterns and rhythms of combination of players with the ball.

 

Who are some of your favorite Artists? 

I'll have to limit this to painters, even then there are too many to list all. Most of what I like is representational. This may not be in chronological order, but here are some that come to mind: Albrect Durer, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Goya, Turner, Cole and the Hudson River School, Rouault, Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth. Contemporary artists : Makoto Fujimura, John Taft, Michael Reardon (Oakland Watercolorist), Carol Aust www.carolaust.com and many others.

What is your opinion about the ‘State of Art’ right now? 

The "Art World" has lost direction. There is no more Avant Guarde rebelling against the Academy.  The ideas of Truth and Beauty and the link between them was abandoned by the philosophers some time ago and now everything drifts.  If anyone is interested in this, others are better than I am at analysing these culturals trends.  I just finished a book that I would recommend,  Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey.  She is a Christian woman who comes from that worldview. She is writing primarily to the church in general, but if you are not into church, you can still get a lot out of it because she does a great job of explaining what ideas lead to what trends in Art from the Enlightenment to now in Western Art. And she gives a framework for understanding how big ideas translate into visual art, and music, and other arts.

Do you sell your Art? 

Yes, at shows, galleries and open studios. I have one piece at the Richmond Art Center Member's Show now. At the end of July I am in the Benicia Art and Wine Festival with 2 other watercolor artists.

Do you have any inspirational words you can offer other Artists? 

I don't feel qualified to be a mentor, but all I know is that I was made to do this.  It took many decades for me to really know this for sure.  I tried to ignore it, abandon it, forget it, but I wasn't really happy or fulfilled by all the other things I did except in small ways that I could be creative in those roles.  So, if its in you, do it.

Where can we find out more about you and your Art? 

http://www.LarryHatfieldArt.com is my poorly maintained website--way out of date.  My more up-to-date 2011 Watercolor album of paintings on Facebook is here:  Larry Hatfield

People can get on my mailing list by emailing Larry.Hatfield@gmail and send an address or just indicate email only, and I will send 2 to 4 postcards (or just email)  a year about shows and exhibits where my work can be seen.

Thank you so much for this very eye opening and educational interview Larry. 

My pleasure Steph, thanks for your interest.

Larry Hatfield

The Teacher is in! Steven L. Riddick

Meet Poet, Author, Teacher, Fitness Guru, Entrepreneur, Steven L. Riddick. This man stays busy 24/7 and apparently is always working the creative edge. Dedicated to consistent education Steven shares his energetic spirit with us. Check out Steven.

Hi Steven. Thank you so much for chatting with us. Let's start with your childhood. As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

You know, when I was younger I had a plethora of career aspirations as most youth. During the Michael Jackson era, I wanted to be a singer, when I got in middle school; I wanted to be President of the United States. Sadly, the guidance counselor I had at that time assured me that would not be attainable for someone like me. You can read between the lines on that one lol! I went through a lot of different emotions on what to be. Right after undergrad, I decided I would be a politician. I worked on Capitol Hill in Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott’s office as an intern and loved it. Politics is a contact sport so I decided against it after a while.

Did you read and write a lot as a youngster? Did you keep a Journal (diary)?

You know it’s funny that you ask. I remember I started keeping a log back in elementary school. I’d say around maybe the fourth or fifth grade. Even then I was girl crazy. I used to write passionate letters to some of the pretty girls in my class even then! Once my mom picked up my journal and it had an entry regarding an exchange that I had with a young lady in the neighborhood. She was not too happy to say the least but from there is where it started….I also had a teacher in Upward Bound named Mr. Pesapane who would have us do journals and he’d read and respond to our entries. I love the idea of journal logging!

Can you describe the feeling of getting words from heart and head to paper?

WOW! That is a great question… the heart is filled with a variety of emotions. It’s like channeling from the depths of your soul how you want to express your thoughts. Rage, sensuality, romance, frustrations are all emotions that we all feel at some point. Some are just better than others at expressing them in the written form. I think I was blessed with the ability to articulate my thoughts on paper for a reason. It’s almost like being possessed in some degree. Sometimes I can’t sleep because something heavy is in my heart. When I start writing, I can’t stop. It’s like crying in some respects. When you are either happy or sad, you tend to cry until you have relieved all the emotion that created the need to cry. I love writing from my heart.

Where you inspired by any famous or non famous writers? If so, who and why?

I’d say when I was in a course called Success Stories back in high school; it had to be Dr. Maya Angelou. We had been reading “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and I fell in love with her voice and her eloquence in writing. I also enjoyed song writers as well. Babyface, Big Daddy Kane (I still can recite Smooth Operator word for word!), The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Keith Sweat and most important my momma. She is excellent at written expression as well. I loved the way Babyface could write a love song and make it sound so wonderful. My favorite song of his is Whip Appeal. It is like you can so feel or identify that one woman who had that magical effect on you. His words were real. Big Daddy Kane was someone I looked up to as a teenager. He was smooth, the ladies LOVED him and his rhymes were wicked. Biggie and Pac told stories. With Biggie, you could just see exactly what he was talking about. I try my best to use solid imagery for my readers to follow along. Pac was just in your face and I respect that.

Are you a published writer? If so, where?

Currently I am not published but I will be very soon! My first book will be titled “Read My Soul”. I owe a dear friend of my Ms. Kimberly Simmons for that title. I just started putting together a compilation of poems around the end of October of 2009. My friend Celena Thomas told me to wait until after the Mercury Retrograde before I started writing lol….she is a character who keeps me laughing. The first book will be published through LuLu. I wasn’t sure where to go for publishing but Mrs. Latabia Woodward pointed me in the direction of LuLu after reading a few of my poems posted on Facebook. I promise you an autographed copy of my first book too. I plan to do an anthology and a novel.

Well thank you! I’ll look forward to that! --Steven I have read your poetry. It’s very intense and honestly the longest poems I’ve ever read. :-) Where does it come from? 

LOL!! Thank you very much Stephanie! I am a very intense person. I am intense in EVERY aspect of my life. Some people are not privileged to see certain sides of me. Certain movies, I am left in tears either out of inspiration or sadness. My emotions are deep and I am not afraid to display my sensitivity around the “right” person. I absolutely LOVE black women!!!! When I say I love yall… I LOVE YALL! I have awesome relationships with black women. From the close friends, mentors, past relationships etc I just enjoy reflecting on a variety of ways how I feel about you all. I am also one of those men who love very hard. When I write romance poems, I am opening up my heart. I am displaying that there are some of us men who can let go and really love a woman intimately and passionately. I still believe in that mushy making folks sick to their stomach kind of love.

The poem “The Black Woman” is a poem that I wanted every black woman to feel my conviction, passion, love and devotion to her as a black man. This isn’t to say I dislike women of other ethnic backgrounds because that is so far from the truth. I just adore women who are in the semblance of my grandmother Vera and mother Oralene.

I find that a variety of things motivate me. Pain is something that we all have and continue to experience. I remember once I had a break up that hurt me to the core of my soul. I honestly was in so much pain; I didn’t get off the couch for a week. My friend Eugene pulled me out of that funk by igniting my competitive spirit on Playstation. I channel the pain from then and now for a few other poems. I hope that my poems would help someone else see through their pain and heartache. I also write angry poems. Being a gentle spirited person, some people tend to try to take advantage of you. All I will say is, never ever upset a poet. Yes, I do have some written too.

Can you share a paragraph or two with us?

The poem “The Black Woman” to me would do you all in injustice to cut it short. If I may, I’d like to give you the entire poem for your readers to enjoy.

Beauty, strength, radiance, sensuality, intelligence, grace and timeless elegance
Are some of the many qualities the black woman possess that has given her multi-dimensional reverence
Virtuosity, spirituality, loyalty and devotion are ingredients that give her a sensational and unmistakable preference
Her beautiful and delicate body is nothing short of a remarkable art; it is a work of excellent and majestic design
Her timeless exquisiteness is so eloquently infused; not even elderly age could cause her aesthetical appeal to decline
The black woman to me is the center of the universe; powerful and delightful just as the morning sunshine
From head to toe she is pristine and enchanting; coupled with an angelic countenance that features her enticingly full lips
Her figure is salaciously alluring, historically mystical with her distinct and generational feature being her astounding round hips
Her eyes can be piercing, profound, and inviting with peaceful serenity; yet there is something exhilarating to watch her as she kips.
The mother of Earth, the sister of the stars; my love for the black woman has become increasingly stronger over the years
Whenever there is trouble or time of immediate despair; she is always available in some form to provide comfort from our fears
If I had the highest and mightiest form of prestidigitation; I would work feverishly to ease and suppress each of black women’s tears.
Intimacy with a black woman reflects sentiments of cosmic enchantment; compared to the stars, the moon and the heavens above
The best and most precious gift in life a man could receive; is all or any of her strong, amazing unconditional love
Her touch is golden, her embrace is effervescent her spirit is warm and gentle equivalent to that of a dove
Of all of the riches and prize possessions I could own; the black woman stands alone as a most valuable and priceless treasure
Throughout my journey in life and my trials and tribulations; having her by my side is a glorious and continuous pleasure
While the world at times taunts you and doesn’t give you proper accolades; no other woman in my mind to you in this life will ever measure.

You have so much going on. Talk to me about some of the different creative things you do?

Yeah I guess you could say I have a lot going on (smile) I totally enjoy being busy too. I am working on a new poem called “Don’t Go”. En Vogue was a group I had a crush on since 6th grade so I am using their tune “Don’t Go” as the background of my poem. I use a program to cut and paste certain parts so the looping in the background only consists of the ladies singing the chorus. I am also Area Director of Lango Kids for Charles County, Maryland. This is a business venture that I enjoy because first, it provides an education component that not every student is afforded and second, it is an energetic and entertaining curriculum.
We offer Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and French to pre-school to grade five students afterschool. Being a parent takes creativity on the highest degree too!! My five year old Kamari thinks quick on her feet so therefore I have to one up her on every level to stay ahead of her precociousness. Also my Blog Talk Radio program “The Romantic Interlude Show” is another one of my creative activities. I host that show along with my lovely and awesome co-host, La’Kesha Johnson known as “Poison Ivy”. I totally have a lot of fun preparing and doing that show too!

How do you keep it all going?

That is a great question Stephanie. I will be the first to admit I am so imperfect. I can’t seem to say no. Some one may ask me to do something or participate and I will gladly accept. But I think I maintain by taking some time to do nothing. Some days or weekends, all I do is sit in the house and just relax. Some would say I am always on the go lol…….but I do take some time to smell the roses. That is the only way I’d be able to keep anything going.

I’ve seen you referred to as a Master Educator. What does that mean?

Another great question! A Master Educator is basically a teacher or academic professional who increases his or her knowledge in the principles and practices of the field of education. We do this to understand how best to articulate whatever concepts we are charged with disseminating to our students. There are a variety of concepts on how best to educate, through the M.Ed. program, you basically learn which ones have been most effective and least. We also learn the best methods for teaching and designing Pedagogy (K-12) and Andragogy (Adult) centered curriculums.

You have also taught school. What level did you teach?

I taught 5th grade and I also taught rising 3rd graders during summer school. That was tough with the rising third graders because a lot more patience was required. I also taught at a proprietary school also. That was an experience. They couldn’t understand why I cared so much about how they learned. They were not use to instructors caring I was told.

Was writing a part of your curriculum? If so, what wisdom did you pass on in regards to writing?

I did take a course in writing curriculum. It was interesting. My philosophy is “concept based” curriculum design. I find that to be far more engaging of the student’s learning. Two jobs that concepts have are to focus the study of topics and integrate the curriculum. If I am teaching my students about how the three branches of government work, I can give my students a particular hotbed subject appropriate for their age. They can divide into the US House of Representatives and also the US Senate. Now among them, they can organize two parties based on their ideologies. (Believe me, kids are very smart and can manage such a feat with ease). I can have a student serve as the President and a few as the Supreme Court. Once I explain the procedures, they can clearly understand the basics just from being heavily integrated into the concept. Hope that makes sense…there are some technical procedures missing but I want to keep it from boring your readers (smile).

You’re also into physical fitness?

YES !! I did some modeling shoots and had to really be on my game to do those. I first started in 10 grade with fitness. I was always a skinny guy but I was pretty much in good shape. A friend Qwaku had me and my boy Kelsey doing 200 sit-ups a night training in Tae Kwon Do. I never fell out of love with fitness. Now my diet fluctuates but I love to work out. I have a pull up bar at home and I also have dumb bells and a weight bench. I remember some of my friends saw my fitness shots, they would always say “I didn’t know you looked like that!” I keep it covered well I’d always reply lol…..But fitness is fun for me. Even though I have my lazy days, I enjoy very much working out and helping others too !

Do you have any advice on a starting point for people who want to catch up on healthy fitness?

I am a Team Beach Body Coach also so that is certainly right up my avenue. They can visit my Beach Body site at http://www.teambeachbody.com/sriddick1906 or email me at sriddick@goldenmotifcreations.com regarding some of the programs. I think the first thing is to start getting the distractions out of your way. Don’t say it CAN’T be done. Anything is possible with hard work. Some things may take more work based on genetics. Develop a strong support system in achieving your goals. If you have negative folks around you, they don’t need to be there. Start off slowly and progress from there. Rome wasn’t built in a day, our bodies are no different.

It appears that your desire is to do and teach things that positively affect other lives. That’s beautiful. What inspiration would you like to share with up and coming writers, young and old?

Thank you Stephanie! I usually ask people when I get to know them on a personal level, “What are your passions?” That gets a lot of thoughts flowing from every individual. Use your passions as motivation for your writing. Whenever you have passion, everyone can feel it, taste it, see it. I want my readers to not only feel it, but I want them to be able to smell, taste and see it as well. I would say shoot for what passionately ignites their fires. That will certainly be a catalyst for great outcomes.

Thank you so much Steven. You are an inspiration and absolutely motivating. Pssst… I’ll be looking forward to that signed book!
Please look for more of Steven’s poetry or follow him on Facebook

Episode 5

The Lady Speaks! - Stephanie Alva

I’d like to introduce you to the lovely, energetic and motivated Stephanie Alva. This beautiful lady came to my attention because of her motivational videos and her positive energy! She’s a CEO, Personal Manager, Motivator, Teacher, Singer…. Check her out.

Hello Stephanie. My you have a lot going on! I don’t even know where to start LOL.

LOL!! Yes, I am extremely busy these days and I’m loving every minute of it!

What are you up to right now?

WOW… that is a loaded question LOL! I recently launched my newest company, My Life Keys, LLC., along with my business partner, Tavaghn “Montster” Monts. My Life Keys offers Life Coaching and Motivational Speaking, as well as positive affirmation CDs and books, inspirational t-shirts, and a beautiful line of meditation candles and jewelry. In addition to that, I am also the CEO of Wise Owl Management and am a Personal Manager for a lot of reality television stars, a couple of musicians, an Olympian, a few models… the list goes on and on. I am living my dreams!

I’ve seen your videos and followed your progress and I am always inspired. 

Thank you so much!! I love to hear that! That is confirmation that I am doing the right thing.

Let’s talk about your life as a Personal Manager first. You manage Reality Stars and other Entertainers? 

Yes, I do. I manage quite a few people who work in various industries. It definitely keeps me on my toes.

What do you do as a personal manager? 

It is my responsibility to manage every aspect, both personal and business, of my clients’ lives. I put together their schedules, make sure that they are prepared for interviews, shows, different jobs, etc., I am in charge of their media training, I dissect every contract and offer that comes across my desk for each of them, I maintain their public images, accompany them to various events, talk them through any problems or circumstances that they may find themselves having…. I am their Mom, Sister, Best Friend, Wife, etc. I am involved in every aspect of their lives.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a Manager?

Seeing my clients accomplish their goals and dreams. There is nothing better or more rewarding then being part of someone else living in their purpose.

We all tend to retain a part of our childhood as we grow. What part would you say is most prevalent in your character today?

Nobody has ever asked me that question before. I love it! I’d have to say that it is most definitely perseverance. My Grandma moved here from Spain, knowing no English, and she managed to teach herself the language, get a GED, attend and graduate from nursing school, and become an LVN, all while being married to an abusive, alcoholic husband and raising 4 children, one of whom was disabled. The other person who raised me was my Mom and I watched her work 3 jobs to keep a roof over our heads and make sure that I had everything that I needed. Even when times got hard and they didn’t feel like it, they persevered through it all. THAT is what I have chosen to retain from my childhood.

When someone asked the ‘what do you want to do when you grow up’ question what did you say?

It varied as I grew up. Initially, I wanted to be a singer and a lawyer. Then I wanted to be a news anchor woman, similar to Diane Sawyer. That turned into me wanting to be a sports broadcaster like Jayne Kennedy. The irony is that I was able to accomplish all of those dreams on various levels, (with the exception of being a lawyer). The one thing that has never changed is that I’ve always wanted to help and inspire people.

You’ve been chronicling your weight loss. What has that experience been like? Would you say sharing it has helped you on your Journey? 

It has been both scary and inspirational. I originally began chronicling my weight loss as a way to publically keep myself accountable. That didn’t work. LOL. I didn’t find success with my weight loss until I made the decision to commit to myself regardless of external circumstances. I have gotten some ridicule from blogs and different people but the majority of the responses have been positive. I don’t regret it for a minute.

 

How will you celebrate once you reach your target?

I plan on celebrating in two ways: 1.) By taking a weeklong trip to Turks & Caicos and 2.) Doing a photo shoot with the incomparable B. Breezy and G14 from The Studio Concept out in Atlanta, GA. I CANNOT wait!

Tell us a little about your company, ‘My Life Keys’

My Life Keys offers Life Coaching on an individual or group basis, and Motivational Speakers are also available to speak at different events, seminars, and conferences. It is my intense desire to teach people about who they really are and what they are really capable of. I strongly agree that we ALL come from Greatness and that we are Co-Creators with the Source who created us. We also offer positive affirmation cd’s and books, along with other self-help tools.

 

Stephanie and Tavaghn "Montster" Monts, VP, My Life Keys

To date what would you say your greatest accomplishment has been?

Mother Teresa once said that people shouldn’t leave from you the same way they were when they arrived. I am most proud of that fact that people say that after having interacted with me, they are changed forever. I was born to inspire and motivate people to greatness. But, I don’t think I have accomplished my greatest goal yet… it’s right around the corner though…. I can feel it!

You are very passionate about life and your Journey. What other things move you?

I am moved by TRANSFORMATIONS. When someone finds their purpose and they are able to live in that purpose in spite of adversity, tragedy, or hardship, THAT is what inspires me! THAT is what I live for! If I can somehow be a part of someone being able to do that, I will have accomplished what I was put here to do.

 You also sing? What do you like to sing and where can we hear your music?

Singing has always been a huge part of who I am, but it is only a passionate hobby of mine now LOL. Although my manager is slowly but surely trying to get me to pick it back up professionally. I had a solo CD out around 1994 that did marginally well and received some radio play, but I am best known for being part of a group called The Gospel Gangstas. They are one of the pioneers of Gospel rap and after seeing me perform on a small tour that I was part of, they recruited me to become the singer of their group. I was blessed enough to be able to tour with them for close to two years and I got to perform on BET, MTV, and various large venues throughout the United States. I even got the opportunity to work with greats such as Kirk Franklin, Bobby Jones, T-Bone, and Yolanda Adams. It is part of my life that I am VERY proud of and will never forget, but I’m fairly positive that my professional singing career is over.

What do you do for fun?

I LOVE to spend time with my God-Children, (there are 9 of them), and boring stuff like going to the movies, game night with my friends & family, you know, the simple things. My guilty pleasure is to just zone out and watch T.V., but I’m trying to let that go slowly but surely.

Please share some motivational and inspirational words with us.

You come from Greatness, you attract Greatness, you ARE Greatness!! Your circumstances DO NOT have to stay the way that they are now. YOU have the power to change them. DO NOT give up! DO NOT give in! DO NOT stray from your purpose! There is something that you were born to do that NOBODY else on the face of this earth can do. Unleash your anointing onto the world. We need you!!

Where can the readers find out more information about you, your career and your businesses?

Definitely have your readers check out my website at www.MyLifeKeys.com. My bio and e-mail can be found there. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MyLifeKeys, as well as our You Tube Channel at www.YouTube.com/MyLifeKeys. To stay up to date with all of my clients, you can subscribe to the Wise Owl Mangement You Tube channel at www.YouTube.com/WiseOwlManagement.

Thank you so much Stephanie. I too am very inspired by you. Keep Living In Color!

COLOR ME BLU...SUZI BLU!

Most people in the Mixed Media Art world know who Suzi Blu is, and I’d like to introduce her to you. This lady is full of energy and fun. Her Art Videos and Workshops are sure to grab at the kid in you and bring out the fun artistic side of you. Check out her fun, colorful and unique style.

How are you today Suzi?

I'm good. I just had my hair done so I'm happy. (I'm a Leo. I am nothing without a mane of hair).

Are you working on any special projects at the time of this interview?

After this interview I am scanning in the final sketches for a line of art stamps I am designing.

Then onto filming a few free journal video classes. But thee BIG project is the sequel to Goddess & The Poet. Its called PIETY AND PASSION. But its a secret. I can't talk about it yet. 

So what brought you to this point in life with your Art?

I do the next thing that is in front of me and I don't think about it. That is the only way I can describe how I got to the place where Im living my dreams - making art everyday and getting paid for it. I don't do anything that I don't want to do and that is my best advice. Focus on what you truly love and put all of your energy towards that. Anything that comes your way that has to do with furthering you to your dream goal DO IT. Don't question, "Oh, but can I?" Do it. And if it sucks, do it again until it doesn't. Then go onto the next thing.

What’s a typical day with Suzi like?

My boyfriend should be answering this ha! If you ask me I am not much fun to be around. I have a lot of projects and my day is split up into priorities. Whatever is pressing gets done and everything that is not urgent today doesn't, unless I have extra time and feel up to it. So today that means the stamps have to be finished. Have to. It is also Critique day at my school so whatever else I might have planned, videos, new classes, laundry, none of it will be touched until after I have given full attention to my students work and helped them as much as possible. Then I go on to the next thing on my list. Today that means an art journal video that will take a few days to make so I can fit other things in too, like walking on the beach or going to a bookstore. Because I document my life in my videos I get to do fun things while I'm working because its all part of the whole. But usually, Im hunched over somewhere either editing or getting messy in the art room, eating dinner my sweetheart makes for me, then passing out at 11:00 either watching a movie or playing Paradise Quest on my iPhone.

What types of things motivate you to create?

I could never not create. Something inside of me is unable to do normal things for the majority of the day. Its on a cellular level that's all I can say. DNA. I am incapable of doing anything else because its in my blood, at my very core, I have to express and play and experiment and that is all I want to do. I am quite stubborn and selfish. I take it very seriously that this is 'my life'. I don't waste it. If what I want to do is drip inks onto oil pastels then I will do it. I am in control of my life. At the beginning that meant giving up a lot of things and I was very poor for a long time without any security. I had a lot of problems because of that but in essence I was happy. That is the power or creating. Be it a song or a doodle, its magical and keeps me doing it.

Talk to us about your Art Journal Playshops. These Playshops have not only Art but Inspirational Messages.

This is my philosophy when it comes to dealing with people: whether you are a banker or waitress or financial advisor or art teacher, it is all about giving and receiving love. Getting people to love themselves is what is really going on and the way to do that first is by giving them love. Create a safe place for people and watch them grow. If you are doing something just for the money your customer will feel let down. Put love into it. Make them feel great and watch the results. Encourage people to be the best they can be. That is what is needed before you can even think about teaching or selling them something. Open your heart and then they will open theirs. Then magic can be let it. So when it comes to art I am not going to teach you something if first I don't make sure you are ready to learn. If you tell yourself, "Oh, I can't draw a line. I suck." Then my time is wasted because you aren't going to pay attention to the techniques I show you. My job as a teacher is to make sure you first feel worthy and KNOW you have the right to make your mark, whatever mark that is. Only then will you be able to learn.

Your Art is full of wonderful pictures of soft yet powerful female faces with a distinctive style. Talk to us about that.

Faces interest me. I cannot have an abstract painting without a figure in it. I don't want to paint like that. Art for me is about tapping into the spiritual. Painting is highly spiritual for me and is my church. The figures I create are born from that and are extensions of my feelings about what is god, love, whatever that thing that spirituality is. My paintings are usually not narrative, they tell no story. Rather they are company. Faces staring back at me telling me it is ok, they understand, that there is more to see. They remind me of spirit when I look at them. I think that's what prompts me to create them.

What is the Art Skool Underground about? Can we talk about it?

If you have been to any formal art class then you know how it feels - stiff. Hard chairs, fluorescent lighting, it feels defeatist before you ever put pencil to paper. Even in 101 classes in a Community College teachers promote competition. If you don't come in with natural ability then you are discouraged to continue. I asked my teacher if I could be a 'real' artist and she said I don't think so. She said I worked hard though so you never know. There is a lie that is being spread in the art world, perpetuated by the people in it. I say Art 'Skool', purposely spelled wrong because I want people to know off the bat that mistakes and being a beginner are allowed. Not only allowed they are encouraged. Case in point, I was so excited when I created my first online class, and hurried to make it's content, that I did not proofread pdf's before I posted them. I spent hours making them visually striking and the words meaningful, I did not care about the spelling.
And well, there were a lot of mistakes in there. No one cared. They laughed and cried and it was the content that mattered. They said it felt like a note from a good friend and in notes spelling doesn't count. That is the informal and emotional environment I want in my classes.

How you feels matter more than what you do. And it's easier to do things in a space that isn't scary.

You do a lot of workshops. And fun Videos. I’m curious, what is the youngest student you’ve had? How young were you when you realized ‘This is it?’ I mean as far as the Career was Art?

I have students whose kids love Suzi Blu and want to create. My youngest fan was a boy 2 years old who would mimic what I said in the videos to his cat. As far as for me and this is it, this is not it. I have no idea what IT is. I know I want to create fabulous art journals with personal writing and publish them. That would be it for me, I think. But who knows. I have dreams of a real school. One with walls and a bell and where everyone can wear pink wigs. Like everything else that big I don't know how it will happen. For now I'll just keep doing the next thing in front of me that leads me to my goals. I could never not do art all the time though.
I just can't. It never was an option to do anything else.

What is SuziLand?

A place where my free videos are so when life is getting on you, doesn't understand you and is mean, you can go to SuziLand and feel warm. I love the idea that I have control over a space and fill it only with love.

Your Art is unique, touching. Is there a very personal element to it?

I can't not be authentic its just who I am. You may not like where Im coming from or how I am behaving but Im truthful about it. My gifts and my faults, I lay them out side by side. Although by teaching I have learned to be professional, I do not burden students with my trivial things, it hurts me to not connect with people. Which makes me insecure. I do want you to like me and try not to take it personally if you don't. It never stops me from putting it out there though.

I know you have a lot of fun your Art and your Blogs show that. What kinds of fun do you have with your Art?

With all of my projects its easy for the fun to turn into work, which is why Im going back to free videos in addition to my classes. All work and no play is bad for me. I started all of this as creating a space for myself that was fun, as an outlet for full time school. I want to go back to that feeling. Creating workshops for a year, while is fantastic, I had to concentrate on making quality products. I miss things that don't mean as much. Where I can just let off steam and make fun art without worrying whether its explained. I want to do both.

Look for my line of Stamps, I will be selling them on my website in March. And free tutorials as well. I will also be in the book "Art At The Speed Of Life" by Pam Carriker. It comes out December 10. And all new online classes. 

What a busy Artist! Thank you so much Suzi! We will look forward to your stamps and the Book!  Find out about Suzi and her workshops at http://www.alovelydream.com/site/Welcome.html

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