i love music.

etta james recording @ muscle shoals

I love music.

I love how it rips at my soul.

I love how musicians bare their pain and make us feel.

I love how something so painful can end up a thing of beauty and make us feel connected with each other, with ourselves.

I love how collaborations can happen, one singular cause, bringing those at odds together.

I love music; I love how it saves our souls.

wilson pickett @ muscle shoals

I love music.

I love how it rips my heart out and throws it on the floor.

I love how music then lifts it back up and holds it towards the heavens.

I love how music makes me feel closer to G'd. 

aretha franklin @ muscle shoals

I love music.

I love how it unites the beauty we see with the comforting touch we experience,

I love how music is a warm and encompassing hug for my ears.

Music is another way of communicating, another way of seeing, another way of experiencing.

Music saves my soul and brings me closer to humanity.

I feel it in my body, I feel it in my head.  I feel it behind my eyes.  I feel it in my gut.  I feel it in my heart.  

Music will heal our souls and save the human connection.

roger hawkins recording @ muscle shoals

*          *          *

I couldn't even watch the whole thing...  I was feeling so many feelings and aching to be behind my drumkit or have even a thimble-full of ability to sing like Etta or Aretha.  Muscle Shoals, the incredible documentary about the legendary sounds that kept coming out of Fame Studio in Alabama, is beyond magical for any musician or music lover to get swallowed up in.   From early blues to the first ounce of southern rock (I clapped) and beyond, this place has magic water which makes good sounds for my ears happen.

Do watch the movie and tell me what you felt.  Muscle Shoals

xo, 

Z$

currently i'm having a love affair with paris

still shot from Midnight in Paris

It doesn't happen often.  I'm not one to easily be swept way.  But Paris is an exception; it stays on my mind.  Maybe it's like one of those lovers who you don't give the time of day to initially, but you end up falling for them even harder due to their sheer persistence.  And the love is therefore more substantial.  Paris wasn't on my international traveling list, but it ended up being my first stop.  A friend traded houses for a month with a Paris family, so I had to go.  Free room in Paris?  Yes, please.

still shot from Midnight in Paris

As I prepared for my first trip, my co-worker, who happened to be from France, tried to teach me a few French words.  I could barely make out the beat to separate where one word ended and another began.  Such a beautiful, but difficult language.  If memory serves, it is from the novel, The Passion, that I read the eloquent explanation of why French is so beautiful, how each word was scrutinized for beauty, sound, meaning from amongst all dialects around, to converge as modern French. 

from the instagram of lisa congdon

from the instagram of lisa congdon

Perhaps fanning the fire of my missing Paris was seeing all the discerning instaram photos Lisa Congdon posted during her recent honeymoon.  Each photo captured the quintessential joy of walking Paris. 

still shot from Midnight in Paris

Then I had my own little (virtual) Paris walk when borrowing a friend's copy of Midnight in Paris.  The movie opens with such glorious scenes of city streets.  Vantage points just framed beautifully in the camera and held in view, lingering on my screen.  Smartly, the whole opening sequence continued in this spirit, and I watched it thrice before moving on into the story of the movie.

still shot from Midnight in Paris

I've been back to Paris again.  In fact, it's where I've internationally traveled to the most.  Twice.  This summer, Montreal will have to do as an attempt to satiate my thirst for detailed architecture, the buzz of words I can't differentiate in a sentence, and romance of art.

still shot from Midnight in Paris

i went to the world domination summit and i found my people

Sometimes you just know when like-minded people are going to converge on a place you are headed.  That's what happened to me with World Domination Summit 2013 a.k.a. #WDS2013. 

I mean, all the bloggers I followed for the past few years wrote about their experiences for WDS2011 and 2012 and I soaked it all in.  I think I tried slightly to get in to last year's event, but didn't make it.  I bought my ticket for 2013's event last October.  I wasn't going to miss it this year.

photo from Chris Guillebeau's flickr

I had to meet up with my people!  What gave it away that these would be my people?  Well, when starting to explain to my bff what WDS was, I mentioned the online Unconventional Race while pulling my iphone out of my pocket.  She stopped me from going any further with, "Oh yes, these are definitely your people."

photo by @ROOTMIX

And the extra icing on the cake was the morning hi-5 greeting line as we walked into the Schnitz.  Even better, the second morning when I was dragging, I told the greeting line, "Low-5's today!" and they all leaned over to meet my hanging hand.

But those are just peripheral confirmations.  What drew me here?  Folks livng lives that allow them more choices.  Stories of how people found their own way and didn't follow a "should" life path.  If they are trying something different, they may accept my something different.  If they are pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable in creativity and connection, they prolly won't be negative to my ideas.  They'll help create a space that's excited and visionary, open to facing fears and displaying courage. 

photo from Chris Guillebeau's flickr

Yup, it happened. 

make an inspiring space

Whoa, I really like this.  I wonder how leaders like this do it.  One observation is "letting go" & another is "trusting the talent of others".  Basically, note-to-self, surround myself with people who are awesome and stand back!

QUI "The Makers" from PUBLIC SCHOOL on Vimeo.


Gotta get to Austin!

here's what happened *being here* tonight.

I checked the 1979 movie "Being There" out from the library and finished watching the last 28 minutes tonight.  Upon it's conclusion, I was compelled to look up some essays on the film and see how it was received when it was originally released into theaters.

It was nominated for two Oscars and took home one.  It's classified as a dark comedy.  I found this out on the wikipedia site then clicked through on the director's name, Hal Ashby, and found many o my favorite directors claim to be influenced by him.  Wes Anderson,



Then this



And then this

ask. ask, and great things can happen.

Michael Pollack asked and he got to play with Billy Joel. Oh, and looks like he prepared for great things, too.

*Plus, and he soaked it in, too!

inspiring guy.

Oliver Jeffers Author Film 2013 from Oliver Jeffers on Vimeo.

i wish for well-restedness, and to be idle

Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets. The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration — it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done. 

These and other reminders from this article by Tim Kreider.

it is OK that this exists.

what i learned about true inspiration and the advice to be kind

Today I learned that sometimes an inspiration does not care to be called an inspiration.  And though some choices may be made for you, real grace arises when you flow and float with what is delivered; even more amazing when the choice was not your own.

So, though it may not be your choice to be called an inspiration, that makes you one even more as you have embraced your circumstances with grace and eloquence, continuing to embrace living, fighting your own battle and giving others resources to fight their own.

Choosing how to show up.

Jackie O passed away from brain cancer, triumphant in spirit to the end.  You can still support her cause by bidding at this auction and learning more about what Jackie's friends are doing.

.... and you can still be inspired by her life's work and her lasting message.

5 easy steps to set yourself free from procrastination

happy memorial day

Thank you for fighting for me.  For keeping peace for me.  And for being  brave for all of us. 

I smiled catching this collection on the front page of Etsy earlier today and am grateful to those who serve our country so I may pursue my passions.

(A shout out to my big bro!)

this sexy beast kept me company yesterday...

... while I organized my art studio.

(The video, not the man.  *sigh*)  And while I organized, I did not throw or burn anything.  Well, maybe "lightly tossed".

Enjoy!
xorm

the most powerful f*ucking woman...

I love AFP.  I first fell in love with her after watching this talk (especially at 2:03).  I've kept the love going sometimes watching this video on repeat dozens of times straight.  I've done that many days over the past couple of years.  It's got horrible lighting, lackluster sound, but SO  M U C H  SUPPORT from her fans.  Ahhhh.

Amanda Fucking Palmer evokes courage, depth of feeling, and fantastic expression.  Today she has one simple, quiet request for her birthday...

She posted her request early in the morning, and by the time I got to the link, her base wish had been fulfilled BY DOUBLE.  (Edit:  Now day 2 has brought 100K more!  I love that you all love her so much!!!)  But the more we bid, the more detail she and her team of artists can put into the products and the more she inspires us to follow our dreams as the support we need to live will find us!!!  And the more we all prove the old way of publishing music by being tied to a record label is coming undone.

(For full impact, go watch this video on Amanda's site and read her birthday announcement.)

So, did you actually follow the links and watch the videos?  That's your homework for the night.  Just fucking do it.

what i immediately signed up for last week {the listserve}

Last week I was introduced to *the listserve*.  I immediately signed up; it was day one.  When I told someone about it the next day the total number of people signed up had grown from 3264 to 6487!

I mean, the opportunity to send an email to 1 million people, right?!  How exciting and nerve-racking that would be?!  How it stops you in your tracks.  What would be the perfect thing to say?  What's worth telling one million people?  It was hard to not think of it as a marketing opportunity.  But don't we market ourselves everyday?  Even when we stay home - we're protecting our brand and the outside world from grumpy me...  Life is art and the way we speak and what we choose to share about says even more than the actual words coming out of our mouths or fingertips (onto a keyboard... I think you caught that one).

What if you could offer your YOU art a bigger audience?  An audience of thousands, approaching a million?  What if you were called upon to share a message with this group of a million, randomly.  Wait, let's flip this around - what if you got to read a message from someone each day that was put under this unique spotlight condition and rose to the challenge of saying something worth a million listens?

The other interest that comes to mind is, "You'd better get your act together, self, if a million people could hear something you say."  Have a life worth advertising.

Either way, I'm stoked to be a part of this process.  I may be called upon to share a message with thousands upon thousands of people, the email lottery.  But for sure, I'll be offered a new email each day from a new person with a perspective I may not have been exposed to, someone who is willing to share a bit of themself with so many of us.
 

Here's a little more about the listserve and a link for you to sign up too.

Three days ago, the listserve hit 10,000 and today I received the perfect indoctrinating email from Emil Stenstrom from Sweden containing a splendid balance of heads-up, use-your-power-for-fun, and warmth-of-life, kindly message, gently nudging this project forward into a special place in my heart. 

If you'd like to see the email too, leave a comment below (with your email) or email me at heyrootmix [at] yahoo dot com with "Emil 041812" in the subject line and I'll forward his message to you.

You all rock.

(And yes, it's like TED for email.)

6 exciting things you probably missed this weekend and why tony hawk hit his tweet limit for the day. [nO. 1]

1.
Reading through the tweets for #THTH, I was getting butterflies in my tummy and smile after smile across my face.  This was so exciting!  #THTH stands for Tony Hawk Twitter Hunt and Sunday he hosted an international find.  But only in English speaking countries.  He can only tweet in English.

Here's the clue for San Francisco's filled goodie box...

...which was found in under 3 minutes. 

2.
Across that bridge pictured above, was the second super-awesome thing you probably missed...

pic courtesy of Ron Evans

Books Inc. hosted Attack of the Authors with Jason Fry and Ryder Windham, writers who shared their experiences writing Star Wars books.  Not pictured:  more stormtroopers, a Rebel pilot, and a Jedi Knight.  Thanks for the pic and explanation, Ron!


3.
This one I missed, but hope you made it - Vanessa VerLee Variety Show!  Here Vanessa is about to cover My Sharona, which, when little, her brother made her think was written for her father's church secretary.  They'll be another V. V. Variety Show in the Fall, so stay tuned!

picture by Brandon Smith

4.
If you weren't in L.A., or didn't make a trip down there specifically to Caine's Arcade, you missed the presentation of his $152,000 scholarship check; all funds raised in under a week from supporters happy to participate in a return to off-screen creativity.

You also missed the announcement that each dollar raised for Caine's education up to $250,000 will be matched by to start the Caine's Arcade Foundation to find, foster, and fund other creative kids.

Here's a video that recaps what's happened since last Monday.  And here's a spectacular article pointing out why discovering Caine's Arcade is so important for him and others.



5.
Finally, you may have missed me bidding on my new mini home bass and snare drum kit...

6.
Oh, and Mission Open Studios.  I like to catch up on what I missed by having a little online show, browsing through artist websites.  No free cheese and wine though.


Let me know if you discover a new favorite artist and what you didn't miss this weekend!

saturday night special.

Inspired by a graphic?. . . . . . . . . . Share it

Sweet dreams, y'all.



(Sleepy?. . . . . . . . . .Go to sleep)

making caine's day.

Today, this made me happy.


Caine's Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.
A 9 year old boy - who built an elaborate cardboard arcade inside his dad's used auto part store - is about to have the best day of his life.



Help Caine's Scholarship Fund:
http://cainesarcade.com


Caine's Arcade Online:
http://facebook.com/cainesarcade
http://twitter.com/cainesarcade


Credits:
Directed by Nirvan
http://twitter.com/nirvan



*041112 Update:

Wow!  *heart is full*

starting my art journal today (again).

Before leaving one of my wellness team member's office today, she told me about some vulnerability journaling she had learned from a certain website.  Having had just gone through an emotional exercise, the thought of exploring vulnerability on purpose made me nauseous.  I wanted to thrown up.  I told her as much and knew at the same time journaling about my vulnerability would be the next step to care for myself.

When home, I searched in many resourceful ways for the exact exercises she may have used, but came up with nothing to match.  I did, however, embark on some spiritually fulfilling side-tracking and have found a couple new inspirations.  And was reminded of an old inspiration from many years ago.  And then I spent the evening prepping my art journal.

My search lead me to a girl and her brush and Wendy Brightbill's latest entry "journal challenge 158/journal entry: embrace vulnerability"  Right?

I looked up flights to see if I could make it to her Becoming art journaling workshop as my birthday adventure.  That's how much I instantly identified with her work.  When talking about her workshop, she mentions Brene Brown.  And that becomes my next stop on the internet side-tracking.  I quickly find Brene's TED talk and my new heroine.  If you'd like to watch something that is highly likely to move you, take a look at her video.

After watching this, I tweet a quote I hear and then *need* to start an art journal to capture additional quotes, practice/discover my art journaling techniques (like Wendy), and think back to 2007 when I first came across Suzi Blu and her quirky art videos.  Here's a perfect sample of her important message - art is most fulfilling as part of everyday life and we all have the capacity to create.

I may share more about my process for getting started with my own art journal tonight.  But for now, here's a picture on my inside cover.  And I've prepped a good starting amount of pages.  The quote is from Brene.

Let me know what you think of this collection of inspiring ladies.  Are you moved to make anything creative or see your situation in a different way?

I'd love to hear how you are courageous and creative!

here's to blogging one more time in 2011!

It's been a great year. A challenging year, but a good year of perseverance and patience that I've made it through. In February I picked up on the Power Year idea and choose a representational animal (the walrus - my own addition, not part of the official Power Year agenda) and set about choosing SMART goals for myself.

I did go from having a short-term part-time job, to having no job, to having a full-time job with benies. That was great in addressing my survival mode outlook. I finally could look at what would be best use of my creative time and talents, my health, and my social needs and no longer do what ever it took to make cash. It was at the end of the year, settling into a regular income, that I made tons of progress and, again, though challenging, got to see a very clear picture of my life and priorities.

I now understand I super-value my time. This is something many people with competing interests, commitments, jobs, families... can understand. Yet, add to it a body that has limitations and isn't always available to meet even my basic needs. I had to get really good at letting things go and living in limbo, in the in-between time. Which is actually an awesome lesson as we are all in limbo and in-between time. Nothing is guaranteed to us, nothing is certain. But what I'm practicing to make certain is that I'll always do the next right thing to take care of my health and well-being.

I can get through *tough* when I have faith and hope. And I'm grateful those didn't falter throughout the year. The thoughts of "this too shall pass" and "when you're going through something tough, keep going!" come to mind. I kept chipping away and making any progress I could. I also had patience when it felt like I was just standing still. With stillness comes insight. (Add more meditation to my list!)


Here are a couple of sites that I've read over in preparing for 2012.  I'll be sharing more of my outcome in the next few days.

Nicole Is Better
She shares how to celebrate this year and prepare for the next year.  There's even a download to plotting out 27 action items per month!

A Beautiful Mess
Elsie shares how to make and keep resolutions.

When I Grow Up Coach
Some links Michelle shares to closing up the year.

I'm excited for 2012 and look forward to sharing the year with creative and courageous people!

Until then... xoxo!