A Secret to a Happy Life: Live Like a Boater 24/7

“A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say, ‘How to Build a Boat’.”
- Steven Wright

When was the last time you waved at someone from your car?

I’m talking about driving on the highway and waving hello to the guy next to you doing 70 miles an hour.

If aliens are observing our planet - and no doubt they are - they’ve probably noticed something peculiar about how humans change their behavior when riding certain vehicles.

They’d notice, for example, that when we’re on a boat we seem very happy and peaceful. We smile and wave at other boaters - our beautiful fellow human beings. People on dry land see us on the boat and wave at us.

But then something happens. We leave the boat and step into another vehicle - the one with 4 wheels. Suddenly it’s a whole different ballgame. We tense up, curse out loud, cut each other off, and yes, we still wave at each other - only this time with one finger.

Same human, different vehicle. What happened?

People even NAME their boats, hiring professional sign painters. (How come we don’t name our cars?)

Below are some actual boat names I saw recently (Notice how creative, playful, lighthearted and exotic they are):

Joyous, Segovia, It’s About Time, Flying Cloud, Copasetic, Sabre 52, Off the Cuff, Snookie Joy, Wife’s Squall, Verus, Sweetness, Sandy Said II, Quickwater.

If we named our cars it’d be more like Flat Tire, Drunk Drivin’, Bad Direction, Don’t Make Me Stop This Car, Breakdown, or Long Commute.

To be fair, chances are if you’re on a boat you’re on vacation. You’re finally free to relax, be happy and carefree…enjoy life. I get it.

But why wait until you’re on a boat?

Why wait?

So here’s your homework: wave at your fellow motorists the next time you’re on the road. Try it once. They’ll think you’re nuts. I’ve done it, it’s a great feeling.

And while you’re at it, think up a carefree name for your car and have somebody paint it on your trunk. Something cool, like Stargazer, or Gas Guzzlin’, or Hot Mamma.

What do you think of my little philosophy? What would you name your car? Got a boat story? Leave a comment.

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While I’m busy workin’ (and playing) here in the back room at Creative Journey Cafe, I’ve called upon the late, great philosopher Alan Watts to come entertain and enlighten you.

Here he is (video below) discussing man-made things vs. nature. So fire up the incense, pour yourself a cup of green tea (on the house), and get ready to meditate and contemplate this wiggly world we live in.

Comments? Be sure to tell us what you think…

I took this photo (below) last week. I can’t help but wonder if the workers who paved this road realized they were making art, or if it was just another damn day fixing cracks in the street.

When you look at this picture, does it resonate with you?

How does it relate to your creative journey?

Tell us by leaving a comment…

“Way too much coffee. But if it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.” - David Letterman

Have you noticed? Everyone likes their coffee different:

…Cream and sugar.

…Hazelnut, with cream. No sugar.

(Or as my friend John jokes; “I like my coffee the way I like my women - cold and bitter.”)

I could sit here all day rattling off the countless ways people like the same thing - coffee.

One coffee - infinite possibilities.

Yet there’s only one way people like their coffee: the “right” way.

Isn’t that interesting?

My coffee might make you go “ew”.

Your coffee would make me say “blech.”

So who says we’re all supposed to like Picasso?

And why are you pressuring yourself to paint like Picasso, when what you should be doing is painting like you?

The “right” way.

The way you like it.

Spending your life trying to be like someone else, or trying to create like someone else, or doing what you think you should do instead of what you really want to do, is like drinking someone else’s coffee your whole life. (Cold and bitter indeed.)

If there was a chalkboard hanging over the counter here at Creative Journey Cafe, it would say “Today’s Wisdom” in big rainbow letters. And underneath those words, it would say:

“Be your own coffee!”

(Have a nice day. And if you’d like to add some sugar or cream to this post, leave a comment.)

“Truckin’, like the do-da man…” - The Grateful Dead

I love turning mundane moments into creative opportunities, don’t you?

Three weeks ago I was in my car, idling at a stoplight, when a huge truck pulled alongside me. I generally don’t like trucks. They’re big, they’re loud, and they block my view. But this particular truck was art on wheels; colorful, reflective, composed of bold shapes and sleek lines. It was awesome.

For days after, I kept noticing trucks and how creative and cool they are. It occurred to me that trucks are the vehicles that carry millions of people along their creative journeys.

It gave me an idea:

Everytime a truck pulled up next to me in traffic, I would take a picture of it with my iPhone.

My only rule was that destiny had to bring the trucks to me, to a full stop, and I had to be in my car, stuck in traffic.

So here are 8 trucks that destiny brought my way these past few weeks:

It might amuse you to know that one of the truck drivers saw me snapping photos of his truck and yelled at me. He had one tooth. He shouted, “Can I help you??!” to which I responded accordingly, in the spirit of my project: “Truck you!”

[When you’re stuck in traffic, do you stay creative? My little truck game sure did make gridlock a lot more fun and the time fly! Thoughts? Leave a comment!]

Okay, my funky cafe friends, it’s time to put on your dancing shoes!

The creative journey is a lot more fun if you dance your way through it, don’t you agree?

At no extra charge to you, I’ve hired the late James Brown to come to the cafe and teach you some new moves. (I already know most of them. I even own the shirt.)

Enjoy the video!

[By the way, the song is called If You Don’t Give a Doggone About It. It’s available on iTunes.]

Hold on! Wait a minute. James Brown is back for an encore! Are you ready to dance?:

Leave a funky comment!

“The truth of a thing is the feel of it, not the think of it.”
- Stanley Kubrick

Logic and Intuition went shoe shopping:

Logic: “These shoes are perfect for you! They’re your favorite brand, the style is cool, and they’re even on sale!”

Intuition: “Yeah but they’re too small. They’re size 10 and I’m a size 11. They don’t fit.”

Logic: “Aw come on! That’s not much difference! Cram your feet inside! There are no other shoes like these in this store.”

Intuition: “I know. They’re great. They seem perfect. But, um…it hurts when I wear them.”

Logic: “You’ll get used to that. They’ll stretch. And don’t forget - they’re on sale!”

Intuition: “You could be right. You make perfect sense. Except - I’m uncomfortable wearing them.”

Logic: “You fool! You’re going to pass up the opportunity to buy these amazing shoes?”

Intuition: “Looks like it.”

Logic: “Are you nuts?! You might never get this chance again!”

Intuition: “Again, you could be right. But I just don’t like feeling uncomfortable, and I have a feeling that if I keep looking, I’ll find the right pair in another store.”

Logic: “I’ll never understand you.”

Intuition: “I know. That’s okay. I don’t understand myself sometimes. Ready to go? I have a hunch we’ll find them at Macy’s.”

“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit into the big jigsaw puzzle.” - Deepak Chopra

Last week I went to the library, and on my way out I passed a table with a huge ‘community’ jigsaw puzzle on it. I didn’t see any sort of box nearby showing a picture of what the puzzle would become. I only saw that someone had assembled the outer ‘border’ of the puzzle, leaving a big hole in the center where the picture should be. Hundreds of pieces lay jumbled around it.

A voice inside me said, Take a photo of this. You might be able to use it for your blog.

So I took the above snapshot. I had no idea how I might use it. I left the library trusting that The Muse would reveal the answers. And she did, today, when I returned to the library and saw…

Wait! Before I continue…

What is it about puzzles that make them so universally loved, especially by children? Like Hide-and-Seek, why do we gravitate toward these games? Clearly they hold the secrets of the universe!

Here are some lessons puzzles teach us about the creative journey:

1. Have a sense of the ‘Big Picture’ before you begin. (Your project, goals, life.)

2. The fun of creating (and of the journey) is in building the puzzle, one piece at a time, until the ‘vision’ is complete.

3. Patience is necessary.

4. One piece (or person) seems insignificant, but when linked with another piece great things happen. If one piece is missing, the ‘Big Picture’ isn’t complete.

5. Have faith. Sometimes we cram two pieces together that don’t quite fit. Puzzles teach us to trust that the perfect fit is somewhere in the jumble. Live the mystery and the answer will come…

Okay…let’s get back to our story…

This morning I returned to the library, and to my surprise saw that the puzzle was not only still there, it was almost complete.

I almost gasped when I saw it. I felt a mysterious validation, like a wink from The Muse, rewarding me for trusting her.

The ‘Big Picture’ on the puzzle wasn’t a landscape, or a picture of horses, or a cartoon of Tweety Bird.

It was, of all things, a painting of…

what looks like…

could it be…?

maybe…

…a cafe?

What do you think? Leave a comment!

I’ve gotta say, these iTunes TV spots are amazing. The colors, the silhouttes, the exciting music, and the editing - wow. Really creative, captivating stuff.

Here’s the new one (below) featuring Coldplay performing their new single, Viva La Vida. I can’t keep my eyes off this thing. I get a chill watching the band perform here too - the same way I used to feel about U2. Anyway, the first time I saw this ad I loved the song and immediately downloaded it from iTunes. Now that’s effective marketing!

Enjoy the video, and then tell us what you think about these ads. Do they sell you? If so, why? Leave a comment (below the video)!

“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.”
-Epictetus

This morning I grabbed my iPod and took a walk through the streets of my neighborhood. I had my headphones in and my favorite tunes going. I was humming along, enjoying my walk, when I became increasingly aware of even louder music playing around me.

It was getting annoying, because I couldn’t hear my own music. So I turned up the volume on my iPod. But that didn’t work - the other music was too loud.

In that moment I decided to give up. I paused my iPod and surrendered to the blaring music.

What was it? Trucks. Car horns. Children shouting from school buses. Motorcycles. It was a symphony of chaotic street noise.

The rumble of a passing semi? Drum n’ bass. The swishing of trees in the wind? Soft cymbals. The shouting kids? Trumpets and sax.

The moment I surrendered to the street noise - the moment I fully accepted it - was the moment it became interesting, even enjoyable, like music. I was in a state of non-resistance to reality, fully embracing the sounds. It was a welcome relief.

The logical mind filters out street noise. It doesn’t consider it important, much like shadows on a sidewalk; we take these sounds for granted.

Even in a quiet room, there’s sound.

Close your eyes. Can you hear it?

Give it a try, and tell us what you hear. Leave a comment!