Living in a Wiggly World

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…

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

“You’ll see it when you believe it.” - Wayne Dyer

Are you open to magical things happening to you on your creative journey?

Do you expect little miracles? Do amazing things occur that you can’t explain?

Like the other day, when I randomly bumped into Bruce Springsteen at - wouldn’t ya know - a cafe.

I’m not kidding - I met The Boss.

Here’s how it happened:

I was in Concord, Massachusetts on Main Street, when I stepped into a cafe to use the restroom. On my way out I see Bruce walk into the joint with a young lady that I assume was his daughter. I was like, holy crap, that’s Bruce Springsteen.

He got in line to order his sandwich. I had to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me, so I got in line behind him. I knew it was him when he spoke - in that cool, raspy voice.

I had to say something. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid. I’ve got most of his albums, including his new one, which happens to be called Magic. (It was right there in my iPhone.)

I found a moment when I wouldn’t interrupt him. I gave him a friendly pat on the back and whispered, “Hey man - just want to say thanks for all the great music.”

In retrospect, I can’t believe I called Bruce Springsteen “Man”, but it just flew out of my mouth. He seemed like such a regular dude standing there waiting to order a sandwich. I also didn’t want to blow his cover by yelling, “Hey! Aren’t you Bruce Springsteen?!”

Anyway, Bruce turned to me, smiled, and said, “Aw, thanks man, thanks a lot.” and shook my hand.

Have you ever wondered what you’d say to your creative idols if you ever met them? I decided a while ago that “thank you” would do in a pinch.

I confess, I was really tempted to keep gabbing with Bruce. I wanted to tell him how much I love his new album, how Hungry Heart was one of the first records I ever bought, how I used to listen to Thunder Road over and over and that I learned it on guitar. I wanted to take my picture with him. On and on.

But in the end I mostly wanted him to enjoy being a regular person in a cafe with his daughter, so I didn’t do any of that stuff. Shaking his hand was amazing enough.

I think that when you put your intention on something - intensely - over a period of time, you manifest it. So in a way, I’m not entirely surprised I had that dream-like moment with Springsteen.

Coincidence? Synchronicity? Law of Attraction?

A few weeks ago I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in four years - someone I’d been thinking about for two weeks, intending to email but not doing it. Then whammo - we bump into each other at the mall. I have no doubt - not a shred of doubt - that it was real magic. It was the result of invisible forces, the power of thought, something beyond logic or coincidence, because the odds were too impossible.

So…what about you?

Do you believe in magic? Do you expect it to happen to you?

Because I can’t help but think that if it happens once - if you experience it - that means it’s real. And no matter how many mundane days you have in between, you know those magic moments can happen again, around any corner, at any cafe.

Any magic thoughts to share? Leave a comment!

“I noticed these shadows and I knew that it meant it was sunny.”
- David Hockney

I took this photo during my walk the other day. I really like it and wanted to share it with you. Not sure why, really, it’s just shadows of trees on a sidewalk.

But maybe that’s it. Such a simple thing we take for granted, these shadows.

We walk past them everyday, ignoring them, filtering them out.

But shadows are part of the composition of our lives, aren’t they?

Can we really ignore them? Should we?

Nature gives us these opportunities - these gentle reminders - to see the beauty of shadows, of negative spaces; the things we’d rather forget.

If we can see the shadows, that means we can see the light, does it not?

Would the big picture be as lovely, or interesting, if the shadows weren’t there?

What do you think? Leave a comment!

“Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn’t happen.” 
- Steven Wright

When was the last time you escaped or took a vacation? Just a little time to retreat and rejuvenate your creative spirit?

One of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits is called ‘Sharpen the Saw’. The idea is, when you work too hard (sawing) eventually your blade becomes dull and ineffective. You feel tired and burned out.

As creative people, we need to sharpen our saws (or pencils) now and then to refresh ourselves and expand our creative potential.

Some people keep sawing even though their blade is worn out. To them, a retreat is a self-indulgent and frivolous notion. They think, “I’ve gotta keep working!”

Not me. I escape to the ocean.

The ocean has secrets to share; tips for a more peaceful creative journey. 

You know that sound you hear when you hold a seashell to your ear? That’s the ocean giving you advice. And here it is:

1. Just be.

Some days the ocean is stormy and turbulent. Other days it’s as flat as glass. But all the while, it just IS. Take some time to escape and just be. Be calm, be stormy, be reflective, be distracted, whatever you’ve got to do. Just take time away from the desk for a while. Be in the moment. You’ll be better for it.

2. There’s a peaceful world underneath the surface.

If your mind is busy from working overtime, know that somewhere underneath the surface is peace, stillness, and a whole creative world waiting to be discovered. Take some deep breaths. Meditate. Listen. Write in your journal - that helps me. You never know what imagery will rise to the surface and inspire your creations.

3. Ride the waves

Some days you feel inspired, some days you don’t. Some days you swim gracefully, other days you sink. Nevertheless - each day the waves still reach the shore. As long as you keep swimming, and creating, you’ll be okay. 

Just take a little time…

What about you? Where do you go when you need a creative escape? Leave a comment!