"COSMIC CRASH STRUT" VIDEO

First music video from the Icon West album, Life's Little Atrocities; directed by me and produced by Gentle Thug Productions. Enjoy!

IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING, SEE THIS MOVIE!

Nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Documentary," this little gem is actually a "how-to" primer on getting your art done (no matter what)...see it, breathe it, live it...: http://www.banksyfilm.com/.

INTRODUCING MY NEW TECHNO-INDUSTRIAL BAND (ICON WEST) AND OUR FIRST CD ("LIFE'S LITTLE ATROCITIES")!

Music videos to follow soon!

"RICHARD AVEDON: DARKNESS AND LIGHT" (PART 1)

A VIDEO TRIBUTE TO CHEMA MADOZ

INTERVIEW WITH TRENT REZNOR

I've been a Trent Reznor (and Nine Inch Nails) fan for years; with Trent's recent win at the Golden Globes, I thought that it would be cool to post an interview that he gave late last year.

UMMMM...HAS TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.”

— Jack London

"JOHN WATERS. FILTH 101." (PART I)

"THE WAR OF ART"

"If tomorrow morning by some stroke of magic every dazed and benighted soul woke up with the power to take the first step toward pursuing his or her dreams, every shrink in the directory would be out of business. Prisons would stand empty. The alcohol and tobacco industries would collapse, along with the junk food, cosmetic surgery, and infotainment businesses, not to mention pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and the medical profession from top to bottom. Domestic abuse would become extinct, as would addiction, migraine headaches, road rage, and dandruff."

— Steven Pressfield

The War of Art

F.X. TOOLE - THE WRITING FORCE BEHIND "MILLION DOLLAR BABY"

One of my favorite authors: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=4506210&m=4506211

"THE CREATIVITY CRISIS"

An article from the July 10, 2010 issue of Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The key question isn’t 'What fosters creativity?' But it is why in God’s name isn’t everyone creative? Where was the human potential lost? How was it crippled? I think therefore a good question might be not why do people create? But why do people not create or innovate? We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything.”

— Abraham Maslow

"HOW TO BE CREATIVE" BY HUGH MACLEOD

Mr. MacLeod knows what he's talking about: http://gapingvoid.com/2004/07/25/how-to-be-creative/.

OKAY, THIS WILL EITHER SPARK YOUR CREATIVITY OR SEND YOU INTO AN EPILEPTIC SEIZURE

"THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THAT ACTION"

I'm a Arizona native (I was born in Tucson and grew up in Flagstaff), so yesterday's horrific tragedy in northeast Tucson literally hit home for me. I'm shocked, saddened - and sick.


I'm also mad as hell.


The shootings that took place yesterday in front of a Safeway grocery store left six people dead - among them, a federal judge, a church pastor, and a nine-year-old girl - and fourteen wounded; as of this writing, U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords remains in critical condition after neurosurgeons attempted to repair the damage that occurred when a bullet passed through her head.


One suspect, Jared Loughner, 22, is in custody, and authorities are searching for another man who may have played a role in yesterday's mass murder.


While the shootings don't appear to be politically motivated, I'm struck by the concerns that Congresswoman Giffords expressed several months ago when Sarah Palin decided to list Giffords' congressional seat as a "target" during the midterm elections.


"For example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," Giffords said in an interview with MSNBC.


Consequences, indeed. ...

JOE ROGAN SPEAKS ON CREATIVITY

"Explorations in Blue: Street Scenes (1)"

A short experimental film that I created in 2009.

"DON'T GO TO FILM SCHOOL"

Sorry, but I thought this was hilarious...

"COME TO THE DARK SIDE, LUKE": THE CREATIVE USE OF SUBLIMINAL (SUBVERSIVE?) ADVERTISING

THE SOCIETY OF BRILLIANT IDEAS (S.O.B.I.) - BRILLIANT!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK THAT ALL THIS TALK ABOUT CREATIVITY IS CRAP, HERE'S AN ANTI-CREATIVITY CHECKLIST JUST FOR YOU

WHAT CAN CREATIVITY DO?

ARE YOU CREATIVELY BLOCKED? YOU WON'T BE AFTER VISITING THIS SITE!

Go to: http://www.diegm.uniud.it/create/Handbook/techniques/predisposition.htm

CREATIVELY CHANGE THE MOOD YOU'RE IN (WITHOUT DRUGS)

Feeling blue? Want to energize your day? Waves of nostalgia washing over you? Whether you want to keep a mood or change one, try http://moodstream.gettyimages.com/

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

TEN BOOKS TO READ THIS YEAR TO STIR YOUR CREATIVITY (EVEN IF YOU'VE ALREADY READ THEM)

1. The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. This remarkable book turned me on to creativity and the creative process over ten years ago - and it still has a definite hold over me.

2. Walking in this World, by Julia Cameron. A sequel to The Artist's Way, this book takes an even deeper look at the creative process while reminding us all that we're all artists.

3. The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. No, not The Art of War; this fine little book kicks ass and takes names - and reminds us all that resistance is the enemy!

4. $30 Film School, by Michael W. Dean. Even if you're not a filmmaker, this book will make you look at your art and the creative process in a different way. D.I.Y., baby!

5. The Mission of Art, by Alex Grey. An amazing book that transcends "how" you should do your art and talks about "why" you should do your art - absolutely mind-blowing and mind-expanding.

6. On Writing, by Stephen King. The master of horror and suspense proves that he's also the master of teaching you how to write. Funny, truthful, and worth its weight in gold.

7. Catching the Big Fish, by David Lynch. No, this isn't a treatise on fly fishing; director, painter, furniture builder, and techno musician David Lynch (who was once described as "Jimmy Stewart from Mars") talks about the creative process in his own life and how it works.

8. Coaching the Artist Within: Advice for Writers, Actors, Visual Artists, and Musicians, by Eric Maisel. A great book with great examples on how to get your creativity kick-started.

9. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, by Twyla Tharp. The legendary choreographer writes a brilliant and straightforward book on the creative process that will make your head spin while motivating you to get creative in your own right.

10. ThinkerToys, by Michael Michalko. Primarily aimed at businesses that want to become more creative, this book will actually help anyone to become more creative.

TEN MOVIES TO WATCH THIS YEAR TO STIR YOUR CREATIVITY (EVEN IF YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THEM)

1. The Social Network. Girl dumps boy. Boy decides to bust open a few algorithms to get back at girl. Boy brings down portions of the Harvard computer network, but the seed of an idea is planted - which eventually blossoms into Facebook. David Fincher's fascinating movie points to both the incredible nature of creativity and its alienating effects.

2. Apollo 13. Think that creativity is limited to the canvass or the camera? Or the earth? Think again. Based on true events, Ron Howard's tale of a space mission gone horribly wrong is a testament to human ingenuity and courage - and to a creative process that's literally out of this world.

3. Quills. Dark and disturbing (to say the least), Philip Kaufman re-imagines the Marquis de Sade's residency at the Charenton insane asylum. While not historically accurate, the film deftly explores human creativity within the confines of censorship, religion, sex, art, and mental illness.

4. Frida. Based on the life and surreal work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Julie Taymor's film is an exquisite (and eye-popping) adaptation of Hayden Herrera's book, Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo. 

5. Pollock. Directed by Ed Harris (who also plays the lead role), this film is a brilliant adaptation of the book, Jackson Pollock: An American Saga. Like The Social Network, the themes of creativity and alienation are intertwined, with a dash of self-destruction thrown in for good measure. A cautionary tale, to be sure, but one that expands the notion that creativity is not something that can be ignored.

6. This Is Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner's hilarious - and brilliant - mockumentary about a heavy metal rock band is not only a satirization about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, it's a slap in the face to rock documentaries that were being made at the time. To top it off, it's also a feel-good film about the creative process that will have your spirit soaring (when you're not laughing at loud, that is).

7. How To Draw A Bunny. A documentary focusing on Ray Edward Johnson, a seminal figure in the Pop Art movement. Directed by John W. Walters, the film explores Johnson's contributions to the art world, along with his eccentric nature.

8. Shine a Light. Martin Scorsese's documentary about the Rolling Stones when they performed at the Beacon Theater in 2006; Scorsese utilized digital cinematography for the first time in shooting the concert footage, and made use of archival footage of the band as well. Let Mick and the boys get your creative ya-ya's out.

9. Shall We Dance? Directed by Peter Chelsom (and a remake of a Japanese film entitled Shall We ダンス?, this fluffy - yet fun - movie gears you up to get your creative moves down.

10. All That Jazz. Directed and co-written by Bob Fosse, this film is a semi-autobiographical fantasy of the director's life (and death). Funny, heart-breaking, and ultimately a primer not only on Broadway and Hollywood, but on what makes a creative genius tick.

KEN ROBINSON SAYS SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity Video on TED.com

Amazing video from Sir Ken Robinson!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

With the beginning of 2011, I've finally bit the bullet and decided to start a blog dedicated to the creative process. Hopefully, this blog will be a depository for all things related to creativity while encouraging the artist in all of us. ...

Above is a short promotional video that I directed and edited several years ago, which focuses on the amazing work of Tim Holmes (http://www.timholmesstudio.com/) and his Body Psalms project.