Kinship Of Word And Spirit
23 Mar 2012 7 Comments
in AcousticEnergy, James Olmos, Opinions Tags: AcousticEnergy, Art, artistic, body, creativity, Free verse, freedom, independence, James Olmos, kinship, life, Literature, Online Writing, Poetry, soul, spirit, Word
I step back from time to time, back to when my pencil first echoed my soul on paper. I would surrender words, unashamed and transparent; abandoned to no one; yet offered to everything outside of my skin. I forced myself to never use my eraser. I simply wanted the words to lay unshattered. I would either draw a line through the word or let it live. There’s a “connectedness” or kinship between word and spirit.
I would sit and wait for the next word to come. I would literally wait for “one” word, the next word of the poem or lyric to come to my mind. I would not write until it had passed through my heart and soul and onto the paper. To this day I never rewrite anything. If the next word does not come then I simply pause or stop writing.
I usually write songs in a single, forty-five minute period. Writing poems can take days or even months; mainly because I shove them aside and forget about them. Life does not give me the opportunity to wait long enough. My poetry runs deeper through me than my lyrics; yet, I write them both with intention. Writing poetry exhausts me and I rarely share my poems.
Why do I share this? I share this to remind myself that I don’t require approval. Your judgment only imprison’s you. Sadly, as I get older I find myself “erasing” words to make them “fit” into the world’s square round hole. A heaviness comes over me as I acknowledge this yielding surrender to the common.
I’ll be forty-five this year. I’m halfway there and I’m tired. I don’t want to sing anymore. I want to breathe through the song; live and die in the song. Anyone can sing a song; I want to surrender to the song.
What’s interesting to me, as I read back through this, is that I live and speak in the same manner. I rarely rush my words or thoughts. I’ll take as long as I need to process feelings or decisions, even at the expense of other’s anticipation. Which is completely opposite to my “business” world. At work I make decisions immediately. Apparently my artistic side is different. I won’t share beyond the moment of my heart.
But i will share this . . . I cut myself the other day. I watched my blood run from my finger and drip to the floor. Nothing stopped it. Society can’t teach me how to bleed. I write and sing because . . . I write and sing.
Like this:
Humanity and Love
20 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in James Olmos, Opinions, Quotes Tags: Believe, doing the right thing, Humanity, love
Humanity and love run deep in you; don’t let them fade away. We can’t lose sight of doing the right thing, so take action when you discover that voice in you that speaks unselfishly and honorably. Believe ~
Superficial Perceptions – Part 1
09 Oct 2011 2 Comments
in AcousticEnergy, Essay, James Olmos, Opinions, passion
My son’s YouTube video was getting a lot of disruptive comments last month. He posted himself playing guitar and singing a cover song that some viewers felt was not interpretative to their liking. I always find it interesting how people comment with closed minds, especially when commenting on art.
I shared with my son that as artists, we put ourselves out there – vulnerable and transparent. We take risks that reveal our passion. Risk leads us to authentic, vibrant, and enthralling performances that come from our soul; not from societies superficial, decoratively packaged perceptions.
I feel that when you can’t quiet express your feelings or thoughts with words, your spirit and your soul begin to moan. They groan and cough as they try to release the deeply rooted thought, feeling, or emotion. We’re unsettled until we release “it” through some type of medium; this could be a song, a painting, a poem, a dance, or even a scream. The medium for expressing yourself is unconfined and limitless. And when you find it and use it to release yourself, you’ve exposed a piece of YOU.
So what is “it”? What is that deeply rooted thing which makes your spirit and soul groan? I believe the answer is simple and yet complex . . . but I want to explore the logic a little deeper, if logic can even be associated with inner expression and what we define as art. Stay tuned and feel free to share with your comments too.
Beyond Words - James Olmos
Trapped & Bound
09 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in AcousticEnergy, James Olmos, Opinions, Photos
I don’t want to type these words. Sometimes I don’t want to type any word or thought or emotion. Sharing makes me nervous. And to share my thoughts without any real organization of them terrifies me!
But I feel that I need to write. Maybe in the back of my mind I think it will provide therapy or . . . OMG . . . I’ll find answers!
I’m trapped inside myself; captivated by my own fears. The biggest fear . . . expression and acceptance of who I am. There! You know my weakness! lol
I don’t like reading long blogs or long . . . anything. I just don’t like reading. So I’ll try not to share so much in one sitting.Now that that’s out of the way – Hey! It’s MY blog!
I went to JoAnn’s to purchase art paper. Wow – talk about nerve racking. I received an easel and paint set for Christmas. I’ve held off moving forward with painting because I’m terrified at what will come out. I also have never painted before; yet have always wanted to try. I can’t draw a straight line to save my life.
Walking through the store I felt anxious and claustrophobic. I was about to attempt something (painting) without knowing anything about it. What type of paper do I buy, brushes, how to create colors, what medium for the acrylics . . . way to many thoughts flooding me and creating such fear. I briefly skimmed through a few books to try and ease my anxiety but . . . just stopped. I just want to put color on white paper.
I took a breath and picked up a pad of “all purpose” paper good for any type of paint and some few other supplies and walked out. I’m sure everything will sit in my studio until I get another move of the spirit to actually start painting. But at least I took a step.
Yeah! I’m writing . . .
