I received word from the Gallery that my Basquait piece will be on the cover of the next Uniter issue. Finally, after one year of trying to get my shit together, it's going to happen. But it doesn't stop here.. Oh no folks, eye shall proceed

Wrong or Write?

Wrong or Write?

It was the fear of losing stability that kept that inborn beast within me, tamed, and timidly isolated in mother’s basement, over-analyzing the world, going mad, getting so afraid to take leaps and bounds into new territory. I was beginning to settle down, keeping a budget, guarding my fun with funds, playing the safe side, gracefully growing into the 25 year old man that I was ‘supposed’ to be; a mature, well-organized, self-sufficient contributor to society, who would diligently continue to uphold his responsibilities as a ‘real adult’.

Fortunately, months and months of untiring curiosity had eventually overthrown my fears, when finally, I decided that putting security on the back burner, and buying a plane ticket to Montreal would be well worth the experience. So off I went, feeding my inquiring mind what it was longing for, a breath of ‘French air’. I was riding the waves, instinctively seeing where life would take me next.

Among the many beautiful places that I had stumbled upon during my trip, there was a small bookstore called “Coup de Coeur”. It was there where I came across “The biography of Hunter S. Thompson”, a man who I had heard so much about, yet knew very little of, thus, engulfing myself once again in my curiosity. Thirteen days of roaming around the city as a free soul, while getting acquainted with the Wild Man of American Journalism, downright did it for me. The combination of my gullible mind, along with Hunter’s crazy life stories, was all that was needed to restore the youthful vigour back into my inner beast.

I returned home to Winnipeg feeling invincible again, double daring myself to do the unthinkable; taking a stolen wheelchair for a spin, smoking cigarettes, drinking profusely, and getting back into the reckless habits that I once had when I was a teen. I was once again, a rebel on the edge, and in all honesty, it felt amazing! I understood the psychology behind it, or at least had a grasp on the idea of why I was so drawn to the edge of my existence, and why I felt so compelled to do such outrageous things, yet despite knowing all of this, I still continued to feed my ignorance.

September 7, 2009 – Breakfast at the Nook (Labour Day Drama)

The small talk between Gumshoe and I was interrupted by a freshly served Spanish omelet served right under my nose. While digging into my flavorful meal, I continued reading on about Mr. Hunter S. Thompson, chuckling away at his barbaric and crazy life stories, slowly growing spellbound, to the point that I could imagine myself, as him. I would read, drink my coffee, and lean back against my chair, as I would imagine him doing it in the same fashion.

It was like a classic tale of Irony in the making, as half way through my book; four police officers walked into the Nook and sat down directly at the table across from me. Every once in a while, in between chomping on some eggs, and entertaining myself with Hunter’s stories of encounters with the police, I would observe the officers in front of me, taking mental notes of their mannerisms, while on and off, redirecting myself back to Hunter’s biography. There they all were, talking amongst themselves, waiting for their grub, enjoying their Labour Day morning, while I, alone in my zone, sat quietly, picking bones from my plate.

When my meal was all done and paid for, I walked out the restaurant with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, and a few planned activities for the afternoon in mind, but as I proceeded to the back parking lot, my afternoon agenda soon became tainted with an abrupt, and beastly idea. In my wicked imagination, I began to make the connection between the colorful painting materials sitting in the back trunk of my car, and the plain white police cruiser that had been parked directly right beside it. In that blood-rushing moment of time, all I could picture in my head were the facial expressions that the officers would make, when they would come back to their beloved car only to realize that it had been decorated in pretty pink colors. Unfortunately for me, my idea of hilarity had been poorly supported by carelessness, which later resulted in the officers having the last laugh, as they tracked me down 2 hours after my daring move.

No matter how you flip the coin, in this society, painting the words “OINK OINK!” in pretty pink along both sides of a Police cruiser is deemed as “Wrong!”

It was the second time I felt that cold steel wrapped around my wrists. They don’t give you much leg room in that car of theirs. It was the most awkward elevator ride that I had experienced in my life. Not even the memories of the mysterious homeless man with the brown stains, and bad odour in his pants could rival this story. There they all were, crowded around me, like a big group of angry fathers, raising their voices, pulling the intimidation card on me. “You must think it’s pretty funny writing ‘Oink Oink” on the car don’t you!? Are you calling us pigs?” Why did you do it!!?? I responded with the word “Ignorance”, which contrarily lessened the amount of intimidation casted upon me.

Room number four, nothing to look at but white walls, a sprinkler, and yourself from the neck down. You notice the simple things, like the little specs on your skin, or how long your toe nails are. I sang and recited poetry, and free styled about how stupid it was to spray paint a cop car, hoping that maybe if they could hear me, they would bless me with the same luck as my first arrest, when I was granted a discharge for reciting a poem for the judge, and a court room full of convicts. Maybe luck would indeed strike twice? Perhaps they too, would wonder what the hell on earth possessed such a brilliant kid to do such a thing.

After one phone call, and about three hours of sitting around, getting threatened to be taken to remand, they finally moved me into the interrogation room, where they showed me photos of my latest ‘art piece’. “Did you do this?” they asked. I was a mute, mentally wrestling with one of two options; the advice from legal aid, which was not to say a word until a visit from a real judge, and; the curiosity behind whether or not I would be granted a quick release if I were to plead guilty.

After about twenty minutes of doing the mime routine, I finally gave in, admitting to my wrongs, taking responsibility for my actions. It was quite obvious who the vandal was; red Honda Civic with matching license plate numbers, a tool shed painted from top to bottom, a pink can in the passenger seat. In contrast, I suppose one could say that I was caught ‘pink handed’.

One of the officers, who studied my demeanor throughout my moment of silence, spoke on my behalf, voicing his speculations, assuming that it was just a lapse in judgment on my part. When asked, “What compelled you to do such a foolish thing? I wanted to tell them that it was Hunter’s fault for being so damn inspiring! But I had the hint that they wouldn’t really take that as a rational answer. Instead, I told them that it was simply a wrong move on my part, and that in the moment of my wrongdoing, I had lost all logic. Before calling it a wrap, they left me with an opportunity to share whatever was on my mind, clearly stating: “now is your chance to say whatever you need to say”. Their offer had only sparked one thought, and that was to show them who I was, by sharing what I do, and so I spoke...

I use to say “Forget the money!”, with a passion
Back when there was nothing but drinking, smoking, and rapping
Laughing life away like there was no price to pay
for staying out late writing my name up on the trains
Never played the game, instead, I went against it
Raised fist and all, splashing war paint on walls
Breaking laws with a smile, momma’s lost child
Who use to run wild with a low profile
Playing at my own risk, paying no mind to the mileage,
Living like I was next on Gods’ soon-to-die list
But oh how it changes, how life rearranges
How clear and present dangers suddenly seem safer
Forced into a corner, taking orders, chasing paper,
Thinking to myself how much I really hate to
Go to school, getting so confused about what to do
Its like you go to class, kiss a$$, or say forget the rules

But son, it’s easier said than done
when we live within a system that runs on funds
It is the reason why those stuck up kids deal drugs
And the reason why sometimes we have got to leave the ones we love
Work hard, get rewarded, that’s just the way that some jobs are kid
You can’t be an artist if you don’t know how to market
Pardon me, for telling you all these bits,
But you can’t discard the facts, because that’s just the way it is

Do not enter, do not cross, do not disturb
If you know the truth and got the proof, do not say a word
Go to work, get paid, lace your shoes, run the race,
Put a mask on your face, just to make the next day
You hate this place, but you can’t escape it,
Infinite like figure 8’s you were born into the matrix
With not enough guts to do anything about it
So it’s best you just shut your mouth and bow down kid
I will not allow this unjust matter to continue
I will strip you of your ability to let loose
I’ve got strict rules, and you have got to follow it
I don’t care if you’re sick, you still got to work tomorrows shift
The hunt for the dividends will never end
You will forever spend money on food and medicine
Regardless of culture, religion or gender,
I’ve got your whole world affected by afluenza
You’re the renter, well I’m the owner,
The poker faced money motor joker/ game controller
Holding your diploma
So show up, but don’t forget who feeds you,
the root of all evil that makes us unequal
You’re crawling on all fours of this monopoly board
With your shopping sprees helping my economy soar
Take the house, take the cigarettes, take the corvette,
Take the 4 year art course even if you can’t afford it
It goes eat, sleep, work, stress,
go to school, go in debt pay it off until you’re dead”
Get up, get busy, get going, go hustle,
do anything you can do to get through the struggle.
Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M
Get the money

The officer leaned forward, up from his seat, took a closer look at me, and asked: “was that improvised?” I replied, “No officer, it was written about a year ago when I felt a lot more grounded with my life”. He said “I don’t know what the hell you call what you just did right now, but take my advice son, and stick to doing that, not spray painting cop cars. You have a better chance of doing something good with your life if you stick to that”. Suddenly, I could feel a sense of respect coming over me. The tone of their voice, and their actions toward me had changed.

After all the paper work, the photo taking, and fingerprint documenting, it was finally time to leave. While being escorted out, he uttered his last words to me, saying: “You’re really interesting you know that. I wish we could have met somewhere else” But in my mind, I questioned the likelihood of us meeting without the paint sprayed in between our worlds, and thought that it would never have happened otherwise.

Apart from being scheduled for a court date, and dreadfully worrying about how I would break the news to my poor mother about what had just happened, I was somewhat grateful for the experience, as it brought my feet back to the ground, and redirected my focus to more important matters in my life. It was with this indebtedness, that I shook the officers’ hand, thanked him, and took his advice into account. I went home, I picked up my pen, and I did what I do best…

Write!

Unhealthy Shmuck

Note to Self. Excercise. Get back into shape.

Deadication 808 word count

“Deadication”

This poem is ‘deadicated’ to YOU
To the one who told me that
it was game over
before I even had a chance
To insert my very last quarter
Into the slot and press start
To the ones who placed
All their bets against me
And relied on nothing but luck
To prevent me From pulling out a wild card
To the big muscle bound bullies,
The non believers
The judges,
The ‘Siskel & Eberts’
(Those prejudice bastards!)
And the never ending questions
That I always tried to answer
To the best of my ability,
But was never quite good enough
Because it wasn’t quite exactly
What you wanted to hear
This poem right here
Is ‘deadicated’ to every stuck up girl
in my grade 10 school year
who called me ugly,
and made me feel like
I would never have a beautiful lady
By my side whom I truly could say
“I love to you too”
This is ‘Deadicated’ to every direction
That told me to go left
When I chose to go right instead
Because I wanted to prove THEM wrong
And…to every time limit that spoke,
As if it were saying that
“That half-Japanese,
Half-Chinese looking Filipino kid
Speaking to me right now is
taking way too long to get his point across!”
This one is deadicated to my Father,
Whom at first, Failed to see the
true beauty of hip hop culture
Labeling it as nothing but a gateway
To drugs, sex, and gang related violence
And…to my high school math teacher,
who pushed me to do my assignments,
only because the answer key
In the back of his textbook
Showed me that success,
Was merely just a product of the focus,
multiplied by the x number of times
That one follows the rules,
And Failure, was simply just a sum
Of the fight plus the freedom
To do whatever you wanted to do
“You want to be a poet!?
You want to be an artist!!??
No, no, no…
You mean that you want to be a broke ass bum
Begging for change on stage
Because that will not support you through life
And while most of my colleagues
Took what he said for granted
I took it to the heart
Started to think of all the possibilities
Of getting off to a fresh start
I thought of everything you saw as unrealistic
And then I thought about packing my bags
And leaving when you said,
Uh uh, no way, it is not going to happen
No return of the dragon,
No second try,
Just one long hard cry,
Followed by one sad goodbye,

Goodbye!!!

…But…but…but
As time flied by,
and I grew wise
I began to realize
How easy it would be
To just; throw in the towel
Raise the white flag,
And utter the simple words
“I Quit”
..and yes, for a while there
I must admit that you did have my King in check
Stole my queen right before my eyes
And broke my heart
Quicker than I could ever break a sweat
But just like any bet
Placed against a one to five odd,
Just like any kid whose had his ass whooped
So bad to the point that
He has decided that he’s going to do more
Than just dodge that much the next time around
Just like any dead tree,
That should not be considered dead at all
For as long as there is still
blood pumping from the pen,
those who believe those who suck
will eventually suck on those who suck,
because you better believe
that those who suck
will ‘suck-ceed!’…in the end
what does not kill me will only make me stronger
but you see strength is not measured
by the amount of muscle mass in the body
Strength is measured by that heart-filled, mindful will
that carries you through that long impossible journey
Therefore, before a classroom full of clenched fists
gets dismissed from class
I will race you to the flagpole
At the sound of the 3:30 school bell,
And I will beat you to the punch
Yes I will beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat,
beat myself to death nine times
And resurrect ten times afterwards,
Before you could lay one hand on me
For every time I fall, I will rise
With the hopes of you forgetting my name
So that I could have the joy of re-introducing you
…My name is poetry,
Embodied by both Gods and Goddesses
Who will live my life for as long as you will listen
And will continue to believe
that for as long as there is a will
There WILL be a way,
To weight out the probability with the possibility
Of having one
Brand new,
Beautiful day
So please…
Get out Of my way

Life Path Soul Urge N S N

With a number 6 Soul Urge, you would like to be appreciated for your ability to handle responsibility. Your home and family are likely to be a strong focus for you, perhaps the strongest focus of your life. Friendship, love, and affection are high on your list of priorities for a happy life. You have a lot of diplomatic tendencies in your makeup, as you a able to rectify and balance situations with an innate skill. You like working with people rather than by yourself. It is extremely important for you to have harmony in your environment at all times.

Positive Traits : The positive side of the 6 Soul Urge produces a huge capacity for responsibility; you are always there and ready to assume more than your share of the load. If you possess positive 6 Soul Urges and express them, you are known for your generosity, understanding and deep sympathetic attitude. Strong 6 energy is very giving of love, affection, and emotional support. You may have the inclination to teach or serve your community in other idealistic ways. You have natural abilities to help people. You are also likely to have artistic and creative leanings.

Negative Traits : If you have an over-supply of 6 energy in your makeup, you may express some of the negative traits common to this number. With such a strong sympathetic attitude, it is easy to become too emotional. Sometimes the desires to render help can be over done, and it can become interfering and an attitude that is too protective, rather than helpful. The person with too much 6 energy often finds that people tend to take advantage of this very giving spirit. You may tend to repress your own needs so that you can cater to the demands from others. At times, there may be a tendency in this, for becoming over-loaded with such demands, and as a result become resentful.


A Life Path 5 person is usually very versatile, adventurous, and progressive. With a 5 life path, you are one of those people who is always striving to find answers to the many questions that life poses. You want to be totally unrestrained, as this is the sign of freedom and independence. You abhor routine and boring work, and you are not very good at staying with everyday tasks that must be finished on time. You are, however, a good communicator, and you know how to motivate people around you, perhaps inclining you to be a teacher of some sort. A love of adventure may dominate your life. This may take the form of mental or physical manifestation, but in either case, you thrill to the chance for exploration and blazing new trails. You are apt to be multi-talented, but just as likely to suffer from some lack of direction, and there is often some confusion surrounding your ambition.

Positive Traits : The number 5 personality is rather happy-go-lucky; living for today, and not worrying too much about tomorrow. It is important for you to mix with people of a like mind, and try to avoid those that are too serious and demanding. It is also important for you to find a job that provides thought-provoking tasks rather than routine and redundant responsibilities. You do best dealing with people, but the important thing is that you have the freedom to express yourself at all times. You have an innate ability to think through complex matters and analyze them quickly, but then be off to something new.

Negative Traits : In the most negative application or use of the 5 energies, you could become very irresponsible in tasks and decisions concerning your home and business life. The total pursuit of sensation and adventure can result in your becoming self-indulgent and totally unaware of the feelings of those around you. In the worse case situations negative 5's are very undependable and self-serving.


The number 11 Life Path has the connotation of illumination describing its general focus. This is the number associated with spiritual awareness. As one of the two master numbers, the 11 yields understanding and knowledge beyond the grasp of others. The attitude toward life of those possessing this Life Path is somewhat extreme; extremely intuitive, avant-garde, idealistic, visionary, and cultured. These extremes make you an interesting, if unusual person, with much to offer society.

Positive Traits : The Life Path 11 person is deep-thinking, and you are no doubt interested in understanding many of life's mysteries and more intriguing facets. Your inventive mind and broad-minded views will permit you to succeed in life in any number of ventures. You can best serve society, however, in those endeavors utilizing your skills of counseling and guidance. Much of your idealism is people oriented and quite humanitarian in nature. You expect a great deal of yourself and of those to whom you are close.

Negative Traits : This is a Life Path that seems to feature broad mood swings between the elation and depression. You are likely to have trouble making decisions and getting your life in gear, so to speak. There is a tendency for the 11 to harbor feelings of uneasiness, and dissatisfaction with accomplishments and personal progress in life. Your grandiose schemes usually make sense, but you can get off the track and they can be very impractical. You have a very distinct side that lacks common sense, and you are quite often unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. In this regard, you are perhaps more of a dreamer than a doer. When you do get on target, your ideas seem to have been inspired on high. Perhaps you are not a leader, but you are a visionary and a very talented idea person.

Pogs On my Mind

"my mother observed with pain the alteration perceptible in my disposition and habits, endevaored by arguments deduced from the feelings of her serene conscience and guiltless life, to inspire me with fortitude and awaken in me the courage to dispel the dark cloud which brooded over me"

Twice

Dig It

Stay In School

Now heres a little story
that must be told
about a gifted young child
who was always told
that he would never
make it to the top of the honour roll
or for that matter
even dare come close
everybody would joke
and make fun of the young kid
saying things like
"its just a matter of time
before he calls it quits"
In the race to get the first A plus
he'd finish last
get mad
and feel so tempted to skip class
but good for him...
because he never did
instead he kept his head
in the books
doing whatever he could
while all his so called friends
were up to no good
he kept pushing hard
pushing toward the awards
pushing far passed the
point of falling apart
for years
through many stressful tears
he worked like a dog
now the tables have turned
and hes on top of the charts
as the big man In charge
who handles YOUR marks

now thats heart


it goes F for lack of Focus
and all the Failed attempts
D for Direction towards Development
C for getting Closer to getting it Correct
B for anyBody who gives it their best
A is for Aint nothing better
than Aiming All the way
to the top of the class
with Above Average grades

Ignorance

IGNORANCE

non chalantly
Im pissing on your favorite ghandi quotes
watching hope get lost
and get caught between
the calm breeze and chaos
without structure
Im out to play
blind sighted
like ray charles
messing with fake broads
who break hearts
plus more
harassed by laws
I react with an "up yours" (of course)
there is no god
just me the self centered
ill tempered young dirty bastid
feeling no guilt like demastas
it all thrust kill destory the stress
in that badboyish manner
sick as the cancer sticks
I puff for no reason
Im shit out of luck
gassed up
with heavy breathing
but demons in my lungs
are fiending for more
I try to leave them
but they always seem
to reach me when Im bored
so on with another
numb experience
having fun playing dumb
way too far from being serious
chilling with
the silliest affiliates
known for doing risky biz
in some of the busy zones
and Even though
the deeper
part me objects
eye trek on like a star
pretending it aint hard
to cover up
struggling to
flex the brain muscles cause
nowadays nobody want to dig
for that "others" stuff
that undercover love
and oh what a bummer it is
but who gives
when dignity no longer exists

ignorance is bliss

No more mister nice guy
say goodbye to Mr. righteous!!
I know youll miss him dearly
but he needs to get a vice grip
light a spliff get loose
and just do what dummies do
live in a world with no rules
and no second guessing
just charging through
maze walls
with the loose cannon
as the top choice of weapons
bringing more destruction
and less building
throwing curves and spitballs
to avoid any catchy feelings


Theyd rather root for the villain
so I might as well
give em what they want
live by the words of Dogo
and "only see once"
so openly blunt
I abandon anything strategic
shun all procedures
like its death to the chess pieces
then wrap my suffer ring
around my middle finger
and like a poor righteous teacher
pay no attention
to the big picture
with no time to wait
Im shooting from the hip
scoring short term goals
while the long ones fade
Fuck a budget
I put my piggie bank
on a weight-loss program
and like rocky
I just roll with the punches
on the edge
talking like every things'
off the head
with no concept of stop when red
so so def with no stress
I step with finesse
call me hunter s
thomspon stomping on your
best dressed suit
under arrest
still ploughing through
your barricades
ner 2 dares to stare
fear in the face
with no apologies
it be the smooth criminal
nothing could stop me
cause hell..
I'm invincible!!!!!!!!!

Its ignorance because Ive seen the other side

Rough Draft 1 Word Count: 1845

Wrong or Write
It was hesitation and fear that kept me locked in mom’s basement, driving myself crazy, over analyzing the world around me, so afraid to take leaps and bounds and step on new territory. I was beginning to settle down, slowly growing into the 25 year old man that I was ‘supposed’ to be; mature, responsible, and independent, but in a flash of...I decided to buy the ticket and enjoy the ride. I was keeping a budget holding in my money, playing the safe side, and swearing not to repeat history by becoming my father, a gambler, and a bad budgeter.
I came home feeling invincible again. I took a wheelchair for a spin, started smoking, drinking, and getting back to the reckless habits that I had when I was a teen. I was on the edge and it felt amazing. I understood the psychology of it, or at least had a grasp on the idea of why I was so drawn to the edge of my existence, and why I felt so compelled to do such outrages things. Though despite knowing this all, I still continued to feed my ignorance.
...
Two weeks after i came home from Montreal, my mother came home from her month long trip from the Philippines. She brought back the usual; boxes full of desserts that I will probably never consume, clothes that i will never wear, and other handmade goods that we can’t get here in Canada. Of course, she also came home with a stack load of Photos. Of this large stack of photos, there were only three that spoke to me, so I pulled it out of the deck and kept it with me.
One of the photos was of my god daughter, who had the cutest devilish grin known to man, the second was my mother in a ”you are under arrest, hands on the head”-pose underneath a waterfall, beside a topless mermaid. The third photograph was of a large mama pig, and her babies drinking her milk.
Talk about irony. I look at the photo of my God daughter and think, oh wouldn’t be nice to be that young again? So innocent, where the worst thing that could ever happen to a child spray painting a cop car, is a spank on the bum, and a lecture about what is right and wrong. The pigs in the picture to me, reflected family struggle. Here they all where, these little pigs feeding off their mother. That was a “real” pig. Here in Canada, the culture that I surround myself in, will consider the term pig as a term used to describe an officer in a navy blue uniform who drives around town dunking donuts into a coffee mug from robins while so much is going on. They give the term to the corrupt ones, who aren’t doing their jobs, or making stupid mistakes like barging into an apartment with a false warrant, and realizing that they’ve got the wrong people. The last photo of my mom doing the pose, was very strange to me. She had a gigantic smile on her face, in her speedos. It I guess it’s because im so used to seeing her in more classy shots. In any case, I still things its strange how these photos tie into my encounter with the police or as counter culture members would say, pigs.
Our worlds are so different. In the Philippines, the pigs stink. They wreak. The pigs here are in navy blue uniforms with guns and handcuffs, and a mouthful of rights ready to be recited to the next offender.
The small talk between Gumshoe and I was interrupted by the fresh smell of a Spanish omelette served right to my table. While enjoying my dry tasting meal, I continued on reading the biography of Hunter s Thompson, who upon reading the first fifty pages of his book, became an instant hero. He was an admirable writer, with a wild edge who was beginning to inspire the beast in me to be comfortable about showing itself to the world. By the time that I was finished with my meal, 4 police officers had come into the Nook. They sat at the table directly across from me. Every now and then I would observe their mannerisms while redirecting myself back to Hunter’s biography. I thought nothing of it really. They were talking amongst themselves waiting for their food. I thought nothing of it until of course I made my way to the parking lot, and that’s where it all fell down.
I stepped inside my vehicle, put the book down beside me, and upon doing so, I noticed a pink spray can that been sitting in the passenger seat. Instantly an idea popped into my head. Directly to my left (evil ) hand side was a police cruiser with no one inside, and all I could picture in my head at the point were the facial expressions those officers would make when they came back to their vehicle only to realize that their car had been decorated in pretty pink. Initially, I wanted to paint the whole vehicle pink, but I realized that I didn’t have the time. It was also broad daylight, and the chances of getting spotted were pretty not as slim as I, so I settled for words, and bolted out of there.
No matter how you flip the coin, in this society, painting the words “oink oink!” in pretty pink along the sides of a Police cruiser is deemed as “wrong”. It was the first time I felt that cold steel wrapped around my wrists. They don’t give you much leg room in there. Room number four. Nothing to look at but white walls and a sprinkler, and yourself from the neck down. Ou noticed the simple things, like the little specs on your sin, or how long your toe nails are. I sang and recited poetry, and freestyled about how stupid it was, hoping that they if for some reason they had hidden cameras and a microphone propped inside there somewhere that they would hear me, and scratch their heads wondering what the hell on earth possessed this kid to do such a thing. I noticed that there were some carvings along the door. The worlds “hel me” were carved into it, along with some other words like native killa, and others I couldn’t quite make out.
I admitted to my wrongs. If there wasn’t enough evidence to support the case I would have fought or played mindgames with them, but I was no where close to having enough. I was not prepared to go to war. It was pretty obvious who the vandal was.. Red Honda civic with matching license plate numbers, a toolshed painted from top to bottom, a pink can in the passenger seat... I was caught pink handed. Apparently there was a surveillance camera, and someone had taken down the license plate. I’ve head about scare tactics before, and part of me was sensing this coming on to me. We’re going to take you to remand, we’re going to hold you in custody for as long as get that information. We want you to cough up your story, and we’l leave you alone. I was being threatened to be taken to remand. I don’t know why, but It didn’t phase me. Not until things happen, does it really strike me. I just wanted to go home so I could finish my painting.
They showed me the photos, and so I went against the words of the legal aid, because I felt it was necessary to take responsibility for my actions. Even if it was a lapse in judgement, it was my doing, and playing games wasn’t going to help. You caught me!! I wasn’t proud of getting caught, but it happens. They listened to what I had to say when asked “what compelled you to do such a thing”. I wanted to tell them that it was Hunter’s fault for being so damn inspiring but I had the hint that they wouldn’t view that as a rational answer.
They gave me an opportunity to share anything else.They said to me do you have anything to say for yourself? because “now is your chance”. Those words only influenced one thing, and that was to rap! So I did!...
I used to say fuck money with a passion
Back when there was nothing but drinking, smoking and rapping
Laughing life away like there was no price to pay
For staying out late writing my name out on the train
Never played the game instead I went against it
Raised fist and all splashing war paint on walls
Breaking laws with a smile, mamas lost child
Who used to run wild with a low profile
Playing at my own risk paying no mind to the mileage
Living like I was next on Gods’s soon to die list
But oh how it changes how shit rearranges
How clear and present dangers suddenly seem safer
Forced into a corner
Taking orders chasing paper
Thinking to myself how much I really hate to
Go to school getting so confused about what to do
Its like go to class kiss ass or say fuck the rules
But son, its easier said than done
When we live within a system that runs on funds
Its the reason why those stuck up kids deal drugs
And the reasons why sometimes we have to leave the ones we love
Work hard, get rewarded thats just the way jobs are kid
You can’t be an artist if you don’t know how to market
Pardon me for telling you all this shit
But you can’t discard the facts because that’s just the way it is.
It goes eat, sleep, work stress, go to school go into debt
Pay it off until your dead.

He asked me if I just came up with that right now? Or did you write that before. I said I wrote it before. He said that’s intelligence! I don’t know what the hell you call what you just did, but take my advice son, and stick to doing that, not spray painting cop cars. You’ve got a better chance of doing something with your life if you stick to that. He said were going to do some paper work, and then you’ll be out of here as soon as possible. I think the fact that I made their job easy, by knowing what I did wrong, and coming in there giving them something they’ve heard of in their life changed their perceptions of who was locked in their cell. “ Do you need anything, would you like some water, would you like to use the washroom? Instantly, i could feel this sense of respect.
Before I left, I shook his hand, thanked him. Went home, sat on my wheelchair, inserted a blank paper in to my typewriter and followed his advice, sticking to what I was good at, writing.

historee

the elements of hip hop go beyond the dance
to the streets where artists take a chance
in the bronx where young men on the go
paint trains and walls like picasso
graffiti is what they call their art
and its here where they get their start


now we are today in order to induct to the rappers hall of fame
its just a few of the rappers who ever made rap the life and fame
it didnt start with the sugar hill gang
it didnt start with kurtis blow
it didnt start with flash or the furious five
you could take it from I know
were going back to the roots where it all began
at radio stations all over the land
with jocko hot rod and monteyhue
djs who rap like djs do
with names like hatter and dr. jive
in the 50's and 60's keeping rap alive
just a step for our tradition
where rap will take on a social mission
rap gives kids a whole new way
to express themselves and sometimes pabe
you might have told that you were no good
but with rap you were the king of the neighborhood



that person who use to see on tv
was the worlds greatest rapper muhammaed ali
in the days when he was cassius clay
was the first national rapper in the u.s.a


he's goiing around saying hes the championship fighter
but we meets me he'll fall twenty pounds lighter
he thinks hes the real heavyweight champ
but after im finished hell just be a tramp
now im not saying this jsut to be funny
but im fightying earny cause he needs the money
I decided to let him make a little bread
but the catch is i must whoop his ass
now i understand he wants to stand toe to toe
and whip me trade blow for blow
but if hes hip hell take a dip
because I plan to bust his lip


bambataa was always a music man
a record colelctor who as a dj jammed
now he saw a new idea
so use stand and prowl in his career
to put the bronx in a music trance
and move from violence to zulu dance
and so it became hip to hop
in the land known planet rock
where gangs use to fight in the street everyday
now they began to compete in a different way
as the djs music make the house shake
the dancers would begin to break
some electric boogie to move like toys
others would spin! and became b-boys



i think hip hpo is being in control of your body
thats the whole art of it

Rest Well Lola

Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands
=================================================
(Verse)
Em
Grandma's hands
Em
Clapped in church on Sunday morning
Em
Grandma's hands
Em A
Played a tambourine so well
Em
Grandma's hands
Used to issue out a warning
Em A G
She'd say, "Billy don't you run so fast
A G
Might fall on a piece of glass
A G
"Might be snakes there in that grass"
Em
Grandma's hands

(Verse)
Grandma's hands
Soothed a local unwed mother
Grandma's hands
Used to ache sometimes and swell
Grandma's hands
Used to lift her face and tell her,
"Baby, Grandma understands
That you really love that man
Put yourself in Jesus hands"
Grandma's hands

(Verse)
Grandma's hands
Used to hand me piece of candy
Grandma's hands
Picked me up each time I fell
Grandma's hands
Boy, they really came in handy
She'd say, "Matty don' you whip that boy
What you want to spank him for?
He didn' drop no apple core"
But I don't have Grandma anymore
A G
If I get to Heaven I'll look for
Em
Grandma's hands

Don't Let me Be Misunderstood, I'm feeling good because of Nina (No biters Please)

its just begun
its just begun

Im having sextets with jazz
horny for the brass
getting my woodwinds blown
while taking drags from the sax
tapping on toms
same time Im strumming strings
shooting bullets over drums
call me the bb gun king
I give a so what to what you think
get this through your system
different heads do different things
and me I ride the coltrane of thought
to many places and spaces
racking in more miles than davis
having daydreams
of being on the mainstream playlist
as the average joe poster boy
for mindful entertainment
fly as donald byrd
I'll take you higher than ripperton
no moanin' like mingus did
Im live sidekicking it
with me and my messengers
manifest viz, embodying that 4 letterword
d.o.p.e
dont believe me?
well check the cd
even steely dan fans
will clap their hands to these three emcees
deeper than my dads love for beegees
something that the blind eye cannot see (like stevie)
try to read me like the eisleys between sheets
and if you get it
my hi hats going off to ya
or anyone down in the lounge
digging doo wop
naa dont let the truth stop
dont let the truth stop
gotta let em know
(yo you gotta let em know)
that theres so much more to hip hop
than just biggie and tupac
yes you got so much you need to learn
but first things first
lets boogiedowndown to the groundwork
scratch the dirt off the surface
and sound the red alert for all the fools
who dont seem to know who kool herc is
no past equals no purpose
so if youre not willing to dig
well then sorry kids you dont deserve this
give it up, learn to groove
pay your dues, or turn it loose
to a generation of more murda mooks? (naaaaa)
iF i WAS YOU Id walk on by like isaac hayes
kick kick back relax
on some billie holiday
fine and mellow
like kirby on the cello
break it down then bring it up with a crescendo
then watch the spot get blown
like the cheeks on gillespie
when I get more animated
than bebop and rocksteady
and funkier mosquitos tweeters (but)
dont let me be misunderstood
im feeling good because of nina
so all praise due to the original
reasons of how we came about
before the digital-age
turned crates to graves
and one takes to one too many
on the ball? yes ya'll
eye keeps rolling mike jelly
morton with more in store
for the foreign listeners
so little kids listen up
get in line and ill be sure
sign a copy of your favorite cd
with a time signature
that goes:
1 for is the boom
2 for the bip
3 for the bap
and four/for something like this
.....

Dream

I had a dream that I went to vancouver to perform to a sold out show with my comrades, but was restricted in what songs to perform. I had a dream that my old graphic design students were there too, and they were all in to see beyonce? unfortunately their show was happening at the same time my performance was.. those graphic design students weren't all that welcoming either, I felt at home on the other side, but I still felt like I was restricted..

the night before I was running around the city not sure where to go. My indecisions led to closed doors, unecessary drinking, and more ill thoughts..i stopped at cafe 22 to write about my night, and honestly It was the best thing ever..it was peaceful..

it seems that ive lost directoin in life..and maybe thats the influence this free-range "relationship" (if thats what you want to call it).has on me. Freedom is a scary thing as I am coming to realize. but it can be more enjoyable at times.

I relate it to fine arts vs graphic design, where in fine arts, we can splash paint around and make a mess, and be able to say "thats art!", whereas in design, theres a plan, theres structure, theres do's and donts, theres direction.. With this 'relationships' (i dont know what to call it, because she doesn't want a label, which I totally understand),

maybe its me? wanting to hold something forever, and why wouldnt I want that...it seems like it would be the nicest thing ever, but thats not reality either..we are long passed the days of fixed courting...we can choose to come and go as we please..which in a way is an easy way out, it shoes lack of commitment.. its like..well if this doesn't work, I'll just go the next one, and the next one, and the next one...it just aint worth it to jump from one to the next..

it would be nice to have someone in the same circle too, so then I dont feel like I have to go out of myself to please someone..it cant be love if im leaving my circle..
I must stay within the boundaries of my own self love in order to rightfully share..thats how I'll know if they're right for me.

So for now, Im taking back some eggs, and holding them..Im going to stick around and try to enjoy this one day at a time, but if theres more downs than ups...im out, and sharing my eggs with someone who will appreciate it far more..

but im there yet, she deserves a fair chance. but if she plays with me...she gets cut off completely..I hate players, but I wont fight.. karma will get them back.. I only hope for the best.

one day a time..

learning to love

Eating Healthy

A French epicurean once said, "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." But can eating certain foods make you smarter, happier, or more able to constructively respond to stress? Could junk food lead to a junk attitude? Connections are being made all the time between the foods we eat and the way we feel, think, and act.

Did you know, for instance, that depression and aggression have been linked to diets that are high in harmful fats and low in beneficial fruits and veggies? Or that eating fish and seafood may reduce the risks of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease? Or that tea may bring on a calm yet alert state of mind?

Memory, alertness, and mood can all be impacted by your nutritional choices. And while intelligence and mental functions are complex and involve many bodily systems and processes, there are a few key nutrients that could help to boost your cerebral stamina.

Foods to boost your brain power

Antioxidants: Foods and supplements containing antioxidants (e.g., phytochemicals, catechins) could boost your brain health and longevity. Darkly coloured vegetables and fruits contain phytochemicals (blueberries, in particular), and green tea is packed with catechins.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids found in many kinds of seafood, including salmon, halibut, and scallops, have been linked to nerve cell regeneration and reduced brain inflammation.
B vitamins: B is for brain, that's for sure. The B family of vitamins is a rich source of food for the nervous system. The messages our brain sends back and forth between our nerves depend on B-complex vitamins, especially folic acid, vitamin B6, and choline. Finding foods full of B-complex vitamins isn't too hard. Folic acid can be found in dark greens, including spinach, asparagus, romaine lettuce, and turnip or mustard greens. Loads of beans contain folic acid, too. Try black, garbanzo, or pinto for a folic acid feast. Crack an egg for choline: egg yolks contain this B-vitamin in abundance. Other sources include soybeans, peanut butter, potatoes, and whole-wheat bread.
Iron: Iron helps our blood to supply oxygen to our body. Deficiencies in iron have been associated with ADHD, learning disabilities, and lowered IQ. It stands to reason, then, that our reasoning skills could benefit from foods that contain iron. Find iron in foods like spinach, blackstrap molasses, lentils, tofu, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
Vitamin E: Some stave off mental decline with a daily crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Foods with vitamin E could keep you sharp, too! Vitamin E, especially taken along with vitamin C, has been linked to reduced cognitive decline with aging. Take note of vitamin-E-rich foods: mustard and turnip greens, spinach, and broccoli. And if green is not your colour, you can pop sunflower seeds, almonds, or olives for a dose of vitamin E.
Amy Toffelmire

FOREIGN MYNDSTATE

Foreign MYNDSTATE

like third to first
on foreign turf
I search for work
within the dirtpile
early bird style wide awake
with no time to wait
on the move
with no excuses
going through hell
to find paradise
knowing that sacrifice is crucial
MYNDSTATE stays neutreal
playing it smart
trying not be fooled
by the illusion
of those loopholes where
attention draws away
from moves that must be made
fat joints got my fresh brain off point
like a rusty blade
now televisions telling me to sit calm
catering to only what my dick wants
oh and its hard
rolling on the side
that society spits on
as a pawn in the game
trying to maintain his aim
strange one becomes the change
that Ghandi would love to see
keeping fit
excercising thee abililty to be
deeply immersed in this curse slash gift
losing touch with friends
just to add some more gems onto the tracklist
nereo is not your average
labrat on the run in the labryinth
like dad always gambling
losing cash quick
eFF that shit
I can handle things
with self managment
when Ill be asking that
man in the mirror
what is craftmanship?!?
if you cant set aside time
to practice it
the fact is
you might have all the tools
to make the music
but its useless
if you dont how to use it
so MOVE (lets do this!)

MYNDSTATE
MYNDSTATE
lets brush the dust away
get that hard earn meal
and heal these hunger pains
MYNDSTATE
MYNDSTATE
yo there aint no time to waste
lets get it right
get it done
just dont be late now
MYNDSTATE
MYNSTTATE
practice till perfected
push hard with that
third world work ethic
gotta get it
before its gone
wordbond
master self
to master all
like garry kasperov
MYNDSTATE
stays strong
MYNDSTATE
STAY STRONG

with no thought
of backing down
I just do my job like pacquio
assuming each round
could be the last round ever
with my best efforts forward
I'll be sharpening my swords up
but never for no shortcut
I just respect whats more tough
experiencing what no textbook could teach me
life lessons that
precede the power of the pc
my mind be far from being
one with those weaklings
who need cheat sheets
to acheive deeper meaning
meanining what?
meaning In theory
only through real live application
will I really see things clearly
still not every closed door
is worth a sneak preview
so I practice foresight
to know when and where to refuse
like neo with the red and blue pill
only I could choose
whhich life more real for me
but time is precious so
I got use it well you see
I got big plans for my fam
but if my fam fails
screw plan B
Ill go back to helping myself
by setting myself free
from pressures that bind
like the dity devils who lie in aims
of robbing me blind of precious time
when disconnected
answer might seem too hard to find
but the anwers to all problems
are always deep within my mind

MYNDSTATE
MYNDSTATE
lets brush the dust away
get that hard earn meal
and heal these hunger pains
MYNDSTATE
MYNDSTATE
yo there aint no time to waste
lets get it right
get it done
just dont be late now
MYNDSTATE
MYNSTTATE
practice till perfected
push hard with that
third world work ethic
gotta get it
before its gone
wordbond
master self
to master all
like garry kasperov
MYNDSTATE
stays strong
MYNDSTATE
STAY STRONG

ART SMARTS

Chapter 1. Introduction
Published by the Society for Disability Arts and Culture

As we began working on this book, one of the artists we interviewed told us, “What I wish I’d had when I started out was an instruction manual, something that told me all about the art world and what to expect. I want somebody who’s going to start feeding me information about how all this really works, because it’s not written down anywhere. There are lots of books on the business of being an artist, and there are courses and different entrepreneur kinds of things you can do to establish yourself, but that doesn’t really tell you the ins and outs of how the art world works.”

This book is our attempt to “feed” some information to you, as emerging artists with disabilities, and to your network of friends and supporters. Twelve artists with disabilities share what they’ve learned and are still learning on their journeys as artists. They struggle with the barriers that face all artists (like lack of financial support), as well as the ones that are particular to artists with disabilities, including lack of physical access to art institutions, lack of opportunities for less formal learning modes such as mentoring, and lack of skills and opportunities for marketing their art. If you are pursuing a career as an artist, or just want to explore your creative side and could use some pointers to help you along, then we made this manual for you.

We are the Society for Disability Arts and Culture (S4DAC), established in 1998. S4DAC was originally created to produce an international festival of disability arts, which came to be known as the kickstART! Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture, held in Vancouver in August 2001. (See Appendix A for more details about S4DAC and the kickstART! Celebration.)

With that very inspiring celebration behind us, this handbook is a next step in developing a network of Canadian artists with disabilities. We urge both individual artists with disabilities and arts groups that involve people with disabilities to use the contact sheet at the back of this handbook to help us to build a database of creative Canadians with disabilities and their allies.

S4DAC was very grateful to receive funding for this step from Human Resources Development Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program. We’ve tried to make the information accessible and “real” by presenting it in the words of people who have been there. You don’t need to read this book in any particular order, but we recommend that you start with the artist profiles in Chapter Two before reading any other chapter, since we identify the artists throughout the rest of the handbook only by their first names. You can also request an audio tape or a paper copy of the handbook by contacting the S4DAC office.

We wanted to represent a broad range of disabilities and geographic locations, although we realized we couldn’t possibly include everything. This handbook is not intended to be comprehensive, nor to include the details of all artistic disciplines and all disabilities. Because much of what an aspiring artist needs to know will vary from region to region, we have provided a resource list to point you toward organizations that can provide information specific to your province or municipality. These resources, listed in Appendix B, provide you with information on arts organizations, funding sources and opportunities for learning. We encourage you to do further research, to use telephone listings to contact local arts organizations and to check out the World Wide Web for more resources if you have access to a computer.

Each artist will be unique in their disability, in how they identify themselves, and in how their disability affects their art-making. As you read this manual, you will see both commonalities and differences. The material draws from the life experiences of artists at different places and different levels of “success”; each has a different definition of what success is. You’ll find lots to think about here in relation to your own form of art.

Artistic expression is a personal thing and as the authors of this handbook we wanted to reflect that with a personal style of writing. Most of the text is derived from interviews with artists, and we’ve done our best to introduce topics and weave together the artists’ statements in an informal way. Because of that, we thought a word about who we are would be appropriate.

Chapter 7. The Business of Being an Artist
If you want to have a career as an artist – or even if you’re just working on a single project – there may be some business that you’ll need to take care of, or make sure someone else is taking care of for you.

Business doesn’t fit with the romantic notion of being an artist, and many artists don’t like this aspect of their careers. However, it’s rare that an artist’s work is seen by the public without some paperwork and organizing beforehand. Success as an artist is a mixture of talent, luck, connections and, for many, skill at writing grant applications. It’s often a case of preparation meeting opportunity.

Given the many erroneous assumptions about people with disabilities, it may take a lot more persistence for you to get an “in” to the art world. You might need extra help, and you might also find yourself having to educate agents or curators.

A complete description of the business related to all the artistic disciplines would take volumes, so we’ve let our twelve artists suggest some general areas for you to consider. In addition, there may be short business courses you can take at community arts councils, community centres or art schools in your area.

First of all, if you want to be hired as a performer, or to sell your art, or to communicate an idea to the public through your artwork, then you have to let people know what you’re doing. This is called “networking” or “promotion.” If promoting, or “selling,” yourself is hard for you to do, then you may eventually find someone to do that for you. Musicians and other performers often have “agents” who promote them and find them jobs, or “gigs.” Until you’re getting enough work to pay an agent a fee, though, you’ll probably have to do the promotion yourself. A good media kit, with photos of you, a description of who you are and what you do, and a list of things you’ve done in the past, along with articles about you or reviews by critics if you have any, will do much of the talking for you.

Finding a gallery to represent you is a good route to follow if you’re a visual artist but the gallery will, of course, take a “commission” (a percentage of the price) for any sales they make of your work. Like a media kit for the performer, a portfolio that has photos of your work is essential for the visual artist.

it’s rare that an artist’s work is seen by the public without some paperwork and organizing beforehand. success as an artist is a mixture of talent, luck, connections and, for many, skill at writing grant applications.

One of the things we can impart to people is that music is not a very glamorous business. There are a lot of people who are working away and they’re not millionaires. Don’t have any illusions; it’s hard work without a lot of money.

In the first part of things you’ve got to have talent. You’ve got to have your business chops together, too, to be successful. Making sure you’re ready to go. One of the things I see amongst people with disabilities is a lack of self-confidence. You can’t have that in this business and succeed. You’ve got to know that you’re good and not be ashamed of telling people that you’re good; without being arrogant. You’ve got to work hard and practice.

As long as you know what you’re doing, you can play with anybody. Surround yourself with talent. Network: find other people who can help you, who you can bounce ideas off. Get together and do some writing. Put an ad in the paper saying, “I need a song-writing partner.” There are thousands of people out there who want to do that kind of stuff.

I will be doing an application for a grant from PromoFACT [a source of funds, sponsored by the MuchMoreMusic television station,to stimulate the production of electronic press kits (EPKs) and websites for Canadian independent artists and record labels; see resources in Appendix B] to get my website together and my electronic media kit, because that seems to be where it’s going. No one sends press kits in the mail anymore. I don’t have a website, and it’s becoming evident to me that I need one. I’ve applied for grants before and gotten turned down. You get turned down more than you get them, but you have to keep plugging away, especially in my line of work.
joe

I have a press kit and resumé – not very long, but professional. You send twenty and get maybe three replies. I go on a mission to find the right person to ask for money. I call everywhere and I knock on every door, just to find money.

I found a sponsor to give me money to go to England to work with CandoCo – someone with a big business who actually wanted to support an athlete. I take care of the sponsors who give me money. I send them emails, and I keep in contact – that’s very, very important.
france

When I first started on with Yuk Yuk’s, they were reluctant to send me out to do shows, because they were locked into that thinking, “How will he get there, shouldn’t somebody travel with him?” It took quite a few months for me to finally get to where I was able to say, “Look, you give me the gig, and I’ll get there!” It was important to do that, to prove to them that I could do it, I would do it, all I needed was the opportunity. That goes for everybody, you know, disabled or otherwise. You’re looking for opportunities to get ahead and get things going.

Promotion never ends. You promote yourself every time you step out on stage. You’re only as good as your last show. To tell the truth, every time I step out there I say to myself , “You’ve got to be focused on the show and you’ve got to do the best job possible.” You start doing a bad job, and people forget you pretty quickly. You have to keep asking yourself what you can do to sell yourself to someone else, to a bigger market, how can you win – what can you do to win more people, another show, another group.

I have a media kit with an 8x10 glossy photo, pamphlets, etc., but the best thing is doing a good show, and then it’s word of mouth from there.

Early in my comedy career, I’d arrive in Calgary or in Winnipeg or Halifax, and I would call local radio stations, newspapers, television stations, and I would say, “Hi, my name is Gord Paynter. I’m a stand-up comic, I’m blind, and I was coming out here to Halifax and some of my friends suggested I give you a call.” Well, none of my friends may have suggested that, but it was self-promotion. And if you call ten stations, maybe one says, “Yeah we’d like to do an interview.” That was crucial, that was essential, because it helps you build up your resumé and your bio and your references and things like that, and it helps promote you across the country. Now more often the media calls me.

If events are going on in your community it’s good to be involved – to show up or to offer your assistance as MC or whatever. The visibility factor is very positive.
gord

the important thing is to be clear on what you want to get across and who your audience is
I’m learning to get really good at effective “pitching,” to knock cold on someone’s door and give them my stuff.

Ironically, though my wheels have nothing to do with my voice, my wheels can prevent me from getting auditions for mainstream acting roles in television and film. That’s why I need to concentrate on voiceover work. Even though they can’t see my wheelchair, I’m hoping it will become part of the people connection, so people will remember me: “Oh, that’s interesting – a voice artist, he’s in a wheelchair, blah blah blah.” I want to use my physicality as my selling point, as part of my uniqueness to try and appeal to someone’s perhaps “politically correct” sensitivity. To me, it’s whatever I can use! With voice, it’s all about what it sounds like, but if there are three or four voice actors that sound the same, they’ll go with the guy who’s the friendliest to work with, or the fastest; there’s all different ways of hiring. So I don’t just want to drop things off with someone else, I want the person who’s going to be the one to hire me for the job to be able to meet me. If I can meet someone and be friendly and demonstrate that I’m able to do the job quickly and efficiently, and perhaps they want to be socially responsible and employ diversity, I want to have that opportunity as well.

As an actor, there are some very important tools, the first being the voice and the body – you have to keep those two in shape and then the promotion and media tools come into play.The “head shot” is really important. The key thing in a resumé is to list everything you’ve done related to the work and be proud of it and be able to speak about everything. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. A big resumé isn’t a better resumé. And a resumé is not going to get you work; it shows that you’ve done work. Your talents will get you work.

When an actor has enough of a body of work, in television and film, at least, the next step is a video reel. For that you take all the work you’ve done on TV, and you cut and paste it together on a videotape to demonstrate how you look and how you sound. So I’ve got that, and all the casting directors have that, and if somebody were to say, “Well, what have you done?”, I can just give them that. As a voice artist I also have a demo CD. On that I have commercials – there are four different styles of commercial and they’re back to back. These are mock-up ads, and they have four different voice styles. Then I have four narration slots, with four different voice styles: nature narration; training (like what you’d hear on a corporate training tape); history; and public service announcement.

I talked to other voice artists and found out what they did and then I took a workshop on voiceover. I’ve learned there is no one way to do all this stuff. You can take two different workshops on two different weekends and get two very different ways to do it. It’s all individual and the important thing is to be clear on what you want to get across and who your audience is.

Another promotion thing I’ve done is send out postcards; on one side of the card it has my photo and the name of my agent, and my resumé is on the other side. I sent it out when I switched agents.

I’m resigned to the fact that the world of television does not want people with disabilities playing their roles. So my focus becomes just, go out there, do plays, do shows, create my own work and be so damn good that people cannot help but hire me!
james

I have my flyer, and this is how I promote myself. And also by doing performances. That’s another way. That’s the major way. And a comments book. So far word of mouth has provided enough work.
rasika

I’m not able to promote myself in the same way that other people can, because I can’t get out there in the same way. I make sure I meet lots of people. Probably the number one thing in self-promotion is networking and talking to people, so they know what you’re doing. So to that end I took a SEARCH course here in Vancouver, through the Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture. It’s not just for visual artists; it’s for photographers and dancers and musicians and everybody. One of the components in the Alliance is networking, so they network with each other and other people and have seminars. It’s a great cultural group of people, which is nice.

I try to involve myself in community things that are going on, to allow me access to other people who are artists. I’m putting together a promotional package. I have my paintings on slides. I have a scanner, so I can put them in digital format. I have taken black-and-white photos of myself, and I have them on file. I have my resumé and my artist’s statements ready. I make sure, any time I put up paintings, that they’ve been professionally hung so that they look good, and they look professionally done, and they have proper tags on them that say who I am. I submit proposals to exhibitions as they come up and if I feel they’re appropriate. And I volunteer where I feel the event that’s happening is important to art and therefore to me.

Networking is such that you never know who’s going to introduce you to somebody who’s goong to introduce you to somebody who’s going to make a difference. So it’s everybody. It’s other artists, and not just other visual artists, it’s musicians and people who are writers. It’s a wide variety of people.

ART SMARTS

http://www.s4dac.org/artsmarts_handbook/introduction.html