The ramifications of inspiration

     Who does not love a good workspace? We all envision our special places, our dream houses in extraordinary locations, filled with a bunch of crap and the whimsy of good food and company. I think about my house like adolescent girls think of their wedding days; it makes me feel all pink and cuddly inside, blissful almost, and totally bent on the illusion of good daydreaming. I think of the sun coming into my house, the sounds of trees and wind outside and steam wafting from the kitchen. I imagine late night outside, illuminated and noisy with company--people who fill the rooms and tell their stories and make that place real. Oh yes, I dream of all those things, vividly and incessantly. I could probably have an extremely long post dedicated to every room but tonight I will focus only on my studio.

     The idea of a place, well lit and disorderly with materials, is utterly charming. Ms. Woolf spoke of a room of one's own. We all need one, non? ....if for no other reason that to go mad amongst our own thoughts! We each need four walls of our own jurisdiction, us spoiled westerners. One cannot help but be guilted by those who barely have four walls for their entire families, with dirty floors and leaking roofs, and the hell of disease and poverty. Does such a world exist where each of us, every last fucking billionth of our population, can have four walls of her/his own? Imagine.

     Lately I have been in the market for a one bedroom apartment, saying SO LONG to the godforsaken dorms and a shared bedroom with a wheezing roommate, and HELLO to my own kitchen, my own bedroom, my own bathroom, my own front door! To think that there are billions of people who have not the slightest hope of such independence. And all of a sudden this post is becoming less about the fun videos I was going to post and all about the plight of so many who have the shit end of the stick. Only, I think that deserves its own post. I am taking a social entrepreneur class this semester that is rocking my world. This is social entrepreneur dears. Please, look it up. I have a great professor and some great material to share. For now though, I will continue with my original posts, because tangents are so unflattering.

     So how about that Etsy? Those crazy creative cats are making some cool stuff in some cool places. I watch these videos and they make me warm and happy. They make me think of the best sort of world, where everyone has a room of their own to be creative and deceptively witty in and say, "These are my materials. This is what I have made. This is who I am." We all deserve that right?

Just a Simple Song

Ils sont rentrés!

     Welcome back to Les shins! No doubt imitating every other sap who has listened to their latest jam--the first to be released from their new album, which comes out this March (!)--I have been humming and singing and convulsing to in the back room at work and in the partial privacy of my dorm room. Simply amazing! I just caught site of the music video on the YouTube and was simultaneously blown away by the divine medley of music and imagery. I find that successful music videos are hard to come by, and many that the Shins have released before are random and entirely disconnected from the pathos of their songs. This one is a special exception to that trend--still random but will a heartfelt, humorous little anecdote of a dysfunctional family. Although I still prefer the song as a jivey, blasting ballad, it does work with the narrative of the video.

     I am absolutely horny with excitement about their spring tour in the midwest. They are performing here in Boulder at Red Rocks on May 29! As of now that actually coordinates with my schedule! I have been pining for a Shins concert experience ever since high school and my dream of sweet Indie fulfillment may soon be satisfied. What a superb way to start off the summer! Happy Shinning to you all and enjoy the upcoming album; perhaps I will post my own review.


Paroles de la chanson pour vous:
Well, this is just a simple song,To say what you done.I told you 'bout all those fears,And away they did run.You sure must be strong,And you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun.
When I was just nine-years-old,I swear that I dreamt,Your face on a football field,And a kiss that I kept,Under my vest.Apart from everything,With the heart in my chest.
Chorus:I know that things can really get rough,When you go it alone,Don't go thinking you gotta be tough,To bleed like a stone.Could be there's nothing else in our lives so critical,As this little hole.
My life in an upturned boat,Marooned on a cliff.You brought me a great big flood,And you gave me a lift.Girl, what a gift.Will you tell me with your tongue,And your breath was in my lungs,And we float up through the rift.
Chorus:I know that things can really get rough,When you go it alone.Don't go thinking you gotta be tough,To bleed like a stone.Could be there's nothing else in our lives so critical,As this little hole.
Well, this would be a simple song,To say what you done.I told you 'bout all those fears,And away they did run.You sure must be strong,When you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun.
Remember walking a mile to your house,Aglow in the dark?I made a fumbling play for your heart,And the act struck a spark.You wore a charm on the chain that I stole,Especial for you.Love's such a delicate thing that we do,With nothing to prove,Which I never you.


Also, bienvenue to the Shins's new guitar wielding lady! 

Her name is Jessica Dobson. She is joining the band for its world tour and has previously lent her skill to to Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Spoon. Nothing like a lady's touch to bring an already profound band to a new level of awesome!

Introverts and extroverts

I recently went to a brunch with a bunch of people I did not know and tuned into a discussion about people who call themselves introverts. They were discussing the hypocrisy of a claim to introversion as a conversation starter, as in going up to a bunch of people at a party and saying, "Hi, I'm an introvert."I thought that was pretty funny, especially after one of the people at the brunch had described themselves as in introvert shortly after introducing themselves to me. Apparently, a lot of folks are classifying themselves as introverts these days--and I thought introverts were considered uncool. So I asked, "What exactly is an introvert?" One  guy began to explain how Carol Jung coined the term and defined it as someone who "recharges" without the company of others, whereas an extrovert recharges amongst company. So an introvert is not necessarily someone who never goes to parties (and certainly not someone who goes to parties and advertises their introvertedness), but someone who goes to a party, leaves exhausted, and returns home for quiet time by her/himself to recharge in a dark underground room with alternative music.

Then I went on about how I associate extroversion with Holly Golightly, which effectively concluded the conversation. She is the ultimate example of an extrovert though, isn't she? Audrey Hepburn claimed that that role in particular was a challenge for her because she considered herself to be an introvert. Based on the textbook definition, I follow Miss Hepburn's lead. People exhaust me and I cannot picture anything more pleasing after a large social event than cuddling up in a fetal position elsewhere. Certain people are exceptions and definitely charge me up, and I am perfectly apt at sharing quality conversation one-on-one, but I do not handle large groups well. I consider myself to be exceptionally pensive and reserved in my opinions, compared to people who broadcast their thoughts so easily. Most of the time I desire to be more extroverted, to be more open and appreciative of groups of people--embracing the pack; so it is funny for me to hear of a trend in introversion. I suppose it is more artsy and edgy. 

Also

This is a staple song of mine. I discovered Age Pryor after watching Taika Waititi's Eagle vs. Shark for the first time and was utterly charmed by his lisp and mellow melodies. The film has an excellent soundtrack with a lot of tracks provided by another underground band called the Phoenix Foundation. They are all Kiwis. Before Eagle vs. Shark, Waititi made a short film that won on Oscar. It's a cute little diddy. I remember my sister and I watching it for the first time after randomly finding it in a list of free films on her PayPerView service. The most memorable part is when one of the characters, a little boy, shoots a bunch of birds at a girl and says, "Sucka, sucka, sucka!" We did that to each other for the rest of the night. The name of the short is Two Cars, One Night. Check it ouuuttt!

Been listening...