This blog should have been posted in September. I'm a little late but want you to all know what's been going on. I was in Santa Fe with Tim Jackson, friend and filmmaker, Laura, camera girl and editor. awomansvoicefilm.com. We drove up from Tucson where we stayed with Mike Lembo my X manager. He’s a great host and it looks like we will be doing some business together again. This is very good news for me and hopefully it will bring in some revenue. Being alive has taught me that you do art because you have to. It’s about you and having a need to communicate, not about commercial success although that may come for some of the lucky ones who either have marketing skills or are represented by someone who understands the art world and how to sell the art. In my case I write/wrote songs. Some of those songs have commercial potential. That Mike knows how to sell things is a given. That Robin knows not how, has been established. This brings me to my pal Will Hinds, used to be known as Baby John, now known as William Dubby Fuqua. Arrived at his home in Santa Fe, a humble home but darling on the outside, one of those adobe bungalow's you see around in the southwest, Spanish/Mexican origin. By the way, we had to go through a check point once we crossed into New Mexico. Illegals don’t you know, checking for them in each and every car. More on this in awhile, now back to Will. Step into the house of a man of genius work. Tim thinks he’s the modern day Mucel DuCamp. I'm crying...he’s living on disability. He used to work for Neil and Lookout Mgt as a tour manager, not only for Neil but for Devo and others. He has a below poverty level fixed income and luckily has section 8 on this darling place but the reason I’m crying is because everything in this place, and I do literally mean everything he has put together with found objects, lamps he’s made, just the way he arranges things on a table, is art. He could be making a fortune if the right person came along and helped him with some gallery shows here in town and other towns. I know I’m rambling a bit…7 in the morning. Of course this reminds me of myself, not that I’m in his league as an artist, but who knows? I haven’t been able to do “only music” through out the years due to needing to survive. On the other hand I’ve stayed true to music in various ways. Keep facilitating the workshops, these healing songwriting workshops through Songbird Sings. This brings me back to Will. He doesn’t seem to be sad about not being recognized and gains joy just through what he does. He’s come to that perfect state of acceptance. Not in need of adulation, like some of us, but thrilled to show and tell and thrilled that he can do it. I’m not saying enough here because it’s so profound to me. Putting things together through old treasures found objects, gorgeous stuff, some bought but just the time it takes to do this with love and care. If you have ever been through lost dreams you will know what I’m talking about. Tim argues with me on this with his usual response “just get on with it, change your life or do something about what it is you want to see happen” I believe this too and know that you can transform yourself, but I am also well acquainted with the other side of letting go of a dream and beginning again. I have hardly known any artist/creative type who has the ability to sell themselves or their art. It takes so much salesmanship for people to even give a f*ck about what it is you do. That’s what it’s all become, sell it, and the value of it is how much money it makes? We know you can sell anything and that is probably why this freaking country is going down the tubes.
We were all given an op to buy things on credit, houses and so on, this idea is the devils work. It never could have lasted since the greedies were in control of it all. We, the masses, bought into it however hook line and sinker because it made us “happy” from mundane existence/depression and so much that can come from having so little and now many many ARE sinking on this sinking ship while a few are still selling us down the river with lies and fear tactics for their own greed. Greed pure and simple. Is this the end of America? The rats have left the boat. I’m in awe of what my friends art can do, how it makes me feel. If everyone could make art like this out of treasures that surround us we could make our own happiness and maybe not even care if our art sold or not. Not care so much if we didn’t have credit cards to buy buy buy “nothing essentially.” We can make ourselves happy. Don’t need money to do that. Only need enough to eat and keep a roof over our heads. We don’t need more more more. We can create more more more…beauty to make our own selves and others happy. This is what ‘should’ be taught in school and will never be…not in public schools or prep schools because they need the workers. Public spit out the blue collar workers and prep schools spit out the white collar workers. What kind of conspiracy is this anyway? It sounds like one. Humans are so flawed. I wonder if anyone knows what they’re doing? Gather together with those who are like minded and rejoice in simple things and let people be, for goodness sake. Brings me back to that check point with the border patrol, which was 100 miles or so up from Mexico. Cameras everywhere. Heaven knows if they were something else, in fared illegal testing device. Big burley guards holding dogs that looked like they would rip your throat out, on either side of you. I was driving. When it was my turn the officer asked “Where were you born?” I almost had brain freeze…uh LA. “Are all of you citizens of the United States” “yes sir” I nodded my head bobbing up and down. “Ok then” and we drove off laughing our heads off. Tim in back with a middle eastern accent “I’ve leeved in theeeeese country always” WTF? Scary Scary Scary!!!
Make art…dance…make art. Love love love. What happened to love? That’s the command and it's not just from me.
Buy William Dubby Fuqua's book Atom and Evolution at http://humblemonkeypublishing.com/ It will blow your mind!
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