Sac Blue Magazine June 2020

DAJANAE DOWD - NICK WOODS - DAVY FIVEASH - LIL SMOKEY CANDLES - LAUREN WOLF - WES PEPPER - JUDAH X. PIMENTEL ADAM JONES - MAHARI T. SMITH - ANNE WALDON - VIRGO VEGAN - GLOSSO

SAC BLUE M A G A Z I N E June 2020

DAJANAE DOWD NICK WOODS MAHARI T. SMITH LIL SMOKEY CANDLES LAUREN WOLF WES PEPPER JUDAH X. PIMENTEL ADAM JONES DAVY FIVEASH ANNE WALDON VIRGO VEGAN GLOSSO 1

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David Blue Garrison W E L C O M E .

There is a lot to digest in our world right now. Now is a great time to listen, to teach and most importantly to grow. Sac Blue has donated to BLM Sacramento, Celebration Arts Sacramento and the gofundme page for the 18-year old Sacramento protester who was shot in the jaw by Sacramento police. We will continue to do our part to amplify melanated voices and put our money where our mouth is.

David Blue Garrison

Editor In Chief - David Blue Garrison Editor - Melissa Manchester Consultants - Denver Skye Vaughn, Meghan Leeman Special Thanks to our small creative team who offer up their time and energy to help construct and promote this publication.

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C O N T E N T .

DAJANAE DOWD NICK WOODS DAVY FIVEASH LIL SMOKEY CANDLES LAUREN WOLF WES PEPPER JUDAH X. PIMENTEL ADAM JONES MAHARI T. SMITH ANNE WALDON VIRGO VEGAN GLOSSO Sac Blue Magazine was created in collaboration with Sac Blue: The Podcast to promote and broadcast people living and creating in Sacramento and beyond.

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Dajanae Dowd POETRY

DAJANAE DOWD IS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, LESBIAN POET, WHO BELIEVES THAT EVERYONE SHOULD TREAT EACH OTHER WITH LOVE AND RESPECT. THE EVENTS OF THE LAST MONTH INSPIRED THIS POEM.

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BORN EQUAL, TAUGHT DIFFERENT The DNA of a human being is composed of 26 chromosomes. Each chromosome consists of a pair of X and/or Y. The thing is, everything on Earth consists of one consistent pair. Plants, humans, and animals all share consistent strands of DNA. All lives matter that’s definitely a fact It’s a little different if your skin is black Just walking down the street reaching for your candy Could end your life and it’s fine and dandy You want to be protected by the blue men in blue.

However they have a “code” sad but true.

They formed their own clique years ago. Just changed their name and used a badge for show.

It’s sad that people are still fighting this fight.

They fought with everything. All their might Just to fight some more to settle a score.

Only to have their children open the same doors.

We are born equal, in all and everything.

Our ancestors pave the way, now it’s us who set the scene.

Please understand we know who our brothers are.

They come from near and they come from far We call them family no matter blood, race, or color We want to be treated like your sister or brother Fathers and mothers do anything for their child So why can’t slavery and inequality be disavowed You try to cover the problem with facts that aren’t relevant.

There are cops shooting and choking blacks for the hell of it.

Martin Luther King Jr stood peacefully and changed events Malcolm X said I’m for justice no matter who was for or against.

Stop trying to put people against one another Deep down we know we are fated to be brothers Doctors, nurses, even cops are all the different color It doesn’t matter who’s your mother It’s everyone’s rights that we should cover Like I said all lives are a factor When we face death and get sadder Wondering why the injustice and getting madder We realize in reality that black lives matter.

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CARDBOARD PIZZA Shitty cardboard pizza Has a smell that you don’t easily forget Every one is friendly But no one is really your friend And I’m smoking outside And someone is screaming insults at me From a tinted window lifted truck And it feels harmless The bartender is good at her job Giving the older men with money Just the right amount of attention Withholding it from the younger guys With too much attitude And now I’m intoxicated It’s not just from the stiff drinks But I’m one of the younger guys With too much attitude

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Nick Woods POETRY

POETRY FOR PEOPLE THAT HATE POEMSSOMETIMES I FORGET THAT I HAVE MEMORY PROBLEMS SOUNDCLOUD.COM/POTHETIC INSTA: THRIFTSTOREKILLER

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P h o t o g r a p h b y J o v a n y I N S TA : J O P I X Y O U

MIXED MEDIA

Davy Fiveash DAVY FIVEASH IS AN ARTIST ORIGINALLY FROM SOUTHERN GEORGIA. ​HIS WORK PRESENTS AN INTROSPECTIVE LOOK INTO THE HUMAN NEED TO FIND ONE’S IDENTITY, COMMUNITY AND SENSE OF BELONGING. THESE QUESTIONS ARE PRESENTED THROUGH NARRATIVE, ALLEGORY AND CRAFT - ALL VERY SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OF STORYTELLING. THE ARTIST’S EARLY UPBRINGING AND CONTRASTING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT REOCCUR THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER AND PERSIST IN HIS VISUAL LANGUAGE. HE HAS AN MFA FROM THE SAN FRANCISTO ART INSTITUTE AND IS CURRENTLY REPRESENTED BY ARCHIVAL GALLERY IN SACRAMENTO. FIVEASHART.COM INSTA: FIVEASHART

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When the flowers bloom In a thousand different hues Beckoning the bee to return Again and again As I’d imagine your love being An advanced stage of inebriation One of thrill and misery As being homesick For a place where I have never been These fleeting moments with you Are frustratingly exhilarating I crave to feed my addiction You bewitch me Like the bloom to the bee Again and again In glorious intoxication

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When the flowers bloom In a thousand different hues Beckoning the bee to return Again and again As I’d imagine your love being An advanced stage of inebriation One of thrill and misery As being homesick For a place where I have never been These fleeting moments with you Are frustratingly exhilarating I crave to feed my addiction You bewitch me Like the bloom to the bee Again and again In glorious intoxication

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DAVY FIVEASH I understand you’re originally from Southern Georgia, did you grow up there as well? Has Georgia influenced your work?

It actually depends on the material. I usually have a spark of an idea when I start a fabric piece. Sometimes when I start a drawing I just stand really close to a taped up sheet of paper on the wall and clear my mind and just listen.

With painting I will do lots of planning before I start, because I know once a painting gets going the thick viscosity of the material is too seductive for me. The design becomes less and less relevant compared to the joy of pushing the medium.

Yes and Oh Yes. I spent my whole childhood as a preacher’s kid in a very rural, conservative area without many resources or outlets for creativity. We were in church twice every Sunday and every Wednesday night.

My parents used to let me draw during church because it helped me focus and I could repeat everything that was said afterward. I didn’t feel very understood or encouraged and I always had to hide who I really was. I became good at creating a façade to cover my true self and very good at it when I realized I liked boys. Southern culture is immersed with facades, pleasantries and denial.

There’s a lot of that in my work to this day

Honestly, every piece is a struggle or a process of discovery. You have to keep going when its working and keep going when its not. There’s a lot of blind faith involved. You have to believe that you’re growing no matter what.

For me, I feel very calm when looking at your work- there’s a kind of serenity in this collection- was that intentional?

Do you feel there’s serenity in this work?

All art can be provocative, motivating, it can ask questions and influence people, but I believe one very overlooked power of visual art is in its silence. It’s the only completely silent art form, and the only one that can create reverence in its inherent nature of stillness. A lot of times my goal is to conjure this ability and simply give the viewer’s eyes and ego a space to rest. It’s how I represent home, safety, calm.

It’s the same feeling when you’re surrounded by nature without distractions. I think this is incredibly important today because we are constantly being manipulated with visual propoganda.

Are there any specific artists who inspire you? If so, who and why?

Yes. So many. Still Life artists like Rachel Ruysch and Henry Fantin LaTour. Also I consider myself a very “romantic” painter so Rubens and Theodore Géricault are always very much on my mind. I look up to contemporary painters like Michael Borremans, Joshua LaRock and Colleen Barry. Tschabalala Self inspires me with some wonderful fabric work and there’s always my first hero, Howard Finster. When in studio, I get inspiration from music. Rhiannon Giddens is a big inspiration. She brings forgotten people back to life with historical references and stories. Her music is raw and brutal and beautiful. Usually I’m listening to her or I’m in a trance-like state with Phillip Glass. I’m obsessed with Akhnaten.

Talk to me about The Nightmare. I was surprised to see that title in relation to the piece itself. I always love to see what people name their work- sometimes it adds another dimension to the piece and other times it’s entirely superfluous.

Last month I had surgery to fix sciatica that I had for 18 months. This was the first piece I made over sleepless nights during that time. Sciatica makes it painful to lie down so attaining and staying asleep is a constant struggle. I was having nightmares and physical pain so I started spending time in my studio at 3am, 4am. After finishing it I hung it in the bedroom. When I would have a nightmare or a stress dream I would see it and realize it’s just a dream. Even animals have nightmares. It’s an allegory, the fawn is dreaming of this dark, unknown version of itself, under a forest of leaves and shadows with little birds, representing death, surrounding him. His legs are twisted. He’s not in control of his own self.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of being a creative person?

Being a super sensitive person. It’s difficult right now for artists. All I know how to do with the world is feel it that and somehow turn what I see into a message that is somehow healing.

Where do you begin? Is there an image in your mind before you set out to paint it? Or a fraction of an image that turns into something larger? How flexible are you as you paint, do you deviate from the original intention?

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Beyond the joy and self-satisfaction and fulfillment from creating, do you have any plans or goals for you and your work?

I want my work to express the need for empathy in our society.

I wish people could slow down more and pay attention to the present and nature and try to understand the importance of that in our health and humanity.

My professional goals are only to make great work and have a little for retirement when I get too old.

If someone wanted to commission you for a piece- how does that process typically go with you?

I’m not currently taking commissions.

Where can we see your work and are there any exciting things already planned coming up for you?

My work is currently up in a show at Archival Gallery in East Sac until the end of June. I will be participating in this year’s Crocker Museum Art Auction starting June 27th and I will be showing and selling prints in a benefit for the Sacramento LGBT Centers program for at risk youth called S.T.E.P. at the Clara Center. That benefit has been pushed back a little because of all the other current events but I’m looking forward to it.

The rabbits are just lovely, I absolutely adore them- this isn’t a question- I just want you to know how much I love that piece.

Thank you. I’m going to be very sad to see them go. They’re a tribe of lost souls displaced in a pleasant façade. That painting embodies my work and my mission.

Nate With Fur is really beautiful and I assume an homage to Venus With Fur? Do you find charcoal or oils better to work with?

During the Covid 19 stay at home order, Nathan, my husband, has been stuck at home with me and is my best model. He’s very patient and cooperative. Charcoal was my first love when it comes to artmaking and in some ways it’s the most pure. There’s no mediums or tools or machines to mediate or condition what I can do- just a human with a mind, a piece of burned out wood and a blank paper. Oil painting was later coming but just as fascinating in its own way. They’re totally different animals.

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When the flowers bloom In a thousand different hues Beckoning the bee to return Again and again As I’d imagine your love being An advanced stage of inebriation One of thrill and misery As being homesick For a place where I have never been These fleeting moments with you Are frustratingly exhilarating I crave to feed my addiction You bewitch me Like the bloom to the bee Again and again In glorious intoxication

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Lil Smokey Candles BODY POSITIVE CANDLES

GAVIN SELLERS IS THRILLED TO BE IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA CONTINUING TO SURVIVE AS AN ARTIST IN THESE WILD TIMES. HE AND HIS PARTNER GRANT LACHER HAVE RECENTLY BEEN MAKING BODY POSITIVE CANDLES THROUGH THEIR CANDLE COMPANY: LIL SMOKEY CANDLES. IN ADDITION TO CANDLE MAKING, GAVIN HAS FOUND HIMSELF TEACHING THEATRE AT FOLSOM LAKE COLLEGE, AND PURSUING THE DREAM TO BRING A QUEER AUDIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE TO HIS RURAL HOMETOWN OF PLACERVILLE. RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE APPLECORE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2018, AND APPLECORE COLLECTIVE. WWW.ETSY.COM/SHOP/LILSMOKEYCANDLES INSTA @LIL_SMOKEY_CANDLES

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CANDLES + GAVIN SELLERS + GRANT LACHER Before launching your current candle project, did you have experience in candle making prior to the body positive pieces?

Okay, what are the details of this line; how big are they, what do they cost, do they have an aroma, and where we can we buy all of them? (especially the booty)

Before this current project my amazing boyfriend Grant was making porcupine candles, he had all the basic skills and talents to get this current project up and running.

The candles are between 3-4 inches wide and 3-4 inches tall, made from Organic Soy Wax. The scents range from Clove Rose, to Orange Ginger, to Cedar and Peppermint and more. If you are interested in purchasing and learning more you can follow us on Insta @lil_ smokey_candles or visit our Etsy at: www.etsy.com/shop/ LilSmokeyCandles

Where did the idea come from and which candle was first?

The idea for these particular candles came from my drag persona “ Unis Ballzack”. The character is a retired sex therapist and once I saw Grant’s original candles I came to him with the idea of making a penis candle! It would be small and cheeky and celebrate a male body, and Unis would promote the candles to people who had seen my shows before. He loved the idea instantly and we branched from there to breast candles, butt candles, vaginal candles, and torso candles.

They really are gorgeous- as a gay man I often shy away from a particular genitalia, but all of these are so elegant, sensual and yet unassuming. How did you go about designing them? What was the foremost goal in your mind of how they’d be formed?

What does the future of body positivity projects look like for you?

Grant is the sculpture behind these lovely candles, our original concept was to make something that celebrates genitalia in a way that is classy and non-over sexualized.

Just the true form of a body, and the beauty of that.

The future of body positivity related work for myself is continuing to teach theatre, to continue to do drag, and to continue to support unique people with unique bodies through art. I think body positivity is a very big topic in the Gay community, I hope to continue to find more projects to delve into that world of inspiring self love and acceptance.

The butt is just glorious. Not a question, just need you to know how much I love that one.

Thanks David! Lol When you decided to launch this project what were your leading goals?

Our leading goals starting this project were to make something that could promote self love and self celebration. It was the very beginning of quarantine and we figured that the world could use something fun.

What is something surprising about candle making that people aren’t aware of?

One of our biggest surprises was how much wax can breathe, can shrink and expand, it truly has a mind of its own. One batch can be perfect and the next can be crazy bad! For no reason! You really just have to believe in them, and pour love into it. Almost like a chef being afraid to look at a finicky soufflé, or a gardener playing music for their plants, with candles you really have to cheer them on!

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What does body positivity mean to you and what message and values do you want people to discover in regard to it?

Body Positivity is the acceptance of your physical being, wherever it may be, whatever you don’t like about it, whatever you love about it, to radically accept every single part of yourself without judgement. This has been a battle for me personally, and for so many people I know. It’s time to change that.

Are there other shapes and objects you’ve considered making into candles?

Grant and I are in the works for a candle that directly donates to BLM it is a fist, it is a beautiful dark tone. I really love flowers and would love to create a flower / bug / garden series of candles. But that is a bit in the future!

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Lauren Wolf ILLUSTRATION

LAUREN IS AN ARTIST AND SCENIC PAINTER OUT OF SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA. LAUREN BELIEVES ART SHOULD PROMOTE JOY AND ACCEPTANCE, WHILE STILL HAVING A MESSAGE. MUCH OF HER ART FOCUSES ON TOPICS LIKE SEXUAL FREEDOM, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EQUALITY. ARTBYLAURENWOLF.COM INSTA: @ARTBYLAURENWOLF

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LAUREN WOLF + SCRIBBLE What initially inspired this style of art?

These drawings were very much created with a “go with the flow” type of mentality. While I may know the general expression I am trying to represent, the details of the image are never clear until I am already in the process of drawing them. These pieces by nature are about the “feel” of the image, prioritizing feeling and movement over a carefully and intentionally designed portrait. There is very little of these drawings that are predetermined.

This “scribble” style of art evolved primarily from my initial sketches in which I am laying the “base foundation” for an image or drawing. A lot of my initial drawings start with a very similar style- I use the messy scribbles as a way of quickly capturing the basic shape/gesture of a particular subject. For a long time, this “scribble” would ultimately be removed from the final piece as I “cleaned up” or “refined” the drawing. In my figure drawing classes this style of art would be called a “gesture drawing”- used to understand the essential gesture of a subject in its most distilled form, but rarely used as any sort of “finalized” piece.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to get into illustrating?

My simplest advice is just to START. Do not worry about being “good”, about being “successful”, etc. We all start somewhere, and we all will naturally improve over time. Use the resources that are available to you if there is something specific you want to learn- whether that is a particular style of illustrating, learning to draw portraits or figure drawings, etc. Give yourself permission to make “bad art” (and keep in mind that there really is no such thing as “bad art”). Some of the best breakthroughs I have had have been because I let go of the need for perfection and I stopped comparing my work to the work of other artists.

As my art evolved, I found I was more drawn to this primitive and messy style of drawing than I was to their “cleaned up” counterparts. The sketchy scribbles felt more raw and more alive. As I started exploring the scribble style more I found I had more room for play, for capturing emotion, and felt less pressured to create a “perfect” image. Celebrating the messy, the raw, the visceral seemed more real to me and gave me the freedom to focus on linework, color, and expression. While I still practice other styles of art, the scribble style feels the most closely connected to my soul- each line of scribble breathes a life and movement into the piece that continues to inspire me to create more.

Is there an overarching theme for this collection or does each one have a specific story?

There is no one that you need permission or approval from. If you want to get into illustrating (or art of any kind) the most important step is starting. The second most important step is to not give up. Practice a little each day, even when you don’t feel you want to.

For every drawing I share publicly there are at least 5-10 I have abandoned halfway through, decided I didn’t care for, etc. It is very easy to let yourself be discouraged. Stay the course anyway.

There is no overarching theme for the collection, and in fact some pieces don’t have much of a story at all.

Sometimes I have a particular idea in mind, sometimes I am just practicing portrait work and it evolves from there, etc. That being said, I do have a fascination with facial expressions, possibly stemming from my experience as an actor. I am personally known for having the best “ugly faces” and used to spend hours in front of the mirror contorting my face into different expressions and shapes. This fascination carries itself into my art, and the “scribble” or “gesture” style of drawing became a tool to intensify the emotions or expressions conveyed.

What are your future creative plans, projects, or dreams?

I am currently working on an illustrated children’s book. I cannot go into too much detail as it is still in the works, but I am very excited for its release. I am hoping to also start teaching myself Adobe Illustrator and animation- a very daunting mountain, but one I am looking forward to climbing. In the meantime, as always, I am creating at least a little every day and exploring new ways of expression and new styles of art.

I have noticed that this scribble style of art comes out most frequently when I am using art as a means of personal therapy. While there may not be a particular story behind a piece, many were created out of a heightened emotional state, whether that was anger, sadness, happiness, etc.

Its entirely possible that the “specific story” of each piece is residing deep in my subconscious- only visible in the scribbles on the page.

When you sit down to create one of these do you already have the final version in your head? Or does it evolve as your creating it?

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NEVER WAS, NEVER WILL BE It’s not enough to be uncomfortable Or ashamed It’s just not enough

Never was, never will be Feeling impotent Welcome It’s just not enough

Never was, never will be It’s not enough to be irritated Or frustrated It’s just not enough

Never was, never will be

Never was, never will be

Feel the discomfort Or the implied shame Time to say enough

It’s not enough to acknowledge your fear Or implicit bias It’s just not enough

Feel the irritation Or frustration Time to say enough

Never was, never will be

Force them to acknowledge your fear Or implicit bias Time to say enough

It’s not enough to understand your privilege Or your lack of fear It’s just not enough Never was, never will be

Force them to understand their privilege Or lack of fear Time to say enough

It’s not enough to not be part of the problem Or the silent onlooker It’s just not enough

Force them to be part of the solution Instead of the problem Time to say enough

Never was, never will be

Force them to be more than a silent ally Or have a black friend Time to say enough

It’s not enough to be a silent ally Or have a black friend It’s just not enough Never was, never will be

Force them to join the protest Or speak up when it’s uncomfortable Time to say enough

It’s not enough to join the protest Or speak up when the time suits you It’s just not enough

At this point it’s never enough Don’t you already know Time to say enough

Never was, never will be

Enough

Want to know what’s enough?

If you don’t already know It’s just not enough

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Wes Pepper POETRY

WES PEPPER HAS BEEN AN EDUCATOR WORKING IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON CLOSING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR 20 YEARS, AND BELIEVES THAT THE POWER OF THE WRITTEN WORD HAS AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD. BE IT POETRY, MUSIC, OR COMMENTARY - THE DISCOURSE CREATED IS THE KINDLING FOR CHANGE. THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO THE RAGE HE SAW FROM HIS SCHOLARS AFTER THE MURDER OF ANOTHER BLACK MAN BY A POLICE OFFICER. INSTA: WES.PEPPER

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MIXED MEDIA

Judah X. Pimentel JUDAH X. PIMENTEL, AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD SURREALISMINSPIRED CHRISTIAN ARTIST WHO IS USING THEIR ART AND PLATFORM TO EMOTIONALLY CONNECT AND SUPPORT PEOPLE STRUGGLING THROUGH IDENTITY AND CONFIDENCE, AND ANYONE WHO FEELS MISFITTED OR EMOTIONALLY AND SPIRITUALLY MISUNDERSTOOD. HTTPS://ELYSIUMSSTARART.WIXSITE.COM/ELYSIUMSTARART INSTA: ELYSIUMSTAR.ART

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When the flowers bloom In a thousand different hues Beckoning the bee to return Again and again As I’d imagine your love being An advanced stage of inebriation One of thrill and misery As being homesick For a place where I have never been These fleeting moments with you Are frustratingly exhilarating I crave to feed my addiction You bewitch me Like the bloom to the bee Again and again In glorious intoxication

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When the flowers bloom In a thousand different hues Beckoning the bee to return Again and again As I’d imagine your love being An advanced stage of inebriation One of thrill and misery As being homesick For a place where I have never been These fleeting moments with you Are frustratingly exhilarating I crave to feed my addiction You bewitch me Like the bloom to the bee Again and again In glorious intoxication

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JUDAH X. PIMENTEL Your work is incredibly vibrant- I’m really blown away by not only the colors but the shading and how you’ve managed to create so much depth- where do these skills come from? How much of it was innate and how much was learned?

about how relaxing I find pastel/muted colors, tropical plants, and my favorite bird the flamingo. I also made this towards the end of last year, when I was incredibly stressed with my first full semester of college. I made this piece to remind me and others to take it easy on themselves and relax, and to think about how much we accomplished last year as people. Basically, this picture represents relief and relaxation after hard work. I am so thankful that Ben (the model) was eager to let me use his picture because his expression was perfect for an image like this.

I have taken art classes at Sac City (shout out to all my professors), and have been drawing since age 3, and practicing exercising my imagination and drawing realistically since age 15. Also, I believe my skills come from the artist up above!

When you set out to create one of your pieces, how clear is your end goal in your mind? Do you sort of improvising as you go, or does what’s initially in your head end up exactly on the canvas?

I immediately start a thumbnail sketch or record my idea via voice recorder when I have an idea. I don’t want to lose any idea, my mind is always showing visuals at various times, the best ones come when I’m not sitting down thinking of what to draw. When I have an idea, I instantly have an idea of exactly how I want it to look but do have to improvise when I’m actually creating the piece because something always happens, but nothing’s perfect and that’s the beauty of artistry. Basically, I get what I picture but in a slightly different way due to technique and sometimes mistakes or happy accidents.

You say that music inspires your work, what songs and artists inspire you the most?

How do their lyrics and sound influence what you create?

I have many musicians of different genres I enjoy listening to. My favorite artists include Lady Gaga, Poppy, Shakira, KoRn, David Bowie, Plumb, Sia, Melanie Martinez, Red (band), Flyleaf and Lacey Sturm, Twenty One Pilots, Kevin Max, Florence and the Machine, Grimes, Enigma, and Death Therapy. Most of these artists are EDM, Metal, mixes of different genres, and Electro Pop. The one artist that inspires me the most is Lady Gaga with her looks, music, personality, and her faith (believe it or not). She is my role model because of her kindness, love, and compassion for art and people who feel misfitted, and how she incorporates deep messages into her fun fist-pumping dance tracks. She stands for equality, openly talks about God, and doesn’t use her platform for her own good or to put down others. I hope to reach to people like she does one day, and make killer music as well (I’m also a musician). Her and other musicians influence me with their aesthetics, rhythms, passion, and lyrics. I love listening to EDM for bright colored and surreal pieces, and industrial/metal/rock for darker grittier pieces.

You call yourself a surrealism-inspired Christian artist.

How much do your faith and spirituality influence your work?

VERY much. I am a Charismatic Christian, basically meaning I am a Christian who focuses more on spirituality and a relationship with Jesus rather than rules and do’s and dont’s. Relationship not a religion, and spreading God’s kindness and love to others because everyone deserves to be accepted and loved. If it wasn’t for my relationship with God, I would not be doing any of this or have the confidence to. Every single piece is an idea he gives me or inspired by my love for Him and wanting to spread his kindness and compassion to my viewers and supporters.

One of my favorite pieces of yours is the flamingo draped around the person’s neck- what is the story here? There is a lot of emotion in this one image.

I love that one, not my usual bright color palette but so so good. Basically, I found a model on my search page (Instagram) named Ben Esqueda, and I just found his look so captivating. So I decided to message him after looking through his images and asked if I could use him for an image. He answered right away and said, “of course, I’d be honored!” So I started to think of what I could use his look for and immediately thought how relaxed and deepest his eyes and expression really look in his images. I thought S A C B L U E

What is the most challenging aspect of being a creative person?

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I think it’s my spirituality and admiration for this world and it’s living creatures. This piece was done with other artists as a ‘fan art’ for the band ‘Twenty-One Pilots’ and is one of my favorites. I agree that the eyes I paint are so captivating and a lot to digest, many viewers have said that about my portraits. I’m not sure how I’m able to draw such soulful emotional eyes, but it has to be my spirituality and my attention to people’s emotions and details.

What do you hope to do with your creations?

I want people to adopt them, I want to see the pieces in galleries and houses where they will be appreciated and loved, and help the viewer stay happy and positive. I want my art to be a daily reminder to viewers who purchase that there is beauty in this world, and that they’re loved and it’s okay to be unique (because many of my portraits portray misfitted/unique looking people). I also hope to open my own gallery and shop to display my work and other young artist’s work who are looking to become professional artists and take their careers seriously. I want to help artists not struggle and help viewers as well.

If someone wanted to commission you for a piece- how does that process typically go with you?

Depends... Usually, it’s the same as any other piece but I don’t have to think of an idea because they know what they want. However, I noticed I procrastinate a lot more with commissions than normals pieces. I still finish all my commissions and original pieces on time, but I realized commissions take a bit more effort and motivation to do because I’m not as passionate about them as I am with the visuals I come up with. Usually, the process is asking the customer what they want exactly, I start to paint and sketch, and will check in with them once a week or month (depending on the complexity of the image) until it’s finished.

There are many things, but for me, it’s getting myself out there. Art is a competitive thing in our society, and not much of the mainstream crowd cares for it. It’s hard at first to get people to interact with your work and actually notice you and appreciate what you’re doing. I know my worth, and that my art is unique and that I am as well, but it still takes a lot of work and effort to get into just one show or get a following, because not everyone is interested in what I do right away. It’s a challenge to get people interested and I have to keep things in mind about advertising, such as considering people want something they can benefit from, relate to, or share with their friends.

I’m learning to grow my business and create art for myself but also to relate and help others. It’s a process.

Where can we see your work and are there any exciting things already planned coming up for you?

I almost always enter Rancho Cordova City Hall’s art shows every three months, and it’s my favorite place to present.

Not only is there no fee, but I also made good friends with the staff and feel comfortable sharing my work there.

Everyone is so kind and welcoming at the shows and it’s a relaxing experience. As for other places, I am working on an Etsy shop (which may take a while, Etsy is glitching beyond my control), and I usually enter local Sacramento shows and will get into some. It just depends. As for planned things, there is my Etsy shop like I mentioned, and every year in October I also do a project/collab online called ‘ElysiGoth’, where I gather artists to create spooky artwork for a zine. Last year’s theme was worst fears, and it was a great experience and everyone’s piece was amazing.

This year I’m hoping to publish an official zine since I couldn’t last year due to finances, and sell them locally and online. Overall, that’s what I got planned so far!

The Pet Cheetah Collab piece is another one that I find really striking. What is clear with your work is that you are excellent at conveying emotions through these portraitsand I mean complicated and layered emotions- there is a lot to digest in just how you’ve painted eyes. Where does that ability come from?

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When the flowers bloom In a thousand different hues Beckoning the bee to return Again and again As I’d imagine your love being An advanced stage of inebriation One of thrill and misery As being homesick For a place where I have never been These fleeting moments with you Are frustratingly exhilarating I crave to feed my addiction You bewitch me Like the bloom to the bee Again and again In glorious intoxication

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Adam Jones MODELING & PHOTOGRAPHY

LOS ANGELES-BASED ACTOR/FILMMAKER, ORIGINALLY FROM SACRAMENTO. FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ARTS ON STAGE AT MAGIC CIRCLE THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN ROSEVILLE AT 11 YEARS OLD. CONTINUING TO PURSUE ENTERTAINMENT IN FRONT AND BEHIND THE CAMERA. PHOTOGRAPHER - ROCKY MARQUETTE

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ADAM JONES + ROCKY MARQUETTE When framing the photos, was there a specific story you were looking to tell?

No! We just took pictures, there are protesters outside (literally) marching for a great cause, everyone has a facemask, stores and businesses are boarded up. This is how it looks right now and these images are just capturing a feeling that I’ll always remember having during this very important time.

The photos have a candid and natural look to them- I enjoy how unproduced they look was that intentional?

I’ve been photographed since I was sixteen years old and the more I’ve worked the better I understand what truly makes a great portrait. These are candid and nothing special because they weren’t planned and those are normally full of surprises and result in the best work.

You live in Los Angeles and are a working actor and model, how has that shaped how you feel and behave in front of a camera?

I’ve been lucky to be involved with some great projects in the last few years. Just like photography, to me, less is always more. I’m lucky to have had music videos as a platform to grow as an actor. An example would be “White Roses” by Greyson Chance. All I can do is emote and say everything I needed to say in my eyes without speaking.

I’m really looking forward to diving into my first film role, which was scheduled for production in March but postponed till further notice. I’ve been preparing for this moment for years and it’s a lot of self-work that goes into being vulnerable on camera. I can’t wait for you to meet “Stacey”.

Does your photographer have anything to say about the photos?

Well half of them I took myself, the others Rocky Marquette (my partner) took of me. We have a creative relationship, we photograph each other, write stories together. Do we follow through with all of those grand ideas at 2:33 am after 3 1/2 bottles of wine? No! But we always have a camera around to capture inspiration or whatever sparks our minds.

Describe your experience living in Los Angeles using as many emotions as possible.

I will say it’s no different than moving to any new place and pursuing a career in something you love. Timeconsuming, mentally exhausting. BUT so rewarding and exciting! It’s a beautiful place to learn and grow which doesn’t always look pretty, but the scenic views are worth looking at while having a breakdown. Something magical about this town! Sometimes you may just want to run away.

But my best memories are here and I’m happy to call it my home.

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Mahari T. Smith EDITORIAL OPINION

A REPEATED LIFE

MAHARI T. SMITH IS A MAN OF THE MOST HIGH WHO IS WILLING TO GET HIM AND HIS PEOPLE OUT OF THE ATROCITIES THROUGH ALL AVENUES OF EDUCATION. HE USES HIS EDUCATION TO CREATE THE BUSINESSES THAT BROUGHT HIS MIND TO PLAY HIS PART IN ENRICHING HIS COMMUNITY AND ALL COMMUNITIES ALIKE.

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PHOTO BY FRANKIE CORDOBA

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A REPEATED LIFE + MAHARI T. SMITH In these times we live a repeated life. We can no longer call the atrocities that happened to our parents, grandparents, and ancestors “history”, for it has yet been laid to rest.

It is on the contrary; historic. The biggest truth I heard in school out of the bunch of lies that were given via curriculum is that history repeats itself. That I can say is a certainty.

make us hate even more. Ownership of the communities in which we reside. This has been the same since the beginning of colorism and for us to continue to teach colorism we begin to view our situation from color and go back to the process of being hated and haters, owned and not owners, lynched and not fighters, oppressed and not great. We have no idea why we have to fight or why we are up against what we are. We only know that our people had and have generational curses and that they will repeat themselves.

A history where people labeled as colored are raped, robbed, and murdered has been on the frontline of education and in the frontline of our lives since Christ himself. The education system pushes the agenda of these atrocities and how this life will repeat itself, rather than the greatness of our people that has been erased from history on top of what we can do to change this truth.

I hold myself and my people accountable to hold those in power accountable. I hold myself and my people accountable to retain the knowledge of who we are and why we go up against what we do. I hold the curriculum accountable for “the miseducation of the negro.”

The erasing of our greatness and the placement of information on the pillaging of our people without telling us that the pillaging is a result of our greatness has created later results of incomplete and/or inadequate education that eventually led to colorism. The plight of our situation is tremendously bigger than a color. That’s a kindergarten argument.

Miseducation allows for repeated atrocities; true education is the literal first step to alleviation. I don’t blame the teachers. I uplift them. I encourage teachers to challenge the curriculum they teach. I honor all teachers I’ve had who were motivated to administer knowledge.

However, our teachers are ill informed like the majority of the members of society because they too are members of society. They unwittingly play their role in miseducation as a result of being miseducated.

Colorism is more of a modern concept that was implemented during a time of our degradation as human beings. Slavery, which is pushed hard in american curriculum, has now modernily affected all races including our own. We no longer see the history of the world. We see red, yellow, black and white. Different situations happen to different colors and those who create the curriculum from which we learn have omitted the deep-rooted history of “black” people and our latino, native american, and islander brothers and sisters as well in order to keep the mindset of ignorance forever in place.

Once we realize who we are and what we are up against, we will find we have to be counterproductive to their agenda of lynching, ownership, and hate. This agenda is written in the small print on the foundation of this nation, which was built on the backs of “blacks.” We must educate each other on how to fight back. They have guns. We need weaponry.

All is fair in love and war. If this is what it comes down to, so be it. This is not the best and only solution, but it is one. This will serve a purpose of combating physical lynching from a standpoint which we can control. We have zero control over the people who lynch us, nor are we responsible for them. We are responsible for us. Becoming educators, owning our own schools, and/or homeschooling are solutions to the lynchings we have experienced through our miseducation. It allows wiggle room to eliminate bias and for us to be owners of our knowledge.

We are massly incarcerated and hung in juries. We need our own law firms, lawyers, and judges. We MUST continue this side of our legacy rather than repeat the curses taught to us. Cling to our greatness, not our curses. We can only control our reaction to what this nation institutes, thus alleviating our pain from being cursed. This takes a mental, physical, and spiritual shift that each of us can take part in individually. There is so much power that one person can hold and so much one person can do that will change us at large.

This allows the elite to make the moves they do, (to eventually all ethnic people) and “blacks’’ just so happen to be at the frontline of this here in America. We in the western world get an Anglo-Saxon-filled curriculum under an Anglo-Saxon school board and in an AngloSaxon nation. Pushing colorism rather than the truth behind our color has played its part in the repetition of the plight of our struggle. When we look back to when color came into play, we as a people were in the process of being erased. When we keep seeing color rather than truth, we see from the same process of degradation. And we continue that process for that is all that is taught and known. We continue the process of degradation.

The lynchings, the ownership, and the hate of our kind and relative kinds is pervasive. Lynchings in the streets, schools, and juries happen daily. Ownership of our thoughts let alone our education. Ownership of our feelings for they push images of truthful death that

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Our minds have been drained. True knowledge of who we are, sanity, and peace of mind have washed down the drain. Let’s reclaim our peace. We can see a therapist.

That’s okay, but let us also become the therapist to our people. It eliminates bias. Our foods have been thrown to deserts. We have been deserted by this nation in this area and it is on the top five of our list of generational curses. A disproportionate number of “black” people are affected by a variety of illnesses due to our diets. According to the CDC up to 2016, 37.5% of “black” men and 56.1% of “black” women over 20 have obesity, 40.5% of “black” men and 44% of “black” women over 20 have hypertension, and our leading causes of death are cancer, heart disease, and of course “unintentional” injuries (most deaths by police are deemed as unintentional).

I can’t leave off saying we need to start doing things to heal from our state of being without also mentioning that we have already begun everything I mentioned as a solution.

I must take the time to give praise to the famous people of our population who made it out of the atrocities, allowing not our entire race to be within curses. Getting out of the various situations as individuals will ultimately result in more of us thriving instead of dying. I want to give praise to the unknown people who have made it out of poverty as well. This also goes for those of our 2% who have made it a priority to give back to the plight of our people’s struggles.

Honorable names I must mention who have directly and indirectly supported me en route to success in the avenues I mentioned are Jay Morrison, owner of the Jay Morrison academy, teaching our people, including myself, on the RBCs (real estate, business and credit). He and his team have reached hundreds of thousands of people to help them reach financial literacy as well as invest into their students’ prosperity. He is also the CEO of the Tulsa real estate fund. An agent of change motivated to remake “black” Wall Street. Honorable mention to my fijan psychiatrist Dr.Koshy. She is an ethnic image of success that we need to see more within our specific ethnic group as well. She has given me inspiration. Honorable mention to spiritual entities that I have listened to for my personal spiritual knowledge, such as The Vessels of Truth and the Sicarrii.

We are vulnerable, and this is the opposition’s motive.

To physically heal we need to know how to create grocery stores, farms, and farmers markets to clean our sick blood that has continuously been flowing in the streets and backwoods of America. Our economic situation is no better. Even if we reach a mental, physical, and spiritual enlightenment, we still dwell amongst PESTILENCE in tenements, tents, and projects across this nation. According to the ABC news website 50% of homeless American families are “black.” According to a 2018 assessment by the census bureau, 38.1 million black people live in poverty. The census also states there are 300,222 422 people in america and “black” people make up 13% of the population. That means there are Approximately 39 million “black” Americans.

This tragically proves that approximately 98% of black Americans live in poverty while a measly 2% of “black” Americans are better off economically.

A Special honor to the box full of teachers and mentors who have helped shape me into a me that look likes me.

Patricia Burks, Cornell Gathenig, Shannon Bynum, Odisa Nyoung, Shanine Ambercrombi Coats, Mr. Ambercrombi, Marcus Atkins, Aljanee Whitaker, Amy Bostic, James Garret, P.J Smith, Jairon Jackson, Damone Jackson,Kennis Taylor, Joseph McCray, Perseus Poku, Paul Willis, Crandal Rankins, Carl Pinkston, Daryl White and more.

If this information is false, then it will further prove the lies taught to the masses through our reliance on media outlets allegedly existing to inform society. Sadly this was my thought about the economic state of my people before researching it, as our eyes see evidence enough. To alleviate this part of our generational curses we MUST make it a priority to learn, teach, and execute our understanding of financial prosperity. This includes the creation of passive income, land ownership, knowledge on building credit, knowledge on the stock market, trade, the real estate market and bank ownership.

Honorable mention to those not of my ethnicity who helped use their platform to help people like me to excel pass the tragic state of my people. Specifically Wesley Pepper, Melissa Sanicolas-Javinar, Mr. Sarabia, Todd Wilkinson, Hari Shetty, Sean Hanners and yet more. These are specifically people I personally was close with that I know play their role.

The best for last, my entire family, blood and extended, that I have been born into. I’m blessed to say as a man, that all the men of my family that I know of are fathers to the children despite the curse of our fathers abandoning our families. We all know it’s not always us men on the abandonment end, but I am a man so I will discuss the issue relative to my type. Let us all follow suit and play our role in our great awakening by learning and then executing!

Spiritually, we should come to understand the Holy bible.

We have also been miseducated and uneducated on faith as well as the spirit we should hold within us during this Divine period of judgment on our people. My intention is not to stir debate between us with my own belief, but I will simply state when we realize that Christ was also a “black” man who was a therapist, a business owner, and spiritual man of faith who was lynched, we will grasp a greater understanding of who we really are.

With that being said, this is a call to ACTION.

We are Damned if we do and Damned if we don’t. Let us DO all that it takes so we can say we are in progress and not remaining stagnant.

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LADDER It must have been spring promises of new growth, change as I looked up at you ceiling panels slide back revealing darkness your head out of view determined, dreamer on the top of the ladder.

I remember when you bought the ladder how you crammed it in the back seat of your fancy sports car because you were determined and the vaulted ceilings were too high for the ladder we had.

I told you I needed an afternoon off to take care of a friend.

You sounded hurt, it could have been my imagination, that he might mean more to me than you.

So, I reassured you, he didn’t, and I stayed with you in case you needed me, in case you climbed too high, in case you fell.

Do you remember?

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Anne Waldon POETRY

ANNE IS A POET, WRITER, CAT LADY, AND SUPPORTER OF DREAMS. HER JOURNEY BEGAN IN SACRAMENTO. ONE COUNTRY, AND THREE STATES LATER, HER JOURNEY HAS BROUGHT HER TO ROSEVILLE, A PLACE SHE CALLS HAVEN. SHE IS A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR THE LOST, THE FORGOTTEN, AND THE THROWAWAYS. TWITTER: @ANNE_INKSEALED INSTA: @ANNE_WALDON FACEBOOK: @ANNEWALDONAUTHOR EMAIL: ANNEWALDONAUTHOR@GMAIL.COM

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Virgo Vegan A VEGAN RECIPE WITH LUCAS BLAIR

A PLANT-BASED FOODIE SHARING HIS DELICIOUS CREATIONS AND INSPIRING YOU TO GET COOK’N IN THE KITCHEN! INSTA: CALIVIRGOVEGAN

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For a light, easy and healthy summertime snack, slice up an heirloom tomato, top each slice with your favorite tomato pairings like the virgo vegan pesto, salt and pepper, everything bagel seasoning, fresh chopped basil, avocado, balsamic... Anything you want!

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VIRGO VEGAN PESTO 5 cups (packed) fresh Basil leaves 4 cloves fresh garlic 1 cup Walnuts (or preferred nuts: Pine, Cashew, Pistachio, etc.)

1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt - or to taste 1/4 Tsp Ground Pepper 2 Tsp Onion Powder 1/2 Cup Olive Oil Pulse your ingredients, minus olive oil, in a food processor until well combined, then slowly drizzle olive oil while processing to desired consistency.

Pairs perfectly with Zucchini Noodles, Grilled Veggies, Tomatoes and is an excellent sauce for Pizza!

Not a fan of Basil? Try using this recipe with Curly Kale instead for a highly nutritious and versatile spread.

Cheers!

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AN EXCERPT FROM “THE WORLD SUBMERGED” An eccentric novelist invites a group of seemingly random writers to his home in Louisiana. As the evening unfolds, they discover the dark secret that unites them all. In this scene, Christopher, a retired writer is explaining why writers are toxic and why he doesn’t write books any longer. Up until now in the play, Christopher has been the British satirical-comic relief, but seeing the abuse Michael is experiencing in his relationship with writer Benjamin, Chris wants to relay some advice and a warning.

We writers often think destruction should be fuel for art when mostly destruction is just destruction. But I wrote a book anyway... detailing my divorce from my wife, my new-found young love and the justification of why it was all okay. Not only was I egotistical enough to write this book in the first place, I even recorded the audio of it myself. “read by the author; Christopher DeLewis”. It sold very well. That initial pour in of money helped the guilt a little... and then Marie died in a car accident... nearly a year after our divorce. The book was still only hardcover... and the young girl in love with the charming older British author had been long gone. She died terribly. There were several vehicles involved and it was snowing. They were unable to get to her or anybody right away. Too dangerous because of the blizzard. After an hour since the initial accident they found her. I don’t know if you know this, but paramedics often lie to those left behind to make them feel better. What’s the harm in sparing details? You say the child died instantly or the husband didn’t feel any pain as the shotgun shell exited the back of his head. But my paramedic told me the truth. Some people can’t help it. He supposed she died moments before their hands tore the car door open. She might even have heard their boots on the asphalt. She must have been so cold. In that car, hurting. For an hour. Both of her arms were broken and twisted behind her. Had she lived they wouldn’t have been able to save them. She was lying in the upside down car, her face pressed against small shards of the windshield, all of her front teeth were smashed to pieces and there was an ear-bud lodged in her bleeding ear. It was still playing. Playing a book, my book. Read by me in my own voice. She died listening to the voice of the man who broke her heart. Listening to me spew bullshit about how I fell out of love with her. No one was holding her, comforting her, she wasn’t surrounded by loved ones, she died alone.

And in a lot of pain. All of these writers tonight aren’t married, none of them but Alex and Barbara and maybe it takes Alex’s kind of mind to be able to be that connected to a writer. To actually love someone who does this for a living because it’s a selfish life. I worry about someone like you being with Benjamin Pierce. Because all I can see down your road with him is a pile of twisted metal, and smoke, and pain, your body completely broken and just the words of the writer to lull you into darkness.

CHRISTOPHER The smartest thing I’ve done in my life was marry Marie Hawkins. Marie was kind and absolutely beautiful... hell, she could have looked like a toad and I would have fallen for her, her heart was that good. She supported every stupid thing I did. Every writing conference, every research trip, the book signings, she was there. Then the kids came and she took care of them, because I was busy. And you know, how that goes, I was the writer, I was doing what I was meant to do. In her eyes, when it came to my stories and my passion, I could do no wrong.

Now that’s dangerous. Michael, I’m a bit of an idiot and should not be trusted with my ego. I became popularvery popular. The books got bigger, the money was plentiful and I was away from home more than ever. And 13 years ago, I met a very kind, a very pretty young woman while touring for Nostro. One stupid decision led from another stupid decision and then; I was unfaithful. I hate that word... it’s something my mother would have said.

She said it a lot when I was a kid. But there is not better word to describe such a betrayal. And then I did it again and then again. There was something exciting about getting away with it. So much so that I thought I was in love with her. This, kind, young, pretty girl. And so I told my wife and broke her heart. It came out of nowhere for her. Like me, she was blind by my ego. And she was so kind... about the whole thing. I think I expected anger...

I expected the dishes being chucked, the clothes thrown out a window, something negative and hateful that would justify the affair. But, it was worse than any of that, she was.... understanding. And I resented her for it. Now the thrill of the affair wasn’t enough. I had approval... and that sort of dashed the whole thing. What is one to do? Obviously nothing healthy, I’m a writer, I tell stories and as Jeff would say, I was all about the truth.

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PLAYWRIGHT

The World Submerged A PLAY WRITTEN BY DAVID BLUE GARRISON

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MUSICIAN INTERVIEW

Become Death THIS IS A SMALL EP OF HOPE AND HOPELESSNESS. MANY THANKS TO: MY WIFE, FOR LISTENING TO ME RECORD THE SAME FOUR CHORDS TOO MANY TIMES IN A ROW AND STILL LOVING ME; VINNIE GUIDERA, FOR BEING AN INVALUABLE SOUNDING BOARD OF ADVICE AND TASTE; AND MY ACTUAL BAND “WIVING”, FOR BEING BETTER THAN ME AT MUSIC. HTTPS://GLOSSO.BANDCAMP.COM/RELEASES

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GLOSSO - BECOME DEATH When did you begin working on this EP? Was it before we all went into a shelter-in situation or after?

- As I write this, my wife and I are watching the news coming in live of Minnesota government officially announcing an active investigation into the history of civil rights violations within the police system. The EP officially came out on the second day of the George Floyd protests.

The backdrop of these songs was the pandemic, and we have so quickly progressed into another national tragedy, with minimal leadership (none of it from the White House). The people have had to restructure their future once again. The EP is ostensibly about the pandemic, but the ideas are old: confusion, fear, hope and hopelessness, government distrust, a sense of isolation… old ideas with a new face.

The music is of course great- you always manage to put together a sound that is relaxing and enjoyablewhilst some of the lyrics are not exactly calm messages.

This EP appears to be some calls to action and some acknowledgement of habits and bad behavior- was there anything specific that inspired these songs?

Dittos is the only song that was written before the quarantine. Dittos was written as a response to Rush Limbaugh being given the highest civilian honor our country has. I was upset and frustrated that someone who gave a voice and perceived credibility to such hate and ignorance over his career was being celebrated. The song is just a series of questions without answers in response to confusion about the future, and it feels insane that the topic of this song feels so far in the past.

- As stated before, Dittos was originally inspired by Rush Limbaugh being awarded the Medal of Freedom as a creepy little bow on the horrorshow of the previous four years. CA1 was built on a few conversations with friends early on in isolation, as well as a long call with my mom about the financial collapse of America. I know a lot of people who lost 40% of their 401Ks in a 10 day period.

The pandemic has only begun to wreak havoc on the economy, and despite our efforts to save money and take precautions, we can really only wait and see what happens.

Overall, it’s just… I believe the technical term is “fucking unreal.”

How has the pandemic affected your creativity and specifically your work on this project? How is it different from your other projects?

- In regards to only the pandemic, and specifically before the necessary protests around the country, this has actually been a time of peace and joy for me. The first few weeks were full of abject terror, but as my work stabilized and some sense of normalcy emerged, I actually sort of found my creativity again. This pandemic was a great wake-up call for me. I realized very quickly how much of my life was being pissed away in a job that gave me nothing, mentally or emotionally. It was a weird moment of… whatever you want to call it. Finding myself. Soul searching. The Come to Jesus moment. Or, Hail Satan moment. Making music is really the only thing I feel compelled to do in this life. It is my inherent response to anything that happens to me, good, bad, rain, snow, sleet, hail.

I wrote a whole long thing about Downwinders that you can read on Facebook or Instagram, please feel free to pull quotes from there. Easter is just a fun little ditty about total fear and societal collapse (and animals getting killed, which a friend pointed out happens in every batch of songs I have ever released). And last but not least, Art Bell.

Art Bell is about a man buying into conspiracy theories until his life and marriage utterly collapse. It is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, mostly because I squeeze in a line about frogs on skylights (a new twist on an old plague).

The project was really a way of decompressing from the day to day pandemic insanity. It was a project with a clear goal, and it kept me sane. This is also the first project I’ve ever done completely alone, in terms of writing and releasing. It is more or less entirely acoustic and stripped down, and was a way to be immediate while relearning how to write and record by myself. And despite the true frustration and pain in the lyrics, this was ultimately very fun to do. I had a chance to really learn what my house sounded like, and how to do bigger projects in the future.

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How do these songs work together in an overall message if there is one?

- The title of the EP is “Become Death,” which is twofold: it is most clearly a nod to the famous Dr. Oppenheimer quote, which was itself a quote from the Hindu text the Bhagavad-Gita, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” It also is based on a long conversation I had with a good friend of mine about the Western World and its relationship with death. The age old idea, of M A G A Z I N E

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How have you evolved as a musician?

How would you compare your current work to what you were creating when you first started out?

- I am technically better, but I think I’m more or less the same on a grand scale. I still just want to be Pink Floyd, and until I get there, it all feels the same. I still write full grand concept albums, but cannot write a simple love song to save my life. I have become rather good at writing music that is infinitely more expensive to make than it could ever recoup.

dying peacefully in a bed, surrounded by loved ones and prepared for what comes next, is a fantasy that is really not supported by any current systems. This kind of death is rare, expensive, and ultimately hinged upon someone achieving true peace with this world and their place within it. If there is a message to the album, it is that we don’t know how to die.

What is your advice to someone who wants to create their own music and put something like this together?

- Just do it. Truly. Nothing matters except the love of the game. Maybe you’ll get rich, and maybe you’ll never play a show. If you think about music, think about it more. Fuck any naysayers, and fuck logic. Start a boyband at 40. Sell your car and buy vintage amplifiers. Write smash pop hits and make stacks of cash. Wear costumes and do spoken word versions of country songs. Be the Henry Darger of EDM, or the Steven Spielberg of mixtapes. Music is perfect, because it takes so much effort to fail, and zero to succeed, if you define success as simply Making Music.

Some folks are intimidated to attempt creative projects like this, even without a pandemic and limited access to resources. How have you managed to put this together and what’s been motivating you?

- My motivation is my own internal engine. I have to write, I have to record, I have to work within music. It more or less consumes every waking moment. I am motivated by the fear that on my deathbed I’ll have a song stuck in my head that I should have written down earlier.

What is next for you? Any projects planned or exciting news?

- Big Virgins, a folky album about different people reacting to a mysterious light in the sky in a small town.

Other than your own fulfillment in creating the music, what do you hope the result of this EP is?

- Breaking & Legs Cash Market, a noisy album about a conspiracy to test mass hypnosis.

- I literally have no hopes for the result of this EP. I got what I came for. I truly hope people enjoy it, but I get it if they don’t.

- 1954, a very loud album about an alien invasion / B-movies in 1954.

- And some singles and one-offs along the way.

Let’s go back a little bit, how did you get into creating music? How long have you been doing it?

- It must be noted: everything I do is related to conspiracy and aliens in some way. I have no idea why. I just love it.

- Fuck you and fuck this impossible question. I say that with kindness.

I’ve been writing music since I was 17. I just turned 30, so I’m on Lucky Number 13 for the time being. And when I’m 33, the Jesus Year, it’ll be my Sweet 16 of writing songs. So I guess the answer is, I got into music for the numerology.

I have always had a knack for writing words. I excelled in English at the same rate I abjectly failed in math. In early bands, I could crank out lyrics much more quickly than I could remember my bass lines. A little over a decade of not going outside later, and I think I got halfway good at the ol’ git-tar.

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M A G A Z I N E

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DAJANAE DOWD - NICK WOODS - DAVY FIVEASH - LIL SMOKEY CANDLES - LAUREN WOLF - WES PEPPER - JUDAH X. PIMENTEL ADAM JONES - MAHARI T. SMITH - ANNE WALDON - VIRGO VEGAN - GLOSSO

SAC BLUE M A G A Z I N E June 2020

If you’re interested in submitting work, asking questions, getting advice or connecting further with the artists shoot an email to david@davidbluegarrison.com