the storyteller

(above photo by me :) i was so close)

on march 25th i got an interesting text from my best pal, danci. she said "hey do you want to be spontaneous and go to the todd snider concert tonight at the granada?" i quickly replied with a "hells yes i do :)" so danci, our good bud chase, and myself made the journey from paris to dallas to witness the "storyteller" in action and it was incredible!!

todd snider is a folk singer with a unique twist, he pretty much just tells awesome stories with music to back it up. he describes himself in one of his songs as a "tree huggin’, peace lovin’, pot smokin’, porn watchin’ lazy ass hippie"but he forgot to mention amazing songwriter.

we got there fairly early, so we scored good standing spots, front and center. 

everyone should definitely give him a listen, but make sure you have your open-mind cap on before you do.  he is very opinionated, but he calls it like he sees it. he isn't afraid to say how he feels, and i admire that.

songs i recommend are below

tension
sideshow blues
play a train song
ballad of the kingsmen
east nashville skyline
money, compliments, publicity
i can't complain
doublewide blues
conservative, christian, right-wing republican, straight, white, american males
ladies and gentlemen
lonely girl
statistician's blues
easy money
the story of the devil's backbone tavern
the devils backbone tavern
i spoke as a child

and there are many, many more

panoramic view

my whip

down by the paris train depot

moo

jesus is the man and the answer

on my way home from work

RIZE UP

How do you define a language?

to me a language is any form of communication, both nonverbal and verbal. in Rize Up they use dancing as their language. one dancer even said it was their way of telling a story.

How do we define art?

ahh, the question that everyone wants an answer to.  well, really anything can be considered art.  one person could consider something as being total crap and another could look at it and think it was a masterpiece.  the dancing in Rize Up was definitely art in my eyes.

How do these people in the video relate to me?

the people in the video relate to me, because like me, they are artists. these dancers are out trying to do what they love and they get persecuted for it by others, but this does not stop them.  they have no limits and believe in themselves and their art.  seeing them strive so hard to get their art out there and make a difference in people's lives inspires me to do the same.  

name meaning

a friend showed me this really cool website where you can find out what your name means and it also tells you a lot about your personality.  it was pretty creepy how it knew so much about me just from my name. anywho, you should check it out and see how accurate your's is.

here's the website: http://paulsadowski.com/Numbers.asp

this is what mine said

You entered: danica jade easterling

There are 20 letters in your name.
Those 20 letters total to 81
There are 9 vowels and 11 consonants in your name.

What your first name means:

Slavic

Female

Morning star.

Your number is: 9
The characteristics of #9 are: Humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, creative expression.
The expression or destiny for #9:
The expression that you exhibit is represented bythe number 9. Your talents center in humanistic interests and approaches. You like to help others as you were intended to be the 'big brother or big sister' type. You operate best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion, and allow yourself to be sensitive to the needs of others. You work well with people, and have the potential to inspire. This suggests that you could successfully teach or counsel. Creative ability, imagination and artistic talent (often latent) of the highest order are present in this expression. It's possible that you're not using or developing all of these capabilities at this time. Some of your talents may have been used at an earlier time in your life, and some may still be latent. Be aware of your capabilities, so that you can make use of them at appropriate times.
If you are able to achieve the potential of your natural expression in this life, you are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. Your personal ambitions are likely to be maintained in a very positive perspective, never losing sight of an interest in people, and a sympathetic, tolerant, broad-minded and compassionate point of view. You are quite idealistic, and disappointed at the lack of perfection in the world. You have a strong awareness of your own feeling as well as those of others. Friendships, affection, and love are extremely important.
Undeveloped or ignored, the negative side of the 9 expression can be very selfish and self-centered. If you do not actively involve yourself with work that benefits others, you may tend to express just the opposite characteristics. It is your role to be very involved with other people and their needs, but it may be difficult for you achieve this role. Aloofness, lack of involvement, and a lack of sensitivity mark the low road of this expression.

Your Soul Urge number is: 1
A Soul Urge number of 1 means: 
Your Soul Urge is the number 1. With a Soul Urge number of 1, you want to lead and direct, to work independent of supervision, by yourself or with subordinates. You take pride in your abilities and want to be recognized for them. You may seek opportunities to display your strength and usefulness, wanting to create and originate. In your desire to manage the big picture and the main issues, you may often leave the details to others.
The positive 1 Soul Urge is Ambitious and determined, a leader seeking opportunities. There is a great deal of honesty and loyalty in this character. If you possess positive 1 Soul Urge qualities, you are very attainment oriented and driven to success. You are a loyal friend and strictly fair in your business dealings.
The negative side of the 1 Soul Urge must be avoided. A negative 1 is apt to dominate situations and people; the home, the spouse, the family and the business. Emotions aren't strong in this nature. If you possess an excess of 1 energy, you may, at times, be boastful and egotistic. You must avoid being too critical and impatient of trifles. The great need of the 1 Soul Urge is the development of friendliness, and a sincere interest in people.

Your Inner Dream number is: 8
An Inner Dream number of 8 means: 
You dream of success in the business or political world, of power and control of large material endeavors. You crave authority and recognition of executive skills. Your secret self may have very strong desire to become an entrepreneur.

advice to young artist in a post-modern world, chapter two

the second chapter, didn't fail me. once again, i found out a lot about myself. i honestly do not read on my own anymore and it makes me sad :( i know true knowledge can be gained from reading, because reading puts thoughts and ideas in your head that you might not have thought of before.  like the author said, "nothing in. nothing out." that was a slap in the face for me. pretty much, made me decide to pick up a book more often!

this chapter focuses mainly on reading and it's benefits.  most students read for facts because they were taught that way in school, this is WRONG! read for ideas!!! the author said "ideas=intelligence"

not only does reading gives us ideas, but it does give us knowledge and knowledge is power! in the book the author talked about one famous artist saying all artists should choose mind over hand.  meaning work with your thoughts and problem finding skills as opposed to what u can do manually.

the chapter also discussed creativity and how to use your creativity. for instance, he told of how an artist should set a work aside to not only let the paint dry, but to maybe move onto another project immediately and let the focused mind concentrate on finding a new problem, while the unconscious mind works out the first one.  i believe the author said it similar to this, "a focused mind will dwell on the details, but a mind a rest will play with the whole, and playfulness leads to creative breakthroughs."

want to learn more and challenge yourself? pick up a book!!

my fav quote from the book was this, "if you do not read, you are unlikely to be able to discuss intelligently, and you are in danger of being ignored most of the time by everyone." now that's heavy stuff!

advice to young artist in a post-modern world, chapter one

first, i must say that i regret putting off reading this book. i have only finished the first chapter and feel i have not only learned some new things about learning, but discovered a lot about who i might could be as a young artist.

the whole first chapter basically discusses if art can be taught or if it must be just pure genius.  it also discusses the many different types of new artists and their ways of approaching a subject.  the author states that there are three types of new artists: conformists-predictable, anti-conformists-predictable as well, and non-conformists- unpredictable.  conformists go along with whatever they are taught, anti-conformists go against everything they are taught, but those non-conformists lie in the happy medium.  non-conformists listen to instruction and take advice but will not let it change their mind or opinion, unless they see that their opinion should be changed.

i personally feel that art can be taught and is a subject of discipline, but i also know that there are born artists out there, few, but they still exist.

i really like the way the author uses little story lessons to make you see his ideas in a different way. it really helps me understand the point he is trying to make.  the Zen story about the artist coming to the Zen master with his cup already full was my favorite.  it is so true, and i see myself doing the same frequently. often i find myself wanting to be so knowledgeable of something that i will come to a teacher with a "full cup" instead of coming with an empty cup.

another key idea that was stressed in the chapter was that it is not about finding answers to the problem necessarily, but finding new problems to try an solve.  i want to be a better seeker.

i cant wait to read and learn more :)

multiple me assignment

this assignment was tricky, but loads of fun.  basically, we had to take multiple images of someone or ourselves and then layer them on top of each other to create one picture with multiples of the subject. 

a very special thanks to my lover man, joshua allen, for helping me out and participating as a subject :)

grubbin' out at one of my fav spots, mckees :) 

you are your toughest critic

i love the beatles <3

we all need someone we can lean on, and if you want to, well you can lean on me

one man band

HELP! i need somebody!