You wonder, perhaps; 'what does this guy think he’s writing about?'
I am referring to a time in my young adulthood when I chose to not try as hard; to not work so hard, to not strive as hard. It’s as if I made the choice to simply "get along" with my fellow mankind and not compete against it. For a person who speaks as eloquently of Sun Tzu as I "try", I believed that even samurai wanted to retire some day. That men of war wanted to become men of peace some day. At the point of this choice, I felt brilliant but removed; life was to take it's own pace and I would not incur its turbulence.
Of course, I didn't frame it that way then. But I am sitting here today, wondering if I had chosen the polar opposite of my current path. Would I be more financially secure? Would I be more...period? Maybe you're wondering what this has to do with the literary genius of Alan Moore.
It's cause Alan Moore, and his brilliant "The Watchmen" represents an author, but more a work, that distinctly speaks to me. In fact, the conversation was so deep between me and the piece that I can't even find a way to give summation to my thoughts, finding my current level of communication simply inept to posit something of merit in its honor. Instead, like its author, I'll take a different approach than the standard "review."
For those not in the know, I am part of Kaleidoscope CreatiVEntures and Sonic Lab Recording Studios. Sorry for the ad, but conjure the iconography of a kaleidoscope, the central theme of my life and the lives of my partners right now. Now, transform, slowly and carefully if you must, that entire system of interconnectedness and complexity into a medium where words meld with graphics to form the riveting revolution before your very eyes. Meditating on this, you realize that this work you've just experienced has clearly articulated a set of your own beliefs at such a profound level, that you just can't imagine that someone else crafted this but yourself.
That's what I feel, that is could be another crossroads in my continuum, to use a word I absorbed through comicdom. Not to become pretentious in trying to become smarter. Not to become self-absorbed in trying to become clever. And it also can't be a genesis moment. April 10 of this past week was a "genesis/debut" moment [see blog titled "...the 2008 Iowa Blues Challenge"].
This is more of a call to arms, to try and give my feelings a formal context or reference point. Not necessarily to believe in his ideals (I know enough about Mr. Moore to know that we don't agree on everything. But I respect him and can agree to disagree). This call to arms would be to become the honest conduit for the greatness within. To study at the same intensity I laze. To stop the obscuring functions of the mind and heart so that I can fully realize the truth around me. To hear what is truly being said. To see what is truly being displayed. To honestly recognize the sheer magnitude of what creates me, surrounds me, and the grace inherent.
In this time of building Kaleidoscope, I find myself lost in the scope of it. I let myself become confused as to what to do and how to do it. I focus on a perceived lack of focus. I feel like it's slowly unraveling the patchwork that takes so much life-force to create. But, I will grant myself this one caveat. If there is one who can be influenced, and in turn influence, than hope not only exists but is waiting for me to stop obscuring it. It is like Grace: Inherent, but not always apparent.
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Please do yourself a favor and learn more about Alan Moore and his body of work, including the Watchmen. Alan will be the subject of future blogs as I develop my knowledge of his life and his work.
Dig in deep and you'll find what to keep.
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