Ok...I'm not really a poet but every now and then something comes through me.  Check it out and give me your feedback.  Thanks.

Thaddeus

(Smile)

A Poem for a Lady

Free of charge,

abundant

her smile quenches.

A gentle breeze across the forehead of a laborer.

It soothes,

both body and soul.

It's source is a well buried deep within,

filled with the tears of past loves' pain,

mixed with the renewing waters of Him.

Emanating from that source

it's akin to a heat seeking missle,

scouring the land in search of dry, barren souls.

My spirit is renewed by it,

my soul wet with it's vapor.

Drenched!

...like a nestless canary on a leafless Magnolia tree

in a late December rain.

Thaddeus "Fabulous" Ford, II

29 May 06

It's about 12:29PM on Friday afternoon.  I'm clad in last nights "wife beater", for lack of better term, grey flat front Banana Republic khakis and my red Crocs, which my feet and I have recently fell in love with.  I'm having lunch consisting of brown rice with roasted pecans, sauteed spinach with garlic and roasted lemon pepper chicken breast (yes, I cooked it myself!).  I'm sitting in my bedroom at my desk.  As I started this, there was a song coming through my computer speakers via Rhapsody.  I wanted to give the name of it but it went off before I was able to.  The MC on the song was spitting lyrics about the dichotomy of human nature.  "Sometimes I hate myself, sometimes I love myself..." was a line in the chorus.  As I sat and listened, I thought how true that is.  As humans, we can often be our best and worst critic all in the same thought.  As artist, I think we take that to the next level.  We are constantly fighting that battle between self doubt and confidence or, as Common submitted, "...I fight with myself in the rink of doubt and fear, the rain ain't gone but I can still see clear."  So true Brother Common.

Currently, I'm rereading a book that I strongly recommend to any artist, blocked and unblocked.  I say blocked and unblocked because believe it or not we all will be blocked for a season, just as we will be unblocked for a season.  The name of the book is "The Artist's Way" by Julie Cameron.  I won't give away everything in the book but the jist of it is based on reconnecting with The Greatest Creator, God, to reunite, or introduce you to the creator in you.  One of the things that she suggests is giving yourself positive, creative affirmations.  These are things that we can tell ourselves to untangle and get rid of all the bad wiring that's inside of us that prevents us from getting to our highest level of creativity.  Now, I don't suggest that you walk around all day just bucking yourself up, as we say in New Orleans.  Along with positive affirmations is a responsibility on your part to do the work that is required to fufill these manifestations in your life...for, faith without works is dead.

I took the liberty of copying 20 examples of positive creative affirmations from the book (for educational purposes only).  I suggest you read them, print them out and make them apart of your daily routine.  Be sure and pass this on to all of your friends, artists and non artists alike.  If this has been helpful to you, like I pray that it is, be sure to leave a comment.

Thanks,

Thaddeus "Fabulous" Ford, II

Creative Affirmations

1. I am a channel for God's creativity, and my work comes to good.

2. My dreams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them

3. As I create and listen, I will be led.

4. Creativity is the creator's will for me.

5. My creativity heals myself and others.

6. I am allowed to nurture my artist.

7. Through the use of a few simple tools, my creativity will flourish.

8. Through the use of my creativity, I serve God.

9. My creativity always leads me to truth and love.

10. My creativity leads me to forgiveness and self-forgiveness.

11. There is a divine plan of goodness for me.

12. There is a divine plan of goodness for my work.

13. As I listen to the creator within, I am led.

14. As I listen to my creativity I am led to my creator.

15. I am willing to create.

16. I am willing to learn to let myself create.

17. I am willing to let God create through me.

18. I am willing to be of service through my creativity.

19. I am willing to experience my creative energy.

20. I am willing to use my creative talents.

Whenever  I have a little bit of spare time in a day, I like to peruse the internet in search of nuggets or kernels of information that I can use to enlighten myself in the pursuit of heightened creativity.  Generally speaking, I find just that, a few morsels here and there that I piece together to stimulate my muse.  Well today I found a smorgasbord of info that would inspire Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia and Urania! 

I stumbled across a dancer named David Bernal (aka David Elsewhere) with whom some of you might be familiar.  Upon first glance, I thought he was just some B-boy doing his thing...popping and locking..albeit THE BEST POPPING AND LOCKING I'VE EVER WITNESSED WITH MY OWN TWO EYES!!!  But, being somewhat of a sleuth, I decided to investigate further.  The info that I found only rekindled the notion that I'm sure most of us, artists and non-artists alike, have heard all of our lives...don't judge a book by it's cover!  What I discovered was that this gentleman, a year younger than I, was a serious dancer!  Not only does he appear to be serious about his chosen craft but he also is serious about the creation of art in general.  It always impresses me when I see artists creating in another medium other than their original calling.  They don't even have to "create" in other art forms but just the fact that they are open to the broad spectrum of art out there truly inspires me.  There is indeed a connection between all mediums...an even broader spectrum might suggest that everything is connected in some shape or form, but that's another conversation. 

I took the liberty (for educational purposes) to cut and paste David's "practices and philosophies" from the web.  I hope that you are as inspired to get up and go actualize the things that only you hear and see in your subconscience.  If I may humbly impart my personal philosophy on you, I would suggest that we ALL have the ability to create.  We were all created by the greatest Creator of all.  I run into a lot of people who say that they wish they had creativity.  YOU DO!  It's hidden behind a layer of disbelief and fear.  I implore all of you who took the time to read this (and thank you, by the way!) to step out on faith and start living a creatively fulfilled life.  That doesn't mean you have to get rid of all of the furniture in your living room and set up an easel and paint all day everyday!  That just means that what ever you're doing, make it you!  Put your stamp on it!  Leave an impression!  The world deserves the best that you have to offer!  So what are you waiting on...enlighten us!

Practices and Philosophies

Over the years I have tallied up a variety of practices and philosophies that I believe have significantly helped myself towards being a better and more original dancer. By no means do I expect everything on this list to work for everybody. I simply want to let it be known what I believe has worked for me. You can take it or leave it.

Being myself - as corny as this might sound I think that being myself has been one of the most important attitudes that I have maintained. By "being myself" I mean dancing the way I sincerely want to dance, regardless of what others think or what the latest trend is. Being myself, has kept me motivated because I am doing what I truly want to do.

Trusting my own judgment - This is very much related to "Being Myself", because being your true self requires some degree of trust in your own judgment. By "trusting my own judgment" I mean having the faith and confidence in my own taste and creativity to determine how I want to dance. Listening to feedback is helpful to me; yet ultimately I try to always trust my own judgment.

Dancing habitually - I've got in the habit of busting out whenever my body and mind are not occupied. While I'm waiting for my lunch to heat up in the microwave or when I'm browsing through the aisles at the supermarket I'll usually be practicing something. By making a habit of dancing wherever and whenever possible makes the whole day a practice session.

Experimenting - Even though dancing is an art, trying to come up with your own moves and style makes it seem more like a science due to the amount of trial and error that is involved. For every decent move that I add to my repertoire there are usually dozens that are too lame to use. My experience has proven that the more moves I attempt to create, the more likely I am of creating moves worth keeping.

Writing moves down - In attempt to remember all the moves, sets, routines and styles that I think of, I catalog everything, even ideas for moves. I always try to have my move-list with me for reference when practicing.

Practicing by repeating - Whenever I make up a new move, set, routine or style that is worth keeping, I won't actually use it (performing) until I know it by heart; am able to execute it unconsciously. In order to get it down, I practice the particular thing I'm trying to learn over and over and over again.

Exploring where others haven't - In dancing I have found that particular areas are easier to be original in than others. I think that certain styles are less explored than others and this leaves more room for innovation. From the artistic perspective, the less traveled path is usually always the more rewarding one and the one I have tried to stay on.

Looking for influence beyond dancing - Dancing is an Art form that is based on movement. Beyond the scope of dancing there is a world of movement to be inspired by: machines, nature, kangaroos, etc.

Mixing Styles - Anything that is seemingly original is only an original mixture of preexisting elements. Bboying is the perfect example of this principle and the Detours Parallel scene illustrates it. In light of this premise, I feel that an efficient way to achieve originality is to mix-n-match moves, styles, and influences until you create a concoction that you can call your own.

Ignoring labels - Labels can hinder one's aim of being original because they devise implicit boundaries. For example someone might say: To be a Bboy you have to do this, but you can't do that, because if you do, you're not a true Bboy. Of course my own intention was never to fit into a particular conventional criteria but to be a unique hybrid. As Benny Golson has said, "When new things are discovered they have no namethey defy description."

Using my influences to realize my own potential - There is a natural tendency to imitate what influences you. I think some degree of imitation is expected and even necessary for an individual to learn, especially for beginners. Speaking from my own experience, I became more original when I began using my influences as insight for realizing my own potential. I realized that I could alter and even improve upon the moves and styles that influenced me into something that was distinctly my own. One of the most important things that has helped me do this, has been...

Relying on my memory and not videos for reference - Like most people I have the natural tendency to subconsciously imitate movements I am frequently exposed to. I feel videos have the potential of doing more harm than good because multiple viewings make me more disposed to mimicry. Seeing Skywalker and Animation bust only on a few occasions prevented me from directly imitating them because all I had to go by was the memories in my head. Using memory alone as reference allows my creativity to manipulate external influence into something that is more of my own innovation.

Practicing Alone - I have found that it is more productive to practice alone than with people. This is partly because I feel like I am performing more than practicing when I have eyes looking at me. Practicing with people doesn't give me the full opportunity to experiment because I become too self-conscious.

Using a Mirror - I have found that using a mirror is extremely helpful when practicing because it gives instantaneous feedback. I know exactly how my moves look and can immediately critique myself. The only thing I would advise against would be getting so used to the mirror that you can't perform well without one. To prevent this I try to practice just as much without a mirror.

Videotaping myself - I try videotaping myself once and in a while. It is just as helpful as using a mirror to me. The only drawback is that it's not instantaneous feedback; you don't see what you're doing when you're doing it. Videotaping has several advantages over a mirror. You don't have to pay attention to your reflection thus allowing your mind to concentrate on just dancing. By recording yourself you, are able to observe things that are difficult to see in the mirror, like spins and ground moves. Videotaping yourself also gives you the opportunity to see what your moves look like from a variety of angles.

• The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival/ New Orleans, La./ 1992-2004
• The 5^th Annual Instanbul Jazz Festival/ Instanbul, Turkey/ August 1998
• The Apollo Theater in Harlem (featured artist)/ Harlem, NYC/ August 1999
• The Atlanta Black Arts Festival/ Atlanta, Ga./ July 2000
• The Liberty Jazz Festival/ Friebourgh, Switzerland/ Summer 2001
• Umbria Winter Jazz Festival/ Orvieto, Italy/ December 2001
• The News Orleans Arena, NBA New Orleans Hornets game
• Snug Harbor (New Orleans)
• The Funky Butt (New Orleans)
• The Blue Nile (New Orleans)
• TwiRoPa (New Orleans)
• S.O.B.'s (New York City)
• Tramps (New York City)
• The House of Blues (New Orleans)
• Django on the Parkway (Addison, TX)
• The Balcony Club (Dallas) June 2005-March 2006
• Brooklyn's Jazz Club (Dallas)
• The Dallas Museum of Art
• The New Orleans Museum of Art
• Caf Brazil (New Orleans)
• Sambuca (Dallas and Addison, TX)
• The Absinthe Lounge (Dallas)

The other day I was thinking about how great it is to be alive and well.  In this day and age, with all of the hate and fear propaganda that we are bombarded with on a daily basis, I thought it would be nice for me to list ALL the things I could think of that I like.  For me, it's therapeutic, for you, it might give you a little more insight into who I am.

"Give me what you love.  Don't give me what you hate.  And if that costs too much, at least give me what you like."  Wynton Marsalis

I like:

lemon and olive oil salad dressing (a family tradition), Creole tomatoes, picking lent balls off of old sweaters and blankets, getting my scalp massaged, women running their fingers through my hair, spaghetti with red gravy and fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, kalamta olives, witty girls, swinging (jazz, that is), sushi, big curly afro's on women, Tracey Ellis Ross, her mother Diana too, vintage clothes, kids, owls, any bird of prey, self help books, the way new things smell, Michael Jordan, Madden 05, women Jazz singers, dancers, sauteed onions and mushrooms, veggie burgers from Houston's, homecooked turkey burgers, peperocini peppers, pearl onions in petite pois green peas, ceiling fans at night, good quality pencils and pens, my hair, my skin, my personality, my eyes, my charm, new hair products, getting trail mix from The Whole Foods Mart, Central Grocery, caramel, movies that make me think, Pam Grier, Leah Rominni (Carey from King of Queens), Beyonce, Check Up On It, St. James Infirmary, the Jazz blues, heavy unlaquered trumpets, The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, First Lady Serita Jakes, Bill Clinton, Monica Lawenski, Common, Mos Def, Jay Z, Wynton Marsalis interviews, reading old New Orleans jazz musicians depiction of the city at the turn of the century (19th century), my mother, my nephew Chris, challenges, hard work, conflict, resolution, The Avacodo Tree soaps, Guiness beer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew MDX, Red Bull, going to TeaVana, The Galleria Mall in Dallas, Dallas women, big hair, women in expensive jeans and high heels (the Dallasite's uniform), Breyers vanilla ice cream, pistachio ice cream, medium well steaks, Nathan's and Hebrew National's hot dogs, Chicago hot dogs, Giardonno's Pizza in Chicago, turkey muffaletta's from Cafe Maspero in New Orleans, veggie muffaletta's, homemade muffaletta's, crawfish from Hank's in New Orleans, shrimp and oyster po' boy's from St. Roch grocery in New Orleans (I miss you daddy), Black Catholic churches in New Orleans, Creole New Orleans culture, good pencil erasers, streaks and highlights in  white girls hair, grace and confidence and sense of self in Black women, fashionista Asian women, cocky Hispanic women, authentic tacos from dirty authentic Hispanic joints in Dallas, The Balcony Club in Dallas, Sambuca, Snug Harbor in New Orleans, Donna's in New Orleans, Instanbul Turkey, Italy, Italian women, Italian food, Jewish comedians, North Africa, Ethiopian women, Morocco, North African cuisine, Mediterranean food, vegetarian women, vegetarian cuisine, raw foods diet practitioners, Evian, Perrier, Smart Water, Vitamin Water, peppermint water, Orbit gum, cashews, honey roasted peanuts, smoked almonds, my red beans and rice, sexy lips, thick heavy set women with cute faces and a high sense of fashion and confidence, tall slender women with angular features, funky jewelry on women, women's shoes, Hummer's, New Orleans Saint's, Jim Haslett, Kobe Bryant, St. Augustine Marching 100, swinging big bands, painters, writers, quaint non commercial coffee houses, Thai food, red headed women, Monette mouthpieces, shopping, long hot showers, deep conditioning, leave in conditioners, hard toothbrushes, clean bathrooms, witch hazel, having my picture taken, talking to people, cooking for people, push ups, bike riding, walking around aimlessly, used CD shopping, Buffallo Exchange, cool business cards, snazzy websites, The Half Priced Book Store, grocery store sale ads, infused oils and vinegars, garlic, dried Italian seasonings, alfalfa sprouts, avacados, cucumbers, quality pickles, Bing cherries, granny smith apples, fuji apples, bubble wrap, getting mail, giving money, doodling, calligraphy, people with great penmanship, chiauhahas, Boxer's (dogs), hip cat's (felines), great non tacky cleavage, teddy's (lingerie), the scent of vanilla on women, great sermons, tithing, big decadent salads, big healthy salads, pasta with lot's of oil and garlic, good quality olive oil out of a big rectangular can, getting free stuff, compliments, gourmet cheese, cheap cheese out of a can, jalepeno potato chips, Zapp's potato chips, dancing, Black's in Greek orginazations who are still active after undergrad is over, getting film developed, watching movies by myself, watching DVD's with the director's commentary, sex after arguments, protective fathers, confident mothers, history, british accents, tactfully honest women, spring salad mix, Boston Bibb lettuce, lettuce wraps, crab rangoons, washing a woman's hair, manicured toes and fingers, fresh basil, ants, holding hands, kissing someone that I'm in love with on the mouth, kissing hands and finger tips and eyes and foreheads and backs and thighs, giving massages, recieving massages, traveling by car, thinking, dreaming while asleep, praying, conversing with and listening to God, fresh healthy smoothies and shakess and juices, white tea, green tea, caramel macchiatto, expresso, caramel frapacciono, sesame oil, non stick pot's and pans and woks, using chopsticks, getting e-mail, flirting, lightly tinted aviator glasses, vaccuuming, red, catsuits, world traveled confident older mature ladies, intelligent witty charming younger women, friends that question me, rivalry, black and white photos, pretty smooth even toned skin, talapia, red fish, fishing, salmon, tuna, mahi mahi, rainbow trout, grouper, shrimp, red clam sauce, concert footage, documentaries, decadent comedy, witty comedy, sun light, big moons, big sky's, mountains, vitamin C, minor blues, the key of F minor, the key of C minor, the key of D minor, the key of E flat major, A flat major, D major, Jo Ral copper bubble tone harmon mutes, plunger mutes, pixie mutes, laying on the floor all day wrapped in fleece throws watching a movie with a lady, shoes with thick soles, trials and tribulations, quality chocolate, absorbant towels, big white terry cloth bath robes, all natural lip balm, perfect eyebrows, eye shadow, Mac lip glass, 5 o'clock shadow, side burns, fresh breath, Dr. Tischner's mouthwash, Boston terriers, French bulldogs, English bulldogs, thighs, youthful pretty hands, quality finger nail clippers, satellite radio, loft apartments, fresh flowers, oatmeal with raisins, grits and grillades, poached eggs, corn nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, boy shorts, close fitting grey cotton jogging pants, flip flops, tailored suits, conflicting patterns with the same color scheme, Halle Berry, Shania Twain, women who work out, women in tank tops and no bra, Martin Lawrence, Dana Carvey, Eddie Murphy, remembering, hot chocolate in the winter, fresh sqeezed lemonade in the summer, limeade, lemon berry slushee from Sonic, jalepeno's on hamburgers, all peppers, the 99 cent store, vests, really fat knots on ties, thin cashmere turtlenecks, valour blazers, taking a bath or shower with a woman, toothpicks, laughing, mirrors, money clips, hip words, extensive vocabularies, chopped bleu cheese salads from Outback, kangaroo's, Australian culture, buffallo wings from Hooter's, having a beer at Hooter's, the Zen soup from The Grande Deluxe Restaraunt in Dallas, fried calamari, fadora's, pocket watches, giving piggy back rides, old school jogging suits, Jordan's, and more!

Go and check out the "innerview" of me conducted by The Butterfly Tribess.  eave a comment and let me know what you think...Peace and Love...

www.myspace.com/butterflytribe

It's well known that this time of year millions of people world wide are pouring their hearts and souls into New Year's Resolution.  It's a fair assumption that gyms and health club professionals are all ecstatic right now in anticipation of all the revenue that they'll recieve from people in search of a new them.  New jogging suits, tennis shoes, sports bra's...the works!  Everybody's in a frenzy to recreate themselves.  Well, after about three, maybe four months, we find ourselves back in the same rut that we were in this time last year.  How can that be?  We've got the memberships, our shoes match our jogging suits, there's that cute girl at the front desk we've been flirting with...what gives?   Allow me to share a little insight, if I may.

This method of change is the equivalent of constantly rotating bad, worn tires on a car in an effort to get better gas mileage.  It might offer some short term, temporary solution but can not sustain us for the long haul, if you will.  We need to start with the source of the situation.  In this case, basically, we need new tires!  Simply put.  There's order to things in this world.  In the case of New Years resoulutions, there's order as well.  We first and foremost need to adjust our thinking in order to sustain long term goals.  You can not change a situation with the same level of thinking that you had when you got  in the situation.  Instead of trying to renew our body first, we must first renew our minds.  For where ever the mind or head goes, so shall the body.  We must dig deep within our conscience and ask ourselves, "why do I want to lose weight?", "is his important to me or am I doing it for someone else?", or whatever else you're trying to accomplish this year.  It doesn't just apply to weight loss.  I use this example because that's probably the number one resolution for people.  I find that a lot of people think that "they" want to lose weight but really and truely they think "other" people want them to lose weight.  By doing so, they will feel accepted by those people.  I'm not suggesting that being in shape is a bad thing by any means, I merely suggest that God made all of us beautiful in His image.  Being healthy should be your goal.  The cosmetic part is just gravy, the added bonus of taking care of your temple.  Anyway, I'm digressing. Asking these questions of yourself and similar ones will "train" your brain to think on a much deeper level.  Finding these answers, or rather beginning the journey towards a deeper understanding of who you are and what matters most in YOUR life will help you to sustain yourself for the long road ahead.  I was watching "The March of the Penguins" last night and they were constantly making this 70 + mile trip.  Over and over and over throughout the year.  From the mating ground, to the feeding waters...back and forth.  They would feed, and march back to the mating ground, endure the harshest trials and go back to feed again on the brink of starvation....feed again and repeat the process.  I suggest to you that changing your "stinkin' thinkin" is your way of feeding.  The food that you need to sustain you throughout this year is not ingested through the mouth but through the mind.  Question your motives, check and double check your rationales.  I believe that doing this will allow for evolution of your mind which will in turn be the fuel that you need to keep your fire burning throughout the year.