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We can now see the surface of Mars as if we stood on its rusted sands.

I saw this beautifully stitched 360 panoramic shot of Mars by the Perseverance rover. How maddening that we can’t see our own humility in the distance between our planet and our red neighbor? How fucked up is it we still sit here throwing our bones at one another while a cosmic voyage can lead us to realizing our great human transgressions? I wish desperately to transcend. To become an astral being with infinite wisdom and clarity fit to know these unseen, untainted landscapes. I dunno. I dunno man. I thought of all these things in the tangle of my creature comforts, indulging in the human excess of snacking, ego, and Twitter. I can’t see beyond myself on most days. I dunno man. Is it possible to ruminate beyond earthly pleasure of sleeping and feeding, and the human impulse of carnage over progress? I dunno man. It gets pretty complicated. Like, you wanna be a star child but we got bills to pay ya know? I know I gotta get up early and I got to work like all day and when the day’s done I look up and I can’t see the skies because the pollution is up there in the clouds and in my eyes, and I just wanna go home and see my family because I got a shift coming up early in the mornin’ again and I hope we got pizza for dinner and maybe some Property Brothers or that singing competition show everyone likes.

I hope someone throws me a bone.

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

Welcome to another episode of thinking out loud:

• Priority number one right now is getting Erin’s monologue squared away. I have a clear breakdown in my mind of the structure, but I’ve yet to go back to our shared document. I’m hung up on that familiar feeling of not knowing the specifics about a character’s field. Their pursuits. While I am fascinated with our generation’s obsession with purpose and purity of fulfilment, I find myself grasping at straws for the details. I just have to be okay writing a shitty outline so I can see it on paper. Then Erin can take it and we can mold it into something amazing! Okay, I feel better about that…
• Ahren and Dane’s work on Prometheus has been such a light in recent weeks. I saved a screenshot of Ahren’s work on my desktop and I listen to Dane’s recordings often during these long days.
• My son and I started casually podcasting at his request. He’s taken to it nicely and looks forward to talking into the microphone every weekend or so. We talk about Minecraft, and Roblox, and we ended our last episode with my boy making some sick beats on the tablet using BandLab. My son gives me reasons to be proud every single day, and that weekend was no exception. I recorded an episode of The Writing Record on my phone about being inspired by a child’s uninhibited curiosity, and how we can replicate it. That’s a lot to unpack, so I will be re-recording the episode and sharing it soon. Amazing the things you can learn from your children. I love you, son. You’re an incredible soul.
• Interesting article. I think there’s a play here… Remote learning isn’t new: Radio instruction in the 1937 polio epidemic (theconversation.com)
• So far, I’ve written three poems in February. Not great, not terrible. The latest I wrote this morning after thinking of my grandfather this weekend. Born on Valentine’s Day. He was a tremendous human being and I can’t believe he has been gone almost twelve years. We miss him terribly, but hope to honor him every day with our kindness and positive actions. Love you, Pa Valente.

More to come on the other projects.

Stay safe out there. Make art. Make haste. Much love.

j

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Hello all! Today we present The Bard of Frogtown by A. Whittenberg!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A Whittenberg is a Philadelphia native who has a global perspective. If she wasn’t an author she’d be a private detective or a jazz singer. She loves reading about history and true crime. Her other novels include Sweet Thang, Hollywood and Maine, Life is Fine, Tutored and The Sane Asylum.

Support this writer here! https://www.amazon.com/Allison-Whittenberg/e/B001HD23P4%3F

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Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets and writers from all walks of life. If you have a sec, please subscribe and review this labor of love, your support would help us tremendously!

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive

https://youtu.be/nZICeDVZQAw

Hello friends!

Today we talk about VEEP, the HBO comedy (thanks Sam and Austin!), and why we have decided to watch it all over again. We also talk about how we escaped from politics by watching a show about politics. And something something The West Wing.

Hey, want to support the show? We got SWAG like a bunch of sellouts! https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/70302865

More designs coming soon! If you want to help other ways, review and share this recorded program! Don’t forget to air your grievances at ourkidsasleep@gmail.com

Much love,

J&M

Hello all!

Today we have a wonderful episode featuring poetry and flash fiction by Lydia Tai!
A few words from Taiwanese-American writer Lydia Tai: “I write as not only a coping mechanism for my mental health but also to express my creativity through the English language and interpret the world as I see it.”

For more of Lydia’s work, please visit:

http://heroinchic.weebly.com/blog/poetry-by-lydia-tai

And be sure to follow Lydia on Twitter and Instagram!

About our Guest Reader: Brenda Zamora is an L.A. based actor recently seen in The Laundromat, now on Netflix! Follow her adventures on Instagram!

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Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets and writers from all walks of life.

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive-…

https://youtu.be/jUHTJeUM4e8

Hello all! The first of multiple episodes coming this week! Today we present the poetry of Huda Tariq!

About the Author: Huda Tariq hails all the way from Pakistan. She has done her Graduation in Botany (Biology) and is dedicated to serving in the field of Education. “I absolutely love to write, all day every day, irrespective of genres or platforms and I love to surround myself with infinite emotions and feelings. Though I am not a big famous writer, I believe I will be. I have been published in different magazines and journals respectively. To enjoy and have a peek at my precious pieces you can follow my Instagram where I regularly post my work on Instagram!” https://www.instagram.com/huda.ht/

About our Guest Reader: Brenda Zamora is an L.A. based actor recently seen in The Laundromat, now on Netflix! Follow her adventures on Instagram!

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Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets and writers from all walks of life. Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction!

https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive-…

https://youtu.be/YggYAGGCbCo

Subscribe Today!

Back at it again. Moving forward with audio only versions of these ramblings. I meditate on my hesitation to keep growing the Write/Rec Lab. I am relieved to vent about this, because I don’t want to let any of my collaborators down. Sometimes, if you take on too much, you need accept breaks. I may record this again to get to the point faster, so definitely don’t listen to this. This is actually a rambling I’m proud of, so I’m going to let it live out here in the open.
But before you go, just remember I believe in you and your creativity. Your creative soul has worth, and we need it now more than ever.

Much love,

j

https://cruzfolio.com/the-writing-record/

An update on what’s going on at the Write/Rec Lab!

Where did January go? I’m still unpacking 2020 and was supposed to be getting my shit together. Here’s what we have been working on this month:

• Talked to Erin yesterday, we’re going to work on an audio monologue perhaps about yoga and the elitism, cultish nature of the industry, and other quirks. Will create google doc for us to start fiddling around. Will be an interesting challenge to create something aurally enticing, at the same time highlighting her insane talent as a performer. Custom monologue and new production challenges, here we come!
• This weekend, Dane found a singer from Portugal on Fiverr to sing [Poor Prometheus] and it is enchanting and surreal. I’ve never had my words sung like this, and it was incredibly special. We have to deliberate and bring Ahren into the conversation whether this will be a good fit for the production or not. Lots to discuss. Ahren is hard at work on rendering and doing such an amazing job making the layers of the animation rich and exciting. This is a dream project come true.
• Hopefully in the next month or so once the schedules line up, we should be starting a children’s book project with my dear friends Dani and Trevor. A little big tale close to my heart tentatively titled, The Big Friendship Flight. I can’t wait to start collaborating with these brilliant creative and driven minds.
• Dust sent along the demo we recorded of, Cutter, the latest demo we recorded at his studio last week. It has some work but a great foundation. We spent a good hour originating a few ideas and I have some homework: to write two lyrics in the coming weeks with the kind of heartbreak or despair that one would hear in a song by Saliva. I’m really psyched about this because Dust is a phenomenal musician and I refuse to give him shitty lyrics.
• Brenda’s focusing on auditions in L.A., but she just recorded a few episodes of Creative Drive and killed it. We’re working on getting her new mic setup so she’s pretty excited about that. I wrote her a short audio monologue that I’m hoping we can produce in the next month or so. All things at their own pace.
• I’ve been thinking of Star Wars lately, thanks to a suggestion Anthony mentioned about hoping to do like a short homage film set in the planet Hoth. We’ll see if we can start scheming something. Treading into such fervent fandom is a bit intimidating and the lore is just overwhelming, but at least I can push myself out of my comfort zone to do something awesome.
• I’ll be following up with Jason about his short film project, as well as Kari and Craig about our zoom project, see if we can pick up where we left off now that 2021 is here!
• I’ve been meaning to design a cover for my dad’s singles, which will be coming out sometime in the next few months. I’m digging up some photos of him and trying to create something in the traditional mold of Mexican music. We’ll see what I can come up with, so that I can release his music online. He’s done covers of American country songs. Really happy that I can do this for him and get his music out there. He’s my hero.
• No Writing Record Episode this month but will get back to it once the work schedule gets back to normal.
• My son and I are chipping away, fashioning buildings and structures and monoliths in Minecraft’s creative mode. Nothing like getting to have a good time with my boy. I’m never short of inspiration around him.

It only took fifteen years or so, but this year is finally starting off the way I intended because for once, I am looking out and beyond myself. This year is indeed starting on the right foot, and I can’t thank my family and friends enough for that! Anyway, the year is long and I vow to reach out to more friends and bring more creative perspectives into the fold. As we pursue community, we have to remember that we don’t have to look very far. I know where my people are: they are here, at the ready, a multitude, offering support and art and joy. Now it’s my turn to give in return. Stay tuned for what’s to come! Check out our recent podcast episodes because there is a lot of new stuff over there.

Much love,

j

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Hey friends,

Welcome to Our Kid’s Asleep, where Madd and I discuss three topics over wine, or catch up with friends, or both. (and yes, our kid recorded the theme song).

Today’s guest is the one and only Dom Gordon, here to tell us about his new poetry collection, Melanin Muse, available now!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S8PK5W6/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_rGreGb6AQ8GGZ

We also throwback to our great times at Casper College, where we all met, as well as why Dom has a grudge against Maddie that now extends to my kid too.

Thanks for listening and much love!

J&M

We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to air your grievances at ourkidsasleep@gmail.com If you can, please subscribe, rate and review: It would help us tremendously!

Subscribe Today!

Hello all!

We have a great episode (part 1 of 2!) showcasing an amazing talent: A. Whittenberg!

A Whittenberg is a Philadelphia native who has a global perspective. If she wasn’t an author she’d be a private detective or a jazz singer. She loves reading about history and true crime. Her other novels include Sweet Thang, Hollywood and Maine, Life is Fine, Tutored and The Sane Asylum.

Support this writer here! https://www.amazon.com/Allison-Whittenberg/e/B001HD23P4%3F

Brenda Zamora is an L.A. based actor recently seen in The Laundromat, now on Netflix! Follow her adventures on Instagram!

Music featured: Chromatic Waves by Joel Loopez | Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7413-chromatic-waves | License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets and writers from all walks of life. Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction!

https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive-…

https://youtu.be/s_Euk3xi8GA

Subscribe Today!

Hello there!

Welcome to the international showcase of writers from all walks of life! Today it’s my pleasure to present poetry by Dr. Thomas Davison. Thank you for sharing your work with us!

Dr. Davison is teaching at two all-male prison facilities in Northern Ohio. He has been deeply moved by his interactions with incarcerated students and has been motivated to create poems and short stories about these experiences. Thomas has started a non-profit dedicated to providing free one-on-one support services for felons. You can view more of his published work at: https://thomasdavisoncom.wordpress.com

COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR

TAKING A WALK IN MY YARD THIS MORNING: The State prison culture is unique. The felons live by their own code and set of values. There is no better place to observe this – then in the prison Yard. The following poem Taking a Walk in My Yard This Morning best captures what it truly feels like – for me. The prison ‘pecking order’ is complex and fluid. As you probably can imagine – there are some very hard people on the inside. The prison Yard is an integral part of prison life. It is the place where reputations are made – and lost. It is where leaders are crowned – and dethroned. It is where all social activities have their origins – and their endings. This is where individuals and gangs have their battles – and wars. Trips to everything important in a felon’s life: visitation, mess hall, chapel, etc., all pass through the Yard.

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY HOUSE: Like most people I want to believe that I am a good judge of character. I have spent most of my adult life working with young men. In the US Army, with my son’s and grandson’s boy scout troops, with inner city college students, and with incarcerated felons. I also want to believe that I am a realist. There is no doubt that I am an optimist. I’m one of those folks who is always looking for that ‘silver lining’ in any situation. I have been accused of being a Pollyanna. That is not true. I see people for what they are – but – I also see people (especially my students) for their potential – of what they can become. The prison changes all men. For some this change is for the worse. Mental health is a huge challenge within the prisons. The following poem Just Another Day in My House – is my way of accepting that for some – there is not always potential – or a silver lining. For some there is only a slow sinking into the abysmal pit of: self-despair – anger – retribution – and ultimately madness. At the risk of being referred to as ‘Captain Obvious’ – prison has a dark-side.

HOLD ON: The first thing that I ever wrote about the state prisons was the following poem called Hold On. The feelings and stress felt by the prisoners is apparent every moment of every day. Half of the prison staff and administration – that I work and talk with – on an almost daily basis – sincerely believe their role is to punish felons for their offenses to society. Whereas, the other half (just as sincerely) believe that it is their role to rehabilitate these offenders. I am reminded of a boat with rowers on both sides. One side is rowing in what they believe is the best direction for their ship. While the other side is rowing just as eagerly to a totally different direction. Result – the ship is going nowhere – it is in the middle of the ocean spinning in tight little circles. Unable to change course. We as an American Society must decide if prisons exist to rehabilitate or to punish. It can’t do both.

Previously published works: Taking a Walk in My Yard This Morning – Teach. Write. A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal Spring/Summer 2020. Just Another Day in My House – Black Petals, Issue #91, Spring, 2020

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Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets and writers from all walks of life.

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive-…

https://youtu.be/BXDlEuRhqbY

Subscribe Today!

Hello there!

Welcome to the international showcase of writers from all walks of life! Today it’s my pleasure to present poetry by Varun Amatya. Thank you for sharing your work with us!

Comments from Varun: I am 34 years old and I write from Kathmandu, a city located in Nepal. I am a Phd. candidate majoring in Development Administration Field. I have spent many years of nights in thoughts until the sun would rise. These stories in my head range from personal development to human and nation’s development. Through the medium of poetry, I was able to express my expectation from my surrounding environment and my hope for an even better world. I write to either express myself – to myself, or other times to spread a message to others who are like me and sometimes even lost in this lonely world. Today, I wrote a poem to express the need for freedom in our individual life. Freedom from work, expectations of family and the control to drive our life in our own happy manner. With this poem I wished we all had the choice to work in our own pace rather than the pace required by the outside business platform. It is about a poet’s day-dream to feel free like a bird with the whole sky as its playing field.

Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets and writers from all walks of life.

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive-…

https://youtu.be/uW-IEa1noF4

Subscribe Today!

Hi everyone,

I recorded an episode last week but I hated doing it on my phone (now posted on youtube), so here’s a better recap of 2020, what I’ve learned three months into the Write/Rec Lab, as well as some words of encouragement to any of you about to start on your creative journey.
Let’s kick ass this year!

Much love,

j

Check out https://cruzfolio.com/the-writing-record/ to subscribe and review the podcast, I would greatly appreciate it!

J. Alejandro on Twitter @jwriterec!

https://youtu.be/i_II44obKvE

Hello everyone!

As we close 2020, I’d like to announce the next chapter of the podcast:

We would like to introduce Fuerza Creativa! This new podcast will be the Spanish counterpart of Creative Drive, where we will showcase more amazing poetry and short fiction from all over the world! Disfruten el primer episodio en Fuerza Creativa!

Título: El enigma de los tornillos Autor: Antonio Rolando Arenas

Obtuvo el título de Master of Arts with a Major in Modern Languages en Almeda University (USA, 2010), es Diplomado en Gestión Pública de la Provincia de Mendoza por la Escuela de Gobierno y Administración de la provincia de Mendoza – FCPyS, UN de Cuyo (Mendoza, 2012), es Profesor de Lengua y Literatura para el tercer ciclo de la EGB de la Educación Polimodal por el Instituto Superior del Profesorado PT-14 Escuela Italiana (Mendoza, 2013) y es Diplomado en Historia Argentina en Latinoamérica por la Escuela de Gobierno y Administración de la provincia de Mendoza-Instituto de Revisionismo Histórico Argentino e Iberoamericano Manuel Dorrego (Mendoza, 2015). Recibió el diploma del Curso Profesional de Analista Químico. Neptunos Formación. España, 2018.

Publicó el libro Interrogantes, el libro La página del buffet; una publicación literaria diferente y el libro Diálogos internos.

El Juego de los errores disponible en Barnes & Noble!

https://youtu.be/v_Jz45BoZto

Y tambien disponible en Facebook!

Oh, right. I forgot about posting this one. Here’s my latest collaboration with Wyoming Dance Arts to celebrate the Holidays: Fragments of Christmas!

All the best and Happy Holidays!

j & co.

https://youtu.be/DTqFLWGC1eI

BIG EPISODE TODAY, WE MADE IT TO 50!

We’d like to thank you so much for taking the time to listen in so far, and this is just the beginning! Today we’re joined by our amazing friends Ashley and Chris to talk about some heavyweight topics:

• Experiences in dog fostering.
• Hamilton! Finally we can catch up on the musical’s lasting impressions.
• A television program that forged friendships: The Office!

Come join us on this special episode, and once again, thanks for listening!
Much love,
J&M

We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to air your grievances at ourkidsasleep@gmail.com If you can, please subscribe, rate and review: It would help us tremendously!

Subscribe Today!

Podcast available on:

Hello all!

So happy to present 3 poems by Nayanjyoti Baruah!

FROM THE POET: I’m Nayanjyoti Baruah, from Assam, India. I’m pursuing M.A. in English Literature from Gauhati University. My poems have been appeared in Tayls, Rasa Literary Review, Felicity, Akhore, Meghali Budhidrom, The Fiction Project, A Too Powerful Word, Necro Magazine etc. I’m the Co-author of The Bag of Knowledge. I’ve written two essays and four short stories as well.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nayanjyoti2544/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nayanjyoti.baruah.3745

Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets from all walks of life.
Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/
Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/creative-drive-podcast/

https://youtu.be/uoWdyMG3OUs

The Writing Record now available on:

Hello friends!

If you don’t want to watch, here’s what I was reminded of this week:

• This week I challenged my workflow. It is hard to impose or question the way you do things, but being objective is half the battle.
• Break the week apart to see what you can get done on certain days. This may vary depending on your work schedule.
• Read to your partner. Have them read to you. Build something with your kids.

Much love,

j

Let’s connect!

https://www.instagram.com/writerec

https://cruzfolio.com/the-writing-record/

https://youtu.be/Qptc0pXlTm0

• I was inspired by a tweet shared by writer Susana Ramirez (previously featured on Creative Drive!). We needed to incorporate these three things: Crib, Tree, Shoe. I had to solve the puzzle. I had to make a narrative around it. So I scribbled together a flash fiction story! Thanks for allowing me to gather the pieces into something exciting!
• I went down the youtube and podcasting rabbit hole and found some tremendous guidance from Seth Godin. Loved this recent interview where he dropped some knowledge on working out our craft in the open.
• I succumbed to Audible and got us a Premium Plus. Alright Amazon, take my ears too. I guess I’ll be listening to some Seth Godin books ASAP!
• So here we go, I’m so happy to present my debut poetry collection! Flame to the Watering Hole is an assortment of my favorite moments of poetry of the last few years. I’m so thrilled to share it with you all!
• And do yourselves a favor: Read to your partner this weekend. Have them read to you. It’s medicine.

Happy Friday, friends. Much love,

j

Hello all!

It’s a pleasure to present Michele Mekel’s poetry today!

ABOUT THE POET: Living in Happy Valley, Michele Mekel wears many hats of her choosing: writer and editor; educator and bioethicist; poetess and creatrix; cat herder and chief can opener; witch and woman; and, above all, human. Her work has appeared in various academic and creative publications, including having her poetry featured on Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac. She is also a co-principal investigator for the Viral Imaginations: COVID-19 project (viralimaginations.psu.edu).

Viral Imaginations: viralimaginations.psu.edu

On Instagram! @ShaktiEnergy

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Creative Drive is an international podcast produced by J. Alejandro to bring visibility to poets from all walks of life.

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/

https://youtu.be/kptoHKIPBAQ

Hello all!
Today we’re dropping some lessons learned about our foray into audiobook narration, specifically, about a tough lesson we learned working through ACX.

Also, Madd just finished reading Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. A thrilling look at the search for the Golden State Killer!

We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to air your grievances at ourkidsasleep@gmail.com And if you can subscribe, rate and review, it would help us tremendously!

Much love,

J&M

More episodes here! https://cruzfolio.com/our-kids-asleep-podcast/

Hello all! Welcome to The Writing Record, a creative journal in podcast form where I share lessons I am learning along the way as a working class creative. I am here to write, record, and remind you that I believe in you and your work. This month has been tough, but I am walking away with some fundamental guidance to become more effective as a writer and creative collaborator. If you don’t want to listen, here’s the gist:

1. Walking the talk is way harder than I thought, but doing it is pure joy, especially when you commit to helping others with their creative work.

2. Champion yourself. Believe in what you have to offer and say. Don’t be like me and half ass things for years. You are built to share your art with the world.

Also check out my debut poetry Collection, Flame to the Watering Hole! https://www.amazon.com/Flame-Watering…

Make art, make haste. Much love,

j

Let’s connect!

https://www.instagram.com/writerec

https://twitter.com/jwriterec

https://cruzfolio.com/writerec/

https://youtu.be/kq4I1V9Zy5A

Hello all! Today we feature the work of Alexander Limarev!

1. Did the little boy exist?

2. I am alive

3. Predestined

About the Poet: Alexander Limarev, freelance artist, mail art artist, curator, poet, photographer from Siberia / Russia. Participated in more than 900 international projects and exhibitions. His artworks are part of private and museum collections of 64 countries. His artworks as well as poetry have been featured in various online publications including UNDERGROUNDBOOKS.ORG, BUKOWSKI ERASURE POETRY ANTHOLOGY (Silver Birch Press), NOKTURNO.FI, StyleBlueprint, TUCK MAGAZINE, ANGRY OLD MAN MAGAZINE, CALIBAN ONLINE MAGAZINE, GALLERY & STUDIO ARTS JOURNAL, MAINTENANT etc.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/alexander.li…

Blog: http://parallels2000.blogspot.com/201…

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction! https://cruzfolio.com/you/

Acepto poesia y relatos cortos en español! https://cruzfolio.com/fuerza-creativa/

For more information about the podcast, visit https://cruzfolio.com/

https://youtu.be/sDalR17mzcs

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Hello all!

On this week of gratitude, I’m delighted to share 3 poems by Daniel Damiano, from his poetry collection, 104 Days of the Pandemic. This collection provides us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the emotions of the pandemic through an assortment of delicate and ferocious moments captured daily since March. Thanks for sharing your work with us, Daniel!

About Daniel: Daniel Damiano is an Award-winning Playwright, Screenwriter, Actor, Poet and Novelist based in Brooklyn, NY.  His plays have been produced in many areas of the U.S. as well as London, England and Sydney & Melbourne, Australia, and his poetry has been published in Crooked Teeth Literary Magazine, Newtown Literary Journal, New Voices Anthology, Cloudbank and HotMetal Press.  He has been nominated for Pushcart Prize for Poetry and was a Finalist for the Arts and Letters Prize in Drama. His acclaimed play, “Day of the Dog”, was published in 2018 by Broadway Play Publishing.  In 2020, he completed his first novel, “The Woman in the Sun Hat”, as well as a book of poetry, “104 Days of the Pandemic.”

For more information, please visit www.danieldamiano.com

Now accepting 3 poems or flash fiction!

And accepting Spanish submissions too!

https://youtu.be/D7__k16v0F8

Hello all!
So let’s talk about three things real quick:

• Have you heard about belly button stones? Maddie tells us all about it. And Jaime can’t stand it.
• Want to hear about the upcoming shitstorm that is Thanksgiving during COVID season? You don’t have a choice, here are a few thoughts on the matter.
• And to end on good news, we’d like to share a few updates on our audio projects. Lots of fun stuff coming soon!!

In case we don’t talk to you this week, enjoy this time, reflect, and stay safe.
Much love,

J&M

https://cruzfolio.com/our-kids-asleep-podcast/

I’ve had the great pleasure of knowing Ahren since High School. This person, this peculiar and inventive theater kid made such an impression on me as I tried to find my footing in those days. There is no doubt in my mind my creative life would be catastrophically duller and unfulfilled if it weren’t for this incredible human being. Whenever I look back on how we started our creativity, I discover new eureka moments that still inform how I collaborate and make art today. Ahren has always been a true hyphenate; a tech theatre guy, performer, musician, designer and curious creative soul. From our early days performing interpretive duets at Speech & Debate tournaments in high school, or acting at our Shakespearean finest our Senior year, to really committing to a long-distance songwriting collaboration with our band For The Benefit, we learned to trust each other and pushed to ask bold questions of each other. Since then, Ahren has become a brilliant set designer, visual thinker, and multimedia artist for the stage. I am so wowed by his work that it’s so rewarding for me to have experienced his progression from such an early time of exploration. Time flies, and so here we are, almost two decades later, continuing such a wonderful friendship that inspires me more by the day to bring my best to my work as well.

Thank you for all you’ve given me and all you continue to bring to my life, dear friend.

---

THE PRESENT: A SMALL PROJECT ABOUT A ROBOT

A short while ago, we rekindled our creative interaction with a flashback project I thought could use another stab. A final stab. In 2005, I wrote a story song about a character named Prometheus, a robot with an existential dilemma to solve. Back then, the version I did left a lot to be desired, and I didn’t get around to creating the visual component needed to fully flesh out the character. So looking back, I thought, this could be a good starter project for Ahren and I to freely explore and design without expectation. I hope to bring more details to this page as developments arise!

Much love,

j

[POOR PROMETHEUS] TIMELINE

• 2005: I wrote the song in 2005 based on a childhood character of mine called Captain Condor, who was a loyal robot betrayed by humans and left to ponder his dramatic purpose. I eventually recorded the song and released it under the Cultured Animal album, “Headphone Music for Nowhere People.”

• End of 9/2020: Ahren and I had a few chats to discuss potential short form projects.

• 10/2020: Settled on [Poor Prometheus], a robot’s tale that would give us a strong visual for Ahren to play and build upon.

• 11/2020: The 2005 recording of the song leaves a lot to be desired. I recorded the vocals on my old eMac (hella old and you could hear my AC going too, jfc). Re-did the vocals in early November after finding the original garage band files. Reached out to my musician friends Dane and Dust to potentially record a new bass line and add completely new arrangements to the existing synth, vocals, and beat. We’re working on that now!

• 11/23/20: Ahren send me the first minute of rough animation. The pacing, the look, and overall tone of the piece are set. Ahren’s a visual master and you will be able to see his unique point of view on full display with this piece!

• December 2020: Sporadic communication due to holidays. Dane, like a musical machine, took the original surviving tracks from garage band 2005 file and really swung for the fences, in the best possible way. So thrilled for this reinvention. Ahren created more layers to capture the look of the world and character. First team meeting scheduled for January.

• Early January: Just met today via Zoom. It was a complete joy of mine to bring two best friends of mine from two different parts of my life to collaborate on this project. We discussed the roadmap to get this beast done, and Ahren will be working on completing the rough visuals to better prepare the sound mix and musical arrangements. Really getting a sense of the gravity and intensity of these two talents coming together to bring this character and world to life. Can’t wait for everyone to see this!

• Late January: Animation is mostly locked. It’s a beast of a piece so it will take a little while to render, but the design is looking phenomenal. The three of us are currently trying to finalize the vocals and lock the musical arrangement for the piece. Stay tuned!

FOR THE BENEFIT

Just a few songs for old times’ sake…

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUYc3up0cv57-nviZEg59leRUGx0E5W5Z

A collaboration a long time coming.

I met Dust during my time at Casper College, what seems like ages ago. He has always been a figure of inspiration in my life, and looking back, I realize how fortunate I am to find myself collaborating with him now. We’ve been trying to start an EP album, with Dust providing his epic guitar playing skills for us to build on (there is really no other way to do this, Dust playing guitar is a supremely inspiring thing). Most of this summer has been a stop and go endeavor, but we’ve been in touch about what kind of songwriting collaboration we want and what is most pressing on our minds. The idea of loss was a constant in our conversations, as Dust lost a friend to suicide last year. Things of such gravity need to be synthesized, and he felt he wanted to honor his friend in this way. With our first single, Black Road, we used a demo of Dust’s as a building block, and I challenged myself to write a story for that recording. When I first heard the track, I knew we could use it as a starting point to capture some of the emotional hardship Dust experienced.

It happened very quickly, but right now, it’s exactly what we need to get back to creative ways. Sometimes, we shouldn’t overthink the work. It’s our job to do. This recording was exactly what we needed to jumpstart the collab, and now we’re in the process of hashing out the next one! We’re hoping to get back to our Village Inn brainstorming breakfasts to figure out the next creative project. For now, long distance collaboration via email will have to suffice.

STREAM TODAY ON YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM!

https://songwhip.com/cruzandjonez/black-road

https://youtu.be/HHl4dUvxLSc

THE LATEST UPDATES

• 11.14.20: Dust sent along an idea to start working on lyrics for our second song. The demo is about minute or so, but strong enough that I can start writing to. Once we have something, we’re going to invite our pal Dane to give us an extra boost. Great sounds unfolding!
• 11.21.20: Wrote up some lyrics I really like based on Dust’s demo. Tentatively calling it “Cerulean.”
• 11.22.20: Quick discussion with Dust re: album goals and getting the word out. We’re hoping to have four more songs by the end of the year, and pass on some things for our friend Dane to join the fray. Discussed other song ideas and the possibility of a streamed performance early next year. Also, we probably have to change the collab name to add Dane. Sucks to get a new name, but quite psyched to keep the momentum and bringing a new friend. But so far so good!
• 12.21.20: December was a month of long days at work for both of us, but we have continued our back and forth. Dane got us his version of Black Road, which was sick. We’re hoping to record some live sessions and so once we have three or four more songs, we’ll be capturing some performances. Worked on a few lyrics for Dust, and we’re emailing off and on about the music part (which I happily entrust to Dust because he’s a musical machine). Wish us luck!

Came down with something early last week and it derailed my podcasting plans. Feeling a bit better, so here’s this week’s show a few days late!

On this one I’m talking to myself about being accommodating to my awesome friends/collaborators, the perils of shifting expectations, and once again, project no budget setbacks. You know, the stuff working class creatives have to deal with.

Much love,

j

https://cruzfolio.com/the-writing-record/

Hello all! Trying out some video for the Creative Drive Podcast! Here’s a short story I wrote a few months ago, I’m working my way back into writing fiction, so here it goes! If you’re a writer with a day-job, I’d love to know what you’re up to and how you’re holding up in the throes of every day chaos. Submit your poetry and flash fiction today and I’d love to share it on the podcast! Send in your short works today!

Much love,

j

Hey all! I recorded this on Friday 10.16.20 because the schedule was a little wonky, but alas. I’ve had a week of deep thought and realignment. Have you ever felt like things were going swimmingly only to realize things are actually the opposite of that? This week has reminded me to never forget my North Star, my family, over work or art. Things are good, but I can do better.

Be honest with yourself and own up to your shortcomings so that you can fix them. Mine is time management. I can’t serve myself, my family, or my friends/collaborators this way and I have to work harder at it.

Much love,

j

This is where we collaborate: https://idlewy.blog/the-writing-record/

https://www.instagram.com/writerec/

https://youtu.be/-t4OM1oXyTs

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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https://youtu.be/KDOcx_Tk8s0

Our entry for the #myrodereel2020 short film competition!

A man in a forest, tortured by flashes of war and the joy of a child, must overcome his own demons and find a clearing before it’s too late.

Co-Directed by: Anthony Stengel and Jaime Cruz Written by: Jaime Cruz DP, Editor, Colorist: Anthony Stengel Man: Justin Wentz Lily: Kathryn Wentz Anthony Stengel

CLICK TO VOTE NOW ON THE RODE COMPETITION WEBSITE!

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Anthony Stengel is an award winning filmmaker and director based in Wyoming. He works as a freelance filmmaker and owns Stengel Media, a video production company which specializes in branded content, commercial and corporate work, documentary, and narrative filmmaking. Follow Anthony on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user65850873 Follow Anthony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonysten… For work inquiries: https://stengelmedia.com

Jaime Alejandro Cruz is a writer, podcaster, and arts advocate based in Wyoming. He currently produces The Writing Record and Creative Drive, podcasts to showcase and encourage the creativity of artists with day-jobs.

Happy Monday!

Here’s a fresh rambling on the most recent barriers to creativity. Also, I don’t want to do a video version of The Writing Record so I won’t be sharing the video version on the blog. Sadly, I don’t have time and it’s not bringing anything to the YouTube channel. Here are my reminders to myself this week:

• Planning is important. Not getting distracted may be even more important.
• Weekends and days off are for rest. But they are also there for you to get shit done. Don’t make a mistake like I did and let your days off fly by.

Much love,

j

https://idlewy.blog/

https://www.instagram.com/writerec/

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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Hello one and all!

Today we feature once again a friend of the show: Zach Murphy!

Zach Murphy is a Hawaii-born writer with a background in film. His stories have appeared in Peculiars Magazine, Ellipsis Zine, Emerge Literary Journal, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, Ghost City Review, Lotus-eater, WINK, Drunk Monkeys, and Fat Cat Magazine. He lives with his wonderful wife Kelly in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Also, check out Zach’s movie review website: http://fadetozach.blogspot.com/

Thanks for sharing your work with us once again, Zach! Always welcome!

If you’d like to hear your short works of poetry, flash fiction, and dramatic writing on the podcast, submit your short work today at: https://idlewy.blog/you/

Don’t be idle, make art! Much love,

j

Listen on iTunes

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Listen on Overcast

Setbacks is the name of the game this week, but I am feeling good nonetheless. Using bullet points moving forward because it is faster, I can share my victories/updates, and it forces me to confront my failures and see where I need to improve. So far this week:

• I failed. I did not complete the ten minute script for Craig and Kari this weekend. I can blame the kitchen sink, or the unnecessary video editing podcast experiment on Monday, or the workweek, but no: I did this to myself. I didn’t prioritize and gave in to a weekend of lethargy. I am hoping tonight’s the night and I will hash out a script from the outline I already have. I just need two hours or so. A few days may have passed me by, but the worst thing I can do is surrender the momentum. I refuse to capitulate!
• When I finished the podcast episodes on Monday morning, I took a few minutes to lay down vocals for a demo my friend Dust and I have been working on for a while. Really proud of the lyrics, considering I wrote them late at night last week. This is the hopeful beginning of an EP collaboration!
• New short film project coming along! First meeting went well with Jason, Dane, and myself. Reaching out to Jason this weekend about the storyboards and location scouting taking place in Laramie. We’ll see what the timeframe for this will be.
• Forwarded a few ideas to my friend Ahren to consider doing animated interludes. I think we can get him on board for acting stuff too, so we’ll see how he feels about it.
• I tried doing a video version of The Writing Record. I hated it. It’s not right for the show for some reason. But at least I figured out a multi-cam setup that works pretty well. In the future, I just have to pare down the video editing time because I can’t invest the hours into something that will look decent.
• The Write/Rec Lab page doesn’t look lively enough. There’s a lot happening. I just need a better way to lay it out as a hub to showcase the spinning plates! I’m thinking of doing short videos about each video, like a progress report? Can’t visualize it yet. more to come!
• Due to my work schedule, writing poetry consistently may be my most immediate way to get some writing in: Lunchtime, or winding down in the evening after the kid’s asleep may be the best time. Must. Write. It. In. The. Calendar.
• Lastly, ICYMI, Anthony and I’s short film SEEK is now live on the Rode Film Competition website. I’m hoping to have a conversation with Anthony in the near future about the production process and how we collaborated on this great film that we are both so proud of! If you get a chance, please click on the link and vote!!! https://myrodereel.com/watch/9889

Much love,

j

Separated children at the border. I think of them often and there they remain. It’s been so long for them, they will not remember their parents’ faces, if they see them again.

We are lost.

Horror cotidiano.

https://i.imgur.com/WoU7mq5.png

The Writing Record in Video Form. What a clusterfuck.

I tried to record it this way a second time just to get it out of my system, and believe me, it will be out of my system soon. Being short on time requires me to start making concessions and streamlining the process. ADDING a video component, as much as I really want to, is probably not going to be feasible at this time. It will be incredibly fun to do video podcasting for some behind the scenes interviews we have planned, but right now, video is just eating my time to be writing. So we’ll see what happens.

I said I wasn’t going to edit it, but I edited some of it. You win this time, podcast.

Much love,

j

https://youtu.be/nrao35jNRvc

Hey, it’s been a while! OKA IS BACK!

So… Maddie’s been off social media after watching The Social Dilemma, come join us in our chat about the destructive nature of social media, and what else to do in your spare time! We’ve missed you, dear friends.

Much love,

j

Tell us how you’re staying afloat now that the world is on fire at: ourkidsasleep@gmail.com

https://youtu.be/KuUzBIBc3zg

Experiment time! I rounded up some of my gear and recorded a video episode! You should probably watch it instead as I am not sure if the audio only version makes sense on its own, sorry! Trial and error happening at the moment!

A chaos weekend of creativity unfolded and this is the aftermath.

Also, I learned:

• The video camera definitely messed with me, I guess I needed the practice after all! I really want to work on my content structure. Video content YouTube style needs more of a structure than audio, it seems.
• Video editing is a blast, but takes forever. I’m seriously wanting to do more absurd cuts Vic Berger style, that man is a genius. Still unsure which way to go with this, more video content for the podcasts? Or nay? We’ll see.
• You get your inner peace, your hope, your drive, from helping others. If you’re an artist/creator, your time is now: Go make something.

This is how I plan to handle multiple projects. Looking forward to working with my friends on so much fun stuff!!

Much love,

j

Twitter: @jwriterec

Instagram: @writerec

So it’s been ages since I’ve been in front of the camera, and since I plan to do some video work for the YouTube Channel and upcoming collaborations, I said to myself: what the hell? Let’s overcome these on-camera jitters and record something for the blog to see if I can get some practice. I gotta tell you, it’s way more bizarre to stare into that lens than I recalled…

So this time around I’m refining my schpiel about the Write/Rec Lab and share some collaboration plans for the weekend, as well as rambling about the mission statement: To rebuild my creative community, and lift my collaborators so we can create content and material that is bigger than any one of us!

I just grabbed my GH4 and strapped the Rode VideoMic on and started recording. One good thing about this exercise is that I have missed hitting that REC button and am reconsidering my initial desire to sell and downsize on video gear. We shall see!

Oh, and if you clicked this on accident and don’t know what the hell is happening, check out the Write/Rec Lab section for more info: https://idlewy.blog/writerec/

Ugh, here we go! Maybe I’ll feel more comfortable in the next one!

https://youtu.be/iNkptshTfOQ

Hello all!

Today we feature a novel excerpt from Aisha Urooj’s My Dear Ellie! Check it out!

Aisha Urooj lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and graduated with her Bachelors from University College, University of Toronto. She grew up loving classic books and getting lost in the intriguing characters and compelling stories. She writes mostly as a hobby along with painting and photography. She hopes that those that read her book will enjoy it as much as she did writing it.

She is currently working on her second novel tentatively titled “Eleanor’s Travels”, chronicling Ellie’s travels around the world, an extraordinary gift from Ellie’s parents on her twenty-first birthday.

Where to find her online!

www.goodreads.com/aishaurooj

 http://aishauroojbooks.wordpress.com

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083JJK8TY

Thanks for sharing your work with us, Aisha!

Produced by J. Alejandro @jwriterec

https://idlewy.blog/writerec/

Much love,

j