Hi there, I hope your month of April went well. I am not sure why but It seemed like a fast month. Here are a few things that caught my eye this month:
Mario Mode
Early in April we celebrated my oldest son’s 11th birthday. One of his requests for his birthday was to see the new Mario Bros movie. It was an entertaining experience and definitely brought back the nostalgia of my childhood.
I was 5 years old the Christmas of 1985. Nintendo had just released the Nintendo Entertainment System (N.E.S.) and my parents had gifted it to their five children. I can vividly remember watching my older brother begin playing and waiting patiently for my turn. Needless to say, over the coming years I invested many hours of my childhood into our N.E.S. (but thankfully no where near the 8 hours the average teenager today spends on a screen.)
Shigeru Miyamoto, one of the creators of the Mario Bros said:
“I think that inside every adult is the heart of a child. We just gradually convince ourselves that we have to act more like adults.”
I think the heart of the artist is a childlike heart. Staying connected to that childlike heart is key for staying in touch with one’s creativity, playfulness, curiosity and openness. Miyamoto’s quote sounds similar to what Picasso said along the same lines:
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching my boys play their various Mario games on the Nintendo Switch they recently got for Christmas. My younger son and I have even been making some Mario inspired drawings together - images below.
Little Sketchbooks
Several years ago I got in the habit of keeping a little notebook with me at all times. I use the notebooks for making lists of things to do, writing down ideas, doodling and anything else I do not want to forget. My favorite notebooks to use in the past were Aaron Draplin’s Field Notes brand as they are great quality.
A few years ago I had the idea to order some blank little notebooks (3.5 x 5 in.) in bulk from Scout Book. My plan was to design the covers and sell them. Unfortunately the designs I initially tried didn’t go as planned, which has left me with quite a few blank little notebooks (which is quite alright with me.)
For 2023, I have decided to fill one each month. The image above shows my January through April (left to right) so far. Each month gets a different cover collaged on it and gets filled with all things pertinent for that month. If you need a little notebook with blank pages, let me know.
Music of the month: R.E.M.
During the early 90’s, the Athens, Georgia based band R.E.M. was growing in popularity. My older sister was a big fan of the band which helped me get familiar with some of their music. For the month of April, I decided to take a deep dive into the albums of R.E.M.
In my opinion, R.E.M. peaked musically in the 90’s with their albums Out of Time, Automatic for the People, and Monster. I remember taking guitar lessons while in middle school and asking my instructor (who went by “Tige” as in short for Tiger) if he could teach me “What’s The Frequency Kenneth” - he was not successful.
A few of my favorite R.E.M. songs:
It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
What’s The Frequency Kenneth?
Man On The Moon
The One I Love
Strange Currencies
Other random facts about R.E.M.
R.E.M. formed in 1980, the same year I was born.
Lead singer, Michael Stipe is a big fan of “outsider art” and even used a painting by the well known self-taught artist and Baptist preacher Howard Finster for the cover of the “Reckoning” album.
The song “Shiny Happy People” was originally intended to be the theme song for the iconic television show Friends but R.E.M. rejected Warner Bros. request and gave the spot to The Rembrandt’s catchy song “I’ll be there for you.”
A long time ago, I was shopping for shoes and the the store clerk asked me if anyone has told me I looked like Michael Stipe (the lead singer for R.E.M.) - which I replied “No.” I am assuming it was our similar hair style or lack there of.
Thanks for reading and spending your time here. I hope your May 2023 is a great month and like this little flower (I saw after picking up carry out Chipotle) - keep growing where you are no matter what.
Take care and keep any eye out for anything interesting.