26 December 2010
06 December 2010
WakiLeaks - Capitalism gone amuck, crashes in on itself
In the new fertile grounds of government betrayal, the principles of commerce follow old rules, sensationalism, gossip, exploitation and greed.
Wiki Leaks, in an imagined noble crusade, seek to inspire a more open government thru thievery and the distortion of the first amendment. Their "innovative" platform, presented under the guise of "supporting human rights, bringing important news and information to the public and improving historical records" offers "would be" investigative reporters, journalists, anonymous sources and pretty much anyone else, but most importantly themselves the opportunity for fame and personal enrichment by selling out governments, ie. "We the people" all for a buck. Ah, capitalism at work.
*Contrary to Wiki belief, the first amendment wasn't created to protect any body's right to steal... secrets or anything else.
The law of cause and effect... the only way to know what you want is to know what you don't want. It's ironic that we only suffer at the hands of each other.
AMiles, The American Evolution
Wiki Leaks, in an imagined noble crusade, seek to inspire a more open government thru thievery and the distortion of the first amendment. Their "innovative" platform, presented under the guise of "supporting human rights, bringing important news and information to the public and improving historical records" offers "would be" investigative reporters, journalists, anonymous sources and pretty much anyone else, but most importantly themselves the opportunity for fame and personal enrichment by selling out governments, ie. "We the people" all for a buck. Ah, capitalism at work.
*Contrary to Wiki belief, the first amendment wasn't created to protect any body's right to steal... secrets or anything else.
The law of cause and effect... the only way to know what you want is to know what you don't want. It's ironic that we only suffer at the hands of each other.
AMiles, The American Evolution
22 November 2010
Lesser degree of done
A lie is a lie, explicit or not
Lie to thousands, lie to one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Cheating is cheating, purposeful or not
Cheat thousands, cheat one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Stealing is stealing, deliberate or not
Steal from thousands, steal from one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Killing is killing, intentional or not
Kill thousands, Kill one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Truth is truth, understood or not
Understood by thousands, understood by one
Lesser degree of all is none
A Miles © 2010
Published: Learning to Speak
Lie to thousands, lie to one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Cheating is cheating, purposeful or not
Cheat thousands, cheat one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Stealing is stealing, deliberate or not
Steal from thousands, steal from one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Killing is killing, intentional or not
Kill thousands, Kill one
There’s no lesser degree of done
Truth is truth, understood or not
Understood by thousands, understood by one
Lesser degree of all is none
A Miles © 2010
Published: Learning to Speak
01 November 2010
Your Vote Counts
"To realize change in the body politic,
change the system not the cycle of the actors we elect"
A Miles, AE
Political drama a show unchanged since the dawn of mankind... "Your Vote Counts" evolutions battle cry. Hurry, hurry pick your actor, choose your side for the curtain will soon rise on this play within a play titled, "A System of Deception", judging life and all else by opposite gage, right and wrong, have and have-not, unable to discern the larger is none; rewarding laws of convenience in varying shades, paying no mind to universal law, the inconvenient truth of cause and effect.
Deceived, deceiver both the same side, lost in solidarity march blindly to the drum beat of individual cause, side by side, locked in battle; neither fights the larger cause of the cause.
No life can be denied at the will of another, for none holds such power to rule above others. If but one cannot be as intended, then the rest needn't be at all.
In our thoughts we hold the key to loving all humanity, when we think as one we action for all, when we think for one, we action for none.
Until such time as all think as one, our destiny, repeating history, until all are none. - "LOSE YOUR MIND AND YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF AMONG THE GREATER"
07 August 2010
Intellect and the disease of perception
There's something that scares me about the world we've imagined, something about our humanity, our sense of self and who we are to one another.
As little as three years ago my faith in humanity was absolute. I believed in an innate goodness existing within each of us, but what was once absolute is now hope and in our imagined world hope is but a mere sound bite, a means to win favor.
After the cataclysmic events of 9/11, a Light was cast upon the earth; its rays embraced every soul, individually weaving in and out, between and around the whole of humanity, illuminating our interconnectedness and shining its truth upon our existence... that we are, each of us, one heart.
But the Light that shone upon the world in that moment brightened our collective reality for what amounted to less than a second in the larger expanse of space and time. And despite other horrific events since 9/11, our global community has yet to truly understand its connection to one another, relying instead on intellect and the disease of perception.
Our world is a maze of delusion and its construction grows more and more intricate, distorting the existence of that one reality, and with it our connection to it and the greater part of ourselves. There is but one truth and one reality, to know this is to know purpose and the one heart that makes us whole.
Perception is the death of understanding purpose without intellect.
As little as three years ago my faith in humanity was absolute. I believed in an innate goodness existing within each of us, but what was once absolute is now hope and in our imagined world hope is but a mere sound bite, a means to win favor.
After the cataclysmic events of 9/11, a Light was cast upon the earth; its rays embraced every soul, individually weaving in and out, between and around the whole of humanity, illuminating our interconnectedness and shining its truth upon our existence... that we are, each of us, one heart.
But the Light that shone upon the world in that moment brightened our collective reality for what amounted to less than a second in the larger expanse of space and time. And despite other horrific events since 9/11, our global community has yet to truly understand its connection to one another, relying instead on intellect and the disease of perception.
Our world is a maze of delusion and its construction grows more and more intricate, distorting the existence of that one reality, and with it our connection to it and the greater part of ourselves. There is but one truth and one reality, to know this is to know purpose and the one heart that makes us whole.
Perception is the death of understanding purpose without intellect.
03 August 2010
http://livelovelust-media.com/L3MSpeak.aspx
"Be What you are my friend and live a life"
The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers
21 May 2010
Political Babylon
A REAL COMMENT OR A PLANT... YOU BE THE JUDGE
A TV ad titled “Obama thinks our immigration problem is funny” by Rick Scott a republican running for governor espousing change & fresh conservative ideas different than current conservative leadership (an oxymoron) prompted me to comment on his website on May 18th – to date my comment is “awaiting moderation” but here is what’s truly funny, coincidently… later that day a comment appeared basically addressing my point in a way I can only describe as suspect, a real comment or a plant? You be the judge…
Andrew Miles says: May 18, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Mr. Scott,
I just saw your immigration commercial… you know the one where you shamelessly take the words of the President of the United States of America out of context to suit your own agenda, the one where you reveal that you are NOT CHANGE, BUT SIMPLY MORE OF THE SAME, Yea that one… just wanted to say thanks for your honesty.
Buck Carter says: May 18, 2010 at 11:37 pm
I’ve been watching your ads with interest, as I found them to be respectful, respectable and above-board. Then I saw your ad stating that President Obama thinks our immigration problems are funny. I’ll bet that clip was taken totally out-of-context. I’m no Obama fan, but let’s be fair. Where did he say that? Was it at a Press Club Roast? If anything, it could be construed as him making fun of Arizona. If you are as sharp as I think you are, you don’t need to stoop to this type of campaigning. Run on your own merits, and don’t use sound bites to promote your cause.
A TV ad titled “Obama thinks our immigration problem is funny” by Rick Scott a republican running for governor espousing change & fresh conservative ideas different than current conservative leadership (an oxymoron) prompted me to comment on his website on May 18th – to date my comment is “awaiting moderation” but here is what’s truly funny, coincidently… later that day a comment appeared basically addressing my point in a way I can only describe as suspect, a real comment or a plant? You be the judge…
Andrew Miles says: May 18, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Mr. Scott,
I just saw your immigration commercial… you know the one where you shamelessly take the words of the President of the United States of America out of context to suit your own agenda, the one where you reveal that you are NOT CHANGE, BUT SIMPLY MORE OF THE SAME, Yea that one… just wanted to say thanks for your honesty.
Buck Carter says: May 18, 2010 at 11:37 pm
I’ve been watching your ads with interest, as I found them to be respectful, respectable and above-board. Then I saw your ad stating that President Obama thinks our immigration problems are funny. I’ll bet that clip was taken totally out-of-context. I’m no Obama fan, but let’s be fair. Where did he say that? Was it at a Press Club Roast? If anything, it could be construed as him making fun of Arizona. If you are as sharp as I think you are, you don’t need to stoop to this type of campaigning. Run on your own merits, and don’t use sound bites to promote your cause.
09 May 2010
A Moment
I am vibrant, I am silly, I am lost and I am found
I am certain of everything,
but nothing in particular
and I know this serves me,
for truth is abstract
and in its haze and grey matter,
I emerge knowing there is no more
beyond what I already know
Simplicity and bliss found...
if but for a Moment
A. Miles © 2009
(Image: Abstract painting by Helene Weiss circa 1980)
09 April 2010
08 April 2010
amykathryn on L3M
Tune in on Friday, April 9th for the L3M interview with amykathryn founder/designer, Amy Hall
04 April 2010
Land of the free, home of the brave?
Why are radical, anti US government groups like, Michigan based, Hutaree, referred to as "militia's"?
Let's use the right language and call them what they really are... TERRORISTS!
Southern Poverty Law Centre reports that extremists hate organizations have grown over 250% over the last year.
- Texas (52 groups including American Patriots for Freedom Foundation, Central Texas Militia, Texas Well Regulated Militia)
- Michigan (47 including Northern Michigan Backyard Protection Militia)
- California (22 including State of California Unorganized Militia, Northern California State Militia, American Armenian Militia, Freedom Force International)
- Indiana (21 including Indiana Sedentary Militia, Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, 3rd Brigade)
- New York (17 including Empire State Militia)
- Oregon (14 including Oregon Militia Corps)
- Kentucky (13 including Kentucky State Militia – Ohio Valley Command)
Let's use the right language and call them what they really are... TERRORISTS!
Southern Poverty Law Centre reports that extremists hate organizations have grown over 250% over the last year.
- Texas (52 groups including American Patriots for Freedom Foundation, Central Texas Militia, Texas Well Regulated Militia)
- Michigan (47 including Northern Michigan Backyard Protection Militia)
- California (22 including State of California Unorganized Militia, Northern California State Militia, American Armenian Militia, Freedom Force International)
- Indiana (21 including Indiana Sedentary Militia, Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, 3rd Brigade)
- New York (17 including Empire State Militia)
- Oregon (14 including Oregon Militia Corps)
- Kentucky (13 including Kentucky State Militia – Ohio Valley Command)
15 March 2010
ARTbrief: From canvas to card
ARTCards
all occassion cards
Original paintings by Helene Weiss, transformed from canvas to card!
05 March 2010
Paradigm of One
Paradigm of One
Consciousness is a paradigm of one;
It only conceives what one perceives"
©2010, ALM
Image by Helene Weiss
03 March 2010
ARTbrief: SOLD!
SOLD!
~
Helene Weiss, 1982 Figurative Masterpiece
~
"Innocence"
.
1982
Oil on canvas
Signed Weiss (lower left)
54 by 48 inches
~
27 February 2010
Spring Comes Early!
Helene Weiss "Spring Bloom, Floral Study"
Six new still life paintings, one warm reception
22 February 2010
16 February 2010
Mind Matters, the truth... sort of
Warning: Reading may cause spontaneous enlightenment or nausea & diarrhea. Other side effects include the will to learn & evolve or intensley fearing your own mind for the rest of your life. Oh, and God says hi.
"There is the real you and then there is everything else. There is no higher self or lower self, there is only you... everything else is perception"
Andrew Miles
Of Mind and Matter
The netherworld inspired lingo of higher this, lower that and other perceived intellectual verbiage used to explain the mind, amounts to little more than a hokey new age language that unnecessarily creates confusion, fear and divisiveness.
I know you think it’s cool, very now to act like you don’t know your mind, you know pretend you’re not friends and all that, but come on the whole higher self, lower self, the mind is not one of us and must be stopped mentality is counterproductive. Not to mention it goes against the whole “love thy neighbor as yourself” thing.
I mean really, dissing your own mind because it doesn’t think like you? So what if your mind made you believe last season’s Dolce was the latest fashion must have. Maybe your mind thought last season’s gear was all you could afford, ever thought of that? Anyway in the end you both agreed you looked great. Listen, bottom line, fear leads to hate and that's just whack! So I ask, for both your sakes, consider this radical thought… your mind is really you.
Although I will say this… through no fault of its own, your mind really has become a big fat liar!
Me, Myself, I… cant we just get along?
Treating your mind like an outcast in your own head, immature name calling like “ego mind”, “false mind”, etc., is mean & truthfully your minds behavior has less to do with an evil plot against you than it does with evolution and human biology.
You see your mind like your body is the product of thousands of years of evolution, ingrained deep within it, a bi-product if you will, are the many horrific experiences born of the kind of hazards one might expect when living with dinosaurs… well, that and our own lack of understanding, severely limits our access and use of the mind.
In truth the mind really is quite genius, but thanks to our pre-school level understanding and holier than thou attitude towards it, the mind is stuck in BC, consequently it functions, well, on a prehistoric level, that is, a learned behavior, one that helped us survive in that big scary, land before time. The mind is guilty of nothing more than trying to protect us (humans) from the big bad dinosaurs and the terrible possibility of being eaten alive. Sweet, right :o)
Jeffrey Dahmer notwithstanding the threat of being eaten (alive, anyway) generally doesn’t happen in our “evolved” new world. However, and here’s the not so sweet part…
Cut to our world today, You: a 21st century marvel of evolution… and your mind, well not so much. Thanks to us its evolution remains confined to its dawn of time experiences, like a broadway actor reprising an award winning performance over and over, the mind continually relives its own glory days... sans paparazzi of course, which is why you may not know this story.
See back in the day the mind was “The man”, the go to guy, the celebrity of the B.C. world, its presence and function not unlike, say a Google or a Bing (no, not the old guy who sang with the dinosaurs, the internet Bing), it (the mind) dominated… searching & finding answers, saving lives, delivering relevant thought with speed and precision, all with a kick butt take no prisoners type attitude. I mean the mind was ahead of its time… think Tiger Woods on the golf course… or the bedroom.
Don’t worry be happy
Not to worry, ever resourceful, the mind despite our treating it like an unwanted house guest does try to keep up with our 21st century needs, only now it commutes to visit & dish out fight or flight thoughts & directives, just like it did for our loin clothed, earth is flat ancestors.
Need more proof? The minds success abounds, just look around, our jungle experiences remain the building blocks of our conditioning… men - hunter gathers, spreader of seed and women – nurturers, homesteaders, makers of babies.
The mind served a vital function, critical to our very survival as a species and because of its commitment and hard work those roles are still with us today. Sure a lot has changed but consider; women are still nurturers & men remain firmly committed to spreading seed.
If loving you is wrong
In today’s world the minds ability to handle the socially penetrating, thoroughly mind numbing questions (based on perception) of 21st century guru’s and the rest of us are more often than not met with answers that to it (the mind) are plausible solutions.
The mind is simply trying to do a good job for us, namely to ensure our continued survival by keeping us out of harm’s way and safe from those experiences it believes may hurt us. Its answers, right or wrong are based entirely on our own ability to think and say what we mean.
Remember the mind just wants us to be safe and happy; despite its methodology, it continues to serve in the only way it knows how. If loving you is wrong, the mind doesn’t want to be right.
Grandma is that you?
Think of it this way: your minds sole purpose is to love & protect you. Don’t be a hater!
I like to think of my mind as a loving grandmother who just has my best interests at heart. If grandma (my mind) jumps in the middle of a heated debate between me, myself and I, I gently stand my ground, saying things like, “I know you love & want to protect me, but when you don’t let me think for myself, out of fear that I might fail or get hurt, I don’t grow as person, I don’t get to experience any level of failure or success. I love & appreciate how much you care about me, but what you see as protecting me is actually hurting me. We both then cry & hug. Awe! With grandma now silent (and our relationship still very much intact), I turn back to my selves and say, “Sorry, where were we?
Ask and you shall receive
The truth according to someone (& I’m not saying who), “higher mind”, “ego mind”, blah, blah, blah is a matter best understood when communicated in the native tongue of the humanoid... You know, people speak.
The benefits of this approach… an easy translation ensuring maximum absorption of many popular universal messages such as Spiritual Healing (similar to the late Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing, but with a lot less moaning & no the someone is not Marvin) and classics like, Being me, Being you, as well as the chart topper that started it all, Learn to love yourself, your whole self & not just the parts you like or the parts you’re told to like.
Learning to speak
Intellectual thinking is an oxymoron, think intuitively… with your heart. Once you get your footing throw in some analytics, slowly get the feel of using both intuition & thinking.
It is critical that we understand our whole selves and stop taking the easy way out… i.e. making a part of us we don’t understand the bad guy.
The era of hate & blame is rapidly coming to an end. The time to honor our creator by loving the magnificence of our whole selves is upon us. Good, bad… right, wrong is all perception…there is but one truth and that is we are a beautiful, complicated mass of interdependent parts that when placed together equal one whole… you are the sum total of those parts.
As for any missteps along the way… may these words from my dear old grandma (my mind) help you as much as it did me: “Don’t be mad sweetie, you know it’s really not my fault”.
In closing:
Tough love
Having run out of races, religions and things to hate, one could guess it was only a matter of time before we turned our hate inward, becoming victims to our own delusions. We are capable of so much more than we will ever comprehend, wouldn’t it serve us to learn, to understand our mind vs. blaming and demonizing it?
Well at least think about it.
"There is the real you and then there is everything else. There is no higher self or lower self, there is only you... everything else is perception"
Andrew Miles
Of Mind and Matter
The netherworld inspired lingo of higher this, lower that and other perceived intellectual verbiage used to explain the mind, amounts to little more than a hokey new age language that unnecessarily creates confusion, fear and divisiveness.
I know you think it’s cool, very now to act like you don’t know your mind, you know pretend you’re not friends and all that, but come on the whole higher self, lower self, the mind is not one of us and must be stopped mentality is counterproductive. Not to mention it goes against the whole “love thy neighbor as yourself” thing.
I mean really, dissing your own mind because it doesn’t think like you? So what if your mind made you believe last season’s Dolce was the latest fashion must have. Maybe your mind thought last season’s gear was all you could afford, ever thought of that? Anyway in the end you both agreed you looked great. Listen, bottom line, fear leads to hate and that's just whack! So I ask, for both your sakes, consider this radical thought… your mind is really you.
Although I will say this… through no fault of its own, your mind really has become a big fat liar!
Me, Myself, I… cant we just get along?
Treating your mind like an outcast in your own head, immature name calling like “ego mind”, “false mind”, etc., is mean & truthfully your minds behavior has less to do with an evil plot against you than it does with evolution and human biology.
You see your mind like your body is the product of thousands of years of evolution, ingrained deep within it, a bi-product if you will, are the many horrific experiences born of the kind of hazards one might expect when living with dinosaurs… well, that and our own lack of understanding, severely limits our access and use of the mind.
In truth the mind really is quite genius, but thanks to our pre-school level understanding and holier than thou attitude towards it, the mind is stuck in BC, consequently it functions, well, on a prehistoric level, that is, a learned behavior, one that helped us survive in that big scary, land before time. The mind is guilty of nothing more than trying to protect us (humans) from the big bad dinosaurs and the terrible possibility of being eaten alive. Sweet, right :o)
Jeffrey Dahmer notwithstanding the threat of being eaten (alive, anyway) generally doesn’t happen in our “evolved” new world. However, and here’s the not so sweet part…
Cut to our world today, You: a 21st century marvel of evolution… and your mind, well not so much. Thanks to us its evolution remains confined to its dawn of time experiences, like a broadway actor reprising an award winning performance over and over, the mind continually relives its own glory days... sans paparazzi of course, which is why you may not know this story.
See back in the day the mind was “The man”, the go to guy, the celebrity of the B.C. world, its presence and function not unlike, say a Google or a Bing (no, not the old guy who sang with the dinosaurs, the internet Bing), it (the mind) dominated… searching & finding answers, saving lives, delivering relevant thought with speed and precision, all with a kick butt take no prisoners type attitude. I mean the mind was ahead of its time… think Tiger Woods on the golf course… or the bedroom.
Don’t worry be happy
Not to worry, ever resourceful, the mind despite our treating it like an unwanted house guest does try to keep up with our 21st century needs, only now it commutes to visit & dish out fight or flight thoughts & directives, just like it did for our loin clothed, earth is flat ancestors.
Need more proof? The minds success abounds, just look around, our jungle experiences remain the building blocks of our conditioning… men - hunter gathers, spreader of seed and women – nurturers, homesteaders, makers of babies.
The mind served a vital function, critical to our very survival as a species and because of its commitment and hard work those roles are still with us today. Sure a lot has changed but consider; women are still nurturers & men remain firmly committed to spreading seed.
If loving you is wrong
In today’s world the minds ability to handle the socially penetrating, thoroughly mind numbing questions (based on perception) of 21st century guru’s and the rest of us are more often than not met with answers that to it (the mind) are plausible solutions.
The mind is simply trying to do a good job for us, namely to ensure our continued survival by keeping us out of harm’s way and safe from those experiences it believes may hurt us. Its answers, right or wrong are based entirely on our own ability to think and say what we mean.
Remember the mind just wants us to be safe and happy; despite its methodology, it continues to serve in the only way it knows how. If loving you is wrong, the mind doesn’t want to be right.
Grandma is that you?
Think of it this way: your minds sole purpose is to love & protect you. Don’t be a hater!
I like to think of my mind as a loving grandmother who just has my best interests at heart. If grandma (my mind) jumps in the middle of a heated debate between me, myself and I, I gently stand my ground, saying things like, “I know you love & want to protect me, but when you don’t let me think for myself, out of fear that I might fail or get hurt, I don’t grow as person, I don’t get to experience any level of failure or success. I love & appreciate how much you care about me, but what you see as protecting me is actually hurting me. We both then cry & hug. Awe! With grandma now silent (and our relationship still very much intact), I turn back to my selves and say, “Sorry, where were we?
Ask and you shall receive
The truth according to someone (& I’m not saying who), “higher mind”, “ego mind”, blah, blah, blah is a matter best understood when communicated in the native tongue of the humanoid... You know, people speak.
The benefits of this approach… an easy translation ensuring maximum absorption of many popular universal messages such as Spiritual Healing (similar to the late Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing, but with a lot less moaning & no the someone is not Marvin) and classics like, Being me, Being you, as well as the chart topper that started it all, Learn to love yourself, your whole self & not just the parts you like or the parts you’re told to like.
Learning to speak
Intellectual thinking is an oxymoron, think intuitively… with your heart. Once you get your footing throw in some analytics, slowly get the feel of using both intuition & thinking.
It is critical that we understand our whole selves and stop taking the easy way out… i.e. making a part of us we don’t understand the bad guy.
The era of hate & blame is rapidly coming to an end. The time to honor our creator by loving the magnificence of our whole selves is upon us. Good, bad… right, wrong is all perception…there is but one truth and that is we are a beautiful, complicated mass of interdependent parts that when placed together equal one whole… you are the sum total of those parts.
As for any missteps along the way… may these words from my dear old grandma (my mind) help you as much as it did me: “Don’t be mad sweetie, you know it’s really not my fault”.
In closing:
Tough love
Having run out of races, religions and things to hate, one could guess it was only a matter of time before we turned our hate inward, becoming victims to our own delusions. We are capable of so much more than we will ever comprehend, wouldn’t it serve us to learn, to understand our mind vs. blaming and demonizing it?
Well at least think about it.
13 February 2010
"True" Happiness
No search can lead you to it. No thing can bring it to you. No person can give it to you. It cannot be shared.
There is no secret. To know true happiness look within, but know this too...
Feeling happiness is conditional.
What is felt is not of you, therefore its existence will always be temporary, subject to change based on condition (its source) which originates outside of you.
Knowing happiness is unconditional.
What is known is of you, therefore it is "true". Its existence simply Is and will always be, its source originates from within you.
To know "True Happiness" is to understand the what, how and why of its origin (its source)
There is no secret. To know true happiness look within, but know this too...
Feeling happiness is conditional.
What is felt is not of you, therefore its existence will always be temporary, subject to change based on condition (its source) which originates outside of you.
Knowing happiness is unconditional.
What is known is of you, therefore it is "true". Its existence simply Is and will always be, its source originates from within you.
To know "True Happiness" is to understand the what, how and why of its origin (its source)
12 February 2010
Art Brief: Helene Weiss, latest works sold
Green Fields II
2007
Acrylic on canvas
Signed, Weiss (lower left)
40 by 40 inches, unframed
Anabella
2009
Acrylic on canvas
Signed, Weiss ’09 (lower left)
36 by 36 inches, unframed
2009
Acrylic on canvas
Signed, Weiss ’09 (lower left)
36 by 36 inches, unframed
14 January 2010
Shutterbug, an interview with photographer, Chuck Goodman
I first became acquainted with the work of photographer, Chuck Goodman (aka, artie fischel, aka vw driver) in August 2009 while browsing online photography galleries. Moved by his images and subject matter, I immediately emailed him requesting an interview. After receiving his favorable response, we remained in contact via email and sites like jpeg, facebook and red bubble… making it possible for Chuck to share his latest works directly from his own gallery page. In the months since, I have come to know Chuck, his photography and the philosophy behind his images a little better.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AM: When and how did you become interested in photography?
CG: When I was growing up, I had a neighbor who was a photographer, and I would assist him with some of his work. I was fascinated watching him set up his subject, adjust his lighting, shoot his assignment, and then take it to the dark room and transform it to the final product.. it was almost magical to me. I guess I'd have to say that's really when I got interested in photography.
AM: How old were you and why do you suppose of all the different activities exposed to while growing up you were drawn to the seemingly magical art of photography?
CG: I was around 12 or 13 years old. I'm not really sure what the initial attraction was for me. I guess it was the mechanics of it all… seeing it through from concept to hard copy.
AM: Was you neighbor an exhibiting photographer or like a photojournalist?
CG: My neighbor was actually an industrial photographer for the International Nickel Corp.
AM: Are You self taught?
CG: For the most part, yes. I always watched other people take pictures, and tried to learn from what I observed. I have been afforded the opportunity to work with some professionals who have shared volumes of knowledge with me. I read about photography and taking pictures every chance I get and a LOT of trial and error on my part. I guess that's how I've learned what I know.
AM: How did you come to work with professional photographers?
CG: Well, early on, it was with my neighbor. A little later in life, when I was in my early thirties, I was introduced to some photographers in Baltimore Maryland by a mutual friend. We became friends, and I was afforded the opportunity to go on some shoots with them, assist them on some shoots, and I even did some work for them in front of the lens.
AM: How did you come to work with professional photographers?
CG: Well, early on, it was with my neighbor. A little later in life, when I was in my early thirties, I was introduced to some photographers in Baltimore Maryland by a mutual friend. We became friends, and I was afforded the opportunity to go on some shoots with them, assist them on some shoots, and I even did some work for them in front of the lens.
AM: Photography appears to be more than just a well-studied hobby for you, yet you refer to yourself as an amateur… based on your photographs and your responses to the first two questions, I would say you are well beyond amateur status. Do you see yourself as an amateur based on technique or photo mechanics?
CG: I use the word amateur as a reference to my lack of any formal training in photography. I am happy with what I know, yet I am always learning new methods and techniques about photography. I will
be learning this craft until the day I can no longer hold a camera.
AM: What does the act of photographing mean to you & what does it do for you?
CG: Personally, for me, first and foremost, photography is my therapist. When I am shooting photos, I get lost in what I'm doing, and the rest of the world fades into the shadows.
AM: Interesting… so it’s kind of an escape for you or maybe it started out that way… Any correlation to your youth and the time spent assisting your neighbor?
CG: A lot of the time, it is an escape for me, but no matter whether or not I'm trying to escape, I still always manage to get lost in what I'm doing. When I shoot photos,
I like to find the beauty in the things we see every day but usually overlook. I like to document every day life, I like to take the ordinary shot and compose it into something artistic...I like to find the angle
or perspective that nobody else sees...I like to take that extra step to get that special shot.
AM: Now you’re talking my language! I too am drawn by the everyday beauty that exits all around us; however, unlike you I am not so fascinated with the mechanics of photography. I like to say I take my pictures with my eyes… I think I see what you see.
CG: If you think you see what I see, do this: take 10 people to the same place, give them each a camera, and ask them all to take a picture of the same thing....you WILL have 10 very different pictures! Everyone sees things differently. What is obvious to me might be invisible to you, and something that jumps out at you might be overlooked by me.
AM: Do your photographs reflect your personal state of mind?
CG: Absolutely.
AM: Care to comment further?
CG: If my mood is good or bad, I think it’s reflected in my subject matter accordingly.
AM: Do you plan the locations & subjects of your shoots before hand or do you carry your camera everywhere & shoot as the mood strikes?
CG: Sometimes, I plan-out a shoot. I have all these bizarre ideas about different shots I want to try. Most of these shots require a lot of planning. When I am afforded the time and resources, I'll put something together for one of these shots. Sometimes, I plan to shoot certain events ahead of time. I enjoy capturing local events, concerts, and shows. I ALWAYS have a camera on my person, ALWAYS. "My least favorite phrase in life is "I wish I had my camera with me". I do a lot of "spur of the moment" shooting you never know where you might find that one of a kind capture.
AM: Further confirmation that… an amateur you ain’t! Dare I say, perhaps artist?
CG: I definitely see some artistic value in some of my work, but I have a hard time considering myself an artist.
AM: The photograph titled “Fading Away” – what does it represent to you?
CG: "Fading Away"... that photo is a pretty scary self portrait that I took around the time I was told I might have colon cancer. I was really sick and I had lost a lot of weight when I took that photo. Fortunately, there was no cancer, and I got over my illness. To me, that photo represents hope, it represents a second chance, and it represents fate.
AM: Scary indeed, happy to hear you are all right. I ask about that piece in particular because I find when an artist shares a works meaning, it can often change how the viewer sees/perceives it. I try to view works absent of my own personal experiences, focusing instead on seeing it simply as it is; leaving only pesky personal observations of I like it or I don’t like it. A work like Fading Away, whose meaning, I now know to be quite profound, would not be so without that explanation. Viewers like me, would never learn the truth of what really exists in that image. I have to tell you your answer transformed Fading Away for me, I can see the hope, fate & second chances you speak of… talk about revealing yourself – makes the following question a bit obsolete!
CG: I agree with you about knowing the artist meaning of the work. It definitely influences the way you see a particular piece. To me, that can be good, but it can also be bad. I think part of the beauty of photography is the individual interpretation each person brings to it. I love how the same photo can mean so many different things to different people. A photo might bring back a wonderful memory for one person, and the same photo can induce just the opposite feeling for another person. I like leaving that window of imagination open for the individual who is looking at the piece.
AM: Do you find it difficult to reveal yourself emotionally in your work?
CG: I feel that if I don't reveal myself emotionally in my work, my work suffers. All of my work has a piece of my soul attached to it.
AM: Clearly, your connection to your work is born of spirit, emotion… a very grounded need that appears to complete you… if only for brief, but sustainable moments in time. Do you think about your relationship with photography in these terms or do you simply acknowledge the relationship without thinking to deeply about it?
CG: I think my photography does complete me somewhat. If I have to go a day or two without taking pictures, I can't stand it! It's like something's missing. I don't really think about my relationship with photography too deeply, I just do what I do and I have fun doing it.
AM: What makes you choose to capture an image in black & white versus color?
CG: The setting, the lighting, the shadows, the mood, the subject all have some say in how I compose the shot, and what format I choose to shoot in. Some things look better in color, some things look better in B&W. I rarely post edit my photos, but I have a few that I manipulated to be color and B&W together that I think are cool shots.
AM: How many photographs do you take of a subject before you are satisfied with the shot?
CG: Sometimes, I take one shot and I'm happy, sometimes I take over 100 shots of the same subject, sometimes you only get one click of the shutter and the shot is gone. I tend to shoot less in controlled environments, unless I'm experimenting with something new. Usually when I'm shooting outside or in natural light I take more shots, but in a studio setting, where I can control the lighting, it doesn't usually take as many shots to get what I'm looking for.
AM: Would you want to or even consider exhibiting your work, I mean beyond all of those fantastic web galleries like JPG and Red Bubble.
CG: I think that would be fun to do. I have participated in art shows and exhibits in the past, with a different medium (stained glass). Perhaps one of these days I'll submit a photo to a jury to judge for an actual art exhibit.
AM: What do you hope to convey with your images… If anything?
CG: That completely depends on the image. Different images convey totally different things. I'd like to think that some of my images are convey beauty, some convey humor, some convey pleasure, some convey pain. I think this sort of goes back to that individual interpretation thing.
AM: Tell me about your favorite works?
CG: My favorite works of mine are often those "one shot wonders", those pictures that I took one shot and walked away, or those split second shots where you have one chance only to capture the moment. There's a lot of satisfaction for me when I get that irreplaceable piece of time captured forever in all it's glory.
AM: Why did you select the images featured with this interview?
CG: When I selected the images to feature for this interview, I tried to showcase a variety of subject matter that interests me, and of course, to show off what I consider to be some of my best work.
AM: Well... mission accomplished. Chuck, thank you for sharing your time, your work & your words.
*Artie fischel's (Chuck) photography is available for purchase in a variety of formats at www.redbubble.com/people/artiefischel
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AM: When and how did you become interested in photography?
CG: When I was growing up, I had a neighbor who was a photographer, and I would assist him with some of his work. I was fascinated watching him set up his subject, adjust his lighting, shoot his assignment, and then take it to the dark room and transform it to the final product.. it was almost magical to me. I guess I'd have to say that's really when I got interested in photography.
AM: How old were you and why do you suppose of all the different activities exposed to while growing up you were drawn to the seemingly magical art of photography?
CG: I was around 12 or 13 years old. I'm not really sure what the initial attraction was for me. I guess it was the mechanics of it all… seeing it through from concept to hard copy.
AM: Was you neighbor an exhibiting photographer or like a photojournalist?
CG: My neighbor was actually an industrial photographer for the International Nickel Corp.
AM: Are You self taught?
CG: For the most part, yes. I always watched other people take pictures, and tried to learn from what I observed. I have been afforded the opportunity to work with some professionals who have shared volumes of knowledge with me. I read about photography and taking pictures every chance I get and a LOT of trial and error on my part. I guess that's how I've learned what I know.
AM: How did you come to work with professional photographers?
CG: Well, early on, it was with my neighbor. A little later in life, when I was in my early thirties, I was introduced to some photographers in Baltimore Maryland by a mutual friend. We became friends, and I was afforded the opportunity to go on some shoots with them, assist them on some shoots, and I even did some work for them in front of the lens.
AM: How did you come to work with professional photographers?
CG: Well, early on, it was with my neighbor. A little later in life, when I was in my early thirties, I was introduced to some photographers in Baltimore Maryland by a mutual friend. We became friends, and I was afforded the opportunity to go on some shoots with them, assist them on some shoots, and I even did some work for them in front of the lens.
AM: Photography appears to be more than just a well-studied hobby for you, yet you refer to yourself as an amateur… based on your photographs and your responses to the first two questions, I would say you are well beyond amateur status. Do you see yourself as an amateur based on technique or photo mechanics?
CG: I use the word amateur as a reference to my lack of any formal training in photography. I am happy with what I know, yet I am always learning new methods and techniques about photography. I will
be learning this craft until the day I can no longer hold a camera.
AM: What does the act of photographing mean to you & what does it do for you?
CG: Personally, for me, first and foremost, photography is my therapist. When I am shooting photos, I get lost in what I'm doing, and the rest of the world fades into the shadows.
AM: Interesting… so it’s kind of an escape for you or maybe it started out that way… Any correlation to your youth and the time spent assisting your neighbor?
CG: A lot of the time, it is an escape for me, but no matter whether or not I'm trying to escape, I still always manage to get lost in what I'm doing. When I shoot photos,
I like to find the beauty in the things we see every day but usually overlook. I like to document every day life, I like to take the ordinary shot and compose it into something artistic...I like to find the angle
or perspective that nobody else sees...I like to take that extra step to get that special shot.
AM: Now you’re talking my language! I too am drawn by the everyday beauty that exits all around us; however, unlike you I am not so fascinated with the mechanics of photography. I like to say I take my pictures with my eyes… I think I see what you see.
CG: If you think you see what I see, do this: take 10 people to the same place, give them each a camera, and ask them all to take a picture of the same thing....you WILL have 10 very different pictures! Everyone sees things differently. What is obvious to me might be invisible to you, and something that jumps out at you might be overlooked by me.
AM: Do your photographs reflect your personal state of mind?
CG: Absolutely.
AM: Care to comment further?
CG: If my mood is good or bad, I think it’s reflected in my subject matter accordingly.
AM: Do you plan the locations & subjects of your shoots before hand or do you carry your camera everywhere & shoot as the mood strikes?
CG: Sometimes, I plan-out a shoot. I have all these bizarre ideas about different shots I want to try. Most of these shots require a lot of planning. When I am afforded the time and resources, I'll put something together for one of these shots. Sometimes, I plan to shoot certain events ahead of time. I enjoy capturing local events, concerts, and shows. I ALWAYS have a camera on my person, ALWAYS. "My least favorite phrase in life is "I wish I had my camera with me". I do a lot of "spur of the moment" shooting you never know where you might find that one of a kind capture.
AM: Further confirmation that… an amateur you ain’t! Dare I say, perhaps artist?
CG: I definitely see some artistic value in some of my work, but I have a hard time considering myself an artist.
AM: The photograph titled “Fading Away” – what does it represent to you?
CG: "Fading Away"... that photo is a pretty scary self portrait that I took around the time I was told I might have colon cancer. I was really sick and I had lost a lot of weight when I took that photo. Fortunately, there was no cancer, and I got over my illness. To me, that photo represents hope, it represents a second chance, and it represents fate.
AM: Scary indeed, happy to hear you are all right. I ask about that piece in particular because I find when an artist shares a works meaning, it can often change how the viewer sees/perceives it. I try to view works absent of my own personal experiences, focusing instead on seeing it simply as it is; leaving only pesky personal observations of I like it or I don’t like it. A work like Fading Away, whose meaning, I now know to be quite profound, would not be so without that explanation. Viewers like me, would never learn the truth of what really exists in that image. I have to tell you your answer transformed Fading Away for me, I can see the hope, fate & second chances you speak of… talk about revealing yourself – makes the following question a bit obsolete!
CG: I agree with you about knowing the artist meaning of the work. It definitely influences the way you see a particular piece. To me, that can be good, but it can also be bad. I think part of the beauty of photography is the individual interpretation each person brings to it. I love how the same photo can mean so many different things to different people. A photo might bring back a wonderful memory for one person, and the same photo can induce just the opposite feeling for another person. I like leaving that window of imagination open for the individual who is looking at the piece.
AM: Do you find it difficult to reveal yourself emotionally in your work?
CG: I feel that if I don't reveal myself emotionally in my work, my work suffers. All of my work has a piece of my soul attached to it.
AM: Clearly, your connection to your work is born of spirit, emotion… a very grounded need that appears to complete you… if only for brief, but sustainable moments in time. Do you think about your relationship with photography in these terms or do you simply acknowledge the relationship without thinking to deeply about it?
CG: I think my photography does complete me somewhat. If I have to go a day or two without taking pictures, I can't stand it! It's like something's missing. I don't really think about my relationship with photography too deeply, I just do what I do and I have fun doing it.
AM: What makes you choose to capture an image in black & white versus color?
CG: The setting, the lighting, the shadows, the mood, the subject all have some say in how I compose the shot, and what format I choose to shoot in. Some things look better in color, some things look better in B&W. I rarely post edit my photos, but I have a few that I manipulated to be color and B&W together that I think are cool shots.
AM: How many photographs do you take of a subject before you are satisfied with the shot?
CG: Sometimes, I take one shot and I'm happy, sometimes I take over 100 shots of the same subject, sometimes you only get one click of the shutter and the shot is gone. I tend to shoot less in controlled environments, unless I'm experimenting with something new. Usually when I'm shooting outside or in natural light I take more shots, but in a studio setting, where I can control the lighting, it doesn't usually take as many shots to get what I'm looking for.
AM: Would you want to or even consider exhibiting your work, I mean beyond all of those fantastic web galleries like JPG and Red Bubble.
CG: I think that would be fun to do. I have participated in art shows and exhibits in the past, with a different medium (stained glass). Perhaps one of these days I'll submit a photo to a jury to judge for an actual art exhibit.
AM: What do you hope to convey with your images… If anything?
CG: That completely depends on the image. Different images convey totally different things. I'd like to think that some of my images are convey beauty, some convey humor, some convey pleasure, some convey pain. I think this sort of goes back to that individual interpretation thing.
AM: Tell me about your favorite works?
CG: My favorite works of mine are often those "one shot wonders", those pictures that I took one shot and walked away, or those split second shots where you have one chance only to capture the moment. There's a lot of satisfaction for me when I get that irreplaceable piece of time captured forever in all it's glory.
AM: Why did you select the images featured with this interview?
CG: When I selected the images to feature for this interview, I tried to showcase a variety of subject matter that interests me, and of course, to show off what I consider to be some of my best work.
AM: Well... mission accomplished. Chuck, thank you for sharing your time, your work & your words.
*Artie fischel's (Chuck) photography is available for purchase in a variety of formats at www.redbubble.com/people/artiefischel
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