Depression is NOT a requisite of Creativity

  
     Anyone who is eccentric is insane, or at least that's the message I get from the world around me. I am led to believe that anyone who would take their pet lobster out for walks, dress in a wardrobe made entirely out of raw meat or pick cigarette butts up off the ground for the precious tobacco left inside was probably someone I should keep my distance from,

Weight loss and Miracle Diets

"You don't have to change your life, just eat this!"  Bullshit.  You know what?  If you're unhappy with your weight, you need to do something about it.  Taking a pill doesn't count.  You need to get up, get out there and make a change.  Stop drinking soda, no, don't cut back to diet soda, that's going to make it worse.  Cut out the beer, too.
DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING CARBONATED.

The Drew Story Pt. 1 Before the Highway

A long time ago in a tiny rural community on the edge of civilization in Northern Michigan, there was this kid, a slightly athletic mechanical nerd who loved cars and music.

Pleasant Mornings

Although this is a very shallow post content-wise, I just love this picture I snapped this morning while we were getting the park up and running.  There was a very surreal quality in the atmosphere and it came through in the picture better than I was expecting.

Alcohol is bad, robots will kill you.

Some mornings just suck.  This morning I reaffirmed to myself yet again that beer before bed time is no longer a good idea.  Actually it's just proof that it was never really a good idea to begin with.  I can't believe I was ok with waking up every morning like this.  Holy crap, for 7 years I woke up nearly every morning with alcohol still in my system.  Now I'm not saying that it's a bad thing and that I'm never going to drink again.  I happen to love beer, but the beer is definitely going to be coming earlier in the day, and I'll give myself numerous hours and drink lots of water to help rehydrate and wash most of the alcohol out of my system BEFORE I go to bed.

Focus, Perspective, Choice

Normally I keep my personal writing to myself and only let it influence my blog at most, but this morning's personal contemplation led me to a very important outlook on life that I think is share-worthy.  My hope is that it may inspire you.

     It is amazing to think how much things have changed in the last year.  When I started writing in this notepad, I was 28 years old.  I was camped out in a concrete fortress in the south side of Chicago with my brothers, amazed at how far they had come, both creatively and physically since our first time in that studio in 2010.  I was looking forward to a full summer of festivals, parties, and living the dream.  Something was changing inside me, though.  I could feel the end drawing closer, my of days living that life were numbered, and I looked forward to making a life with my love, Brooke.  I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but I knew that I had to be with her.
     Today, one year later, I sit on my mom's couch in my mom's living room in my mom's house.  The one thing I have now that I didn't have a year ago is a perspective on my own life.  I'm working for me now, following my dreams, trying to bring them to fruition.  It's not glamorous here, it is not fun.  I can not wait to get out of this place.  Funny, I never had these feelings towards this place while I was growing up.  My other life has shown me the numerous possibilities that are waiting out there.  The good thing about being up here is the lack of distraction.  I have time to reflect.  I have peace and quiet allowing me to focus.  I am able to to rediscover myself, get to the core and start over.  I now know where I want to end up and I can see the path laid before me.
     This next chapter will not be easy, just the opposite.  It will require all the patience, persistence, creativity and ingenuity that I can muster.  I am not afraid, I welcome the challenge with open arms.  Though there will be times when I feel like I will not be able to go on, I will remember perspective and I will choose to continue.  Things will always seem the most hopeless in the midst of them, but I must push through to the end.  Giving up is no longer an option.
  It is time I break out of my cocoon and emerge into this world with my full potential.

Focus, Perspective, Choice

Help my research please!!

Hey everyone!  In the midst of this large project about creativity and eccentricity that I'm working on, I'm looking for some personal insight into the minds of y'all when it comes to the subject of creativity and stress.  If you would, please respond to the questions below in an email to popevildrew@gmail.com  Thanks in advance!

1. Creativity can be a fairly generalized term.  In what specific ways do you consider yourself creative?

2. What does the term “tortured artist” bring to mind for you?

3. What outlets do you utilize to get things off your mind, or to cope with the situations life throws at you?

4. Can you think of a specific influence (event, person, personal experience) that has the biggest influence on your life journey?

5. Do you feel concerned with others' perception of yourself?

And finally, do you give permission to publish your responses anonnymously? (Yes or No)

Just a teaser of my upcoming project on creativity and eccentricity

It is widely understood that the creative mind operates differently than those without that “creative spark.” Perhaps less well-known is that there is actually scientific proof to support this understanding. What new studies have actually shown is that the brains of the creatively inclined tend to be more active than those of the less creative in specific regions associated with attention and focus. This in itself while being a key difference in the inner workings of certain people is in no way a defect or disorder as some have labeled it, but rather it is simply proof that not all humans are wired the same. To claim that there is a mental disorder where there is only mental difference is an incredibly damaging accusation to make, as we are now telling our creative minds that there is something wrong with them.