Connect

Summer means a lot to people, usually for reasons that differ from person-to-person. Some get that break from school or vacation time rolls up. BB Q's and water based social gatherings. It's summer time fun.

For a few friends of mine, it's a season filled with conventions, heading out with their art on displays, selling prints, talking to fans of their work. I know its not something many people know about. But the reason for today's blog focusing on what the convention season is all about at its core: connecting in person.

We're beings that are pretty much hardwired for relationships with others. Connecting, whether through mutual appreciation of ideas or interests, romantically, or through conversations, its kinda something that we need to properly develop and become what we were made to be. At these conventions, artists meet the fans who have connected to their livelihood by buying their books and passing along word of their talents to others. An artist can connect faces to the people who make their talent a viable means of life. Its interesting to observe the way in which many of them are so friendly and eager to hold conversations with aspiring artists, admirers of the craft, or even small kids who are only partially intrigued by what they're doing with that pen and paper. You get a sense that the importance of the conventions are more about that than even the art and, maybe, some would highly agree.

I've found that connecting with people is an easy and extremely difficult thing. Its a joy and a horror, depending on several factors. Yet, despite its duality of tones, we still ALWAYS, in one way or another, SEEK it out. We gotta have it, so-to-speak. Its not always words. Sometimes its actions. Whatever it is, man, do we need it. Just as it makes an artist feel that his hard work and long hours are worth it for every person who comes up and wants to shake their hand, we love when a connection happens. It ignites something that hardly anything else in life can.

...God is all about connection. Just like you enjoy visiting friends, hugging them after years, getting to see the look of the smile you've heard to your jokes via the phone...God longs for that same thing with you. When you can walk up to his table, look at the art he's made in this world and tell Him how much you dig his style or want to shake His hand out of respect.

The Bible tells us we're made in His image so, no wonder we long for connection with people. He made us to have relationship with us. Trippy, yeah, but, when you think of walking over and introducing yourself, showing off your latest creation, sharing a song, or get a greeting or exiting hug from a TRUE friend, take a second to realize that when you connect, that's a trait God shared with us of His.

Think about it...

- Conduct Lionhardt

Perception

So, I'm not a big fan of people blogging in the heat of emotional places of a negative sort, like anger or hurt. I just think it serves to be more selfish than something which can help the general public or be something you would want to read.

However, There are moments where the aftermath of such emotions and the events that are the catalyst of such pains or lows, can bring forth a clarity of point that MAY merit sharing. That's what this here post is all about. I just thought I would explain it for people so they can have the idea behind it and pass the post if its nothing they would be interested. Okay, then I shall begin.

Existence is pretty much boiled down too, in societal structures, the ideal of perception and what is viewed, as being the reality of a thing. Oh you know, you've seen it before in numerous points in American culture over the last 2 decades. A rumor or expertly placed image can shift the complete worth or substance of just about anything...or anyone. That's a macro point to the idea of image being everything when it comes to cultural acceptance or approval. Historically speaking, you can see points in the later American cultural architecture of this happening. Things that were taboo or questionable in the past, stuff that your parents would NEVER have allowed you to look at, dress like, or be involved with is now, on a very large scale, the NORM. The shift is amazing when you ACTUALLY take a moment to consider it.

But, herein lies a small idea, the micro point that when really thought on effects that macro point EMMENSELY: Consideration has also had its image and worth morphed. What once was the act of checking in and being accountable for what one thinks and acts on, is now viewed as being...

Sigh...Honestly, its become rather difficult for me to keep my thoughts on things all together. I apologize for that. The fact is that I have people in and around my life that view me in one way and, ultimately, no act, word, or amount of time I've had around them really impacts the image that is placed on me. We all have these boxes and labels we use to identify things with and rarely does anyone look to consider and focus on what motivates and feeds into the perception we MAKE reality.

I truly believe that many things that we off-handedly state as being "just the way it is" truly happen to be conceptual constructs that either we individually or collectively (or culturally) have given a portion of control over our ability to be more and to progress further than our circumstances and backgrounds would usually allow us to. "Perception" basically breaks down to another box or prison of the mind we have chosen to allow be real when...its ethereal. Untangible. But the belief in it has become so entrenched in our minds and hearts that it FEELS like something solid.

Its not, though. Perception is a word to explain something that is not tangible. Its not a wall, or a mountain, or a fence...but like those things it CAN hinder you from going somewhere. Yet, even those things, those obstacles, with their heights or rough terrain, have been passed over, under, or even through. And if the LITERALLY physical can be overcome and scaled, even the conceptual contructs we allow to formulate our worlds and ways moved within, can be.

We just have to choose too. And while I know that those people who think how and what they do about me WON'T do it, I breath still for a chance to see some of you make it passed that veil and move forward. We have so many foes to battle in life that, in the grander scheme of it all, this is actually a tricky yet, SMALL potato.

Fights with life's Giants await. But only once we stop looking low, and peer skyward to see them, to notice they're there.

- Conduct Lionhardt

An Update...or step forward

So, I kinda hate doing updates. Feels like I'm all self-involved and glory seeking. I haven't really been able to shake the feeling that no matter WHAT I say, people's assumptions of me will be that I'm like that.

Anyways, I know a few have asked me when I was going to blog again and what's been up with me so, yeah, here it is in as brief a form as I can make it:

Going forward into this summer I have traveling that I plan to do. This shall be both based on my artistic work (drawing and selling art, designing a few things) as well as my music (gearing up the promo for my full length album, drawing the cover, etc). I'll be hitting spots in the western US as well as some places a bit further East than my home here in Pittsburgh.

My EP is still out and available for purchase and that helps on a finance tip. I'm still good for drawing things for people and if you bare with me I'll have some art to put up on here which can be purchased. Decided to get am official page up somewhere so that people get that ART is my profession of choice and actually has been for some time now. (I wish I could share the LAST thing I drew. Its rather TIGHT, if i do say so myself.)

Besides all that I'm still working on my secret personal project, while also developing the look of characters for Bryce Swan's "Rex Roy is: Dr. Divinity...BOOKSELLER" OGN. I'm having a blast with that and (cue segue)

I SHALL be returning to doing interviews with people, one of whom shall be the aforementioned author of the graphic novel I'm sketching up.

Besides Bryce Swan, though, here's a few people that I'll be doing some with:

Realistikk. Focusing on her lastest album "Stardust" and the strange decade long friendship we've shared, NOT having seen each other in person before.

SintaxTheTerrific. Taking a look at his rap blogging site, as well as his upcoming release from Illect Recordings, "Prince With a Thousand Enemies."

I've wanted to do some random interviews by normal people I have met so, hopefully I can do a couple of those.

Finally, I've come to not like the overall look of this blog so, I'll be doing a few header illustrations and changing the look of the page this summer.

All in all, it'll be busy BUT, you'll have more (or less) of a reason to check out what this blog has going on.

'till then, however, I'd like to reiterate my call to extend a bit more forgiveness and grace to people in and around our lives AND...for everyone to have a good start to their summer experience.

peace, Peace, PEACE,

- Conduct Lionhardt