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Heads Up: Low Output

There will be few to no posts this month.  I'm adjusting to a new schedule and gearing up for a number of projects that will take my time and focus away from the blog.  It may spill into August, but I'll keep you updated.  In the meantime, dig into the archive and find your new favorite post.

Enjoy!

A Note: A Break

Cut to the chase:  I'm taking a break from posting.  The newness will arrive by the middle of the month.  In the meantime:  Explore the site and if you have any questions you can hit me up at santanacopeland@gmail.com.  Enjoy.

A Note: Blueprints

Hello all.  I took an impromptu vacation from posting.  Translation: I was trying to hide what I was writing, trying to conceal my thoughts.  A week passed.  Then another.  Then another.  In the end it became a disservice to you and I.  Though I was not posting, the blog was present in my mind and it's purpose was reassessed.  The Collection S started out as a poetry blog then branched out to include videos and artwork.  In an attempt to keep active in art making Art Crawl Walk Run was created.  The art blog was to force me to be proactive in creating new pieces.  I'm at a point where creating new work is not an issue.  The new challenge is the self censorship and managing two blogs.  I spent the past two weeks reassessing the purpose of The Collection S.  Without going into the drawn out thought process and grimy details I'll just give you the results.  The Collection S will fully embrace the different means in which I express myself.  The posting frequency/schedule will remain the same, but it will include art, poetry and videos.  Art Crawl Walk Run will be decommissioned this month and The Collection S will be a collection of words and images.  Ironically that was the easy part, now I have to walk the talk.  A new journey begins and thank you for taking time to join me.

A Note: "Bongo Time"

For the past two weeks you can see I've been off my schedule.  I can't point to one incident that led to the drop off, life just happened and before I knew it one day blended into the next.  Here we are now, midway into the weekend.  Some people are taking it easy as others are going hard.  My weekend has been a mixture of both.  I've been sitting on a stock pile of poems for a week; results of "Bongo Time".  Once again, I'm going to break the regular schedule and post multiple poems a day until all of the "Bongo Time" poems are up.  Then, it's back to the regular schedule until life happens again.

A Note: Feet to the Fire

Sometimes we need an external push to get our shit together, to pursue that dream, to complete that project.  The push can come from people, unexpected circumstances, and it may be a situation that first appears to be a negative force.  But if you listen closely to life, to that voice in your heart, you'll see the opportunity.  Without going into detail I had a few knocks that caught my attention.  I'm listening to the voice and telling my circle my intentions.  The voice tells me what direction I need to go and my people keep me honest.  So here I am again, standing on the corner with the die in my hand.  I rub them together then let them fly.  Yes, I'm a gambler and that's the only way to live.

Side Note:  I created this blog to keep me active in writing poetry.  As the blog grew I posted my art (photos and crayons).  Now, I'm separating the art from the poetry.  I believe it will give me more incentive to create and post art.  I'll continue to post poems, but going forward new art can be found at www.artcrawlwalkrun.blogspot.com.  Heads up:  the art blog is empty.  Now that I've told you of it's existence I'm under the gun to post the newness.  I'm all about finding ways to trick myself into being productive.  :)

A Note: Give Me A Title

One day I challenged myself to write a poem a day. I started the process then stopped. During that short stint I pushed myself to write and came to the understanding that every word, sentence, or poem can't be a jewel. I'm going to write some lames, but it doesn't matter as long as I keep doing what I love to do. I've started version 2.0 of the poem a day journey. I set up reminders to write, but I don't beat myself up if I miss a day or two. I remind myself that it's fun to create even when I have to push myself. So now that I'm writing consistently I've expanded the scope to include posting on a consistent basis. I've been aggressive in posting and have seen the blog stats jump. It fills me with joy that people around this spinning rock are reading and enjoying my thoughts. (I'll get to the crayons and pictures later.) As I share with you, I ask that you share with me. If you give me a poem title, I'll write and post the poem (tagged as "give me a title). Leave what ever string of words you would like to become a poem in the comments of this post and I'll spin it into a poem. Thanks, I can't wait to see what you send!

P.S.
Don't be shy. That's the beauty of the web. You can voice your thoughts and stay hidden if you choose to, but do share.

A Note - Start & Stop

Start & Stop. I occassionally get caught in this cycle. At first it annoyed me, but I've learned that it is part of my process. There are two resutls from S&S. I either drop the project or put more energy into it to see it through completion. This is how I wake up in the morning. Never do I hear the alarm and jump out of bed. After the first bell an internal conversation starts; the negociation begins. Should I get up, should I sleep some more. Sometimes I fall back to sleep only to jump up and take off. This is my process and I'm learning to navigate it. When it comes to a project and I've S&S many times I re-evaluate it. It can be a sign that it's not right for this time or it just needs to be droppped and forgotten altogether. Things have become easier, less frustrating once I realized and accepted this practice. I now lean on it to see where my energies need to be focused. By learning my madness, I can use it to be productive and happy. And I'm all about that hapiness.

A Note

It's been a hot minute since I wrote a note. I don't know what I'm going to say, so I'll start with what I'm watching; "So You Think You Can Dance". I'm playing judge and want to slap the audience for booing. I don't know why people get offended when they hear constructive criticism. If you're only fed what you want to hear, you don't learn. TV and people annoy me but I can't live without either. This is my attempt to write something coherent, but I've failed. Here's a new tactic. Each line will be a random thought. Evertything can't be a winner. I have no more thoughts. End of Transmission.

A Note

I've been missing in action for a minute and it's been a hot minute since I wrote A Note.  I went on a trip and to some degree I traveled to the past.  For a few days I visited and caught up with people that have known me for double digits.  It was a hell of a party.  I kept to one of my life missions and created new exciting unforgettable memories.  And for three days the smile did not leave my face.  I'm back in the future present and life has kicked me in the head.  It has kicked everyone in the head and I wonder what keeps us standing.  I really don't know.  Now, back to your regularly scheduled poetry.

A Note

It's been a while since I posted a poem or video. I was caught up in life. I forgot that I have the power to slow time. We all have this power. We can freeze time, tell the world to wait while we gather our thoughts. It takes effort and determination to tell the world to stop. And because it is easy to lose concentration there are plenty of times when the world wraps us around its finger. When this happens time flies, we lose contact with friends, and we don't do the things we intend to do. Life got its arms around me and swept me away. I enjoyed the ride then casted a spell to slow it down.

A Note

We tend to make plans and promises to ourselves around the new year. We gather up our mojo and proclaim that we will make big changes. Then we don't and repeat the cycle year after year. I stopped making New Year's Resolutions years ago. If we want to do something or make a change it falls on our shoulders to do so. I recognize when I get into a funk and spend time in the playground of procrastination. The trick is to determine how long to stay in that space, enjoy it, then move on to getting things done. I've delayed The Collection S Videos for a few months. I was scared. I'm still scared, but I enjoy poetry. And I made a promise to myself to do the things that I love. So here we go, something for your ears: The Collection S Videos. Sometimes we just need to jump into the deep end.

A Note

This blog started as a weekly email that went out to my friends and family.  I lost a few of them when it transitioned from an email to a blog.  For that reason I was hesitant to make the switch, but glad that I did.  The lost will find their way back to the words.  I frequently check the blog stats and become happy when I see my experiments being viewed across the states and internationally (USA, Canada, China, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Russia, and Botswana).  Big shout out to The Collection S blog readers and Sean Linal for leaving comments.  I see you and thanks for the support.

A Note

Children have it right.  Ask a child what they want to do when they get older and she will rattle off a list of interests and professions.  The adult smiles then thinks the child is being unrealistic.  Adults have it wrong.  For some reason we think a person can only be good at one thing, then we marvel at people who are successful at many things.  We think these people are magical, but fail to realize they have kept in touch with their inner child. We need to unleash our inner child and do the things we want no matter if it seems "unrealistic".  Engage your imagination and listen to your spirit.

A Note

Today I traveled to the future; three hours into the future.  In a couple of days I'll travel back in time.  I believe things happen for a reason.  We have to become detectives to figure it out the meaning.  Our viewpoint can also change the perception of events.  When things don't go as planned I believe I've potentially avoided an unpleasant event waiting for me in that time line.  I also believe I've been put on a path to encounter something greater.  This is a  game I play with time and how I manage setbacks.  Back to time travel.  I missed my flight.  It's the first time this has happened and I'm still trying to figure out what happened.  I made the next flight and while the wheels separated from the runway I wondered what new events will cross my path.  I looked out the window and the ocean reflected the sun's smile.  Another thought jumped into my mind.  What if the missed flight lines me up to a series of events that lead to my death?  I shake off the thought and  remain positive.  The voice of reason spoke and said "No matter if you missed a flight or not the path you're on leads to death.  It is the final destination".  This relaxed me.  I don't have to worry about death because it will come no matter what path I take.  In the meantime I'll write poetry, make art out of melted crayons, create wonderful memories, and enjoy time with friends and strangers.

A Note

The concept of focus was taught to me at an early age. I wasn't part of a crew when growing up. I knew a few people but not to the "safety in numbers" point. I was told when outnumbered and the fight is about to go down you should focus on one person and unleash hell upon his head. By doing this you may be able to escape in one piece. I carry this advice with me to this day. I've adopted it to many aspects of life. Life is life and we are forced to split our attention to many fronts, but sometimes we need to pause and focus our energy on one project, item, task, and unleash the full might of our power upon its head. When this is done you'll be amazed at what can be accomplish. It's time to ship.

A Note

What gets you by? Everyone has their way (or vice) to get through life, the work week, the weekend, drama, and the many voices in your head. Years ago, during my playing with fire stage, I melted a crayon with a lighter. A drop of color landed on the window sill and it fascinated me. It reminded me of paint and the color glowed. A couple of months ago I bought a box of crayons and a pack of canvas boards. I've been experimenting with color combinations, melting techniques, and avoiding burning my hair from the heat from the oven. These experiments have unleashed a wave of creativity and I look forward to the next time a crayon liquefies. I'm on a path of finding what makes me happy, what gets me by, and I noticed most of these things come from my childhood; when life was "care free". We use various activities to escape reality and it allows us to shake the weight of the world off our shoulders. Like everything there is a flip side. A problem arises when the thing that gets you by morphs into something that stops you from getting ahead. Life has sense of humor.

A Note

I was watching Kat Williams stand up special and one line stuck in my head; "Keep it pushing". I don't know the name of the show, but he's wearing a green suit sweating up a storm. He says whatever you're doing you have to improve, progress, and grow. Comedians take the truth and shove it in our face . "You got to keep it pushing." Remember that line when things get hectic or when you're afraid to take risks. Life is all about risk. Later Pimpin'.

A Note

Life happens and we get caught up in the mix, loose our bearings and feel like things are out of our control. The fact is, we were never in control of any thing. There are illusions of control and we feel like we have things figured out, but the reality of the situation is that we are on a giant spinning rock revolving around a star. Life is roller coaster. Enjoy the ride. When you find yourself on a spiral down just imagine the ride up that is moments away.

A Note from Santana Copeland

I had a number of things I was going to talk about. I created sentences in my mind and spun them together. But now as I type, I'll say nothing and save it for another time. I'm going to be lazy for the rest of the day. Push back the things I should do and just relax. Turning my brain off now.