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068 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:19:49 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 68th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

I keep hearing, “You can’t do that, you’ll offend someone!” Or, “You can’t say that, someone may get angry with you!” And my question is, “So?”

Now, before anyone thinks I’m being cold, callous, or un-caring allow me to expound. I’m not talking about doing things with the intent of being rude or offensive (being insulting, demeaning, or ‘pushing buttons’). Nor am I talking about social gaffs or accidental offenses made from a lack of understanding (asking about someone’s ex, without knowing she is an ex). I’m talking about being who you are. Living honestly, respectfully, and as tactfully as possible. If I am living this way, and someone gets offended by the actions these traits dictate, why should I care? Should I no longer be respectful? Should I no longer be honest? Should I no longer laugh at what I find humorous? Should I try and change who I am in order not to offend everyone I meet? And what if the things that offend one person are the opposite of what offends the next person, am I to be forever lost in a whirlpool effect of swirling around from one set of actions to the next simply based on whose company I am in? What if I am in the company of both, those who get offended at opposite things, how do I not offend someone?

If I am a good person and I have an idea that is different from someone else’s, say I disagree with a political view, a financial view, a moral view, etc. (the list of differences may well be longer than I have pages to write); when my views do not discriminate, do not inflict harm, do not seek to place myself in a position superior to anyone else, then why should someone become offended? Simply because they disagree with me? That does not seem to be a very mature view. I cannot help their lack of maturity. Maybe the need is for them to just grow up.

What makes this a difficult subject is that no one really wants to be offensive; that is respectful people do not. And if an offense is truly given, intentionally or not, apologies are normally forth coming. Yet it seems to me that, like the word hypocrisy, the idea of something being ‘offensive’ has been degraded to a mere tool, one used in stopping dissent and disagreement. Yes, a mere tool for controlling of the behavior of others. For who tends to say, “That’s offensive, stop?” Those who are open to discussion or those who want to avoid it? Mostly… those who want to avoid it.

Anyway… a point to ponder.

Live free my friends…

And live well.

Charles
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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067 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:36:03 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 67th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Hypocrisy:

Such a filthy word and today it is more weapon than word. One used to silence any opposition to what we want to do.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she was expressing great concern over her teenage daughters discovering drugs. She said she wanted to warn them, to tell them not to try them, and to tell them of the emptiness and pain they cause. But, because she had tried them when she was younger, she did not want to be a hypocrite. Yet she wanted to warn them… and was frustrated about what to do. This is a very real frustration and source of worry for her.

Who has not heard, “How dare you tell me not to do this? You HYPOCRITE!!!!!” And too often those are so bludgeoned, by that blunt and fell weapon, fall silent as quickly as if they had indeed been robbed of consciousness. We tend to accept the premise of this fraudulent attack and remain silent while the ones we want to help get hurt in ways… we may have helped prevent if we had but spoken out. We accept this premise (this fraudulent premise) as if it were truth, merely because we learned of the emptiness and harm through personal experience. That is why we buy into the ‘hypocrite’ bluff, because their behavior is something we have done… in the past. But those are the key words, “In the past.”

Perhaps a definition of hypocrisy would be good. Hypocrisy is: telling others not to do something WHILE you are still doing it. Or as found on Dictionary.com: a pretense of having some publicly approved attitude. Origin is from the Greek word for play-acting.

So to pretend that you think a behavior is wrong or harmful and yet participate in it… is hypocritical. And so, by definition, if you no longer participate, and you do find that behavior to be hurtful, you are not a hypocrite when you discourage that behavior in others. You are simply one who has learned a life lesson and wish to share that with those you care about. That is compassion.

Or to phrase it another way, would the recovering alcoholic by a hypocrite for warning kids not to start drinking games? Of course not. This person would be speaking from the personal knowledge of what alcohol can do, the pain abuse of alcohol can bring, and the bondage that this can produce in alcoholism. He is not saying, “Don’t do as I do, cause it is bad.” He is saying, “You don’t want to do what I have done in the past. You want a good life, and those games are the pathway to pain. They were, for me and many others. Please don’t make our mistake.” That is compassionate. Compassionate… not hypocritical.

When I shared this with my friend, it was as if she found release from a heavy burden. Frustration went away, she was free. And as far as I know, is having those difficult conversations with her kids. Oh, the conversations can still be difficult, but at least now they are happening.

My friends… be strong. See such accusations as the falsities they are. Find strength in compassion. The strength you need to realize that the past is the past; the present is what matters. And from this strength, find the boldness to express your compassion in the warnings others need to hear. I am assuming the point of the warning is compassionate and not controlling or manipulative in nature. Which is a discussion for another day. Until that day, be bold. Speak what you have learned compassionately and articulately.

Speak well my friends.
Speak well.

Charles
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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066 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:34:28 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 66th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

It has often been said that if you want to know who a person truly is, then simply watch how they handle the little things in life. Who a person is manifests itself in the little, seemingly non-important things of life. Things such as: does the person routinely interrupt conversations with out so much as an, excuse me? And do they then talk about whatever they want without regard to the topic of the current conversation? Does the person pick up after their pet when out in public areas, parks, or even a neighbors yard? Do they throw unwanted trash out the car window instead of taking it to a trashcan? Are they chronically late, for no good reason? Are they shoddy in parking the car and so take up two spaces instead of one? Is everything simply about having fun? Are the first words out of their mouth, everyone else does it?

“But,” you say. “These are really small things.” Exactly. And they are indicators of who a person truly is. Is the person a small petty person or a considerate one? Is the person dependable or unreliable? Can the person be trusted or not? These are all things that can be learned by watching how the small things are handled. If they do what is right, what is required, what is respectful, and what takes extra effort in the small things; then they have the character that will do them in the more important things. Or to state it another way, if a person does not have the character needed to handle the small things in life well, he does not have the character to handle the large ones well either. This is simply a fact of human behavior.

“So, are we to try and force people to do these small things well?” No. That would be stupid. Quite stupid. You never really change anything by merely removing a symptom. How little things are handled are mere symptoms, not the problem. It is similar to the symptom of pain when one has a broken bone. Painkillers can remove that symptom, the pain can be eliminated, but the problem, the cause of that symptom, is still there. The removal of the pain does not mend the broken bone. So too forcing people to fix the symptoms of poorly handling the little things does not make a person have the character to handle them well, it merely hides the poor character… for a little while. But the poor character is still there and will resurface shortly. The key is to develop character in people that is strong and courageous. For when this is done, the little things will be handled well – for they are only an indicator of who the person truly is.

No one is perfect, and everyone will handle the little things poorly from time to time. That is life, a part of being a human being. And it is possible to focus too much on the little things so that life gets bogged down always trying to do things “right”. Which will also be a negative experience. People perform the small things unconsciously, this is why they are a good indicator of who the person is; it is a true revealing of who they are. And do not take this as an invite to go and start pointing out the imperfections of others. But rather, this is an invite to observe yourself; to learn about your own character and to look for ways to help it grow.

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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065 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 05:15:42 +0000

Welcome my friends,

Welcome to the 65th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

As most of you know, I have been in school finishing my degree. It has been a lot of hard work and a lot of fun. I don’t finish until this coming summer, but I am starting to figure some things out. And since this is a blog about the journey of this creative life, I wanted to share something I found today. This video is simply amazing. It spoke to me in a way that… I have been missing for quite some time. It is something I have heard before, and have heard frequently, but today… it was as if I was hearing it for the first time. Could my schooling have anything to do with that? Maybe. Anyway I hope you find this as inspiring as I have.

I know it obscures some of the right hand column on this page, but for this video, I cannot seem to make it fit without doing so. I hope that is not too much of a distraction. Sorry.

Enjoy.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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064 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:59:53 +0000

Welcome my friends,

As most of you know, I am back at school and finishing my degree work. Next summer I will have a B.S. degree. No bs I promise.

If you do not like what you currently do for money, I recommend going back to school and taking classes in a wide variety of subjects to discover something you like better.

I have discovered the world of archaeology. And I love it. Who knows, I may become an archaeologist. I like it that much.

Anyway, just wanted to touch base and let you know what has been happening with me.

I am considering how to best proceed here at the Eadarian network – whether to proceed in a different direction or shut it down permanently.

For my praying friends, please keep this in prayer. And for my non-praying ones, you well wishes would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.
Until next time,

Charles

063 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:38:48 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 63rd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Good vs Best Part 2:

It is interesting that the attainment of this smaller and instant fun often makes the child very unhappy with the results caused by that attainment. The joy he had in eating the cake is turned into a hurtful or sad memory, in light of what he then lost the ability to do. And even more interesting is the fact that if he had chosen to wait and not eat the cake, to not do that which is immediately satisfying but instead, wait for the best to arrive, then any unhappiness he experienced by not being able to eat the cake is quickly replaced, more than replaced, by the joy, excitement, and thrill of seeing the Giant Pandas. This joy dwarfs any frustration, ill ease, pain, or consternation that saying no to the chocolate might have caused. And this satisfaction will stay with him for years, he may even proudly tell his own kids and grandkids about thrill of seeing the amazing Pandas. The cake… is less than a forgotten memory.

In many ways our feelings are the same as the child who chooses the chocolate cake, opting to trade that which would truly make us happy for an immediate short-lived delight. And again we are not talking about right verses wrong, good verses evil, or anything like that. That is a discussion for another day.

There was nothing wrong with the child choosing to eat the chocolate cake, to get the cake instead of a trip to the zoo. Nothing wrong with it what so ever. But the good taste of chocolate satisfaction was the enemy of the best source of long lasting joy, seeing the wonderful Giant Pandas. Sad or not, it was an okay choice. Also, and I can’t stress this enough, we are not talking about not being satisfied, but of choosing and hanging onto the deeper and longer lasting sources of joy and satisfaction. The attainment of which is something… not to be missed.

Which does give a whole new (or at least a very interesting) spin to the both the “deny yourself” and the “self-sacrifice” thingies.

It is not about denying yourself joy and satisfaction but rather, that by learning what the deeper sources of joy are and choosing them, you deny yourself being cheated out of them by opting for the shallow and easy, the ‘good’ gratifications.

Yes, it will not always be fun to tell yourself, “No.” But remember, you are really telling yourself, “Yes!” Yes to the fuller, richer, more meaningful, and more abundant satisfaction and joy by waiting for the best. And, your lack of fun in the “No” will be more than made up for in the thrill found in the richer “Yes”.

Do not allow ‘the good’ to be the enemy that defeats you from knowing true joy, true happiness, and the deepest most wonderful satisfactions. In short do not let ‘the good’ keep you from the best.

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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062 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:31:06 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 62nd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Good vs. Best Part 1:

It has been said that the enemy of the best is not the worst, but the good that is not good enough.

I know this is not what I thought this blog post would be about, but as this blog does reflect my thought process, it also turns and twists and changes more ever than so often, so hang on and enjoy the ride.

One of the greatest needs of our time is the rediscovery of the joy of postponed gratification, the rediscovery of the joy found in declining minor satisfactions for the receiving of greater, richer, and more intense ones; to reach and obtain the best for us and not settle for the mere good. And the merely good will always steal the best away from you if you let it.

For example…

The joy of sleeping in and not practicing long and hard will steal from you the joy of winning the big race.

The joy of one more candy bar will steal from you the joy of staying trim.

The joy of feeling warm and fuzzy about yourself all the time will steal from you the joy of self – improvement.

Notice this is about a choice of joys, of satisfactions. One choice will give greater and longer lasting gratification while the other gives briefer and less satisfying gratification. We are not here pitting wrong against right. None of the above would be considered “bad” or “morally reprehensible”. In all the choices, one does negate the other, but in and of themselves, they are not ‘wrong’ choices.

But the briefer and more immediate gratifications are the enemy of those we would truly enjoy the most, that would satisfy us the most. Kind of like…

The child, who being told that Giant Pandas were going to make an appearance at the local zoo for the up coming summer, spends the whole school year getting excited about seeing them. He reads all about Giant Pandas in the library, talks excitedly to friends about going, and even does extra chores around the house to earn some extra money to go.

Then one the day his folks can take him to the zoo, they stop at the child’s favorite restaurant to make an extra special day of this event. Everything goes well until the waiter brings the dessert tray, which has on it a giant chocolate cake. The child, in the exhilaration of the day, becomes very excited by the possibility of eating that large slice of chocolate yummy – ness. The only problem is that his folks only have enough money for the lunch and the ticket to the zoo, not for the added cost of the dessert or anything else. Times are hard after all. If the child gets the cake he will not have enough money to also get a ticket to the zoo and so after the cake he will be taken home and will miss out on seeing the Pandas.

The child, knowing this, but because of the elation of the moment, still chooses the cake, because it is here, now, immediate. All his summer planning is gone. The joy of seeing the Pandas is gone. Why? He chose a good that brought instant gratification over what really mattered most to him, over what would have brought him the most joy.

To be continued…

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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061 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:29:06 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 61st installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Taking a brief pause in preparing the newest topic for the Creative Journey to relate something I just read that is related to a previous entry. This goes back to Creative Journey entries 56, 57, and 58; the subject being Meek not mousy.

I found some incredibly precise and clear statements about Meekness that were just too cool not to share. These come from a book Broadman Press published in 1971, Creative Expectancy by Albert McClellan.

The man of meekness is firm without being hard.
He is shrewd but not wily.
He is strong but not destructive.
He is intelligent but not overbearing.
The man of meekness seeks no credit.
He listens intensely with the heart.
He asserts his love and even his ideas but not himself.
When in trouble the man of meekness does not run.
He does not create false issues or cast false images.
He is no prima donna.
He is not afraid of his enemies.
He never builds himself up at the expense of others.
He is never concerned with what he calls, “My rights.”
He makes no proud assertions.
He does not contemplate his own meekness.
He fights with words and ideas but not with doubts and slurs.
He defends himself with true spirit and an open attitude but not with the destruction of others.
He stands by his convictions and admires his enemies who stand by theirs.
He pitches his battle on fair ground; if he loses, he asks no quarter; if he wins, he helps bind up the wounds of his enemy.
None need fear losing anything to the man of meekness, neither purse, nor character, nor life.
He sits at the foot of the table until he is asked to come higher.
He goes to the bottom of the line and spells his way to the top, never boasting.
He is big enough to look any man in the eyes, but small enough so no man has to look up to him.
To some he looks like a zero, to others a world of hope, a world of wholeness, through whom the earth is about to be reborn.

This sums up rather well the idea of meekness. This is strength under control. I’ll even venture to say that this is the path to true freedom, but that can be a discussion for another day.

Believe it or not that wraps things up for this entry,
Have a great one!

Grow in freedom;
Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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If you liked this blog entry, check out the shirt designs based upon it. Just click here for: Meek not Mousy, here for: Bold, Daring, Meek, or here for: Meek and In Control at our cafepress store.

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060 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:43:24 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 60th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Freedom not Chaos
Part 2:

An interesting thing about Chaos is that it only ever arrives through the use of our freedom; or, more appropriately, the misuse of it. The greater and longer the misuse, the greater the chaos we generate. Which is perhaps one of the greatest tragedies known to mankind, the loosing of one’s freedom to his own despotic self.

Who has not known of the one who has surrendered the freedom of rising above their situation to the escape and misery of the bottle? The freedom of growing in relationships to the justifications for explosive anger? The freedom of laughter to the bitterness of self-pity? This blog is not addressing the reasons, or situations that led us to the point of making these choices, to drink excessively, to always be very angry and bear grudges, or to wallow in self pity. It is addressing that the choosing of these is the choosing of chaos and not freedom.

Freedom only comes when we refuse to hide behind such things as the bottle, anger, and pity. This is not the easy way for no defensive walls are put up. Indeed, it is only when we are purposeful and very non-arbitrary in resolving whatever situation we are in, that the strength of freedom, the joy of freedom is earned and known.

The human being is an incredibly complicated critter. And so, before the big and apparent chaotic behaviors (like those listed above) arrive on the scene, there are many smaller occurrences of chaos that have arrived and these have built into the complex ones. And most great truths can be simply applied to all aspects of our lives, if we let them.

So let’s look at some of the smaller ways chaos enters our lives and by which freedom, while not completely dying, is stolen from us bit by bit. Sort of like the frog, when the temperature is gradually turned up on the pot of water he is sitting in, will not feel the temperature change, but will boil to death before he knows what is happening.

As the complex humans we are, we can hold many contradictory views, at the same time, and hold each as fact. Confusing? Yes and, since confusion is not Confucius, it is is a pathway to chaos. And yes, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us hold at least one set of these conflicting ideas.

Some such sets of simple contradictions are as follows: we want to get ahead at work and yet while at work, we want to sit around doing as little as possible, talking, playing games, or texting friends. We want to get ahead, the pay raise, the promotion, and we want to do all the things that lead to us not getting ahead. We want more money and more hours at work to get it, yet we also demand more time off. Or perhaps we want more friends, more social interactions, yet we also want others to show an interest in us first. Or, we want everyone to be courteous to us on the road, yet we feel no desire to give consideration to others while we drive.

I can see you shaking your head and saying, “Ok, now you are just being silly.”

Simple yes, silly… not.

I forget who said this, and if anyone can help with that please let me know for I’d love to give credit where credit is due, but it is said, “You can tell the most about a people by how the handle the little things.” For how you handle the little things will tell/show how you will handle the big things. And there are no approved shortcuts.

So the question is, are we responsible enough to choose the use of purposeful, voluntary, and independent self-decision to handle the little things of life well? To be non-arbitrary or non-despotic in pursuing our dreams, careers, relationships, and growing maturity? That I leave for you to decide. Be honest with your self; you might as well for you cannot trick chaos into being freedom. Chaos is chaos and it always will be. And experiencing the strength of integrity that freedom well lived brings should be missed by no one.

Grow well my friend,

Grow into your freedom well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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If you liked this blog entry, check out the shirt designs that support it. Just click here for design ‘Freedom not Chaos’, and here for design ‘Strong Enough to be Free’, at our cafepress store.

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059 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:08:33 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 59th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Freedom not Chaos
Part 1:

Sometime ago there was a weekly quote here on the Eadarian Network (number 63), “You are only as free as you are responsible enough to be.” This from that wonderful sage and guru, the Eadarian Poet.

This train of thought then led me to another phrase that may well become a future quote of the week: “Freedom not Chaos”.

As I have begun to share this phrase with others, they have immediately thought that I am referring to politics. This I am not. I am only concerned with you and I as individuals. That is something to remember about this bolg, and I only share what I have experienced on my own journey.

So, to ensure understanding of what this post is addressing, I am talking about personal freedom verses personal chaos. Those, which reside in the individual and over which this same individual has control.

So what does all this mean? What does this look like? Let’s start with the thought, “You are only as free as you are responsible enough to be.” And see what develops.

I’m finding that the older dictionaries are quickly becoming my favorites. They seem to have a deeper range of meanings than most modern dictionaries do. In any event…

From the 1913 Webster Dictionary, Freedom: Exemption from necessity – as freedom of will –

From the 1913 Modern English Illustrated Dictionary: Not arbitrary or despotic.

From the 1955 Webster Dictionary: independent, self-deciding, voluntary.

For Chaos (from all the dictionaries): complete confusion or disorder

For Despotic: irresponsible and arbitrary, tyrannical.

So, freedom can be said to be: The responsible use of purposeful, voluntary, and independent self-decision to exercise our will in a non-arbitrary or despotic manner. A matter of the will, a matter of choice.

Chaos can be said to be: Complete confusion and disorder resulting from irresponsible and arbitrary uses of the will. The end results of which are tyrannical in nature stealing away our ability to be truly free. Our ability to exercise free will, to utilize any self-decision is lessened if not taken completely away.

To be continued….

Grow in freedom;
Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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To choose a past installment(s) of The Creative Journey click here. To view a Quote of the Week, click here.

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058 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:53:29 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 58th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

MEEK not mousy:
Part 3.

So back to the issue at hand, being meek without being mousy.

Jesus is often shown as a shining example of meekness. So let’s take a look at some of what he did.

He stood up to demons, without whining or sniveling, drove corrupt merchants from the temple with a whip he fashioned himself, and spoke to thousands of people at a time while on the bank of a lake (five thousand and greater) without so much as a bullhorn, never mind a microphone and speaker system; nothing mousy there.

This hardly fits the retiring, quiet, self-defacing characterizations we think of today when we think of one who is meek.

And finally, (there are many more examples that could be shared, but because we are only looking at the possibility of being meek and not mousy, these are enough to show that this is in fact a possibility and we need to move on) in the book of Second Timothy (in the same Bible as before) chapter 1 verse 7, one of the greatest apostles Christianity has ever known, Paul, wrote to a young man the following. “For God has not given you a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

Forgive me, but this does not sound mousy. For God has not given you a mousy spirit, but one of power, love, and discipline… this sounds kind of bold and daring to me… and very meek in nature.

Allow me to quickly draw your attention back to the 1913 Webster’s Dictionary for just a moment more. In this definition is the word: Forbearing. This word caught my attention so I looked it up as well.

It means: Showing patient and unruffled self-control and restraint under adversity.

Wow, self-control. This reminds me of something I heard concerning the word meek. I do not remember where I heard this, nor exactly when I heard it. But, as much as I would love to say otherwise, I did not think of this on my own. Here it is:

Meekness is strength under control.

What an amazing concept.

Well my friends, there is much more that could be said, but I think we have gone on long enough.

Until next time,
Peace,

And may true bold and daring Meekness be yours.

Grow in freedom;

Grow in peace;

Grow in Strength Under Control.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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057 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:04:21 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 57th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

MEEK not mousy:
Part 2.

A mousy person can be easily provoked, true they may run and hide, but wise men beware of the fearful and the mousy because there is no logic, no telling when or how, behind the times they choose to explode and reek havoc on those around. Mousy people can seem patient under injuries because they fear to express what they feel, their anger and their hurt, but these do not get vented and do not go away. And, as with anything which is suppressed, the pressure of holding it in builds until an explosion happens. Hurting many more people than the mousy person ever meant to harm and perhaps even more severly than intended.

And the mousy can be very vain, haughty, and resentful. Arrogance no matter the reason for it is still arrogance. And even the most mousy of persons (as strange as this may sound) can become arrogant concerning their level of mousy-ness.
Their vainness / haughtiness comes from just how not arrogant and boastful they feel they are. They become vain about their mousy-ness and very resentful of all who are not as mousy as they, or who they perceive as not being “meek” enough.

I’m not saying… no, I am saying that while someone who could be described as mousy can be meek, they may just be mousy. And more importantly, that someone who is meek need not be mousy. That being mousy and meekness are two different things.

To further this thought I turned to a text, other than the dictionaries, which most of us in the western world quickly bring to mind when we hear the word meek. This of coarse being the text known as The Sermon on the Mount, or sometimes referred to as The Beatitudes.

Regardless of your religious or nonreligious beliefs, (For this is only a foray into what possibilities exist for a meek person to also be a bold and daring one; a non-mousy one.) this text will prove most helpful in expounding on meanings to meekness.

This text comes from the book of Matthew chapter 5, verse 5. “Blessed are the meek…” Was this really saying, “Blessed are the mousy, the deficient in spirit and courage, the spineless…”?

I have found some very interesting information while researching this. The first of which comes from Webster’s 1913 Dictionary. As mentioned earlier, this definition was: Mild of temper, not easily provoked; patient under injuries; not vain, haughty, or resentful; forbearing, submissive. ~ Moses was very meek. Num. 12:3.

Besides the fact that a dictionary used a Biblical example for illustrating it’s definition, which in this day and time is… intriguing; it highlighted a Biblical use of meek that can shed light on the usage of it in Matthew.

Moses – a very meek person – was the leader of a young nation, one breaking free from hundreds of years of slavery to one of the most powerful nations of that day. Standing up to the Pharaoh, the one who all Egyptians, including the Pharaoh, considered a god, took something more than a “deficiency in courage”.

This man led the nation and kept them together for over forty years – ruling, judging, teaching, guiding, and establishing a governing system. Overcoming fears, complaints, revolts, and much more all the while sojourning through a desert. This hardly aligns itself with the image of a mousy, spiritless coward. Yes there is the whole aspect of God helping Moses, leading Moses, giving him the strength to do what had to be done, and we may or may not touch more on this later, for I have learned that meekness in the Bible has to do with an attitude toward God, but at present, that is beyond the scope of this blog. Though I will mention, it is worth noting that there are many who will confirm that letting go and letting God takes tremendous courage and some daring, what some will call faith (also, that courage and strength may not be evident in how we feel while letting go, and the courage to proceed very often means proceeding even while we still know fear concerning the progression.). Now, if I’m not careful I’ll digress and veer away from our current topic; for the concept of courage in the face of our fears is a lengthy topic all its own.

To be continued…..

Grow in peace my friends,

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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056 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 07:43:28 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 56th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

MEEK not mousy:
Part 1.

As I was preparing for this blog entry, I researched the word Meek using several sources and doing so both online and offline. Trying to determine if one could indeed be meek and not mousy.

Here is what I found.

In modern dictionaries, I did indeed find mousy – the exact words being, “deficient in spirit and courage”, with a quote from poet Langston Hughes as an illustration, “meek as a mouse.” – to be one of the proper meanings for this word. But I also found something else that was both intriguing and supportive of my assertion.

Older dictionaries, I have a Webster’s Illustrated Dictionary from 1955 and a The New English Modern Illustrated Dictionary published in 1913 in my office. And I found the Webster’s Dictionary from 1913 online. All of these older dictionaries do not list this lack of spirit or courage (nor do they use any quote similar to the one later used from poet Langston Hughes as an illustration) as a meaning for meek. Indeed, the definitions found here actually help make the case for a bold, daring, and meek individual.

To keep this from being a dry presentation of mere definitions, I will limit the sharing of them to two definitions, one each from the 1913 dictionaries.

From: The New English Modern Illustrated Dictionary
Meek: gentle, mild of temper, yielding, submissive.

From: Webster’s 1913 Dictionary
Meek: mild of temper; not easily provoked; patient under injuries; not vain, haughty, or resentful; forbearing, submissive. – Moses was very meek. Numbers 12:3

Yes, the reference to Moses and the Bible is listed in this dictionary as an illustration for meek.

Not easily provoked, mild of temper… so not a hot head, a loose cannon bringing destruction wherever he turns himself loose.

Patient under injuries… how easy it is to simply strike back at the source of those injuries, to demand immediate restitution and healing from injuries (both personal and physical), there is strength in restraint.

Not vain, haughty, or resentful. Arrogance can and does wear many masks. The meek is not arrogant, again this takes poise and strength and courage. It is too easy to become arrogant.

To be continued…

Grow in peace my friends,

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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055 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:11:44 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 55th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Goals Part 3:

So, back to our travel analogy, the goal here is to travel Europe for an uninterrupted month. The first piece of information needed may well be… where you want to go. Europe is a pretty big place, more or less, and you could spend many months wandering around and be disappointed with your experience and have not seen much that was worth your time and effort.

So step 1, what places do you want to see? What areas do you want to visit? If you only want to visit Stonehenge why would you go to Bosnia? Both are part of Europe are they not? Yet if nothing in Bosnia attracts you, then how will this help you in your tour? Going where you really do not want is actually a distraction from you main goal.

As we go along, remember this travel analogy is only an illustration, you can take these steps and apply them to any goal, in business to generate more income, to get a promotion, and at home… to keep the house clean, to open your home to more social engagements, or what ever. See if you can find the first piece of info you need to obtain. Whether that info is who new potential customers might be, what skill sets need to be mastered, what improvements to the house need to be made, or… etc…

Step 2. Now that you know where to go, you will need to decide how best to travel there. Will it be by car, bike, hike, train, or plane and a combination of the rest?

Step 3. Where do you want to stay while in Europe? In five star hotels? In bed and breakfasts? In hostels for hikers?

Step 4. Where do you want to eat on this tour? In restaurants, on granola bars, or something in-between?

Step 5. Determine how much money you will need to make this happen.

Notice how I’ve prioritized the needed information. I listed everything that the dream needs to be accomplished, and then I looked at what I needed to make this happen. I listed every thing I wished done (where to go, where to stay, etc), and then I could take a realistic look at what was needed to make the dream happen (how much money would be needed).

And now you can establish a game plan: how to save (sacrifice amenities, take a second or third job, etc.), determine how long it will take to save, what travel arrangements need be made, the obtainment of a passport or visa, the use of travel agencies or not, and on and on. And by addressing the smaller pieces of information that you have listed under your big goal, you can get the answers you need without being overwhelmed by the size of the goal.

An additional benefit of listing everything, you can see if your goal needs to be modified. Perhaps you discover that one full month of travel, no matter how you approach it will simply be too expensive, so, by having all the information, you can make the changes needed. Perhaps two weeks touring is feasible. Perhaps one month of touring but with restricted destinations. Who knows, but until you break everything down, you really don’t know. And there is nothing worse than making arrangements and being dreadfully disappointed in your tour, having to call it off in mid tour, or abandon it all together after spending money on it because of some unforeseen, but easily planned for piece of info that you simply did not take to time to account for.

There is some good news here for us non – type A personalities; meaning here, those who thrive on goal setting. You know the type, those who set goals for how to eat, do laundry, and walk down the street on a daily basis. ( And please, I am not being disparaging to the type A folks, just recognizing that we are not all of that personality type.) By choosing to set goals on things that are important to us, we can enjoy these times, because they can now become bright spots, shining moments of clarity for us that help us along, and to thoroughly enjoy, our rather intuitive life style.

Andrea, I hope this answered you desire for discussion of this topic.
I think next time I shall talk about the difference between being meek and being mousy. That is a fun thought and my next goal.

Grow in peace.
Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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054 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:47:02 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 54th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Goals: Part 2.

In part one of this blog entry, we ended with the statement that knowing why you have a goal helps determine how much time and effort to invest in its attainment. Which is another way of saying that it helps produce endurance. Knowing why you want this goal, knowing the importance of attainment to you, will help you endure the sacrifices that you must make to attain this goal. You may even have to change your plans for attainment… more than once, but if it is important to you, you will change the how you get there without changing the goal itself. For the attaining of the goal is worth more than the sacrifices and inconveniences needed to get there.

For example, say you want to spend a month touring Europe. Why do you want to tour Europe? Is it simply a fun idea for you, one that might be nice to do? Or is it a passionate dream that you want to accomplish as soon as possible?

See the difference?

Is this something that if you miraculously win Powerball you will do? Or is it something you will choose to sacrifice that noon coffee shop, eating out, new cloths, and a big screen tv in order to be able to afford to go? How important is this goal?

Is it important enough that if your plan of doing with out the items mentioned above does not generate the savings needed, will you be willing to change your plan and add a second job for its attainment? These are questions that need to be answered otherwise the tendency is to run yourself ragged chasing goals and to not invest your energies in attaining them.

Ok, speaking of plans… we now come to the second part of Andrea’s request, the subdividing of big goals into little ones.

Here is my approach: 1) Identify the first piece of information needed to obtain this goal. 2) Identify the next piece. 3) Continue steps one and two until all needed information is identified and written down. 4) When all conceivable information, steps are listed, prioritize these steps and form a plan to obtain these pieces of info, these become the smaller goals, and advance through them step by step.

An interesting thing about this is that once all the known pieces of information are written down and prioritized, the order of these can change as real world situations dictate. There may even be some information that you did not know you needed until you are progressing on your plan. It is easy to incorporate this into your plan and/or re-prioritize if you need. But (and I can’t say this enough) without one (a plan), your dreams will only ever be daydreams, fantasies that will not come to life.

To be continued…

Grow in peace my friends,

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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053 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 07:16:57 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 53rd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

The setting of Gaols: Part 1

On our facebook page, Andrea asked to have the topic of setting goals as a topic for a blog entry. Thank you Andrea for this request. Having just gone through some re-evaluations here at The Eadarian Network, I will be happy to share some of the thoughts I’ve had concerning goal setting.

A goal comes from something that is desired. Whether the goal is on a small scale, such as keeping your house clean from week to week, a big scale, such as generating a business and earning a certain amount of income, or something larger still, the attainment of a life long dream. Goals come from desire and give direction to our purpose, they help us attain the desired end. And there are as many ways to set, subdivide, and attain your goals, as there are people who attain them.

The first thing I’ve discovered is the importance of knowing WHY you are setting the goal. Is the reason one you find compelling, or has it been set simply because it sounds good to have this particular goal? That it sounds like a goal you should have?

Do you want to start that exercise program because you have a passionate drive to be healthy, to have your body be able to respond to any demand you may put upon it? Or is it just to look good at the pool this summer?

Not knocking the desire to look your best at the pool, but if that is your only reason for setting this goal you are, in all probability, not going to maintain the discipline needed to reach this goal. You will soon decide that the second or third ice cream cone is much more satisfying than this vague, nebulous, poolside body.

If, on the other hand, this goal is from the desire to be active as long as possible, to be able to enjoy the freedom a healthy body allows you to have, for as long a humanly possible; when you encounter the opportunity for that extra ice cream, you have an easier time saying no. Because it truly does not help you get where you deep down want to be. You count it a small sacrifice because of the greater satisfaction you will receive as a result of attaining your goal.

Also, knowing why you are setting the goal will help you evaluate how important it is to you. I’m now talking about organizing your goals. Which are more important than others? This is important in order to avoid becoming too stressed over being committed to too many goals. The important ones you hang onto and see through to fulfillment, the others you can put on back burners, or discard altogether, but you will not know which you can discard (without great detriment) if you don’t know which is the most important.

Also, knowing why you have a goal helps you determine how much time and effort to invest in the goal’s achievement, and when enough of each has been given and it is time to let go and set a different goal. For, while goals are wonderful tools, we may or may not attain all of them. Sometimes the wisest thing is to be able to evaluate and say, “Enough, time to move on.”

This is also known as prioritizing your goals. Prioritize… big word, but in need not be too scary to contemplate when you realize that all it means is that the things you want and need most are more important than those that would be nice to attain but no big deal if you don’t.

To be continued…

Grow in peace.
Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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052 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 06:26:10 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 52nd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Just Let Go: Part 2

But here is the rub. As much as we enjoy that thought, that of getting even, we are made vastly miserable, grouchy, irritable, and bitter while we retain that thought. Mankind has long known that there is no true joy, no true satisfaction in holding on to anger and resentment. And even if something happens to the object of our resentment and “they get theirs”, the joy we thought we would have does not materialize. So we are devoid of satisfaction even when we get what we wanted.

How tragic for those who have held on to past wrongs.

In contrast, when we “just let go” of the wrong, we deny the other person the ability to hurt us further by removing our masochistic tendency toward self-inflicted victimization. For we can then live joyously and freely even in the presence of one who has hurt us, when we have let go. Sounds crazy I know… but it is a fun way to live.

As you may have noticed, I have not given any examples or illustrations concerning wrongs committed. This is because the principle of letting go your right to self-pity and misery applies to any and all situations.

Also, a wrong is a wrong. It matters not if it is merely a coworker slacking, making you work twice as hard and then taking all the credit for the work you have done or something more serious involving betrayal of trust and love. And the letting go of self-pity and the pain of being wronged does not make that wrong right. Nor does it negate the consequences, either for yourself or the other person. But it does allow you to live beyond… to live above being wronged. It allows you to live in peace, contentedly and happily, even in the presence of the one who has hurt you.

This concept of just letting go also has another name… Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is an often-maligned term and it is often paired with a term that has no relevance to it; that term is forget. “Forgive and Forget” is one of those nice sounding phrases that, I suppose, means well but has not actual practicality in reality. And to say that unless you forget, you have not truly forgiven is… well… BOGUS.

Forgiveness, by definition, is the act of pardoning somebody. Not the act of forgetting somebody.

To forgive means to let go and hold no grudge, to hold no ill will against the offending party even when the wrong and the consequences of that wrong still are in effect.

As I said, just three little words. Just let go. Or if you prefer, one medium size word, Forgive. Do this and your life will be better my friend.

Grow strong,

Live free,

Forgive.

Until next time,

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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051 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:10:28 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 51st installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Just Let Go: Part 1

Such a small phrase, merely three little words in length. Yet, for the most part, it is one of the hardest things in the world to do.

Why is it so hard? Because we love our right to be bitter and miserable and, “Don’t you dare try and take that right from us!!”

I am, of course, referring to the letting go of wrongs done to us by another. They needn’t be large wrongs. Indeed, the smaller the better for hanging onto; for smaller ones fit better in the palm of our hand for ease of carrying, metaphorically speaking.

It could be that larger – more serious wrongs are too big to be magnified beyond what they are, and as such, are fairly easy to see and deal with. Whereas, the smaller the wrong (in importance) the more we tend to magnify the problem (the wrong) to the extreme so that we can no longer clearly see it and thereby have a more difficult time dealing with it. An interesting thought anyway.

Howsoever, by not letting go we tend to become miserable, unhappy, angry, and mostly resentful of the one how has wronged us.

The sad thing about this situation is that, at least 99.9 times out of 100, the other person is oblivious to how we feel and our misery affects them not at all. They may not even be aware that we received a wrong from them. And if they are aware of this, meaning that the wrong was intentionally delivered, they don’t care or are even happy that we are upset.

So we have allowed them to hurt us twice. By giving to them a power over us that they do not possess on their own, the power to extend our pain and misery past the wrong that was done. Only we have that power. The power to continually make ourselves unhappy, or as some say, “to steal our joy”, but there truly is not theft of joy, we have given it away.

I mentioned earlier our right to be bitter; what this actually involves is self-pity. It feels very good to hear someone say, “Oh, you poor dear. You were treated so unfairly. I hope they get theirs, and soon.” Even if we are the only ones saying it, it feels good to hear. We want a correction to happen, retribution to fall, punishment to be imposed, and thereby a vindication received unto ourselves.

Vindication here being revenge spelled a little more politely.

To be continued….

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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050 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:29:25 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 50th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Your best is never halfway done. Part 2.

I will also mention that the best book I have read on this law of attraction stuff is an older book, a book first printed in 1952. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale is an amazing book. One well worth the read and one the makes all the more modern books on this topic pale in comparison.

So, we have seen that doing our best is not perfectionism, is not being a perfectionist.

Interestingly, doing our best does not even mean that we will succeed in what we do. How’s that for a complication? Sometimes doing our best will mean we only get mediocre results. Yes it is true. For the final achievement in any endeavor will greatly depend on our level of skill in performing that task. Doing our best can only ever achieve what our topmost level of skill dictates.

For instance – I can do my best all day long to draw a life like portrait of someone and only ever deliver a decent stick figure. Drawing is not my forte. Likewise, I can do my best all day long trying to fix my car and at the end of the day… have changed a mean tire. Don’t believe me? Just ask my dad; he can tell you several funny stories concerning me and spark plugs.

On the other hand, in the kitchen, my best has led to roommates postponing plans long enough to eat what I’ve quickly thrown together and they’ve even volunteered to do the dishes afterward. I am a very good cook, for which I owe my mom a world of thanks.

Now, the same is true for each of us. We all have skills we shine at and others that we don’t have enough of to even hide from view. Just a fact of life.

So – let’s move on and look at what exactly is ‘doing our best’.

Doing your best is doing what you can do. It is as simple as that. Doing what you know to do, completely, not cutting corners, and doing so without the fear of failure. Applying your self fully and joyously to any task you undertake, without slacking, and without worrying.

Your best is being to the fullest, exactly who you are. Quite the freeing thought is it not?

Doing your best also leads to the ability to learn from your mistakes and thereby improving your skills in a given area. Which has the happy consequence of automatically helping you avoid mistakes, to avoid getting it wrong.

Back to the cooking analogy, say… we decide to bake some cookies. Doing our best means preheating the oven, following the recipe, and using a timer to help us know when to take them out of the oven. This will give us the best tasting cookies that this time of baking can give us. We have done our best, have done everything ‘right’. But let’s say the cookies that resulted were a bit under cooked. We can learn from this and lengthen the cooking time for this recipe, for this particular oven, and the next time we will have cookies that are most excellent to eat. And we do this without fuss or strain; we stay happy while doing so. We have done what we know to do and then quickly improved what we know to do through the experience of an unsatisfactory result.

Doing things half way might look like, turning on the oven and popping in the cookies immediately, not adding all the ingredients, or having no way to keep track of your cooking time. All of these, alone or combined, will positively end up with… not so nice tasting cookies. But see, doing things this way is not doing your best, not doing what you already know to do.

You say, “Baking cookies. No big deal.” That is the point. Doing our best needn’t be a great big hairy deal. Learning from mistakes need not be a great big hairy deal. When you focus on simply doing what you know, on achieving a better end, you will. And as you learn and put into practice more of the better things to do, the mistakes will take care of themselves without additional thoughts from you.

And that is a very freeing deal.

Enjoy your life my friend by doing your best. The satisfactions found therein are not to be missed.

Until next time,

Grow in freedom,
Grow in peace,

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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049 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 15 May 2011 07:40:51 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 49th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Your best is never halfway done.

This is an interesting concept.

Except, somewhere along the line I had come to equate doing my best with achieving a perfect result. Rather, to equate not attaining perfection with not doing my best, at whatever endeavor I was pursuing.

I really could not tell you where this thought came from and really I’m not interested in finding out. Nor do I think that I am so unique as to be the only one who has made this connection before.

But I have seen what this mindset leads to, frustration. Frustration and Perfectionism. Perfectionism is getting everything just right, making everything line up just so.

This idea sounds good on paper. Wouldn’t it be great to have everything just right? The problems with this, however, are many.

1) We don’t live in a perfect world.
2) The honest among us all admit that we are not perfect people.

So, how could an imperfect person in an imperfect world ever sanely hope to do something perfectly? Indeed, how could such imperfect people even know what perfect is? And the truth is we don’t.

Ask one hundred people what a perfect day would be like and you will receive one hundred different answers. From sunny and seventy to cloudy and windy – perfection is a very nebulous, vague, and mist filled notion. It does sound good to the ear but it has no practical reality in the world we live in.

Not only this, but as I have studied this topic, I have noticed that even though the word ‘Perfection’ is used, what is mainly being focused on is – not doing something wrong, not adding an impurity to what is being done, or the trying to remove all impurity (that which prevents perfection) from what we are doing.

No matter if the action is drawing a picture, building a house, making a sales pitch, or any other action we take, when doing our best has come to mean perfect performance, we become so aware of not doing something wrong that this is what we tend to do, something wrong… something much less than good or adequate, never mind perfect.

An example: In college I was a lighting design major for the theatre. I loved it. Part of the training for this was theatrical drafting. My roommate and I were in the same class. He would spend fifteen to twenty minutes on a project and be done, and it would look good. I, on the other hand, would spend hours on the same project and it would look terrible. I was so focused on getting every line perfect, making it just the right width, the right darkness, the right… everything. So focused was I on the perfection of it, on eliminating every wrong mark, not allowing a miss mark to remain on the paper that the drawing was always inferior, never good.

What was the difference between us? It was not that he was a better draftsman, when we had speed drills in class our drawings looked very similar, mine being better not his being worse. It was because I was so focused on getting things right, too right… perfect. See, by being so aware of mistakes and wanting to eliminate them entirely, my focus was actually on not getting the drawing wrong, on not allowing any mistakes to mar the end result. By focusing on not getting it wrong I made getting it wrong a chief part of my focus. And I always achieved that focus very well.

Now there are many books out dealing with the laws of attraction. So I’ll not go into this now. Except to say that what you focus on you will get. And since perfectionism tends to be focusing on not getting something wrong, getting something wrong occupies a large part of that focus – so that is what you get, something wrong. We tense up, we choke, and we stutter and stumble all because we are so focused on not getting it wrong.

To be continued…

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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048 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:15:19 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 48th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Hypocrisy part 2:

Say… ten years ago I made the mistake of touching a very hot iron and burned my hand so severely that it not only blistered but the damage went beyond blistering, and I lost the use of the hand. And it was only through years of healing and painful therapy that I was able to regain the use of that hand. Regained the use of it but still have the burn scars on it, scars which will never go away.

Ok. To call me a hypocrite because I now warn others not to touch a hot iron is more than ridiculous.

The reason we all agree with that last sentence is because nobody in their right mind actually wants to touch a hot iron. We all recognize the painful consequences of doing so.

That is the difference between the hot iron illustration and any other action we are warned against – our wanting. We think we want the pleasure that a certain action will bring. So much so that we do not think through the pain and emptiness that those actions will soon lead to. And because we want the pleasure, however short lived, we choose to remove all obstacles barring us from the pleasure. Even when those are wise words of caution, which tell us that, the pleasure is fleeting, hollow, and not truly gratifying.

So we shout, “Hypocrite!” At those who were burned before, in essence saying, “Don’t you dare stop us from being burned as well! If it was good enough for you, it is good enough for us!” And that is the point of the warning. Being burned was not good. It is something to be avoided.

Another popular attack, similar to the above yet directed at those who have learned from the experience of others, from the burning that others have had to endure. These have learned from the life lessons of others and avoided the pain.

Lets’ go back to the hot iron for a moment.

Because I listened to the warning of others, saw the pain in others from being burned, and made the choice that touching a hot iron is something to be avoided; and so remained healthy and happy. And have then chosen to warn others not to touch it because of the known pain it will cause. I then hear attacks such as, “Since you’ve never touched a hot iron, how do you know what you are talking about? Since you’ve never been burned, how can you warn anyone against touching a hot iron? Since you really don’t know what you are talking about.”

This is equally as shallow and ludicrous as the hypocrite argument.

Do not be a hypocrite; live well who you are. And, more importantly, do not live in the fear of being falsely accused of being one. You have learned lessons in life, either the hard way by being burned, or the easier way through the wisdom of others. Either way, wear those lessons well and be bold in warning others, when appropriate, and in passing those lessons on, in sharing the wisdom you have acquired.

Those who call you hypocrite today may well thank you tomorrow.

Until next time.

Grow in freedom;
Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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047 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:54:49 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 47th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Hypocrisy part 1:

According to the dictionary a hypocrite is:

1) A person who pretends to have virtues, moral, or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess. Especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

2) A person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

Or to put it simply: Somebody who is saying one thing WHILE DOING another (emphasis on ‘while doing’ – mine).

Saying while doing…

There are many hypocrites in today’s world. Those who merely play a part, a role, a character, one that is not who they really are. I’ll wager that you already have had some names come to mind.

Can you guess where this post is going?

Maybe not.

For what I want to touch on it the misuse of this term that is so prevalent today. An abuse that is nothing more than an attempt to legitimize a desired behavior or at least silence objection to it.

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine. She is the mother of a couple of teenage girls and she was greatly concerned about the possibility of her children experimenting with drugs. But she was struggling with warning them against this because she had become convinced that, since she had used them in her past, it would be hypocritical of her to tell her kids not to use them, to tell them how empty and pain filled this path is.

Notice the key words – had used – she no longer does. She knew them to be a bad thing and wanted to save her children the pain that the use of illegal drugs produces. She was no longer doing the actions she wanted to warn against; she had learned that life is better without the drugs. Yet she had come to believe what our society has been telling us for many years now, that she could not pass on valuable life lessons to her children because she would be a hypocrite to do so. After all if she could do it why couldn’t they?

No matter what action we want to talk about, in the matter above it is the use of drugs but this abuse is prevalent in many other areas including: extra marital sex, premarital sex, lying, cheating, stealing (of time as well as materials), chronic lateness, being rude, and the list goes on. When ever someone who has learned a life lesson through any of these makes an objection to them, the first thing they are likely to hear is, “What do you mean? You’ve done this before so who are you to tell me not to. You HYPOCRITE!” This is then accepted and echoed by those not involved in the particular situation. Our society has come to accept this as a valid rebuttal that allows no further thought or discussion.

As we have seen, those no longer doing the actions they are warning against are not hypocrites. Yet, with so many voices constantly saying they are and no one standing up to reveal the silliness, the illogic of such statements… well, if the person raising the objection is not careful, he can come to believe that he, in fact, has no right to pass along the valuable lessons he has learned.

Last time, (installment number 46) I mentioned an illustration that I think it will do well to mention it again, that of a hot iron. Rather, we will continue with this illustration in our next installment.

Until then,

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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046 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:32:06 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 46th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Freedom: Part 2

Continued from Creative Journey 45.

I am not saying that external limitations, restrictions are bad or unnecessary. But I am saying that we must think about them, know why they are true and why we want to own them. And then make them our own personal rules and limiters.

When I was a child, I had the external control of my mother enforcing the limitation of not touching a hot iron. I know of no sane person who will say there is much freedom found in being burned by a hot iron. There is only pain and suffering and (depending on the severity of the burn) a long healing process. But if I had never believed my mother, did not ponder about her warnings, admit the pain I knew others had suffered because of being burned, and come to own (believe in deeply and even passionately in) the knowledge that I wanted to be healthy and injury free, and that touching the hot iron was a very quick way to loose that freedom. Then when my mother was not around I could very easily have been irresponsible and chosen the, “I’ll show her” mentality and touched the iron and gotten burned. I not only would have gotten burned, but I would have given up the freedom of being healthy, whole, and pain free. I would have exchanged this for the entanglement of pain and the limitation of what I could do, limited because the pain would be too great to do very much.

Yes, the pain from a burn may not last forever. And one can use this experience and pain to grow wiser and also to emphatically warn others against this pain, to help them to want to own this truth. So they don’t suffer from getting burned. And in time, one can even move beyond this pain, almost forgetting about it and finding ways to live that are not effected by the old injury, or at least minimally effected by it; or to put it another way, to become healed from this injury. Yet, why get burned at all? Why surrender any of your freedoms?

Why not freely choose to take responsibility for your own life by choosing to limit your self to things that make you healthy and whole. Thereby increasing the possibilities and options of things you are free to do. True happiness lies in this realm.

True, you may miss out on scars to carry for the rest of your life, but is that such a bad thing?

Choose the path of freedom my friend. Not the path of chaos.

Until next time….

Grow in freedom,

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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045 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:39:50 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 45th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Freedom: Part 1

Over the coarse of history, freedom (the word) has been applied to many things. In politics, religion, in relation to tyranny by others, to… well it has been used in many applications. Here we are talking about personal freedoms; personal choices and responsibilities that we all have and make.

And freedom is one of the scariest notions that men encounter today and not many really want it. Why? In a world that tries to be black and white about things, freedom is a vast field of grey. It is not easily controlled. It lies outside the realm of do’s and don’ts, outside the jurisdiction of laws and correctness. Yet it can fulfill the intent of all the above.

Freedom is the ability to choose what you do. To choose what you do, what you do not do, what you think, and what you do not think. It is not the action, not the thought, but your ability to choose what action to take and what thought to think.

The thing is, in Freedom, you can choose things that bring more freedom or you can choose things that steal it from you. For example, you can choose to exercise and take care of your body, thereby opening up the choice of activities in which you can participate and to otherwise help you enjoy the freedom that good health brings. Or you can choose to over eat, neglect the body and have those freedoms of choice taken from you.

Freedom IS the ability to choose. Your choice leads either to more access to freedom of choice or to a lack of it.

I once heard it said that freedom means you can do anything you want for as long as you want to do it. This is not freedom, this is chaos. Freedom is the ability to choose even if that choice steals your freedom leaving chaos and pain. Yes, you can choose chaos, but in doing so you loose parts of your freedom. Your ability to choose from many options either expands or shrinks based on your choice.

And once you have started down the road to chaos, it is a long hard journey to once attain the freedom you once enjoyed. To remain free takes a great deal of self-responsibility. For freedom to truly be free there must be self-imposed limitations. It may sound counter intuitive, but without limitations freedom ends in chaos every time. Complete freedom does involve self-limitations, self-responsibility.

I say self-limitations because external ones are not permanent and not very long lasting. You see this in college age folks all the time. They grow up under a set of rules and expectations of others, yet when they get away from these rules for the first time (because those limitations are not their own, not self-imposed) they gladly break as many of them as they can. It is only those who have internalized these imposed limits and made them their own, who can hold onto the freedoms given by these restraints; no matter who is or is not around.

To be continued…

Grow Free,

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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044 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:45:42 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 44th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Calm Assertive Energy: the extrapolation.

Last time we explored Cesar Millan’s favorite phrase, “Calm Assertive Energy”. We explored what this did and did not mean in our relations to our dogs.

We also mentioned that this concept could be extrapolated to our interactions with others. And that these interactions would display the hallmarks of a life nobly lived; the hallmarks of respecting others and treating others as people of worth.

This is a lot to talk about – so here we go.

Calm Assertive Energy: One of the definitions for assertive is self-confidence; so we could call this Calm Self-Confident Energy, the energy and corresponding abilities that come from being self-confident. When you have this energy, this attitude, this state of being, you have the ability to consistently remain calm and clear thinking in any situation and with anyone you are conflicting with.

A person who is calmly self-confident is self-assured, self-possessed, and consistently displays great poise.

As we are discussing this, it is important to remember that self-confidence is not self-conceit, self-assurance is not self-importance, and self-possessed does not mean self-absorbed.

Let’s take a quick look at each of these.

Self-assured: You know who you are and what you can do and what you will not do. This enables you to not allow negative people or situations to sour you on people of life.

Self-confidence: This and the one above are very similar and are integrally related. Self-assurance is knowing who you are and self-confidence is living who you are. Doing what you know you can do time after time. This gives you the ability to face difficulties calmly because you have no doubt of your capability to handle it, to cope with it.

Self-possessed: The controlling of your emotions. Emotions are good and needed. They are part of what makes us human but only a part. There is also intellect and the two must be in balance; the one tempered by the other. Emotion uncontrolled is chaos. Intellect uncontrolled is legalistic coldness. Controlling your emotion helps you to stay calm and focused when situations are not to your liking.

Poise: Being calm and collected, having composure.

These allow you to have respect for yourself. And it is only when you have true respect for yourself that you can extend true respect to others. You can only give away what you have and only at the amount you have it. If you have it not – there is nothing to give.

One of the great pit falls of thought concerning self-assurance, self-confidence, and self-anything positive, is the fear of being selfish and self-centered. That simply because the word ‘self’ is used, there is fear that it will quickly lead to the selfish side of life. Fear is always a bad motivator.

I mentioned earlier that self-assurance, confidence, and possession were not self-importance, conceit, and absorption. While they all involve your self the first three are not self-centered. They put you in a place where you can interact with others freely. These are a place of strength from which graciousness and respect can freely flow. The last three are weaknesses and they are self-centered. Living in these last three makes everything in life about you, what can benefit you, and what you can enjoy. People become mere pawns of convenience; there is no respect here.

This discussion could go on for at least a book or several – but we need to end for now. If you would like to start a conversation about this thought please do so in the comment box below.

Until next time may you grow into greater Calm Self-Confident Energy.

Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes

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043 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 22:45:28 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 43rd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Calm Assertive Energy.

This is an amazing concept. The place of being confident in who you are, of having a positive self image and attitude that helps you face what ever comes calmly and confidently.

Anyone familiar with Cesar Millan (the dog whisperer) knows that this is his favorite phrase. It is the attitude, self-image, and energy needed by a dog owner in order to be the dogs pack leader, to earn their dog’s respect.

As I have learned about this concept (I have a 95 pound puppy, yes puppy, and I am learning all I can about being a good pet owner) I have come to see what the influence calm assertive energy involves and what it does NOT. And that this concept can be extrapolated to our interactions with other people and these interactions, those based in this extrapolation, are the hallmarks of the noble life.

PLEASE understand, I am not calling people dogs nor am I saying we should treat people as if they were dogs. It is about treating people more like people of worth, of being more honest with ourselves and with others, and of having an attitude that earns respect from others.

First, let me share what I have learned about this as it relates to my puppy. I think a good place to start this is by sharing what it is not. It is not intimidation, manipulation, or coercion. These are actually signs of weakness on the part of the pet owner and your pet picks up on this weakness, preventing you from being the needed pack leader.

Intimidation: This is when we use anything at our disposal to threaten and force our way in a given situation. This is about making yourself look bigger, fiercer, or more imposing in order to achieve a desired behavior.

Calm assertive energy inspires you pet to do what you want.

Manipulation: To control or influence through clever or devious means. As with intimidation you are using an artificial means to influence your dog to behave a certain way. Your dog sees this as weakness and will only comply as long as it sees a benefit for compliance.

Calm assertive energy influences the dog to want to do as you wish – no tricks, no gimmicks – for dogs follow the pack leader. Yes you have to work with them to teach them what you want and you must have patience as they learn and occasionally push the boundaries you have set. But when you maintain this state of being they do follow.

Coercion: The use of force to obtain compliance. This should speak for itself. The use of force creates fear and resentment. Your dog may cringe before you or, depending on the dog, it may fight back. Either way you do not have an excellent companion.

Calm assertive energy does not force, it does not give ground, and it achieves desired results. This energy asserts you as the pack leader; the one who is to be listened to. This results in your pet becoming more than a mere pet, a mere object of our affection, by transforming it into a companion. A companion that respects you, not merely a pet that only loves and trusts you. Respect does not come cheap but is vital to growing companionship.

Our next installment will deal with the extrapolation of this principle to our interaction with others.

Until that time my friend,

Be Free.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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042 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:36:55 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 42nd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

My friend, if I had a title for this installment it would be: Braving the road less traveled.

To have the courage to be true to yourself, your dreams, and your passions is one of the toughest and most non-sissy things you can ever achieve.

Now, most will read the above and say, “Yes, yes of coarse. You must be true to yourself.” Yet when doing so brings them to the edge of what is deemed “acceptable” they fold. They give away who they are and what they hold dear because they don’t want to be rude or confrontational.

Now, and this is very important, please notice this next statement, I am not referring to doing anything illegal, rebellious, hurtful, spiteful, arrogant, disrespectful, or rude and confrontational.

This is about being true to who you have grown to be. Being as respectful and thoughtful as any one person can be. And yet, still being true even when those who disagree with you call you the rude one even as they become confrontational in doing so.

As a side note: have you ever noticed that those who say they are against such rude confrontations are the most adroit and virulent in the use of them? That those who demand acceptance of themselves in the loudest of tones are the very ones who loudly try to change you; so you fit in with their desires and ideas?

Anyway.

There are at least two thoughts, or principles that need to be considered in this being true to yourself thing.

1) Recognize and acknowledge the truth that no matter what you say, not matter what you do, someone is going to hate you.

You cannot be the friend of or even please everyone. If one man finds you interesting and a joy to be around the next may well find you a troublesome bore. Some will love you even if they disagree with some of your thoughts and ideas and some will detest you, even if they agree with your thoughts and ideas. That is the price of being a human being… well perhaps not the price but certainly part and parcel of being one.

So rather than worrying about how others respond to who you are, simply be who you are.

2) This principle is summed up in the saying: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

In other words, just because someone has abused an action this does not mean that the action is wrong or that it should not be taken. Whether this involves the principles of… Grace and Mercy or any other.

Grace and Mercy are still valid and needed even though some abuse them by doing whatever they want, knowingly hurting another simply because they know the other will forgive them. Merely using Grace and Mercy as a cover for selfish and self-centered living. Yet who has not been on the receiving end of much needed mercy and not been very grateful.

Grace and Mercy are the “baby” here and the abuse is the bath water that needs to be thrown out.

Another principle, or action if you will, is Courteously Disagreeing. This is most often abused by those who label their all out barrage and bombardments of an individual they disagree with as a courteous disagreement. Here, the only courteousness to be found is in the label.

But again, this abuse does not mean that courteous disagreements cannot happen, are not possible, or should not be engaged in. To say that because attacks have been poorly concealed by the label of courteous disagreements that they should not be held and that any who hold such disagreements are actually attacking each other – is throwing the baby out with the bath water.

So, to connect both of these to the topic at hand – there is an old adage: Know Thyself.

Know when you are being true to yourself, when you are being noble, respectful, passionate, daring, and courteous even when detractors come at you from all sides accusing you of being just the opposite.

Know that the road less traveled is where you are, and where you need to be. You will be stronger for it and those who are like you (who will value who you are) will then be able to find you and come to be around you. Which is a beautiful thing.

Grow well my friend,

Grow deep.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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041 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:15:15 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 41st installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

My friend, I have had the occasion to note something very sad in the past few days; people’s inability or lack of tolerance for thoughts and ideas different from their own.

No I am not talking politics.

But ideas that are held so dearly that anything that runs contrary to them inspires not contemplation, for a strengthening of those ideas or the discovery of a needed amendment. But rather what comes is an out of hand rejection, not only of the idea but also of the one from whom the idea is heard.

Recently on the Eadarian Network’s FaceBook page I provided a wonderful quote from Thomas Carlyle, “Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.” This statement wound up costing me a friend.

To this friend, accomplishment only led to showboating, to a ‘look at me’ mentality. And this person also equated this quote to only accepting another person based solely on that person’s accomplishments. This friend viewed both quite negatively.

Now, I am not commenting on this person’s views. There are reasons everyone holds what ideas they do.

What is being commented on is that in the follow up conversation, when asked questions concerning these views, instead of conversation becoming rich with the flowing of thoughts and the expounding of ideas, the conversation was not only abandoned, it was done with no indication that this was going to happen. No answered questions… no response of any kind… the person was simply gone. And is still gone, weeks later, no longer my friend on Facebook.

A very sad thing.

I do wish this person well and I hope that at some point they re-establish contact. I still value their friendship. But that is not my decision to make.

“What,” you ask, “is the importance of this?” It is to stress the importance of owning what you think. Knowing intimately what you believe so you can hold conversations with others of a different mindset and not be ruffled by it. So that you can either be strengthened in what you know by proving what you know against this contrary thought or strengthened in what you know by being able to amend what you know. This also enables you to agree to disagree if the different points of view cannot be reconciled, and that can be a very good place to be.

Please think things through.

There is a danger in thinking. You may just change and grow. But there is an even greater danger in refusing to think, or in thinking things through – but only halfway through. For therein lies laziness, falsehood, self-deceit, and self-shackling.

Think my friend and be free.

Be Free.

Until next time.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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040 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:06:59 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 40th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

For a dream to become real it must be lived as real, otherwise it never can be.

Now that is a mouthful. So let’s chew on it a while.

You have heard it said, “Pretend until it is real.” Pretend something is real until it is. Be it a mood you want, a job you want, a dream you wish fulfilled, just pretend it is so and the reality will catch up.

I have always had a problem with this statement because I find it misleading. There is no pretending involved. The only good that pretending has ever done is provide joy to children at play. No, there is no pretending. There is the acceptance, as real, of that which is not yet evident.

Do you see the difference?

It is believing and thereby knowing you ARE… what ever, be that a success, a sought after artist, the scientist who discovers the cure for cancer… and the list goes on almost forever. Living in the realization that what you want is happening, even though the physical circumstances have not caught up with this reality.

Wannabes pretend. Those who ARE know they ARE.

This is not about living in denial concerning the physical aspects of your dream, that they have not yet been attained. Not about ignoring that you still have far to go to reach the levels of success you have in mind. Nor is it about being arrogant, thinking you are the best thing since sliced bread.

It is about how you view yourself, about being mentally there in the here and now. Those who ARE live confidently in who they are even while learning what they need to know in order to bring physical appearances into line with the reality of who they are.

They are confident in who the ARE. It matters not what the dream is about.
They are: the great leaders of men… in training.
They are: the great singers… still harnessing the power of their voice.
They are: … you fill in the blank… still learning the how of what they are pursuing.

The interesting thing is, those who ARE, are not shackled by what they do. Who they are supersedes what is done. For instance, a great entertainer today, when the publics taste in entertainment changes, will be great at what he does next; because he is great on the inside. And so, what happens on the outside matters not.

Wannabes never arrive at the fulfillment of their dream. They view the attainment of the dream as being on the horizon; even when to everyone else they seem to be living their dream. They want it, they crave it, but it always seems to elude them… a sad thing.

Wannabes pretend. So…

Stop pretending and start being.

Live well my fried, live well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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039 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:45:27 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 39th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Wearing our good fortune well.

It seems only reasonable that we would be extremely happy if good fortune came our way. And that this joy would then overflow into all aspects of our lives. That from this, we would become a joy to be around, a well spring of encouragement to others. So others, from the outflow of our joy, would also have some good fortune. Our good fortune has become a source of their good fortune. This is logical and this is noble, the result of a life well lived.

However, in practice, we too often deny others this brush of greatness, this touch of joy, for various, well meaning, and what might be considered, high-sounding reasons.

• “What right do I have to be so blessed while others suffer?” – humble sounding right?
• “Oh, one should not enjoy good fortune too much. For the bottom will fall out soon and then where will you be?” – reasonable sounding eh?
• “Oh, I am grateful, but I don’t want to make others feel bad that they are not also so fortunate.” – compassionate sounding is it not?

All these and many other similar statements, thoughts, and beliefs do contain a smidgen of truthful consideration, a touch of honest integrity. But, all good lies do the same.

That is why people buy into them. There is just enough truth to make them sound right; but not enough for them to actually be truthful, helpful, or healthful.

True, you may be better off than some and have more good fortune than others; yet why automatically assume that the effect this has on others will be negative. By not being true to yourself, not allowing good fortune to be worn graciously, you are limiting the resources available to others. Others who are looking for inspiration, for encouragement, and for help in knowing that good fortune can favor all (to one degree or another).

It just may be that the slight touch of your joy and gratefulness at being blessed will be just what they need to embrace the joy that lies waiting for them.

Now, do not confuse wearing fortune well with being arrogant and condescending (which are as vile as not wearing fortune well).

Wearing fortune well is about being content and joyous, a respite for others from life’s daily drudgery. The latter is… not.

Enjoy your good fortunes. Be thankful for all the wonder that is in you life.

Wear good fortune graciously; wear it well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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038 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:05:32 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 38th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

There is an old saying – “Tenacity is more than endurance, it is endurance combined with the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to transpire. Tenacity is more than just hanging on, which may be but the weakness of being too afraid to fall off.” – Oswald Chambers.

Being too afraid to fall off… I think this is one of the greatest threats to a life well lived. Being too afraid to let go of old dreams, desires, goals, thoughts, or actions. Too afraid to amend, change direction, quit and start something else.

Thinking, “If I can just hang on. Just a little longer and things will come around, thinks will start to work, things will get better.”

When in truth, if we would let go – fall off – and be tenacious without fear, we could better reach our dreams or see our way clear to new and more fulfilling ones. To reshape our goals to better fit where we have grown to be.

This has not been the smoothest of months here at the Eadarian Network and this, a hard lesson learned. But new, greater avenues lay open to us now. All because we reached a point where we let go, we “fell off” and stopped trying so hard to make everything work. I’ll not bore you with the details, but there came a time where shutting down the network had be seriously contemplated.

Instead, when we were able to let go and fall off of our preconceived thoughts and images about what this network was to look like, how to achieve its main purpose, and even what its main purpose was to be, new paths of reaching this opened up. New ways to open the riches of a well-lived life to others came into view.

That is the point of this post my friends. Don’t limit yourself by calling a fear of letting go, of venturing into the unknown, tenacity.

Yes, sometimes tenacity does lead you to hang on and sometimes for dear life. But at the point when the most tenacious thing you can do is to let go, have the courage to do so, for only then will you fall into the richer joys of a life well lived.

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Grow in peace my friends,

Live Nobly, Live Well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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037 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:56:45 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 37th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well my friend, it has been one long month. First there was Christmas, ok Christmas was last month, but it was a busy busy time with no time for taking care of much else. Then came 2011 and it issued in some problems. First the car started misbehaving, then the dog got sick, then the computer started becoming stubborn, then problems at work… and blah blah blah…..

And so here we are. Able to finally put pen to paper ( yes, I am still old school enough to write everything before I type it in) and share something that I discovered over this fun filled month. I should say rediscovered – I would even say I had another “ah-ha” moment, but I have just learned that this phrase is now banned by some college or other for its over use. Aw the heck with it, I had an Ah-ha moment!

I came to realize something I knew, but on a deeper level: It is important not to be too focused on your goals; to not assign to them more than their due importance. Now while that may sound counterintuitive on the surface, bear with me a second as I explain.

When our hopes, dreams, and goals become our sole focus or primary foucs, we loose out on all that life has to offer. We simply become obtuse to the wonders of life by having developed a tunnel vision perspective. When this happens we no longer enjoy the process – the journey – because we are bothered by, are worried over, not having arrived at our destination just yet. And an added irony is that when we do then arrive, we don’t enjoy that moment to its fullest because we are left thinking, “Is this really all there is to my dream?” Also, we tend to become sour, more easily upset over things, becoming grumpy, terse, and otherwise unpleasant to be around; and this, while pursuing what we love the most. Which makes as much sense as mixing oil and water.

What is interesting is, the closer you get to your goal, to more intense this effect becomes, if it is not kept in perspective. I will illustrate with myself, my own experience this time round. I have been working very hard at getting to a place where I can just work at The Eadarian Network. Helping others to see the lasting enjoyment to be had by living well (or as it is framed on the Network, nobly) is something I have a great passion for. But for the time being, I also have to work a second job just to keep things moving, so to speak. The more I have been able to involve my self at the Network, the more fun I have had accomplishing this part of my dream, my passion, the shorter my patience has become at the second job.

Which sounds a little strange, the more fun I am having here should, you would think, spill over and make even a second job more pleasurable; because the temporariness of it should be reinforced. But just the opposite has been true. The more fun I have had, because I have placed too much importance, too much emphasis on getting what I want now, the more I have begrudged anything which keeps me from doing what I love full time. Even that which enables me to do what I love and is helping me to eventually arrive where I want to be. And the second job is not the only thing that suffered. Working too much on anything takes valuable time away from other aspects of life as well. Time with friends, family, pets, hobbies… all suffer from spending too much time on a dream.

And, though I have used my experience as an example, it does not take a hard look around to see the same in others. I have been reminded that Deion Sanders, the football player, experienced this. His main goal, purpose in life, had been to win a superbowl. Finally he was on a team that did so, and before that celebratory night was over, he was already thinking, “Is this all there is to it?”

Now, this is not a call to not have dreams, goals, and aspirations. Anyone knowing this Network should know better than that. Have your goals. Pursue your dreams. Otherwise life is aimless, pointless, and rather boring. What is being said is while you do these things keep them in perspective. A dream is a part of your life, it is not your whole life. A goal can direct you life, it is not your whole life.

Enjoy your whole life my friend, while you are being guided by your hopes and dreams. You only have one go round, do not loose out by making unnecessary sacrifices for a dream that is here today and gone tomorrow.

Live Nobly, Live Well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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036 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:27:50 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 36th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well my friend, the Christmas season is upon us. How are you weathering it so far?

Sometimes I think we overlook a certain song during this holiday season. One that is perfectly fitted for describing this seasons shopping frenzies – The Hustle. Yes The Hustle, that old disco song. For it seems as if that is all we do – we hustle here, we hustle there, we hustle to buy gifts –for those we love and for those we barely tolerate – to go to parties, both those we enjoy and to those we hate.

But we do hustle, hustle, and hustle some more. And are very happy when the Christmas season is over, just so we can rest… and find ways to dig out of the holiday debt we acquired just to make all that hustle possible.

For a long time I had a severe reaction against all this and gave Christmas no more thought than I did any other holiday. Yes, I still bought presents for those I care about and listened to some Christmas music, but I did not put up a tree or any other decorations. I guess you could say I came just short of being Scrooge during this time. With this being a direct reaction against being bombarded with Christmas trees, Christmas music, and every other Christmassy thing BEFORE Halloween. Even phrases like “Remember the reason for the season” became trite from over use and lack of follow through.

But recently, I have rediscovered a passion for Christmas. I guess it started about two years ago; I started putting up a tree – now mind you I do live by myself, so I am the only one who ever saw it, but it was up with lights and ornaments, it was beautiful. And it even benefited from having the presents I bought for others stacked under it, until they were given out of coarse. (Now, I do not have one up this year, but that is because of my two new kiddies. A 70 pound six month old puppy and a slightly older kitty cat and hanging ornaments are not the best playmates… if you take my meaning. But next year we will have it back. Or at least that is the plan.) And it has been a joy to do so!

And today a thought came to me, one that has allowed me to articulate why this has become so; why I have become excited about Christmas once again. This may take a second or two to explain, so please bear with me.

It dawned on me that Christmas and Thanksgiving are actually related, they flow into one another, rather than being the two separate holidays we currently hold them to be.

Yes, they are two unrelated holidays. One started a couple hundred years ago (give or take a century or two) thanking God for his help in a new land. Yes, I am also aware that most school systems prefer to ignore this or worse deny this, but that is the way it was. And the second holiday was set up to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ – which took place a couple thousand years ago or so, with the tradition of Christmas itself being established sometime after that yet before the first Thanksgiving was ever held in the US of A. And yet, when you look at the underlying attitudes in each, you can see how they are connected.

In the first, we are giving thanks for what we have received throughout the year. And in the second we are allowing that thanks to extend to others as we give gifts to them. A gratefulness for what we have received leading us to giving to others as an extension of that thanks.

Both are a time for giving. The first for giving thanks and the second for… also giving thanks – by giving presents, a way of saying, “Thank you for being in my life.”

So this is what has made the difference for me. Helping me to tune out what I do not like in this heavily commercialized season by helping me to tune in on what I do like. Being grateful for who I am, where I am, what I have received (both tangible and not), and who is in my life right now, my friends and family. And allowing this gratefulness to overflow and touch others, therein lies the magic of Christmas.

My friend, I do hope that for you, this Christmas season is a joyous one. That you take time to thank those who are in your life and to allow this thankfulness to overflow and express itself in your giving to others. Be that an extra five dollars for the hungry at the grocery store, a couple of bucks to the Salvation Army bell ringer basket, and by presents you know your loved ones will love. Presents that show your gratitude for their presence in your life. And the secret is that they do not have to be expensive debt producing items. Just something from you that shows you care about them.

Well it’s time for me to go and wrap more presents.
Until next time:

Merry Christmas my friend.
Merry Christmas.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

035 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:02:29 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 35th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

The process of growth is an interesting thing.

The noble life is a life that is always growing – always maturing – always improving. Or, rather, is consistently doing so.

In talking to a friend of mine the other day, I was reminded of the fact that maturity, growth, strength, and wisdom all come in layers. Meaning that you start working through an issue – say, insecurity or low self esteem – and you get to a point where you are feeling fairly secure in who you are, your self image is stronger than ever, and you have broken through to the next level of maturity and strength when suddenly the old feelings of insecurity and self doubt seem stronger than ever and you are left puzzled and thinking, Did I not just leave all this junk baggage behind?

Well, yes… and no. On the level you were living at, yes you did. But once you were strong enough to move in to a new level of maturity, you were also destined to face the deeper underlieing causes for that first set of baggage. Sort of like (referring to air travel and luggage) you were able to ditch the carryon bag but now you get to deal with the first of your checked baggage – the smallest possible checked bag, and it can even be one with rollers. And worry not, once you have gotten rid of this accessory, there will be the next bag in line, perhaps a little bigger, and maybe one with out the ease of rollers to help pull it along.

This will continue as long as you are alive and growing. So don’t worry about missing out on your chance to deal with this… you will avoid it not.

Now, it is true that at some point the baggage you have to grow through may change in appearance. Meaning that once you have dealt completely with an issue, for example low self worth; and you have done this on several levels of growth and now have a very strong self image, you may have to start to deal with growing out of selfish behaviors, out of the tendency toward arrogance that often accompanies a new self image, or perhaps some other obtuseness, which currently lies hidden in your life, will now be able to come to your attention as something you need to grow through.

This is the natural order of things and there are only 2 other options to this growth. 1) Being alive (heart beating, lungs breathing) but dying for all other intents and purposes. And 2) actually being dead.

And as none of My friends live in either of these alternatives, be prepared for this slow and stubborn growth cycle. There is no way out of it.

It is easy to wish the growth to be over and done, and done NOW! And to want to be grown up all at once. But, that is simply not the way things are made. All growth takes time. Physical growth from infant to adult takes twenty years, give or take a couple of years. Psychological growth from infant to growing adult also takes more than twenty years. Friendships only grow with time. Love, – true – deep – other directed love, only develops with time. There are no short cuts.

Yes, some grow faster than others and some mature slower than others. But the point is, all growth takes time. Allow yourself to be ok with the time that is needed.

I know we live in a day and age when everything has to happen yesterday. When the hallmark of success is how quickly it is achieved, not simply that it is achieved. But this is simply not how life works. Indeed, all things worth having take time. Even the great dancer, Fred Astaire, once said that his apparently effortless dance moves, only came as the result of hours and hours and hours of practicing them, of going over the same steps again, again, and again… and again.

Give yourself the time to grow. It is ok if it takes more time than you wish. And, as with Mr. Astaire, it is ok if it takes hours and hours (or days, months, and years) of doing the same thing. For when the time of growth is over, also like Mr. Astaire, you will glide over the floor, giving no hint of all that went into getting you there.

And the coolest thing, is that you then are able to help others who are going through what you just did. That my friend is not something that is to be missed.

Well, I’m a little long in this installment, so for now I had better go.

Incase I do not get to add another installment before the 25th,

I do hope you have a most excellent Christmas season, so…

Merry Christmas!

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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034 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 05:38:56 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 34th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

My friend, it is strange how events and thoughts will occur – changing the direction of our lives, or even simply our blogs, in an instant. I started this installment as another example of intent and how that matters in what we do. But, while sitting in a Panera Bread waiting for the tire shop to patch one of my tires, I looked around and a whole new thought seized upon me. It is this that I will share now.

As I was sitting in Panera Bread enjoying a danish and a cup of coffee – I looked around and noticed all the folks who were also there and enjoying themselves – and thought, I wish I could get out and enjoy myself like these folks are doing. Mind you, this thought came while I was out and enjoying my coffee and danish. Imagine that, being envious of others’ enjoyment while being in the middle of my own. Which of coarse, immediately ended my pleasure of the moment, at least until I caught the silliness of what I was doing.

I read a fortune, found in a cookie of good fortune, the other night. It said, The surest way to kill your joy is through wanting more.

This is done when you forget what you have and your focus becomes wanting and craving what you do not. And not only is your happiness affected, but also whoever else’s that has the misfortune of interacting with you during this state of craving what you have not.

There are a couple of things that I discovered, things that I must find a way to always remember (going back to Panera Bread for a second).

1) That there is always something, each day, in which I can find joy, laughter, and mirth. And I must fully enjoy and focus on these. The break that allowed me time to sit in Panera was not so good – tire repairs are always an unwelcomed expense – but even so, I now had the time to relax with a good cup of coffee and a wonderful pastry. So I was having fun on a rainy, wet, and otherwise blah day, while getting a tire fixed.

2) While the others at Panera were laughing and having a good time, I did not know their lives. I really did not know if this was the first break they have had in their busy lives. Was this the first time this month they were able to meet a friend and enjoy a lunch out? Were they like me, so busy and near broke that they could not get out much? If I really knew what was going on in their lives, would I still be envious, because I could not go out for coffee, or anything else more than I do? Who knows… But even if they get to go out all the time and are so wealthy as to never have financial worries that is not the point. The point is to not assume others are really enjoying life more than we are; that we are really worse off simply because we cannot do every thing we want.

While we are all unique individuals, there is much we all hold in common. We all have troubles and we all have occasions of joy and peace. My wish for you is, as with me and my coffee and danish (by the way – it was a fresh ginger bread man – yummy!), that you learn to focus on the small things that bring you joy and enjoy them to the fullest. And that you become wise enough to never be so silly as to allow that which you have not to ruin the joy of life that is found in the things you do.

Your health, a beautiful sunset, the beauty of the first rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds after a storm, a cup of rich hot chocolate on a cold winters night, or even a fresh cup of coffee and a warm danish, these are simple things which can bring great joy.

Life was never meant to be easy, but it can be a whole lot of fun… if we let it.

Grow in peace my friends,
Grow in peace.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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033 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:53:36 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 33rd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Courage: If he hasn’t it now, he will have it not when the strain is great and the pace is hot.

This is from a poem featured in the most recent Non – Sissy Poetry Broadcast (number 32). This is an often-overlooked concept when thinking of courage.

Often when contemplating courage, it is easy to think of soldiers, war heroes, or others who must face overwhelming odds and obstacles, whether these are hostile people, hostile nature, or hostile circumstances. Overcoming enemies of superior numbers, persevering in the aftermath of a great flood or tornado, or maybe it is simply moving to a new location and having to start all over again with no friends or family by your side. Each of these takes courage, but none of these are the start of courage. None create courage, they can only ever be foils against which our courage, or lack thereof, is demonstrated.

Courage must be lived everyday, exercised everyday if it is to have the strength to sustain us in times of duress.

So, the questions arise – Where does courage come from? How do we exercise it?

As for where it comes from, the seeds of great courage lie in every heart. Yes, you have the seeds of courage in you right now. Seeds may not be the best analogy, for unlike a seed that remains inert until watered – courage is not inert. For we must use what courage we have to activate and strengthen what we have. There is no outside force (like water to a seed) that can cause courage to spring to life and grow. Only the use of courage can cause courage to grow. Also, unlike a seed, courage can grow weaker through neglect. This is how cowards are formed.

The good news is that all you need do is listen to the courage you have and act on what it tells you, and it will grow stronger. It is as you face the smaller difficulties of life, rather as you exercise what courage you have in order to come out on the other side of those difficulties that your courage gains strength through use. However, if you cave in, abandon courage and allow the difficulty to best you, your courage will not grow because it was not exercised; sort of like walking for exercise. If you start walking every morning to get fit, say your goal is two miles a day every day for thirty days in order to reach the level of fitness you desire. If you quit after two days, you will not obtain the desired fitness. Your muscles, heart, and lungs will not grow in tone or strength to reach the level of fitness you desired. You will not be able to walk the great distance with ease; you will never have progressed beyond the strain of barely walking those two miles. It is an impossibility to obtain the result you want with out putting in the work to get there. So too with courage. So, a better analogy would be to compare courage to a muscle, one that must be worked every day or it will atrophy.

Even cowards have the sapling of courage in their souls. But they have never utilized their courage to persevere. They nurture pettiness, selfishness, and the weeds of life rather than the sapling that would otherwise become a mighty oak of strength in their life.

Ok, so what does this look like?

Well, for different people, it will look different. But here are a few examples of what working your courage, of what exercising you courage may look like each day.

1. The courage to smile at work when you work with real pains.

2. The courage to do your job to the best of your abilities – quietly and without fanfare – simply because it is your job.

3. The courage to learn what needs to be learned.

4. The courage to forgive wrongs done you.

At this level, I’m talking about the smaller wrongs, not the great life impacting ones. Wrongs such as… gossip at the water cooler, being overlooked for the promotion, being laughed at, being left out of a social event, or even someone cutting you off in traffic. Now I’m not saying these cannot be painful, but on the great scale of life, they are small and it is with the smaller things that we must start strengthening our courage. And it takes courage to forgive.

5. The courage to allow someone else to have the last word.

6. The courage to face each day with a smile. Knowing that it is full of potential and possibilities.

7. The courage to stand for what is right, regardless of the outcome.

Again, talking about smaller things here. Such as not texting at work or school if it is against policy to do so. Or not playing games and goofing off when you should be working or studying. Or, not laughing at a joke you think is rude and tasteless, just to fit in and be accepted…

8. The courage to check and ensure that our intent is actually being followed through with by our actions.

9. The courage not to whine. Complaints do have a time and place and in those times and places they should be aired. However, whining… it takes no courage to whine.

These, my friend, are but a few of the very rudimentary ways to strengthen your courage each and every day. You may not find all of these to be of use to you, indeed you may only find one or two, or you may find none listed here that you need do. But these can be a good starting point for you to examine your life and decide what you can do in small ways to strengthen you courage every day, so that in time of great strain, your courage will be up to the test of helping you through the great difficulty.

My friend, experience the freedom that comes from strengthening your courage each and every day. This strengthening may be a slow process but anything that involves growth does. And the end result is always worth it.

Grow in peace my friends,
Grow in courage.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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032 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 03:51:45 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 32nd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Intent, motive, the driving force, – the reason why.

This is more important than what is done. I know that sounds almost counter intuitive. Yet it is this fact which often makes a specific action acceptable and beneficial in one instance and completely not so in the next.

I can sense the doubt starting to fly. But there is an old saying, let’s see… how does it go… ah yes, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” How can this be – without a great deal of hypocrisy – unless the motive, the intent is the difference?

Yes, there is also the saying that starts, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions…” But that saying most often applies to the intentions that give us warm fuzzies and not the ones, which are followed through with thought and practicality to achieve the end that is intended. For example, the good intention of praising a fellow worker on a job well done – but doing so without consideration for what that person considers praise and what they consider embarrassing. So with out thought and the practicality of learning which is which. We could intend to praise, but wind up humiliating and embarrassing the individual instead.

Say a person finds public accolades embarrassing, that instead of getting a sense of pride and uplift from such, they find humiliation at all the attention. There are some individuals for whom this is true. We want to praise them and let them know how well they did, so at a company party we stand up and with everyone paying attention to us, we call out this individual and make what they perceive as a spectacle out of them. We have not really praised this individual or made them feel we appreciate what they have done; instead they are now embarrassed by what was have done.

Here the intent, only followed part way, gave us a warm feeling of doing good, but did nothing, or even worse, did actual harm; if not physically then certainly socially and emotionally.

See, since there was no follow through on actually finding out how this person best receives praise, or at least what they regard as being praised, harm has been done, for now instead of feeling great, they may even be resentful. For there was no true consideration of them, there was no investigation into what was really needed. And no matter how great sounding the intention, the intent was really only about selfish satisfaction, not about really praising the other person, because if it were, we would have taken the time to learn what would have actually praised that person.

In any event, this is not what is being talked about in this post, well in a way it is. For here the motive, the true intent, was self gratification – the gratification of doing something nice – the praise was merely a vehicle for this to be achieved; since the good thing stated was in no way genuinely pursued. If you doubt this, notice how quickly the same folks who act in this manner, get defensive and offended when the object of their warm fuzzy is embarrassed and offended at their attempt. “Why, how dare they feel offended, don’t they know what I …” and you can fill in the blanks after that, I’m sure.

The noble – non-sissy life is always checking its intent and making sure that what they intend is executed in a way that actually accomplishes the stated intent. So here, praise for the worker would actually be done in a way that is seen as praise, and not something less than that.

For once the follow through is done, and it is learned what they would consider acknowledgements, very public and very loud, to be true praise, and you do so, your intent has achieved its stated end. But if your follow through shows other forms of praise are actually preferred, then you would do those and you would be admired for it.

Now the example here is of praising someone as they really need to be, but this applies to any intent or action. Always make sure you have investigated what is really needed, and not what you merely think is needed. Otherwise your intent is all about you feeling good and not about really helping. And it does take a big non-sissy type of person to see and act on this.

Wow, this take on intent was not what was intended when this installment began, but here it is. I’ll pick up with the original thought next time.

Until next time my friend.

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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031 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 31st installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

One of the great dangers in consistently talking about and living out a noble life is one… that comes from others. There is a tendency, a perilous tragedy, on the part of others to label, brand, and slander those who live so as being “perfect”; as living a life that very few, and certainly not they, could ever attain.

And so we arrive at the consequence of this great peril for the noble-minded. That of being torn apart, by the same ones who so tarnish their reputations, whenever a person thus labeled fails to live up to the “perfect” image; an image that has been constructed for them, an arbitrary set of rules imposed upon them by another. Perfect – what is that anyway? Does anyone really know? No they do not. It is only a term that allows the accusers to hide behind shallow terms and never grow into true nobility themselves.

While there can be many heroes in life, there can be no superheroes… except in comic books. And even these have shortcomings.

All real and living persons in this world are merely human beings. No more, no less. Ones with strengths and with weaknesses. A noble, non-sissy, life is only so lived consistently, not constantly. There is a major difference between the two. Noble living individuals can and will stumble from time to time – they are after all, only human beings. But these stumblings will be the exceptions to their lives and not the rule, the glitches, not the patterns, the one note played off key and not the whole tune that is their life.

The true nobleness in their life is demonstrated by how they respond to the stumbles (this is not the only way it is demonstrated, but it is a way.). That being to over come, to rise above – to take steps to ensure the stumbling happens less and less frequently. And then, in addition to this, to then be able to inspire, help, offer understanding and support to any other who then stumbles as well.

That is a key thought. The noble minded grow through their stumbles and then offer help to others. Encouraging others by letting them know that they are not alone in their struggles. That others have been, and come through, where they (those that are needing help) currently are. That is part of the freeing magic of living Nobly. That it can take an act of weakness (anything, from loosing one’s anger for no reason to being rude in traffic, from not smiling and brightening someone else’s day to… well… any of the other more commonly documented weaknesses of our day) and transform it into an act of solace and encouragement, thereby becoming an act that leads to endurance and strength for another.

I can hear some of the objections to this already. “If that is so, why don’t we just act, or fail to act, in our weaknesses. Let us make them the pattern of our lives. Because, if being weak is a source of good things for others, let’s never grow strong. But always live in the weakness.”

That is not noble. Nor is living the weakness helpful. It is in the overcoming, the striving to grow our strengths and thereby leave behind the weaknesses, that inspiration, encouragement, and help come. No one needs help in living in weakness. That is the easiest thing to do. For in reality you have to do NOTHING to do this.

Nor is this excusing any act of weakness, which is really just a variation on the objection above.

There are other perils for the Noble-minded individual to face, and perhaps I’ll touch on one or more in the next installment. For now, I am a little long. So…
Until next time.

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player
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030 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:23:28 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 30th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

I was struck with the thought that a life lived nobly is one where the person does not make living so his focus. He simply does it.

A friend asked me just what makes a person “Non-Sissy”, referencing our Non – Sissy Poetry Broadcast. The answer I gave her also applies to living nobly. Since a life lived nobly is a non – sissy life. It is the life of one unafraid to ask the tough questions in life, AND who is then bold enough to live out the answers received. One courageous enough to change and grow, yet also strong enough to stand-alone when he / she must.

Asking the questions, digging for the answers and then not stopping there and hiding out behind the mask of “making an honest search of things.” Simply because the answers you have been given you like not. It is the embracing of those answers that is the mark of a truly noble life.

How does this tie in with the opening paragraph? The nobly lived life does dig for the answers, is brave enough to ask the toughest questions and then focuses on accepting and applying the answers in their life. Notice the focus is on being honest – on finding the truth and living it. Not on “being noble”.

When one makes a certain concept the end goal, one automatically subjects oneself to an arbitrary set of rules that actually limit and shackle one from truly achieving what is desirable to obtain in that concept. Then it becomes superficial. Its meaning is lost. And we soon get tired of trying to live up to an idea, that while sounding good – is actually viewed as rather pointless.

If that were the only harm it would be bad enough. But once a concept becomes the focus, those so focusing tend to become legalistic in living it out and harshly judgmental of those not so living.

So my wish for you my friend is that you Live Nobly and Live Well. With out making that your focus.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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029 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:00:22 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 29th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Being intellectually honest. One of the biggest challenges facing us in America today, indeed, this may be so for the whole world.

Last time we chatted about double standards as an example of this. This time I want to touch base on our propensity to simply ignore the facts in preference for what we feel, what we desire.

One very wise man once said, “Temptation yielded to is lust deified.” I have observed this principle at work in almost every other walk of life as well. Facts denied is desire deified.

This is where, no matter what the facts are – we will hold to our chosen ideas and beliefs, refusing to amend, change, or even discard them as needs be. In religion this leads to blind dogmatism and so to legalism. In politics it leads to control and manipulation, and even suppression. In science it leads falsities being taught as fact thereby limiting us to only what we feel is possible (in the areas so held). For as long as we hold to what cannot be, we are not truly free to pursue truth and understanding because we will always over look answers that do not fit the frame work of our rigid beliefs. And so we prefer to be ignorant rather than challenged by the other possibilities that exist.

I bet you have already had many examples for each come to mind. If not look around a little and I am sure one or two will reveal themselves to you rather quickly.

Now, here is the challenge. You have seen this at work in others, evaluate your ideas, beliefs, and actions. Which ones fit in to the above discriptions? Which ones are supported by facts? Which are supported by feelings alone, or in direct opposition to the facts?

Are you noble enough to let them go? To amend as they need to be amended?

To change ideas and beliefs as needed is the only way to keep growing, to keep your life fresh, vital, and invigorating for others.

This is not easy. Pride encourages us to refuse to let go of something held dear. Good intentions encourage us to refuse to change, when we perceive the reason to hold these ideas is from a desire that sounds good.

But what is that saying? The one that has almost become trite from over use?

Oh, yes, cowboy up. Be completely honest with your self. Doing so is a very freeing experience.

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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028 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:09:58 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 28th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

While preparing for this installment, I was hit smack it the face with a glaring example of a rather commonly lived life. It was predictable, typical, and rather boring in its commonality, if truth be told. It was hypocrisy; mental and moral dishonesty. The condemning of a group of people, an entire group of people, simply because one or two in that group had supposedly given offense.

The refusing to see all the good and lack of offense the rest of that group has done and given. And just as bad, the refusal to see the same offenses in the group this person still clings to and praises. If this person was alone in doing this, meaning that no one else held such double standards, then it would be easy to say that this person was a nut job and one which could be safely ignored. However, this person is not a lone and isolated instance of such hypocrisy. Nor is this condemnation a rarity, many in America and, in truth, world wide, hold select groups of people guilty of things they hold other groups blameless for. This is hypocrisy at its finest and it should not be. Not for those who live well and are daring enough to be uncommon.

Maybe one day I’ll share what has touched this nerve, but to share now would be to cause some readers to miss the message of this post. They would loose sight of the call to be completely honest with ourselves and then become entangled in whichever side of the issue they find personal preference. They would then make it be all about the issue and not about the need for them to also be honest about their approaches to the ones they disagree with and perhaps even with the ones they dislike strongly.

There is an old saying, “As you judge, so too will you be judged.” May I always be found to have weighed all sides of an issue, giving credit where credit is due and admitting guilt where admission thereof is due. Always striving to live my life in accordance with what I say I believe and developing the strength to admit when I do not measure up. And may I never “throw stones just to hide my hands.”

Thank you for allowing this brief venting my friend.

Live Nobly, Live Well
Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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027 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:12:40 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 27th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Making it cool to be noble once again.

This is the mission, the purpose of the Eadarian Network.

Quite the bold and daring risk, do not you think? For if the inspiration takes, there is unending gratitude from the inspired. If not, then there is frequent criticism and ridicule. But if that is the cost of helping my friends grow strong, then I will take that risk.

In this episode I want to touch upon honesty, integrity, and one of the most sinister, subtle, well meaning, and yet manipulative inhibitors to living a noble life that faces mankind today, ‘being nice’. “What is wrong with being nice?” You ask. What is wrong, what is sinister, is that this is ‘a good that is not good enough’; it is merely the good, which is only ‘good enough to just get by’. Just getting by involves cutting corners, not following through on everything required to treat folks with dignity, integrity, honestly and well. Only helping the current situation to be over or easier on us to face. We must respect others much more than this.

Such ‘being nice’ always – out of necessity – keeps things on superficial levels. When you sacrifice honesty and respectfulness to not hurting feelings… to not giving offence, much is lost. For respect cannot long live where deceit dwells.

In making that statement I took a great risk. The risk that you would follow my train of thought and not stop reading here, not allow yourself to stop and say, “So you want to hurt peoples feelings? You want to offend others?” I hope this risk pays off. But if not and that is the only thing you take from the above, please: 1) know that this is not what I said. 2) Please read on.

The noble, well-lived life never wants to hurt another’s feelings or to give offence. And it strives within the constraints of honesty and integrity to do what he can to not do so. And while holding to these truths, he also realizes that there is no way to please everyone, that no matter what you do, someone will allow their feelings to be hurt and another will take offence. The noble life accepts and lives with this truth graciously, not exuding offence and yet not shrinking from the possibility of it being taken.

The most enriching, most ennobling thing to do in any relationship, be that an acquaintance or a best friend and beyond is to be respectfully tactful and honest. To tell a friend you disagree with his choices and why, to tell that lady (when asked for your opinion) that you like her hat not. If their worlds crumble over your honest response to their queries – they need more help than just your saying, “Yes, I agree with you.” Or by saying, “Yes, that hat is beautiful.”

Now, the above is assuming tact and respect are being used and are not being used as a cover to actually be rude. We all know those who are rude, controlling, and abusive but try to hide this rudeness by saying, “I’m only speaking the truth in love.” What they are actually doing is simply availing themselves of the opportunity to vomit on you. This is not what is being referred to here. Nor can we throw away honesty and integrity because of the few who try to use them as a front, a cover, used to hide their own selfish behavior form their own eyes.

Also, you can be creative with your answers. Remember, honesty can be communicated in many ways. For example, instead of simply saying, “I do not like that hat.” You could say, “It looks perfect on you.” Assuming of course that it matches her personality, her outfit, ect. Honesty, integrity, and compassion are very creative forces. Use them well.

The world would be a much better place if we simply said what we mean and truly meant what we said. For this would open the door to learning, growing, and changing ourselves.

Until next time,

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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026 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:33:19 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 26th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

One of the driving purposes of this website, of the Eadarian Network, is to help make it cool to be noble once again.

This of course, brings up all sorts of questions. The most common one is:
“Just what does that mean, to be noble?”

Before we look at the answer to this question I want to suggest some of the things that it is not. It is not, living by a set of artificial or arbitrary rules. It is not, a stifling of joy, freedom, or happiness. It is not, a dogmatic adherence to any creed, belief, or idea. Also, it is not, boring.

These have been slanders and stereotypes applied by those who always want immediate gratification in all they do; those who want excuses handy, at the ready, for not undertaking the journey of living well. Indeed, if one were to live in those stereotypes – they also would not be living nobly, living well.

So, having said all this, what living nobly is not, then, just what is it?

To live nobly is: To live honestly, in connected integrity (integrity connected to EVERY aspect of your life), respectfully, compassionately, and selflessly, just to get us started.

This is such a vast topic that I think I’ll spend the first part of the next few blog entries talking about these different aspects of being noble. So until our next installment, I’ll move on to other things.

One of the other things I’m working through is the old adage, “If you want to be a writer, then write.”

This applies to anything you want to do. “If you want to speak a second language, then learn and speak.” “If you want to run a marathon, then run.” “If you want to be a chef, then cook.”

“If you want to be a storyteller, then tell your stories.”

It is not enough to have a fine dream, nor to simply and only take a few actions toward that dream. You must be willing to do it… all of it. All that is required of achieving that dream.

One of the things I have started at the Eadarian Network is putting the stories on video and sharing them on Youtube. Which I enjoy – but it has been almost a month (give or take a couple of days) and I have not fully recorded a new one. It is very hard work to learn a story completely and well. Hard to learn all the ins and outs of recording and editing the video. (My first one was adequate, but not technically up to speed)

There are a lot of things involved that I am not real excited about doing. Yet, if I am to tell my stories on video – I have to learn the stories, record the stories, edit the video, and many other things else as well.

In other words, I have to be willing to do those things I do not like as much in order to do those which I love, which is sharing a well told story with the world.

Anyway, back to recording the next video.

Until next time my friends,

Live Nobly, Live Well

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025 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:20:36 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 25th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Prioritizing.

I know, I have mentioned this before. Yet, having obtained my 1st pet – a kitty cat – I am beginning to realize how much I am going to have to structure my time. To keep both pets happy and healthy and behaving properly, it’s going to take a lot of time and effort from me.

And I still have to accomplish all that I currently achieve every day. Writing, photography, marketing, networking, reading blogs, and working a paying gig 8 hours a day. Now, so far as I know, no one is talking about adding more hours to any given day – so, now I have to fit all this additional stuff into the same amount of time… aspirin anyone?

This means – focusing – assigning each task time and an importance level. I can no longer simply do things as “the spirit” moves me, or even as the muse strikes me. This is hard for me. I am very geared to just “roll with the flow.” A very unstructured approach to things.

There has to be a happy median! It has to be there, somewhere between the very structured and the not so much. That is the ground I hope to find. Structured so that everything gets done, yet an approach that allows me the freedom to shift things and flow with things. I do not know, maybe this is not possible… but we shall see. Yes, we shall see.

First I must set up a structure and then I can proceed to find the median.

Wish me luck!

Thanks.

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024 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 31 May 2010 06:34:34 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 24th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

As anyone following on my face book pages is aware, in just over one month I will be getting my puppy dog!! And, so she will have a companion while I have to be out and about, this coming week I’ m also getting a little kitten. From zero to two pets. Wow. For some reason, I always get a snicker when I tell folks that a cat is to be a companion and fellow pack member to my dog.

Anyway, there is a reason that this has made its way into a blog about creativity. My whole attitude has been revived and rejuvenated by this prospect, beyond what I was expecting. It is as if animals unlock hidden chambers in our souls, unleash hidden reserves of creativity, energy, enthusiasm that are otherwise unknown and un-accessed.

Yes I know they will be a lot of work to take care of: for the dog, training, structured walking, socializing, vet type wonders, all this taking time and effort, and the cat… well less than the dog, but still time and effort have to be invested for a healthy happy cat. Yet, having owned pets in the past and so knowing what I’m up against, I find so much extra energy and creativity, that I am very surprised at how much this is effecting me.

For instance, recently I have been very tired, worn down by all that I do, writing, recording, marketing, learning video, book signings, speaking engagements, interviews, and working 6 nights a week just to pay for it all…. Yes very tired. But now, with this knowledge and the closeness of getting them, I am more rested and refreshed than I have been in a long time. I am in awe of all that even the mere knowledge of taking care of these two animals has unleashed.

Yes I know, the are not a cure all. There will be times when I am worn down in the days and years to come. And there will be times I find their behavior frustrating. That is part of life. But loving is about rising above life and loving these pets has an amazing energy of rest and recuperation in it.

Well, for now my friends, I have rambled enough.

Until next time:

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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023 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:20:11 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 23rd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

With the book-signing coming in less than a week, just 3 days from today, I’m working very hard at developing the presentation that I am to give. Two hours to fill and only part of that is actual reading and speaking.

The uncertainty comes in knowing just when to read, when to talk about the book and themes found in the book, and when to sign. If only there were a laid out plan named “This is exactly how to conduct a book signing.” What if someone only has a few minutes to get the book signed and yet I’m in the middle of reading, do I stop and interrupt the story to sign a book? How in-depth to I go in discussing things? What themes and topics should be discussed? Will there be a steady flow of folks to the table and book reading? Will they all show up at once and then there be nobody?

Questions, questions, questions… no answers, just questions.

As much as I am looking forward to this event, I’m also looking forward to it being over.

I really don’t know what I’m nervous about; my life is one big roll with the flow. How is it one job stated this as… oh yes, dealing with ambiguity. I can be pretty ambiguous so I’ll be fine.

Still, a little experience would be nice… what is that old saying… If you cannot dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull… and I do have a b.s. degree…

Oh well, back to work.

I may have to wait to post the next Non-Sissy Poetry Broadcast until next week, after this event. There is just not enough time to get everything done… oh the glamour of the creative life.

Shifting gears a little: I just bought a dog. A Cane Corso. A big, quiet, even-tempered dog. Beautiful.
It will be a couple of months before I can take delivery; the puppy has to be old enough to leave its mom. But then I get to enter the world of pet owner, provider, and caretaker… quite the shift for me. But I am ready for this shift.

Maybe I’ll name her “A Date” cause then I’ll finally have one! (that would be known as a joke.)
(ok stop laughing already.)

Well my friend, until next time.

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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022 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:27:26 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 22nd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well my friend, an interesting development has occurred. I have been asked to give a presentation on my book, my creative process, and about getting published. Me, who has been flying by the seat of his pants is now going to tell others how to do what I do… mind-boggling. But just 2 weeks after my first book signing that is what I will be doing.

How cool is that? A little daunting yes, but also more than a little exciting. And as they say, fortune befriends the bold… right?

I have always thought about doing so once I was successful myself, you know with 20 gazillion NY Times best sellers behind me. But here I go with out even one. Though with luck and the sale of a few odd thousand books, I will be there soon.

But that is all part of the process; perhaps that is what is important. To be an encouragement to others who are also in the middle of the process. Well I will let you know how it goes.

Also, as many of you are already aware, I am engaging now in the business side of art. BLAH! But… unfortunately, unless one is financially independent – which is not a bad thing – the art must often take a back seat to the business side of things, prioritarily (yea, I made that word up… I am creative what can I say?) speaking of course.

In pursuing this side of things, I have found a web site that I want to share, a blog site by a successful storyteller. On this site he shares idea after idea about marketing, and how to be successful. I am finding it very helpful and, as I like to share good things with my friends, I am passing it on for your contemplation and edification. It is www.twentyonehour.blogspot.com. Slash Coleman is the man’s name, check his site out, you will be glad you did.

Anyway my friend, that is all I have time for this go round.

Until next time,

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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021 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:50:34 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 21st installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

The need to budget time; what a YUCKY thing for me to have to deal with.

Now I know there are some among us who thrive on such things. Who live for time regulation, deadlines, goal orientation, and so on… and to a degree all of that is an important part of a healthy life. But as all who’ve been friends of the Eadarian Network for any length of time can at least guess, I’m not such a one. Nope, I’m not a type A driven personality. Now, I would never be considered a type “Z”, if there is such a thing. Meaning one who does nothing with these things. No, I tend to hang with the m,n,o,p’s in life; those in the middle, those who live somewhere between the two extremes of obsession and apathy; at least when it comes to budgeting time and efforts.

Yet the importance of such efforts cannot be denied. There are only 24 hours in each day and a good 16 or more of that is taken up with sleeping, and money earning so that I can continue to eat, stay out of the rain, and fund this creative project. Which leaves just a few hours each day to get everything done. Oh things such as: Marketing, R & D, Writing new broadcasts, stories, and recording these, fiddle playing, photo editing, marketing….. ummmmmmm, marketing, and did I mention Marketing?

For as unfortunate as it is, the best – most creative and downright cool pieces of work can often leave a man starving to death. While work that is mediocre at best, can make a luxurious living for another. The difference is marketing.

But how to accomplish all that needs to be done; for in truth, none of these can be left to fall through the cracks. For this would leave nothing to market – and while you could spend vast sums of money marketing nothing, your returns… may not equate your expenditures.

So I’m learning to budget time. To set time limits: say, 1 hour / day to write, 1 hour / day to read, 1 to market, 1 to… well the list goes on. Now I use the “1 hour” increment for ease of communication of this idea. I’m still defining how much of each day goes to which activity.

And then there is the whole forcing myself to stop at the allotted stopping time, for one activity to pursue another. That is hard – because I always want to finish just 1 more thought, just one more sentence, one more photo edit, just one more… well you get the idea. And before I know it, I have blasted through the time allotted for the next activity.

I know, I know, everyone faces this and successful people accomplish it. And no! I do not want any cheese to go with this whine. But thanks for asking.

Well, speaking of allotted time, I gotta fly.
Thank you for joining me.

Until next time my friend,

Live Nobly, Live Well.

Charles
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

Oh, PS, Book Signing on May 15 from noon to two pm at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Hendersonville. Click on the Latest News Page for more information.

See ya there.

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020 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:09:45 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 20th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

It has been a great couple of weeks.

One great big and major event has been scheduled; my very first book signing. Yes indeed! It is on May 15th, from noon to two pm at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Hendersonville, Tn. I was so excited when I found out; I really could not get to sleep that night!

But other more important things have been happening as well. We can call them… growth and maturity… or a royal pain if you prefer. But the result is that I am experiencing no more perturbations concerning my having to work so much at a job that is completely unrelated to this creative venture. This in order that I may work super hard upon this creative venture (for paying bills and funding things is important, if ever so slightly), with the hopes that one day this venture is all that I will have to work on.

It seems to be cyclical. First I was happy to have that job, and the income it provided, because it allowed me to develop this project. Then the more I was able to work on this venture, the more agitated I became at having to stop and go to my job. Then I arced along into becoming agitated over having too much to do on this project and not enough time to do it in. Then I continued the arcing into being agitated over still needing the income from this very non-artful job.

Yet, now this cycle seems to be complete because I’m back to being grateful for both the job and the income, which allows me to do so much. Well… I say cycle, yet it is not truly about going in a full circle, or in circles. It’s more like… a corkscrew, really. When looked at from the pointed end, a corkscrew does look like it is composed of a circle, but when viewed from the side, it is seen to be a cyclical pattern that continues, with each turn, upward towards the handle.

So too this recent pattern for me, as each frustration has been met and worked through, I have traveled further up the corkscrew of life; that is, deeper into maturity.

It’s not that what was frustrating is no longer present, but that I no longer find it frustrating. You could ask, “Well – if you weren’t frustrated before and now you are again not frustrated, how is that not simply a full circle, leaving you right where you started? How is this new outlook a deeper one?”

The first came from merely knowing that (in this case) the other job is simply part of the process that must be endured to get where I want. The second is from realizing that I am living the process, that the journey is not the end and the end is not the purpose of the journey.

A slightly deeper point of view.

Until next time my friend,

Live Nobly, Live Well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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019 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:40:50 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 19th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well…

Our book has finally been released. I know, I know it took months of waiting, months of wondering if the release date would ever arrive. But our patience has paid off.

It was thrilling to go to Amazon.com and search for Eadar and have it pull up almost magically before our eyes. There is a severe lack of words to describe all that was being felt as our book was seen there on the screen, listed on that major web site.

As exciting as this was, though, I have been fortunate of late to be introduced to some articles on excitement. On being excited about the proper things, things, which will allow the excitement to continue and even build when things do not work out as, hoped or planned for. That it is important to be excited about the process – not the end. To be excited by the underlying intentions and not the idea or vision or dream of where I want these intentions to go.

This allows the excitement to flow and even build when the end result is not what was originally intended and certainly not desired. For example: We have all heard by now that, at present, there will be no audio book for this project. This was not the planned outcome. When I went to record the book last December, I was very excited about having an audio book available and at being the one who recorded it. The dream was an audio version of my stories to enhance the book experience for my friends and fans. As I was excited by this outcome, I was greatly distressed when, due to technical difficulties, the audio book was tabled. Preventing this dream from becoming a reality.

But, as I shifted my focus back to the underlying intention, that of telling these stories, I was able to get excited once again, because, the stories are still going to be told. And because I’m excited and positive once again, I have been able to see other options for achieving this. More on these later.

But for now, I am excited, positive, and happy. Things are not going as originally thought, but by not being in love with that thought, things can now be malleable – they can change and I’m not distraught by that. How is it said in one of the articles I have been reading… Oh yes, you have to be detached, not disinterested. And these are not the same thing.

So be very interested, but keep things held very loosely in your fingers. (this my own paraphrase).

Not always easy. But to borrow a slightly over used but truly meaningful phrase none-the-less, keep focused on the big picture. If you can do this you tend not to sweat the small stuff.

And if you are like me, you already spend way too much on deodorant with out increasing your oderific output.

Stay excited and don’t sweat the small stuff, and I’ll try not to either.

Until next time,

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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018 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:50:18 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 18th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well my friend, the dust is finally settling.

For those who are not fans of The Eadarian Storyteller, Perpetuator, and Author on facebook, a) why not? And b) I have mentioned the need for making decisions and the need for some dust to settle before I could talk more freely about those decisions. Well, the dust has settled.

I must preface this installment by saying that this is about a thought process, the reaching of a decision and NOT about the events that sparked this process. For there are always things in life that cause us to back up, re-think, and change course. Please keep this in mind as you read what follows.

This deals with my decision to scrap the audio book for my upcoming book, Eadar, Uncommon Land, Uncommon Lives. Yes you have read correctly, there will be no audio book. It is about how I came to this decision that I am currently writing.

In January I was able to listen to the audio files of the recording I did last December. You may remember how excited I was to be going to record my book.

Well… there were issues… that could not be resolved. These led to the choice of either allowing one of the publisher’s book narrators to re-record my book, or to scrap the audio book altogether.

Questions with out answers came to me. Questions such as, “Am I making the right call? The wrong call? Should I allow someone else to read or was it vital enough for the book to be read by me that if this could not be so, it was better for the book not to be recorded at all? Just who was I to be making such decisions? Was I not simply a first time and unknown author? Would it be best in the long run to simply have a product people could listen to? Would I be hurting future projects with this publisher if I scrapped this audio book? Would I be hurting this project?

Questions, questions, and more questions; I have made Bufferin a very happy company over the past two months.

I talked this over with those close to me, asking advice from those I trusted advice from on this matter. And… the decision was made. If it were not possible for me to re-record the book – it had to be scrapped. Yes. It was that vital that I be the reader. This was the course to be taken – come what may.

With this decision came peace of mind. There was no more apprehension or second –guessing, nor was there arrogance or pride, it was simply what needed to be done. The correct call had been made. (please note: this was so, even though I was realizing that the outcomes might not be positive) It was the right call.

And then, when I communicated this to the publisher – they understood and offered to create a book trailer for TV adds instead. So it is all going to work out for the best after all.

It is also important to note that my tone and the tone used by those I was negotiating this matter with, were always pleasant, professional and complimentary (when we could honestly be complimenting of each other).

This is not to be underrated in the outcome. It is because I did not get angry, hostile, and pushy while stating my case that they had a willingness to go out of their way to do what they could to resolve matters. There were definitely things they could not offer to do, and they did not. But the did try to resolve things as best they could.

While not having the audio book is not my ideal resolution, I have learned much from this process and have gained an advertising tool I did not have before.

And while remaining pleasant, polite, and professional will not always end matters positively. They will end better than if we had not remained so. This lesson I learned a while ago. But, I was able to see it in action here.

Being polite, pleasant, and professional is not the same thing as being a pushover. I know, that should be common sense, maybe for some it is. Yet, it was a lesson I had to learn the hard way… somewhere along the line.

Stand your ground – but to do so does not mean you have to swagger around, try to be intimidating, or even argumentative. What’s that old adage? ‘You attract more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.’

I wonder if that was ever a Copybook Heading.

Oh well,
Peace my friends.

Live Nobly,
Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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017 Creative Journey

Charles — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:57:11 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 17th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Today is the day I have to shift focus from primarily creating things to primarily marketing what has been created.

I have seen excellent artists starve and mediocre artists thrive – all due to effective marketing. And I don’t really have a clue as to how to start. Except, of course, to place one foot in front of the other and simply begin the long trek.

So here I go. Wish me well. I know this will make aspirin companies very happy. And while I’ve always wanted others to benefit from what I do… to be honest… they are not who I had in mind.

I’ve heard that when you choose a new coarse of action you should leave yourself with no fall back positions. So that it is either succeed or die (so to speak), so that you do not have a crutch to inhibit your progress. Much like Captain Cook, who burnt his ships so his men could not think of retreat.

Is not it better to be motivated by where you are going rather than where you cannot retreat to? Better to have something that enables you to venture forth, blazing new trails – while at the same time taking care of those little necessities of life, such as rent, power, heat, food…ect? I have been blessed here I must say. I have a job waiting tables that (while it is no great amount) does meet all my needs with a little extra besides to further this creative venture.

Yet to be honest, it does get in the way. It takes large amounts of time way from this venture.

Oh well. It must needs be. So, here I go plunging into the world of business. Beintg motivated by what lies ahead – not by what doesn’t lie behind.

Have a great day my friend. Have a great day.

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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016 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:19:51 +0000

Greetings to you my friend.

Welcome to the 16th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

What an intense month January was.

Anyone who tells you that all learning of value is done only in schools is lying to you. Not to slight schools or the education one can get there. But they are only a starting point, an equipping station on the pathway of your life.

I strongly encourage all to get at least a college education, but don’t let your education stop at graduation. For new lessons are only just about to begin. Indeed, I hold to the thought that when a man stops learning – he starts dying. We must continually exercise the mind, the brain, or it starts shutting down. What is that old adage… use it or loose it?

But this is a topic for another day. For now though, back to the topic at hand.

This past month I have been learning vast amounts of information that will help me on the way of this creative journey that I am now embarked upon. Digital photography, computer technology, design basics, personal dynamics, marketing, even some psychology, and the list goes on and on and on.

With so much learning happening – observable progress has been slow, sometimes agonizingly so. But it is being made nonetheless. Though sometimes – while in the middle of things it scarcely seems so. But the finished results have made the patient struggle to learn very worthwhile.

I think that sometimes in this “gotta get it done yesterday!” world in which we live, we forget that things take time; that you really can’t rush richness. That contrary to popular thoughts of today, Delay – is right on time.
Perhaps because the lazy and non ambitious among us have often used the right value of delay, patience, and slow progress as a screen to hide behind for so long that they have become synonymous with laziness and slothfulness.

I don’t know, but if so, it is high time we severed that meaning and restored these concepts to their proper place. Though Tums, Rolaids, and a few doctors might not be happy that we do so.

Well my friend, I have rambled enough for one setting.

Until next time.

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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015 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:02:29 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 15th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well, things are progressing. Though sometimes so slowly I do wonder if I’m doing what I should be or if I’m wasting my time and need to be looking for other enterprises to be investing my time on.

But really, I do know very deeply that this creative venture is what I want and need to be doing. I mean, this is the path I must tread. Though sometimes it feels more like wandering aimlessly and in circles rather than traveling with a purpose.

I have heard that this gets worse the closer you are to achieving your goals and dreams. If that is the case, then I should be very, very close to attainment.

In reviewing the above, that gets close to sounding more bleak and dismal than I actually mean it to sound. For things are going well, they are progressing. It’s just that I grow weary in the struggle, the constant struggle to keep things moving in a forward direction.

But as I look back and see what has been accomplished – I must say a lot has been accomplished – in a fairly short period of time. In less than one year I’ve been laid off form a job I enjoyed, submitted and had a book accepted for publication, designed a web site for the first time, developed a series of broadcasts, re-awakened my photographic art, developed a calendar, built an online store, recorded the audio book for the book that is being published (whose release date is March 16.) All of this while having to learn how to do most of it and still work 40 hours a week to fund every thing, such as eating, a roof over head, clothing, you know all the little things that make life… well livable.

I have been a very busy boy.

Maybe what I need is a vacation. Yes, a vacation. What a beautiful word, vacation.

I don’t know; has anyone else felt this way? Or is this the mere musings of a lone and wayward soul?
Well my friend, this is as much as I have time for just now.

Until next time,
Live Nobly, Live Well.

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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014 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:58:39 +0000

Hello my friend,
Welcome to the 14th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well my friend, – wow has so much time really passed? The holidays always make time fly faster than any bird.
It seems like only yesterday that I mad may last entry to The Creative Journey. But it has been over 4 weeks. Wow.
But what a fun time these holidays were, with the exception of my being sick and confined to my couch drinking juice and taking meds. Oh well, nothing is ever perfect.

Well, that has passed and now we are moving on to bigger and better things! I now have actual copies of my book on hand!! Things are moving ahead slowly but surely. To all who may be listening… I AM NOT asking for more patience… an ever dangerous thing to do.

I have now entered a phase of the creative process that I dislike, a necessary evil if you will pardon the expression. The business end of the creative process is not one I find pleasant, but it has to be done.

Building a store,
Planning a marketing campaign,
Securing Vendors,
Shipping arrangements,
And let’s not forget licenses and taxes.
All the above- pure – D – Yucky!!!!!

But, if I am ever going to attain a career doing what I love and until I can hire the business stuff done, I have to grind it out.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one with this predisposition – to love the creative and hate… ok, strongly dislike , the business. Well, it really does not matter; it still must be done. So I’m trudging through.

I’m slowly figuring everything out or at least figuring where I can go to get what I need figured out. And that is half the battle.

Well my friends, that is all we have time for this time round. Talk with ya soon.
Until then,

Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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013 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:12:30 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 13th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Another day presents itself. A day in which to further the dream or to cause its fulfillment to slow and perhaps even come to a halt. It is all in the power of our choices as to which it will be.
And do not think that by putting off a conscious choice you are not making a choice. To not choose to go forward in any form is the same as choosing to slow and or halt the dream.
Now this sounds all wondrously deep and profound, but here I am on a beautiful day, thinking about doing hundreds of things and yet doing none. I’m plenty rested, and yet, by sitting and not engaging in one or two of the things I know have to be done, I’m actually choosing to slow my dream down… cause now nothing is getting done to make it happen.

But it does feel good to sit here and do nothing. Yet what good was ever accomplished by those who chose to do nothing?
Now this isn’t a call for abandoning leisure time, to not take well earned breaks, or to become a work-a-holic. But there does come a time when break time becomes mere procrastination. Now the first two parts of “procrastination” are the words ‘pro’ (to be in favor of) and ‘crass’ ( being thoughtless and vulgar).
So procrastination is the state of being in favor of uncouthness.
Ok… so I just made that up…. But it sounds good!

Well since I have written this I’m now out of the doing nothing phase of my day. Now on to item number two.
Thank you for helping me on my way today.
And, if I’m not able to make another entry before the holiday, allow me to be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Live Nobly and Live Well

Charles
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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012 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:14:09 +0000

Hello my friend,
Welcome to the 12th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well my friend, we are approaching a landmark day in this Eadarian Journey. December 2 is the day I will be recording the audio book, of my book. Yes, when people get my book in audio form, it will be my voice that they hear. They will hear me, the storyteller, telling his tales.

This is so exciting. The studio is booked, the hotel booked, the time off work scheduled, funds available, car prepped, the whole 9 yards. I can hardly stand the excitement.

Yet, all this excitement is a dual edge sword that not only is providing joy and clearing the way for great things to come – it is also poised to cut my feet right out from under me. Allow me to explain.

Why is it that the more exciting something becomes, the easier it is to get distracted from what matters most by that which matters least… or at least less?

With less than 1 week to go until I’m actually recording my book – when I need to be focused on knowing my stories so well and have articulated them so often that the delivery is natural, in perfect time and rhythm, with exquisite intonation and subtlety – I find that as the excitement builds, the more the desire to do more also builds. I want to be doing more. More fiddling, more photos, more new story writing, more building networks with other storytellers – more… more…. More!

All of which are honorable desires, yet they are not what should be of principle concern just now. The book, which in many ways is the corner stone of what is being done, must be the top priority for the next week or so. Then priorities can shift. But knowing this has not helped keep the priorities in their proper places.

Perhaps the more excited a person gets the more he wants to do that at which he’s best; so that a creative person experiences a drastic increase in the desire to create, to create and TO CREATE. Even though the focus needs to be on finishing that which the creativity has started.

Another distraction is the whole exhaustion factor. Where all you want to do is take a break, to rest. Because you have pushed so hard, gone so far, finishing some things and starting others (at the same time very often) it is easy to get tired physically and mentally; so that the temptation is just to stop and rest. To do nothing and just take a much needed well earned break.

Many in number are the legitimate distractions from finishing well.

One of the annoying nuances of life, at least that I have found, is that of maintaining balance. The annoying part is that once you have achieved it, and have what you think is a life full of balance – you look and suddenly there are new depths of meaning to balance that you did not know of before. And as a result, there are many things that you discover you have not brought into balance. Levels that until now, you never knew existed. One of life’s, other than small, annoyances.

“There is a time and a place for everything…” as the ancient proverb goes. Finding these times and places is turning out to be the journey of a lifetime….

Until next time my friends,
Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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011 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:44:53 +0000

Hello my friend,
Welcome to the 11th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Recently it has come to my attention that there is a great need to be giving. While that will conjure many different images to many different people, here I’m specifically thinking of the need of art to be more about giving than receiving… whatever it is the artist seeks to gain from the production of his art. Be that monetary compensation, public adulations, or simply the immense satisfaction of having created.

Now – while receiving any of the above is well and good, and indeed to be desired, there needs to be motivation which simply involves the act of giving something to others – for no other reason than the sake of giving to others.

I know, I know – we’ve all heard this, or something like it many times before. Yet it is one of the simplest lessons to forget and the easiest to overlook. And when the central focus is only on what can be received, the art looses its soul. It looses the very thing that made it special and unique to begin with; that takes it from being from merely a good work to something that greatly inspires and draws others to it.

The crazy thing is that the more you focus on giving and relegate the receiving to a trust that it will be there, you will receive what you need – in greater measure than what you initially thought you would. Though you cannot give with this as your goal, you cannot give in order to receive, it must be for the sake of others, to give simply to be giving.

I can hear the objections now, “But I’m not going to give away my art! How will I ever make any money that way?”

I never said anything about giving away what you do, but in what you do, what are you giving to others. There must be more that you give, more that is of worth to others, than you receive.

Why do I suddenly hear an ancient kung-fu master saying, “Balance grasshopper, must have balance.”?
Oh well…

Until next time my friends,
Live Nobly, Live Well

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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010 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:50:23 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 10th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Well I’m at a crossroads. Do I spend or do I wait?

In investigating the idea of adding gift cards and prints to a storefront I am building here at Eadarian.com, I’ve been presented a quandary. The company I’ve found, whose samples and pricing have led me to want to use them as my supplier, require my art work be submitted in a digital color format my current photo software is incapable of converting my files to and photo shop can do so. So do I drop my limited resources on photo shop now – and then only be able to utilize this company (with the quantities, quality and rates that I find attractive) or do I wait and try to find another company who can handle the color profile I’m using? I have found a couple that can do so, but not with pricing as good as the first company.

The quandary is I want to do both. Buying photo shop ill let me use the company I want – but then I won’t have money for a product for a couple of months. Waiting and using another company, right now, will mean quicker product acquirement; by a vastly more limited selection of product… well some is better than none… right? Though that selection will be very limited.

Decisions…decisions… and to make this choice harder – I’ve made poor investment type choices in the past and don’t want any repeat performances. Yet if the time is right, to no choose the risk could prove hazardous as well.
Well, with photo shop I get superior editing, superior tutorials, superior support, superior file management, and the ability to submit an image to any printer in the world.

But it is pricy and would leave me drained of capitol for a couple of months. Couple this with the trip I must take in less than a month to record my book…. What do you know, a peaceful decision has just been made.
It’s back online to look for another company. When things start to click a little and more funds are in, I can always go back to the first company.

Thank you my friend,for helping me to make my choice.

Live Nobly, Live Well,

Charles Yerkes
Eadarian Poet, Perpetuator, Photographer, and Fiddle Player

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009 Creative Journey

Charles — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:09:11 +0000

Hello my friend,
Welcome to the 9th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

As of this writing, the following wonderments have happened.

1) I have received a digital copy of the layout of my book. A hard copy, final proof will be sent to me in a few days. This is so wonderful and exciting – I can hardly calm down enough to get a good nights sleep. Too many thoughts now racing through the ol’ noggin.

Once I approve the layout it will go into production, this will take 90 or so days, (for some reason unknownst to me, I may be slow I admit, or I may just not be in that business, but I still don’t know the why of that one.) So the earliest we’ll see a finished book is February. But that is ok. We are making progress.

2) The next slightly noteworthy development is the creation of a calendar based upon the landscapes of Eadar. It will consist of photos I have taken, some are on my website, and some are not. I know… I know, Eadar is a fictional place, so how can I have photos of it?

The landscapes I have taken are good representations of what this land may look like. Oh come on… work with me a little – suspend that disbelief. You bought into Hobbiton, Rivendale, and Rohan. They don’t exist either. But the scenic’s were spectacular. Same here.

The hardest thing is to keep life balanced while all this is moving forward. I love doing the stories, the photography, the fiddling, so much that the mundane things (i.e. grocery shopping, cleaning house, laundry, ect) can fall by the wayside. And that is not such a merry thing.

Oh well, I can’t be great at everything. (please note the devilish grin.)

Well my friend,
Until next time.

Live Nobly, Live Well.

Charles

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008 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:08:56 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 8th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

In coming up with the topic for this installment, I was reminded of a lesson that took me a very long time to learn, to even be made aware of. And if I had learned it earlier – who knows where this creative endeavor might now be. Though perhaps if I had learned it earlier I’d be doing other things, I would probably have spent many years as a lighting designer for the theatre. And who knows where else that may have led. Though I would not be who I am today and this venture I’m currently in would be other than it is – if at all – and that would be a sad thing.

So I guess I really learned it right on time. Anyway, it is a lesson I want to share. So that perhaps another creative and talented personage will not walk away from their gifting simply for the not knowing of it.

In looking back, it is a lesson that is amazingly simple; it is one you may already know. It is one I should have known early, early on. Yet it is also one that is so obvious to those who know it – that they may simply never mention it to anyone because it never occurs to them to even think about it, never mind think to mention it.

Sort of like picking up a cup of coffee; no one really thinks about it – they just do it. And besides, perhaps, telling you to be careful because it’s very hot, no one is going to tell you how to pick up a cup. They are not going to tell you how to open your hand, how to place your fingers on the cup or in the handle. It isn’t even thought about; so intrinsic is the performance of this action. I hope that illustrates it well, if not – just ask me for clarification and I’ll try again.

Here is the lesson, just because an action or activity is very difficult, this does not mean you are not talented and gifted in the performing of said activity. What being talented means is that your solution will be stunning and magnificent not merely adequate. It does not mean that what you do magnificently will be easy.

You often hear it said “Wow, he makes that look so easy.” Yet if you were to talk to the ones ‘making it look so easy’, you would find out how hard they have to work to make it appear so.

Back to lighting design, my final project was to light a scene from Ibsen, (a noteworthy playwright). And it was the hardest thing I had ever done up to that point. Catching the subtleties and nuances of the script had me reaching for aspirin every time I turned around. It was so hard that I became convinced that I had no talent for lighting design. Yet the finished design, not only earned me an ‘A’ and an invitation to return the following year to learn more, it was (very modestly speaking) the best final design produced by that class. Yet because it was so very hard, I became convinced that light design was not for me.

It also did not help that I had no one to encourage me and tell me what I am sharing in this installment. But that is a topic for another day. One day I will have to tell you how in a school for the fine arts, I was the truest non-conformist on campus.

Also, there are many different meanings to the term ‘hard work’. It can mean anything from the grueling physical work that leaves you spent at the end of the day, to things that can leave you mentally spent, to things that simply require massive amounts of continual time and energy, which will not necessarily leave you exhausted.

Well, I’m going a little long, so I need to wrap this up.

So, if you are struggling in an endeavor, take heart, know that this does not mean you are not talented enough – that you are not best suited to the endeavor. Struggle through, then step back and rest a moment as what you have done shines forth and is a source of wonderment and gratitude from others.

Until next time my friend,
Peace to you.

Live Nobly and Live Well

Charles

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007 Creative Journey

Charles — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:09:42 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 7th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

As you may have noticed, there are many new organizational things happening here at the Eadarian Network. Most of which are simply of a creative nature, however some are of a needed nature – needed for sanity and for the sake of good health.

It is possible (I know, I know… it sounds too strange to be true) to spread oneself too thin by trying to do too many things at one time. I have reached that point, or rather I reached it a couple of weeks ago. I have been working seven days a week and 6 nights a week for a couple of months trying to raise the capital needed to get this creative venture off the ground. And on top of this I was still trying to produce all three broadcasts, play the fiddle, take new photographs, and write new stories. Needless to say my body began to protest this lack of sleep. So, I’ve had to restructure how things are done.

The first thing restructured was to start expecting God to deliver the funds needed as they are needed and not before. The next was to quit one of my jobs so that I had more time to dedicate to this creative venture. And then I had to rethink what was important to this venture and what was not. The result being that I am putting a hold on any future Wonderful World of Coffee Broadcasts, at least for the time being. I may start them again someday, but for now that set of broadcasts is the least central to this site and to the purpose of this network; that being to inspire others, ennoble others, and to let my listeners (readers) know that they are not alone, that there is someone else like them in this world. Yes I know my stories are fictional, but the themes and the underlying characteristics of those in the stories are not. They do exist and are embraced by all those dedicated to something – someone – more than themselves.

We have been told for far too long that the seedier side of life is “real life”. As if that were the only “real life” there was. But the noble side of the human experience is also real life and is some ways it is more real than the other side. But that is a thesis topic for another day.

For today it is enough to simply be making decisions that will help further this creative process, that will help reach the goal of inspiring others to live nobly and well.

Until next time my friend I hope you are also able to focus down to what is important in pursuing your dreams.

Peace,

Live Nobly,
Live Well.

Charles

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006 Creative Journey

Charles — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:47:55 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 6th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

There comes a point where a person stumbles across a realization of something they had known in their head, but not necessarily in their living experience.

I recently had such an experience, and that has led to a burst of creativity. Three more stories have been started, more photos have been taken and some of those even edited, and more fiddle (and better fiddle) playing than I have done in a long while have been the result.

This past week I had cause to speak aloud the following phrase, “…I am a big man and I am larger than life…” and suddenly, somehow, it was more ok than ever it was to be so. It was as if something inside unlocked as these words resonated in my ears.

Nothing outward has changed, and this was not unfamiliar knowledge. I have known this for many years. Yet, at that moment, it took on new significance. I’m not sure I can clearly articulate this any further, so I’m not going to try.

But on some new level I have been released to do what I was born to do; to encourage, ennoble, and inspire others through stories, music, and photographs.

I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I am more energized and determined and more mindful of being laid hold of by my art than ever before. THAT IS IT! I am more held by my art than ever before.

I’ll have to give this more thought before attempting to expound on it here in The Creative Journey. But I will do so as I am able.

Until next time my friend,

Live Nobly and Live Well.

Charles

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005 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:02:08 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 5th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

I don’t know about you, but being a very creative individual myself, I find it hard to focus my thoughts into business mode. Crunching numbers, business plans, and selling those plans and my creative endeavors to others is very hard. I write stories, tell stories, take photographs, and play fiddle – all of which I do very well (ok the fiddle is at least progressing well). But how do I market this? Who is my “target” market? How do I get operating capital to make all of this go?

These are the types of questions that make my head hurt. There are almost not enough aspirin in the whole wide world!

Yet, these are the very questions that must not only be answered but also must have action taken based on the answers.

That is the stage this journey is at. Knowing that in order to get to the lush land of only being creative, I must traverse the hot and arid desert of business. I really wonder if there is a canteen huge enough to hold all the water I’ll need in making this trek across such inhospitable land.

I know the answer is yes. I’m just not looking forward to this part of the journey.

Well… no sense is putting it off…

Until next time my friend,

Live Nobly and Live Well.

Charles

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004 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:34:11 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 4th installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes, Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

Part of any journey is deciding how things are going to be approached. What the guiding factors, ideas, premises are to be… or more simply, why you do what you do.

There has been a major movement in this country toward a focus on mere self-expression. While self-expression is a good thing; indeed, part of any art is in some manner an expression of the artist. Yet, when we focus on self as the main theme, the main idea, and the main driving muse – we loose the art itself. Because now art is made a subservient, a slave to our own expressions and is limited to our selfish whims, desires, and thoughts.

To illustrate this – it is the same as when a business, say a coffee shop, begins to solely focus on “the bottom line” and not on what made it a successful coffee shop – taking care of customers, quality beverages, friendly staff, ect. Business then wanes because customers are not being taken care of as they once were. While every business must keep an eye on the bottom line (just as all art, at some level, is an expression of the artist), when the main focus shifts to the bottom line (i.e. focusing only on self expression, only on what the self wants) then that coffee shop is less than it was or than it could be. Similarly when the focus is only on “me”, “I”, “my”, on what “I” think is cool, what “I” like, and what “my” art is all about, then a respect for art is lost and that artistic expression is not all it could be.

Up to now I have not been saying what is or is not art. Simply that when we respect art as something outside ourselves, as something more than ourselves, that our expressions are transported into something more than we could have imagined. It is as if “art” takes our ideas, our expressions and transforms them, stretches them, refines them, and hones them more into art than we could do ourselves.

This is what takes a work from being blah to being ok, form ok to good, from good to great, and from great into being a masterpiece.

Though I do think that some things produced under the name of art are not. Just as many things masquerade under the guise of one thing but are actually another. But that is a discussion for another day.

This discussion is simply to say that the creative journey I am on is full of respect. Respect for art, the stories, the music… well art in all forms.

A respect that allows the art to shape the stories and photos on this site, working hand in hand with the ideas and input I have, with the self-expression that is present and which must be present in all art.

And then there is respect for the end viewer, or listener, whichever the case maybe. Not that I take into account the whims of my audience, nor do I consider what criticisms may or may not arise. But I respect that this art is as much for them to view or listen to as it is for me to generate. This leads to maintaining the respect for art that was mentioned earlier. It all goes hand in hand – layer upon layer.

Respect… we could use a little more of this these days. Respect your art, whatever that art may be, and respect others by doing so.

Well my friend, this is all the time we have for now. So until next time..

Live Nobly and Live Well.

Charles

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003 Creative Journey

Charles — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:26:38 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 3rd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes; Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative and excessively modest personage.

The art of storytelling is perhaps one of the most overlooked arts in the world today. And I think it is one of the most misunderstood. Storytelling is often relegated to the world of children, grownups hear stories too but mostly in movies, on tv, or perhaps they read one in print. But they do not take to time to listen to another person tell a tale. Once the word “storyteller” is spoken the first thing that comes to their mind is “children”. While children do benefit and enjoy someone telling them a story, adults will often deny themselves this same stimulation, which to my mind is rather juvenile. But be that as it may, what I want to do today is simply relate how I started on the path of this storytelling journey.

This all started 20+ years ago, in a coffee shop. Well, to be honest it was a coffee house not a coffee shop. The difference being that this was in the basement of a church, not a set store where we now go and buy our favorite caffeinated beverage, and this was in Providence RI (not that this made it a coffee house and not a shop, but… anyway… ) I have forgotten the name of it now, but they set up those 50 gallon coffee urns and had a display of all those wonderful Celestial Seasoning teas. (Funny side note, a friend of mine from Shanghai, upon tasting one of these teas, leaned over to me and said, rather politely, “This is not tea.” I had to agree, but hey that was America in the mid 1980’s, besides Lipton, this was about as much like tea as we could get.) Anyway, this coffee house was more of a venue for folk artists, musicians, and storytellers then a place to get coffee. It was during a Halloween season that I first saw professional storytelling. They told many ghost stories that night and what amazed me was that they were such simple stories, yet as they were being told, I was right in the middle of everything that was happening. The imagery was so real, so vivid… these tellers took me any where they wanted to go and I was excited to be there. (If you have never seen a talented storyteller do their thing, go do so. Stop everything else and deny yourself no longer! That being said, there are such things as bad tellers. Yes, everyone has a story, but no, not everyone should tell it. Find a good one, and sit back, and be amazed.)

To be able to take someone and have them be scared, excited, crying, and laughing during the coarse of an evening is truly a gift, an art unparalleled. The art of interacting with the audience, of presenting material, that under any other circumstance would be stupid at worst and illogical at best, in ways that inspires a listener, captures his imagination, and transports him to another place and time, is one that is perhaps of most value to any civilization. It is magic in the purest sense of the word. And this night there was magic in the way the stories came to life in these tellers. This was something I had never seen before. I was so entranced that when I got home, I was able to tell everyone several of the stories I had heard and was able to watch their eyes as I created the same experience for them that I had encountered at the coffee house.

That was the start of it all. When you are the one on the giving end of this magic… when you are the teller, there is no feeling like it. Knowing that you have positively impacted someone is a thrill not to be missed. For that is where the magic lies, not in the applause, not in the praise, but in the eyes of those in whom your stories have made a difference, even if it is only to help them laugh or perhaps to touch them on a level where they now know they are not alone. How people are touched, is not so important as that they are. One of the mysteries of storytelling is that each listener brings their own experiences and backgrounds with them and it is always through these that they hear the stories. And they may be hearing something that you never thought of while telling and be touched in ways you could never imagine.

Well, I’m a little long and time is fleeting.
With miles to go before I sleep,
And myriads of promises with which to keep,
I must go for now.

Until next time my friend,

Live Nobly and Live Well,

Charles

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002 Creative Journey

Charles — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:19:16 +0000

Hello my friend,

Welcome to the 2nd installment of The Creative Journey, the experience of one Charles Yerkes; Eadarian Poet, perpetuator, and otherwise mildly creative personage.

The need for balance in life has taken on new meaning for me over the past few weeks; balancing work, the need for income to pay the bills, life, and the overwhelming need for creative expression.

There are many different types of creativity and just as many ways to express this; as many different ways as there are people on the face of this earth. And everyone is creative in some fashion or the other. Even in ways that may not come to mind when the term “creative” is used. Business driven people are creative in coming up with unique solutions to business problems, scientists are creative in finding solutions to the challenges they face in their fields of study, mothers and fathers are creative in addressing the challenges of raising children. Even in the more traditional sense of the word, “creative” as in art forms, there are varying levels of creative drive and expression, each person who is artistically creative has their own level of drive and need to express. Some are very happy to be artistic occasionally, say in a class setting only, or perhaps as a hobby they participate in once in a while. Others, can no more not be artistic than they can stop breathing. The art form, no matter the medium, has taken hold of them and will not allow them not to be expressive. It will not leave them alone though they try to abandon it, try to pursue other, profitable actions, vocations; it catches them unawares and spins them around, until they once again allow the art to be released through them. Painters, photographers, storytellers, writers… any such artist will tell you the same thing. Somehow they have to be doing their art form or they never do anything at their top level. They cannot even allow it to be just an occasional hobby; though that is better than not at all. I guess a good way to say it is that there is no peace of mind until the art form has found its expression.

This is what I’m finding and have found in the past. Though now with so much potentially falling into place on the creative side, this fact has been magnified for me recently. I have not been able to do anything creative in almost a month, due to work and income requirements and it is taking its toll. Don’t get me wrong, nothing dire here or catastrophically perilous, but I’m finding I’m not running on all cylinders, if you take my meaning. Life just isn’t running as smoothly without the ability to create, write, photograph, and fiddle. I’m more tired than I should be, more… well, just out of sync. I do hope that is clearer than mud.

Balance, that is my goal this week, to get all done I need to and in doing so, find a balanced way to keep the art flowing. And in so doing, find peace of mind.

Well, have other things to do for now.

Thank you for joining me. Until next time my friend.

Live creatively and live well.

Charles

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001 Creative Journey

Charles — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 02:17:07 +0000

Welcome,

In the midst of all that is going on, I think I want to start sharing a little about what is going on. The process, if you will, the ins and the outs of trying to stay creative.

Perhaps some will find this boring. But I hope more will find it interesting, a point of connection or at the very least, a source of encouragement by letting you know that as a creative type, you are not alone.

One of the greatest setbacks in the creative life is that creativity by its very nature is a solitary activity. Whether you write, paint, photograph, act, design, sing, or any other creative pursuit, until the end product is shared, is performed, it is work of one mind isolated and alone. Yes, there are encouragers, inspirations, and people who help us stay focused, but in the raw act of creating- it is the “I” and the “I” alone that generates the art, the end product which is seen, heard, and hopefully appreciated by many.

In my particular case, this creative process has been a 20+ year process. It started as a thought, progressed into a dream, became a passion, and then it left me to grow until I was the person needed to fulfill the dream. That this took 20ish years, is sometimes frustrating, sometimes merely a matter of fact. But now that things are starting to come together for the realization of this dream, I know that really, things could not have developed any other way and the dream still be met. Not that the dream is fully realized yet, but currently I am well on the way. Just a little more patience…

Next time I’ll tell you how it all started, and perhaps we’ll progress to the winding twisting road that the pursuit of this dream has taken me on. Perhaps even touching on why I do it; why I pursue this dream after so long a waiting period.

Until then my friend,

Live creatively; live well.

Charles

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