CBrajkovich Ramblings

I have been fascinated by Vikings since I was a kid. It’s more than their image, it’s their strength, courage, and thirst for life. Sure they were marauders, but their mythologies were alive inside my head like no other stories. (Besides, most everyone seemed to be doing the same things back in those times.) As a matter of fact, if it hadn’t been for them, I would never have survived a semester of classic opera appreciation. To this day, Wagner’s Rings of Nibelung is the only opera that I can listen to without wanting to scream…thanks to those Viking myths.

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Just stumbled on another article that had me laughing while it hit home. Judith Newman, a New York Times contributor, was discussing the latest book of Alexendra Robbins, “The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School”. The book is another way that the author is helping teenagers get through their formative years in an environment that I liken to a Roman gladiator ring. I haven’t read it yet, but I just might because I remember living through many of those same experiences. Continue reading →

Ok, so I am a major comic fan. Being raised by the military machine in Japan during my youth, I’d spent my life surrounded by them. They made my life more colorful because they let my brain go into that gorgeous world of art and imagination. Even though I’ve matured, my taste really hasn’t. I still collect comics and manga, and have now even straggled into manhwa – I seriously can’t wait to get my hands on Ghostface by Hyung Min Woo!!!

I know that there are millions like me, because I see them frequent comic shops and even conventions like Comic-Con (though I’m now turned off by the HUGE Hollywood crowd). But the one thing that I can say is that I’m a snob when it comes to comics. No matter how great the plot, if the graphics aren’t good then I can’t read the book. One image will start to bug me, and then I’ll spend my time picking apart the book. So, I don’t get the ones which have unappealing art because I’ll do the creator an injustice. I’ve heard that some readers are the exact opposite. But the one thing that’s constant is that all comic fans are fanatic about them. Continue reading →

And now that we can go back to our daily lives after avoiding the apocalypse, I figured that I’d put up the links to some new artists that I and others are fascinated with:

• Daniel Elson
• Kris Kuksi
• Jeremy Nichols
• Shannon Bonatakis
• Amanda Louise Spayd

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The global news about politics and economics indicates that we’re firmly entrenched in the “ME” generation. Like many others, personally experiencing the chaos that is the business world made me yearn for that which I’d lost…my creativity. Shutting down my soul for too long had debilitating effects that I’m still trying to completely overcome. Though I haven’t stopped trying.

But when I let my inner child open her eyes once again, I feel my soul come alive and it feels AMAZING! The one constant in my childhood was my never-ending fascination with everything. “What’s it like to fly like a bird? Why are there so many different types of flowers? How could bakers create such beautiful pastries that have to be eaten? Why does that car make me feel so alive? How was THAT created?” The questions kept coming, and I kept looking for more. And that’s what started me on my lifelong path to immersing myself in creativity. Writing is my form of creation, and I let my soul swim in my words. I realize that creative types have such power to transform the mundane into the incredible.

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I just stumbled over one of my favorite Japanese magazines as I was straightening, and wanted to share it with you. No worries as it’s published in English. I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I hit a creative block, I look to my library of art and literature to fill the well. Kateigaho International Edition is a gorgeously produced Japanese art and culture magazine that whets the spirit and the mind. After drooling over it (and missing Japan), I find that my thoughts are racing with creative intent. Absolutely perfect!