jaimes

“I have a place that is mine.

That’s my work.

When I write, that’s mine.

It is free.

Nobody tells me what to do, and I wouldn’t listen if they did.

It’s all mine.

It’s my world. I have invented it. These are my people.

This is my language.

And now I’ve come to believe that everyone needs one of those places. It could be gardening.

You know…it’s just a place where it’s you and what you do.”

- Toni Morrison speaking to Oprah on life lessons at 80

Mot is a Korean term that descibes the beauty within a person as demonstrated through their actions or art. This, at least, is how I understand it.

Giovanni Boldini

Mot cannot exist in the artificial. But it can manifest itself in the material: a painting, a photograph, a sculpture.

Giovanni Boldini

It is a pursuit in Korean culture to attain mot in one’s art, music, dance, and life.

Mary Timony

It is a character trait, both external and internal: benevolence, kindness, sacrifice.

Nokomis

To have mot is to bend to the natural flow of life and harness that spirit while creating.

Isadora Duncan

It is the natural rhythm of your life, your soul, your art, your music, and even your daily responsibilities.

I first learned of Mot through the 1998 Autumn edition of Koreana, a quarterly magazine on Korean art and culture, and I’ve tried to keep this concept in mind ever since. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But the pursuit of mot, in itself, is actual pretty beautiful.

This is Vicki Johnson. I met Vicki through Girls’ Rock Camp ATL, where we discovered we had two things in common: we were both new drummers and both moms to six-year-old girls. As you can imagine, this is a pretty rare combination to have in common. The motherhood community is not exactly flooded with drummers. But if Vicki and I can help it, it will be soon!

Vicki started playing drums at Ladies Rock Camp, a weekend camp for women to learn new instruments, form a band, and perform a show. The camp also acts as a fundraiser for Girls’ Rock Camp. The next Ladies Rock Camp Atlanta is February 18-20. Registration is still open, so if you want a chance to meet some amazing women and play music, sign up now!

You can read more about Vicki and her drumming adventures in my interview with her at Tom Tom Magazine. Head on over there. It’s worth the click.

One of the greatest surprises about parenthood is how children help us tap back into that purely creative spot of childhood- the place where our imagination and dreams are limitless. Where monsters hide in closets, instruments blow bubbles, swords are made of foam, and landscapes come in whatever colors we choose.

In adulthood, this spot that was once so fertile becomes overgrown with real-life practicalities, responsibilities, and expectations. But it doesn’t have to be that way. At least not every second of every day. And definitely not at bedtime when we tuck our little ones in and have a chance to squeeze in one last message that will set the mood for their dreams that night. And now we have a book to help guide us and our children to the magical place where dreaming big doesn’t stop when you wake up for school in the morning.

Dallas Clayton has managed to stay tapped into the fantasy well of childhood and dream up a book kids, parents, and teachers are loving. An Awesome Book is bursting at the seams with imagination, hope, adventure, love, and playfulness: all of the ingredients of a great children’s story, and the real-life story of a father-turned-author.

What I really appreciate about An Awesome Book is that it started as a pure DIY effort. Clayton wrote and illustrated the book for his son, and then decided to share it with others. The book took off big time. And after reading it, I can see why.

Check out Dallas Clayton describing how his day dreams, night dreams, and fantasies have all rolled into one incredible life. 

You can find An Awesome Book locally in Atlanta at The Seed Factory ,and read or purchase Clayton’s books online at a very awesome world.

Yay dreams!

I’m SO excited to announce that I am now a contributing writer for Tom Tom Magazine, a magazine dedicated to female drummers. I’ll be doing a monthly online post about motherhood and musicianship and also profiling female drummers in the Atlanta area.

Tom Tom is an incredible magazine offering everything girls need for inspiration, know-how, and information on playing drums. As much as I appreciate the tips and talent that is showcased in mainstream musician magazines and websites, females are not typically represented. Tom Tom is working hard to fill that void for girls who play drums, and I am seriously honored to be included in the magazine.

Head on over to Tom Tom to read my first post on how I finally got the nerve to play drums.

We are back from Virginia. I’m not quite motivated to be clever after a 12-hour drive with a fever, so bear with me while I recover my health and snarkiness. We’ve all managed to get sick in the past week, including Holden’s bout with pink eye on Christmas day. I’m guessing being in contact with 50 family members and a bunch of friends is a pretty sure-fire way to catch a virus.

Despite feeling crappy, we had a great visit with family and friends. One of my cousins announced his engagement to his girlfriend, making us all cry in my Grandma’s kitchen. My kids played with my two little brothers’ adorable sons. I witnessed my dad go speechless over a new Fugi bike he got from my step-mom.

And then there was the second annual disco Christmas party, where my cousins and best friends eat, drink, and do some kind of permforming arts. The highlights this year included my cousin Corrie making up a rhythmic gymanstic routine with a beach ball, and her brother Ryan and I putting on leopard-print loungewear and singing Guns & Roses ballads on acoustic guitar. Fun stuff. I’d put the video up of Corrie dancing, but she’d probably never speak to me again.

Said woman take it slow, it will work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience… (more…)