Fists Of Fire & The Dark Knight: An Interview With Johnny Wore Black

Fists Of Fire & The Dark Knight: An Interview With Johnny Wore Black

JOHNNY WORE BLACK RELEASE "UP IN FLAMES" ft DAVID ELLEFSON OF MEGADETH

JOHNNY WORE BLACK RELEASE "UP IN FLAMES" ft DAVID ELLEFSON OF MEGADETH

The Next Chapter

Its taken a while to get to this point and the old blog ran dry, sorry about that. Sometimes we just act on a different plain for a while. I did what I had to do to get to today, rough and smooth, hard and soft, here we are and there we go. Life has been full of surprises, like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. Yup, just watched the end of Forrest Gump on TV. I forgot what an important film that was. This is a strange chapter in my life, everything and anything can happen, I always believed that and now it is. On August 13th the second Johnny Wore Black single is relaxed, Up In Flames. Excited? Hell yeah! The video is pretty cool even if I say so myself. It feels good to be quietly proud of the product. So, now its bed time, best time, quiet, dark and gently tired. My thoughts are with those that need me, that fight their own battles, much harder than mine. Goodnight.

Up In Flames

Its like you can feel the momentum as it builds, an increase in heart rate, an increase in adrenaline, an increase in speed. Here we go once again, in the lead up to a release this is the way it is. The writing, the recording, the mastering, the video, the stills are all the foundations and now comes the prestige (as the film would say). A month from now Up In Flames will hit the streets, neck on the line, judgement day once more. Like it, loath it, love it or hate it, doesn't really matter. Bring it on.

Jungle Drums

Having trekked for days through the jungle, you find a clearing, take your pack off and sit and rest. In the diastase you can hear the deep rumble of the jungle drums. And thats just how it is, the trek can be tough, then theirs a bit of a breather but who knows what awaits round the next corner. This can be regarded as a bad thing or a good thing but its up to us all how we find our place of comfort. Its all a question of perspective and outlook. It seems so simple to consider the value of living in the present, potentially so much more rewarding, perhaps even the key to longevity on one hand. The thing is, if you look behind, you fall in a hole in front. If you look in front you don't see where you are and can get lost. Clearly, the present is where you are now, so thats the place to be, no? The application of wisdom is always a challenge to integrate principles into every day life. However, like everything else, repetition and practice makes things happen, gives rise to potential change. As far as I feel, change is why we're here, thats whats makes the world tick and function. Change is life itself for when things remain static, in stasis, they begin to die. Keeping it simple makes it easier to keep it real. Don't take anything for granted and be mindful of each action and where each step takes you. Here lies the key to having a more authentic and rewarding experience of life. So having had porridge and coffee, its almost time to go for a run. Its strange how the thought of it is always harder than the run itself. Are we programmed to be lazy? I don't think so but its the way we have evolved. As I mentioned, lazy inactivity is equal to stasis, lack of function and death. Motility is a basic requirement of all things living, from fluid dynamics to muscular contraction. The elements, air, water, earth, all has movement that is constant and evolving. Evolution is close to devolution, a fine line that works together synergy. This is the yin and yang of life.

The Stream

Profanity has been known to start with the line: 'People come and go'. So, people do come and go, in and out of our lives, they pass through like twigs floating down a stream. Sometimes they float to the edge and stick around a while or get caught up on some leaves which hold up their flow. Then there is the question, are we also a twig floating down that same stream? The point in this is even if we feel stuck, everything moves by nature of time itself. Is productivity and fulfilment determined by contact with other people or can it be achieved alone? Is interaction a need or a choice? These are more reflections in the stream rather than questions with direct answers. Sometimes the current of the stream becomes too strong and we risk getting swept away, out of control and without the ability to steer. If this happens, it maybe preferable to swim to the the side and sit out the storm. Waiting for the storm to pass can create its own challenges: Am I missing out? Is life passing me by? What if I am stuck? Actually though, being in a position to observe and reflect can allow a more productive phase to begin, as an army world strategically choose to pull back and re group, only to come back stronger.

The Brain

The self. It seems to me that really the key to getting it right seems to come back to the self. This is clearly different from the selfish, and yet connected. When we stop to consider it, how much time is spent doing or behaving in a way to try and get the best out of other people? How many times does one think, 'if I do this they will do that?'. The truth is, most of the time we will be disappointed. With every human being having a different ideal of right and wrong, correct and incorrect, kind and unkind, could it be that the brain is actually over-developed? Our power of thought can quite often be our undoing. So many are hours spent worrying, stressing, over-analysing and generally driving ourselves crazy, is this all really necessary and what can we do about it? It's all well and good to keep falling over to be told 'past is past just move on and learn from it', however once you spiral towards the plug hole, it just isn't always that easy.
I personally have spent my lifetime to date on the external. The pattern has been about training the body, decorating it with tattoos and dressing it in the right clothes to portray what I want to say. My lifetime to date has been spent on the great curriculum vitae, perhaps to cover all bases in time for the final interview to meet my maker! Life has come down to a collection of physical, academic and creative accolades in order to prove to myself and show the world the I have had a complete life. Time and time again I have seen my journey as a pie chart, split into income, physical, intellectual and creative. Oh my, seem busy, seem complete, well let me tell you, there is so much missing. It's much easier to build the outside than the 'in' and yet, real strength comes from within.

Reflection

It sounds like a slightly cheesy word, 'reflection' buts lets face it, how much time do we spend in this place? Wise men say 'past is past' but that does represent quite a challenge. In reality, how much time do we spend breathing heavily and wading through contemplation about what could have been and what might have happened if..? One of he most basic keys of wisdom must surely be, if we have more control of our thoughts, we can change our feelings and actions. I once wrote a song called 'Whose Children' with a lyric in the chorus saying 'the state of all mankind is dependent on your mind'. As time advances, I am realising more and more how true this is. So where am I today? Well, presently sitting up in bed, strong coffee to my right, laptop dead ahead. I've don't the diary thing, as a youngster, done a blog once before but for some reason, this time feels different. Less of a cathartic journey in self exploration and more a passage of life contemplation. Everybody seems stressed, unwell due to stress related illness, over rushed, frustrated, angry and generally dissatisfied. Having been surrounded by a generous helping of bereavement and loss, time and health seem continually more precious and its making me consider what needs to happen to get the most out of each moment. Though I have one heck of a lot to learn, I think part of the key to fulfilment includes who we spend our time with and how we think.
Some days really feel like they are there to test us. We sigh more than normal, feel perhaps more aware of our breathing and our own heart beat. It's challenging to explore the best way to cope in these situations. Perhaps a combination of meditation, medication (just kidding) and perhaps an endorphin rush with the help of a sturdy punch bag! Then there is the other angle, maybe in some may we grow from just living the feelings, even if unpleasant. There surely comes a time for everybody when the unexpected will happen and send us into a spin for a temporary loss of perspective. Maybe these occurrences are indicators of a time for change, a time to do things differently. That in it self can be a scary journey. It's often easier to stay stuck, in the very place you're trying to get out of, than actually do something different. However, if you keep adding 1 + 1 it keeps making 2. All said and done, it's only by taking the first steps of risk that there is a chance of achieving everything we aspire to be.