Omaha (part 1)

       If Omaha, Nebraska wasn’t in Omaha, Nebraska, it would have a better reputation. Meaning, because it’s in the middle of the country, it gets a “country bumpkin” rap by those who live on the coastal United States. Which is to say, population wise, most of America. Talk Omaha to anybody living on the coast who hasn’t been there, and they most likely conjure up visions of a podunk, quasi-city with not a whole lot going on.
       The reality, however, is that Omaha is a vibrant little city. It’s got a hip area called the Old Market District, which is teaming with very cool shops, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. The turn of the century brick architecture, well thought out and attractive storefronts, and wide, cobblestone streets give the Old Market District plenty of character. The University of Nebraska/Omaha, with it’s spacious, sightly campus, means a constant influx of youthful energy and fresh ideas.
       Granted, Omaha is nothing like New York or San Francisco or Boston. But it does have a very appealing vibe all it’s own, and for me, that’s what defines a city. Part of that vibe is a thriving music scene. Recently, I not only witnessed that scene, but serendipitously participated in it.
       I rolled into Omaha via Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, January 10, on my way from Boston to Colorado. Spending the winter writing my book, skiing, and gleefully galavanting all over the western United States, I expected my drive out here to be rather uneventful. I had five days to drive 2100 miles, and I was on the clock, because I had reservations in Colorado that began on Sunday, January 12. My plan was to get up early every morning, work out, and drive. That’s it. I wasn’t sure I would have time to do anything else.
       Before I left, though, it was clear to me that there was something else I wanted this trip to be about. I thought it could be a perfect opportunity to live the principles I write about in MuscleHeart, and then share my experiences that resulted from living those principles. After all, the book I’m penning on this trip is based on the concepts and approaches I’ve been writing about in my blog for the last five years. I knew there existed a synergy between my book and this trip.
       I’m traveling alone for over two months. It could get lonely. In fact, that’s a running fear that started even before I took off. If I don’t put myself out there, take risks, live as vibrantly and expressively as possible, organically seek connections, basically practice what I preach in this very blog, then I could end up singing the lonely boy blues. And, skiing and writing aside, I wouldn’t have much adventure on this adventure. Traveling alone effectively provides a sort of moving laboratory for what I’m writing about.
       I figured that experimental process would begin once I got to where I was going. It didn’t occur to me that it would actually begin the moment I got into my car and headed west. Because I didn’t envision anything at all happening on my five day drive.
       They say that life is what happens to you while your making other plans. I wasn’t so much making other plans as I was anticipating them. And, like it always does, life happened. In Omaha.
       Come back for part two.    

©2014 Clint Piatelli, Muscleheart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.

Album Cover

      

       Snapping this picture of figures silhouetted against the glorious blaze of a captivating sunset, I thought, “Here are five people, with who knows what in common, all brought to a standstill because of what’s happening in the sky. I wonder what their stories are? Why are they at the reservoir just now? Were they our for a run or a walk, and happen to catch this incredible display of Mother Nature? Or, like me, did they feel something special happening outside and run towards the light? The guy in the middle has a briefcase. Is he coming from work,? Maybe he’s going to Boston College (which is on the other side of the reservoir) for a night class. Is he from out of town or a local?”
       When images strike me, as this one did, it ignites not only my right brain, but my left brain as well. Neurons start firing all over the place, as new neural connections are created. My artistic hemisphere lights up because images like this strike a chord in my heart. And my rational side fires up as well. I form questions about the people in the picture, or analyze why the sky looks the way it does.
       Looking at it now, I think it would make a killer album or CD cover. I imagine that this is a band made up of three women and two guys. And the dude isn't holding a briefcase, but his instrument, maybe a trumpet in its case. Tell me. What thoughts, feelings, or stories does this image conjure up for you?


©2013 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.

Environmental Chemistry

       Keep this post quiet. I’m not supposed to be blogging. I’m supposed to be writing my book. I made a pilgrimage to Burlington, Vermont, to a self-imposed writing retreat. I’m here to immerse myself in the book writing process and to minimize distractions. My writing coach and I agreed that all of my writing energy was to go into the book. Not the blog. But I’m cheating and posting anyway. Naughty boy. Punish me. Please.
       Burlington is an jazzy little city of just under 50,000 in upstate Vermont, right on picturesque Lake Champlain, surrounded by mountains. It’s a very eclectic place. It’s part college town, as the University of Vermont is right here; part artist community, with lots of new age hippies, free spirits, and artsy folk living here (think of the band Phish); part commerce mecca, with oodles of small, one-of-a-kind retail shops mixed in with some old reliable chain outfits; part somewhat upscale hip and happein’ social scene, with many cool bars, restaurants, and an active music scene; and part small town, with a very down to earth, rural, distinctly New England feel. Burlington has many facets, many layers, and a truly unique feel, all it’s own. It reminds me of me. One reason I’m sure I like it so much.
       First and foremost, this trip to Burlington is a method to jump start the writing of my book, which is coming along slowly. The process and rhythm of book writing is vastly different than that of writing a blog, as I have come to find out. Even though I’ve been a fairly prolific blogger, writing hundreds of thousands of words and over 250 posts over the last seven years, the writing of my book has proven to be quite a challenge. It’s such a different animal than blogging. That’s part of it. The other other part is my propensity to become distracted by the rest of my pretty delicious life.
       I have nobody to blame but myself. I allow myself to become easily distracted in Boston, and it becomes hard for me to focus consistently. But it’s more than that. What I’ve also come to realize is that I’m not finding the physical space I need to write this book in Boston. And I’ve tried. I don’t know what it is, exactly. But after being here in Burlington only a few days, I have affirmed my gut feeling that, if I put myself in environments that atmospherically feel great to me, that excite and stimulate me, that offer a sense of adventure and are different from what I’m used to, the juices flow. And so does the writing. Even the book writing.
       What I’m doing is throwing myself into a whole different world from which to create from. I haven’t spent enough time in Burlington to really know it. It’s still fresh and new to me. It has a pulse and a vibe and a chemistry all it’s own. That freshness, newness, and unique vibration makes its way into me. My environment, the totality of the experience, works on me, stimulates me. It changes my body and mind chemistry. It moves me. I in turn vibrate differently. And if I’m doing it right, I bring all of that to my writing. The experience of being up here is like an adrenaline shot of stimulus and creativity.  
       In the context of your intimate relationship, changing your environment can give you and your partner a romantic and sexual shot in the arm. A “Staycation” can be a relatively inexpensive way to add some zest to your love life. Staying in a hotel, in a town or city close to home but far enough away that you feel like you’re out of your normal environment, can work wonders. Especially if it’s a town or city with a distinct, unique feel to it. There are countless cities and towns like that, some not far from you, no matter where you live. Seek them out. Go there for the weekend, or just the night. Make love in a hotel room, after you’ve been out to a new restaurant, dancing in a new club, walking streets you’ve rarely or never walked before. Do things in bed you’ve been wanting to try, but haven’t. This is the perfect time and place for that. Adventure breeds more adventure.
       I’m very much digging my time here. I’m staying at a hotel within walking distance of The Church Street Marketplace and Downtown Burlington, home to scores of interesting shops, restaurants, bars, and people. My challenge is to not spend too much time away from my writing, and instead, use the environment as a stimulating backdrop to the work. So far, I’m doing just fine.



©2013 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.

Beneath Her Eyes

Beneath her eyes
Under her captivating hazel allure
Below her smiling crystal radiance

I see the adorable little girl
I see the beautiful woman

They want intimacy
And are scared to death of it

They question love
But have few answers

I want to be their answer

                  

                       -Clint Piatelli



©2013 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.

Light Up The Sky

       Before glancing out my window the other evening, I could feel it. It was happening inside my own four walls. My space felt different. And looked different. I looked around my living room, as if asking “What’s going on in here?”.
       It was in fact a simple matter of lighting. But I hadn’t turned any lights on or off. I had’t drawn any shades. I hadn’t done anything at all. And yet, everything was suddenly different.
       The inner space of my condo looked and felt unlike it ever had before. And I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to know why.
       After quickly discerning that this change wasn’t coming from the inside, I turned my attention outside and looked out my window. Lo and behold, outside looked and felt different too. There was a strange, almost eerie, yet beautiful glow, coming from out there. That’s when I got really curious, grabbed my camera, and headed out the door.
       Now I was inside the difference. I got inside of it from going outside. I looked up at the sky and then towards the horizon. “Of course”, I thought. Nature’s Light Show was doing something special yet again. And when that happens, well, everything feels different.
       After snapping a bunch of pictures, I began philosophizing. Which I often do after being powerfully impacted by the force of my surroundings. I reflected on my own sensitivity to my environment, and how that sensitivity is both a blessing and a curse. How that sensitivity, as an artist, gives me so much to work with. And how I can better manage that sensitivity without hamstringing its potency.    

©2013 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.