This summer I've been having way more vivid dreams than usual. The following was written right after I woke up and before my alarm went off. I'm considering publishing a zine inspired by my dream journal, either that or working a few accounts into my reissued Save the Bees Worx Vol I - III, due to drop this Fall.

Recently my sweet friend from Baltimore, Jessie Delaplaine, brought up the joy of returning to old work with fresh eyes - which is something I don't think about or do very often. I wrote this in the second week of July, back then I thought it was finished. Then our talk it inspired me to revisit it and do some sweeping, hang up some new shelves, change out the candlesticks and rearrange the bookshelf. It feels nice to write new poetry without starting from scratch.

"Meet me in Ravenswood"
my last whisper in your ear
after you found me freezing and throbbing in stilettos
​   a drag queen recently taught me how to correctly walk in
and gave me both the hoodie and puffy coat off your back
before disappearing into a crowd

I ran barefoot down Foster Avenue to find you again

​I'm still
​running
​I never stopped

​
When I awake
the house is submerged in indigo
at the windowsill I find
thick periwinkle frosting
caked across the sky
the only break of light in the far west
an island of silvery blue emerges
pipped with wispy white clouds
​   and promises waiting impatiently

leaves from the trees kiss and ride, then reunite
their infinite passion shimmers and twinkles
​   between the silhouettes of maples and oaks

Puddles collect
through I can't hear their rhythms
over the thunder crashing in my heart

Scribbling this down
as I am hurried through the terminal of a dream
tired eyes need to see this through
before I go back to sleep and
re-record over the synapses that brought you to me

As I go back to poetry
the way the godless go to prayer
​   when they are desperate for salvation

My deliverance is my heart is forever tethered to Chicago
​   ​even though I no longer walk down Foster Avenue

I created a new zine: 5 Ways to Beat Creative Block. It's a one page zine that you can download from the Free Zines to Print page, I've also included directions on how to fold and cut it so you can print it up at home or office. Gobble up that free paper, yeahh! 

This strategy has certainly helped me create way more art this year than I would've if I had let myself get caught up in overthinking what should be a simple process for me to chill: pushing around paint, doodling comics, experimenting with different patches on my synth. Hope this helps quell the naysayers that live inside your brain and enables you to get back to enjoying the art making process in the new year. 

This is my first zine for sale at Quimby's in almost a decade, so it feels invigorating to make a long overdue return to the shelves of one of my favorite bookstores in America. If you're in Chicago, drop by Quimby's at 1854 W. North Ave. and ask for Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, a mini-zine about an alternative opinion of Mike Myers.

I've been a blogger for over twenty years, it's been more than five since I've had a public blog on here. As much as I cherish my privacy and enjoy staying low-key, I'm working on a lot of really fun projects this year and am pushing myself to share them with more people. So cheers to getting back on the horse, well, in my case - unicorn. 

be well, stay safe and mask up <3