I’ve been a vegetarian for 12+ years. Since I was young I never really liked eating other animals. For me, it’s something that always felt kind of foreign and awkward to me. When my family would have steak and vegetables for dinner I (more often than not) would have a simple plate of veggies. I didn’t even really try things like roast chicken, lamb or beef until I was around 14; I didn’t eat seafood either. It wasn’t until my late teens that I started to have any idea about the concept of a vegetarian or vegan diet. As silly as it may sound, I didn’t know that it was even an option for me.

I started hanging out with one of my punk friends and his family who were all vegetarian and I was slowly introduced to a whole new way of eating that felt completely natural to me. Becoming a vegetarian opened me up to a whole new world of food and tastes! I had never eaten capsicum, mushrooms, zucchini, cucumber, sweet potato, mangoes, blueberries, lentils and more until I became a vegetarian and started to learn more about different foods and their benefits to us.

A big decision for me choosing to become a vegetarian stemmed from a long period of illness. In my teens I had a lot of stomach problems. After a ridiculous amount of tests, the doctor diagnosed me with a stomach condition and put me on a course of antibiotics which required me to take 21 tablets daily. After a few days, I felt the antibiotics made me sicker than my usual stomach troubles so, I decided to take myself off the medication. I decided to take my health into my own hands and started researching diet and nutrition. I decided to become a vegetarian. Within a couple of months of cutting all meat and animal products from my diet, I started to feel better and the stomach pain etc. started to subside. I went back to the doctor for more tests and they all came back clear. The doctor said, ‘I don’t know what you’ve done but the stomach infection is gone.’ Through my own experience I realised that we have the power to heal our own body.

Later on, during interviews with bands’ whose members were vegetarian or vegan, I started to learn through our discussions about the cruelty that animals endure as a result of our consumption of them and also the impact those kinds of industries have on our planet. John Feldmann (of Goldfinger) first told me about the book, Diet For A New America by John Robbins; that book had a huge impact on me and sealed the deal for my choosing not to eat animals anymore. Now being conscious of the pain another sentient being went through simply for me to eat a meal when there were so many other options and alternatives available just didn’t sit right with me. Over a decade later I’m still really happy with the choice that I made.

Diet is a very personal thing. I’m not writing this to try to convince you to be a vegetarian or vegan. I’m simply sharing my story and the story of people (see below videos) whose creativity I’ve grown up being inspired by. As regular readers of ConversationsWithBianca.com will know, I do a lot of learning and growing in my life through the interviews I do and connections I make with people I chat with. I often find that when I want to learn about something I default to what I know best and that is familiar to me—punk and hardcore music and the people who make it as it has been a constant in my life since I was a teen. Over the years, punk and hardcore has given me a great platform to explore myself and the world.

Ultimately, as with anything in life, you have to experience things for yourself; they have more meaning and value to us when we experience it for ourselves. Each of our bodies and lifestyles are different and therefore require different things. I believe that we know our bodies best and if we take the time to get in touch with our own cycles and rhythms it’s possible to instinctively know what we need to function at our best. That’s one thing I really do urge you to do–to listen to your body and do your own research. How much thought do you give to what you put in your body to fuel it? Make an informed choice…

Ian MacKaye:

John Joseph:

Roger Miret:

Joan Jett:

Propagandhi:

Mike Ness:

John Feldmann:

Matt Skiba:

Davey Havok:

Tim Mc Ilrath:

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with lots of yummy goodness!

Gratitude & compassion,

*Thanks Z (you can find his band here) for sparking the idea for this post by posting the Ian MacKaye clip on FB the other day.

Do you create art every day?

Certainly, I finished a painting this morning. I was working on a song very late last night and I mixed it this morning. I create something every day because it is a reaction. I don’t make art to be popular or seen, I make it because my hands have to, otherwise I’ll extinguish my own life. We’ve all had strange experiences in our lives; to deal with different things, many times, people make art and make music as a catharsis, as a therapy—that’s what I do. I have to do things with my hands or with my voice or with my brain so that I don’t get extremely depressed or extremely angry at the world.

I read in an interview with you once that you love old burnt out buildings and things like that and that you feel really at peace in places like that.

It’s my favourite place, a space that no one wants anymore. Architecture I love, I think architecture is so beautiful, especially abandoned architecture is really, really special to me because, at one point it is valued so highly. So much of America, maybe not so much in Australia, we’ve abandoned so much of our country. If you look at New Orleans or Detroit, they don’t give a shit about anything they built like more than 50 years ago. Those spaces we often reclaim as artists, we do a painting on the wall or bring in a little chair or something. I feel most at peace in those spaces, yes that is correct.

I once thought of doing a photography book or zine that would have pictures of old buildings with plants growing out of cracks, kind of taking back the structure.

Yes! Nature taking them back. That’s one of my favourite things.

Exactly! Before we were also talking about the feeling you get from drumming and you were saying that you believe that there are people that are put on this Earth that have ‘the gift’…

I think more than that, I think it’s a race. Where a lot of people want to talk about their race and pride in their race, I have very little pride left for America. I do know that I am a member of a strong race of drummers and that I have done this before in my life. I had a shaman tell me once that I walked out of Africa over fifteen hundred years ago and that I hadn’t chose to come back to the Earth until now. Ancient things make a great deal of sense to me and new things are very confusing to me, that I know to be true because, drumming is a snap to me, I can do it with my eyes closed. I’ve been doing it since I was 4 years old, even before that. I think it’s a race of people put here in order to lead people out of darkness, to use dance and to use rhythm as a healing tool.

(Taken from an in-depth interview in a forthcoming issue of Conversations With Punx)

Ian Vanek is one half of NYC-based art project Japanther. I love Japanther! They’re always involved in, and create, such awesomeness; collaborating with such a diverse range of musicians and artists such as Crass’ Penny Rimbaud, Spank Rock, Dan Graham and more!

Japnther in 3D:

For more Ian Vanek. All art featured by Ian! :)

Create forever!

I hope you’ve all been having a great weekend! This week’s Little Extras That Say A Lot is dedicated to my awesome friend Andy Mack. I first met Andy in the late 90s when my family had a skateboard store. Me, my brother and mum would make trips out to the Kwala Skateboards warehouse to pick up stock. Andy was the owner of Kwala, which is unfortunately no longer with the skate community—you can read Andy’s words on what happened in Slam Skateboarding Magazine Issue #185 – December / January 2012 – The Rise & Fall of Kwala. I honestly don’t believe that skateboarding in Australia would be what it is today without Andy. Over a decade ago I interviewed him for a zine I was doing at the time as I admired his positivity, strength, passion and determination to make things happen! From the archives:

Over a decade later, I still admire those qualities in him. Like me, Andy loves skateboarding, punk rock and art, his latest project: ¡CREEPER!, incorporates all three. He’s been making some awesome stencil art/grip tape art that features punk rockers (Joe Strummer, Duane Peters, John Lydon) and positive, inspirational, motivational slogans! Check it out:

*If you’re interested in Andy’s rad art drop me a line and I’ll put you in contact :)

Andy also did a spoken word at the Brisbane Powerhouse last year about his journey in skateboarding titled: Broken Boards, Broken Hearts And A Broken Mind – A Skateboarder’s Story. You can download the talk in two parts: Creeper #1 & Creeper #2. Thanks for the links Andrew Smith.

Dedication to Andy:

PMA all day!!

I love getting mail. I love to write letters. I love receiving thoughtful, handwritten letters especially! I have an exquisite royal blue writing quill and ink pot gifted to me, that I write my correspondence with, sitting on my desk. Can you remember the last time you took the time to write to someone and it wasn’t via email or text message? Recently, I was going through my old shoeboxes full of letters I’ve received over the years from fans of my work and musicians and artists I’ve interviewed. Before the internet, when I first started interviewing people and making zines, I would often send snail mail letters with questions attached to folks I wanted to have a dialogue with. Rifling through them brought back some lovely memories (and also a few cringes at my inexperienced lame questions! ha ha).

I thought you guys might be interested in checking some of it out, so I decided to put together a series of posts—Dear Bianca… Correspondence From… First up is a questionnaire/interview that one of my favourite pro skateboarders and artists Ed Templeton filled in. He even drew a self-portrait for me!

Ed Templeton + Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore:

Handwrite a letter to someone today!

Tobi-lea is a musician originally from Western Australia now living in Tasmania. I find her story inspiring and her music honest and straight from the heart. Her story, in her own words: “I ran away from my hometown Tom Price (a small mining town in the Pilbra, Western Australia) with dreams of starting a punk band when I was 16. I ended up homeless in Perth and living in a hostel for six months and mostly survived off the kindness of strangers… I was turned away from shit loads of punk band auditions for either being too young or not having a dick – that was fun – so I did solo acoustic shows for a few years waiting to find my band.” After giving her everything to start band Aaagh Bats! only for it to dissolve, Tobi-lea found herself broken hearted and wondering what to do next? Now, relocated and reinspired she’s working on new music. “I’m inspired by assholes, I use their negative energy to write honest angry songs,” she told me.

How did you first discover music?

TOBI-LEA: I first discovered music when I was like 3. My favourite song was a Michael Jackson song called Remember The Time. It’s rather funny really, a 3 year old trying to experience extreme romantic nostalgia [laughs]. My early music experiences were all from my mum. She likes all kinds of great music. I grew up hearing Cyndi Lauper, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Metallica, The Offspring, Jewel etc.

Who or what inspired you to want to become a musician?

T-L: I was inspired to become a musician by Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (that my mum of all people told me to listen to). The truth of it all just felt so good to me and I knew I had to start writing songs. Hearing My Chemical Romance inspired me to get a punk band and I ran away from home within months of hearing their second album!

You ran away from home with dreams of starting a punk band when you were 16 and ended up homeless living in a hostel and surviving off the kindness of strangers, was punk rock a salvation for you in those challenging times? Tell me a little bit about this time in your life.

T-L: That time in my life… ahhhh it was actually the happiest I had ever been. I left home for a reason, my home life was shit, you couldn’t even call it a home. Leaving home I felt free living in a hostel on Burwick Street and continuing at school doing my TEE was the happiest I’ve ever been.

I’ve read that when you first tried to find a band you were turned away from a lot of punk band auditions in Perth for either being “too young or not having a dick” how did you deal with that disappointment?

T-L: I wanted a punk band but unfortunately no one would make a punk band with me because I was young and chick. I ended up making this kind of bratty pop-folk music which lyrically I think is all punk. I never knew many punk bands and still don’t. I wouldn’t say I find salvation from punk music—I find truth. I still don’t listen to many punk bands. I just think it’s the best medium for me to work with. I’m not one of these punk nazis. I kind of think of it like a religion; you don’t need to go to church to have the spirit in your heart. I would say rock n roll saved me definitely. I think punk rock is an attitude. Dealing with disappointment, f*ck, I knew that they thought I was talented because a few of the bands I auditioned for, who wouldn’t have me as a singer, asked if they could use my songs. I knew I was on the right track and that they were f*ckwits. I just kept looking man. When you want something you have to go for it, you can’t sit around and be a ‘sadhole’—I was having a band and nothing would stop me!

Have you ever experienced other instances of sexism within the music community?

T-L: Oh F*ck yeah! Read any Aaagh Bats! review, it spends more time talking about my ass or the fact there’s girls in the bands than talking about our actual music! It’s bullshit. Everyone knows when you’re a chick you have to be twice as good for half the recognition and that every guy is going to be calling you ‘crazy’ or a ‘slut’ behind your back because you wouldn’t sleep with them or take their shit. It’s ok though, because shitloads of the people who dissed me or said they couldn’t be in a band with me because I was a chick, later tried to write songs with me and start other bands with me after Aaagh Bats! showed to be successful.

What’s the Perth music community like?

T-L: The Perth scene has f*ck loads of good bands but unfortunately not enough people. I love Blazin Entrails and Chainsaw Hookers. They’re pretty much the only bands in Perth I would actually have a drink with after a show and chat to. There’s a lot of wanker-y in the scene but, there is in any scene. I think it has a lot going on in ways of talent, especially in song writing, unfortunately just not much attention.

You did solo acoustic shows for a few years while waiting to find a band, how do you feel you developed as a song writer in this time?

T-L: I hated doing solo acoustic shit! I fucking hated it and still do. I don’t like being alone on stage, I want a band with me, I want distortion. I did it because I needed to. I think that the way I write hasn’t changed since I was about 18, I found my feet by that time.

Do you find that there are reoccurring themes in your songs? Do you write mostly from personal experience?

T-L: I think I only write from personal experience. There are definitely a lot of reoccurring themes: usually lust and mistrust. A lot of songs deal with betrayal because I’ve been f*cked over a lot!

Until recently you finally had a band called Aaagh Bats! What significance did that band have to you? Why did it fall apart?

T-L: Why did the band fall apart? Oh shit! F*ck… I think the band was like a relationship that the rest of the band didn’t want to be in any more but didn’t have the balls to tell me, until I was away on holiday and stuff started getting serious for us. I think the band fell apart because we were all too different as people and musicians, which is strange because, that was also the best part of the band. That band was my baby, it took years of homelessness, time, money and effort and years of rejection and bullshit to even get the band off the ground. I managed the band and wrote the songs—it was everything to me. I was engaged and he cheated on me and honest to god, my band breaking up hurt more than my engagement breaking up! It broke me in a way I think I’ll always be angry about it. I tried so hard to keep things together and make us successful but the rest of the bands’ heart wasn’t in it. They weren’t in it for the long haul.

Now you’re working on your own music project Tobi-lea and the Wolves and have hired some of your favourite Perth musicians to session with you for it, how’s it going? What can you tell me about it?

T-L: I’m too scared to have a ‘real band’ again! I think I’ll always try session musos from now on. I’ve recently relocated to Tasmania to be near my grandparents and I’ve got a new band in the works. I’m using my favourite drummer Nathan Sproule from Perth (also in Chainsaw Hookers, my favourite band in Perth). He’s amazing, absolutely f*cking amazing! I much prefer session musos, they do their job and don’t give you any bullshit. No egos.

What do you do creatively when you’re not creating/playing music?

T-L: When I’m not playing music I love to draw. I’ve always drawn cartoons since I was a kid. I’ve been working on comics since I was 12. One day I’ll get off my ass and actually finish and release them. I recently started dress making, which I love, because of the long hours you can really tune out. I love drawing because you can create your own world.

What are some things that you feel really passionate about and that really matter to you?

T-L: The most important thing I think is just to have personal integrity, to have some balls to stick up for yourself and your rights. I don’t know enough people who I could say have balls or integrity; who stick up for themselves even though people might not like it or even stick up for the rights of others. Integrity is the most important thing anyone can have.

For more Tobi-Lea.

Follow your dreams!

*Photo: courtesy of Tobi’s Facebook and taken by her best friend Emily Watts!

Before I discovered prayer I used to have crazy panic attacks—I would think I was dying. I would go crazy. I thought I was having a heart attack. It’s the worst! I couldn’t even leave my house.

I would look at airplanes and have an anxiety attack. I knew I’d have to be in a plane at times in my life. I always thought, how would I escape this claustrophobic feeling? I had doctors telling me I should take Xanax and Prozac. I started to seek this other lifestyle: prayer and meditation.

I had a life changing moment the first time I flew to Australia. Goldfinger had been together for around four years. I had been suffering anxiety attacks. I knew I had to do an eighteen hour flight. I was like, how am I going to do it? Halfway through the flight -I had this little meditation CD -I had this sense that everything was going to be OK that I was going to be taken care of. It was a really life changing thing for me because I had to do so many flights after that to play shows. Ever since then I’ve been rid of anxiety attacks. It was a spiritual awakening to a certain extent. It wasn’t a big white light or anything but just a sense of comfort and ease.

I’ve done a lot of other work on myself too. I started running every day to get the physical stuff going. I stopped caffeine and sugar. I started meditating. Even after all that work though, it comes back to that moment on the airplane where I realised that everything will be OK. I still get an anxious feeling sometimes, but it has never been a full blown panic attack since then.

…When I pray, whatever it is that I’m praying to, the universe, whatever—to imagine a human God to me is ridiculous—I just look up to the stars and think, “What the hell is going on here?” When I pray I guess that’s what I’m praying to—the Universe, nature.

(Taken from a forthcoming issue of Conversations with Punx)

John is the frontman for band, Goldfinger. He is also a passionate vegan, father, animal & human rights activist, A&R rep and producer—working with bands such as The Used, Panic! At The Disco, Good Charlotte, The Veronicas and more!

Make each day count!

*Photo: courtesy of John’s Facebook.

Recently I was cleaning up my desktop and came across this interview I did for an independent publication from my hometown, QPunx magazine. I’m not sure if it ever ended up being printed? I’m not sure if they’re still going anymore even? I haven’t seen an issue in a long while. Anyhow, I thought I’d share it with you! I even dug out some old photos from my archives to go with it. If you have any questions you’d like to ask me in relation to all that I do feel free to drop me a line: conversationswithbianca [at] gmail [dot] com. I’ve been putting together a series of posts featuring questions people have been emailing me asking. Want to know about zines? What to know about interviewing? Write me. I love connecting with you all.

Tell us a little about yourself on a personal level?

I value my family and friends dearly. I enjoy intelligent thought-provoking, thoughtful conversation. Writing and creating is like breathing to me—if I don’t do it, I will die. Singing makes me happy. Both love and creativity are sacred to me. I wish my artistic technical ability matched my ideas! I tend to always see the positive side of people. I really, really love interviewing people. It helps make sense of my life, the world and my place in it. This year I decided I wanted to live life a little braver and have been facing fears and challenges in my life head-on. My friends make me way cooler! I have the raddest friends on the planet; they’re the smartest, funniest, most loving, super talented people. I draw the greatest inspiration for those closest to me.

And on a professional one?

I am self-taught in all that I do. I come from a very entrepreneurial family—members have owned motorcycle, bicycle & skateboard shops, hair salons, restaurants, car yards etc. My parents inspire me greatly. My dad drove race cars in the 60s and my mum flew tiger-moth aeroplanes! I draw a lot of strength and inspiration from my grandfather Jose also. He was a playwright, actor, speech writer for parliament and fluent (and self-taught) in many languages.

Being a pro-active member of the punk community (making zines, putting on shows, having run a mail order) has taught me a lot. All of my business skills have been learned via my work in the punk world. Making a zine on the scale I did 15th Precinct, I had to fill many roles which also taught me many skills. Interviewing bands and artists over the years has taught me amazing communication and people skills. I feel that those I have interviewed over the course of my fifteen year writing career have been my greatest teachers.

I am constantly researching for my work. My mind is always on and open. I find inspiration in most things. I’m constantly working on my craft. It’s been really hard at times for me to learn and grow my writing in such a public way.

I started making zines around 1994. My first zine was called Social Stupidity, which was followed by my most well-known zine 15th Precinct. All my zines have been inspired by the punk community. I basically started making zines to share my love of all the wonderful local bands I would go see. First and foremost, I will always be the biggest fan!

I have made a handful of one-off zines to cheer up my friends when they’re sad. Recently I have made a couple of zines with a more personal focus Conversations With Bianca and At The Edge Of The World (if people want a copy they can contact me through my blog). I’m in the process of making a zine that uses punk lyrics as positive affirmations for daily life. We all know how pumped the lyrics: rise above / we’re gonna rise above gets us. I have also written for Brisbane street press Rave for fourteen years as well as various other national and international publications in print and online. I have recently formed a zine collective the Paper Cuts Collective with two fellow zinesters. We hope to create networking opportunities for zine lovers and makers and celebrate the awesome-mess of zines in general. Zines are really important, independent press is one of the most powerful tools we have to be heard, to express ourselves and share information and experiences.

What drew you to punk?

I first came to punk rock via way of my big brother Barrie’s record collection. My sister Julie also gave me a Sex Pistols tape. Growing up I idolised my older siblings and thought they were the coolest people ever so naturally I gravitated towards what they were into and it’s what I was around daily. Until my bro gave me the records I was listening to (and still do) Janet Jackson, Salt n Pepa and the like. I also have my brother and sister Juanita to thank for my love of hip hop.

The energy was a big attraction for me as well as the lyrics in both punk rock (and hip hop). I’m a huge fan of lyrics! I really enjoy the work of Matt from The Bronx, Efrem from Death By Stereo, Cinder block from Tilt, Brody from Spinnerette/The Distllers, Jesse from Operation Ivy/Common Rider, Jason from Strung Out, Rob & Vic from 108, Exene from X, Ray Cappo from Shelter and many more. Punk has been a platform for me to explore myself and in which I feel I have a voice. Punk has empowered me to believe that I can do anything that I want to in life.

Tell us the inspiration behind your work and what makes it so worthwhile to you?

As I mentioned before it’s my friends and loved ones closest that inspire both me and my work. Also I think a desire to want to know more and utilising my ability to question why. I’ve heard a lot of punkers say over the years that punk inspired them to question everything—the system, authority etc. I’ve always been the million and one question kid (just ask my family) from the get-go. Maybe that’s a reason I was drawn to punk?

In regards to the Conversations With Punx project it was inspired out of many things. One of those was a deep depression that I had found myself in. I was in a really weird place at the time. I knew there had to be something more than what I was experiencing so I went on a search for something more, something better; my truth. I choose to explore that through what I knew, and that was the punk world.

What makes it worthwhile to me is the fact that it’s helped me so much in my life; it’s helped and inspired those that I have spoken to for it. Imagine sitting across the table from someone you grew up listening to and that had inspired your life telling you that you’ve inspired theirs—it’s unbelievably surreal. The project’s taking on a life and energy all its own. I hope people get something positive out of reading it.

Tell us where this journey (best way to describe it I think) began?

The Conversations With Punx… journey started as a feeling, an urgency that I had to do this. Often I found myself asking questions directly related to me or someone in my life and what we have been going through. I remember talking to Duane Peters about his ten years of drug addiction at the same time a friend of mine was going through similar troubles. I knew my friend really loved Duane and paid a lot of attention to what he has to say so maybe in some way I figured I could help my friend by talking to Duane about his battle with addiction and giving it to my friend to read. Pretty much all my work centres on helping others in some roundabout way.

What was the highlight for you doing the books?

There were so, so many. For real! I am thankful and blessed for the whole journey and where it will continue to take me. The highlight would be the connections made and friendships forged. Hearing all of the stories from everyone was mind blowing. I was really thankful that I got to spend some extended periods of time with some of the interviewees. Also, another highlight was getting to spend a lot of time with my niece, Leasha who I did the layout design with. She’s one of my best friends. All the people that have reached out and connected with me because of the project has also meant so much to me. It may sound a little corny but it’s just a project that keeps on giving and keeps on unfolding. I’m excited to see what happens next.

Is there anyone you wish you could have had in the books not there?

No not really, the people that were meant to be in the book are. There were a few people I approached that declined to have a conversation on the subject. Spirituality is a very personal thing and not everyone wants to talk about their beliefs which I respect. One guy had me pay him for an interview! I’ve spoken to Mike Muir about spirituality and I wish I could have included that but he choose not to be a part of it. As a rule he chooses not to be a part of ‘punk’ related projects/books/docos. There were a few instances too where artists managers were super rude to me, not returning calls as promised, hanging up on me etc. One artist’s manager declined for the artist and then at a later date I interviewed the artist and asked them myself and they hadn’t heard about my request at all (and were pretty pissed they weren’t told). There are a lot of bogus managers and self-important PR people out there… luckily there are many, many more lovely ones too. Thank goodness.

Are there any bands from Queensland you absolutely love (past or present)?

Yes, many! I adore (in no particular order): Blister, Hobo Obituaries (plus Jhonny’s solo stuff is AMAZING and Hobo DJs), the Death Set (originally form the Gold Coast), Pangaea, Dick Nasty, Knaw, Operator Please, Against, Felinedown, Mad Occupants, Reichelt, Mouthguard, the Greys (and Mark Duckworth solo work), Bantha Fodder, A Secret Death, Blowhard. Fur from the Gold Coast is one of my all-time favourite bands. I loved and was affiliated with the Gold Coast punk community for a long while so bands like Vicious and the Freuds will always have a place in my heart. I know I have forgotten a whole lot, sorry guys!

If you could ask the one question what would it be?

What does love mean to you?

Where to from here?

More creativity, more zines, more blogging, more writing, more interviewing, more music, more art, more magic all the time! I’ve got my Hip Hop Insight project underway. I’ve already spoken to twelve people in the hip hop world for that. It’s similar to Conversations With Punx but I’m talking to hip hoppers. Plus I’m working on music projects and several other exciting things that I can’t reveal just yet. I eventually want to become involved in a lot more ‘cause’ related work. My pal Heidi Minx has a really great D-I-Y approach to helping the world with her Built On Respect project–she inspires me greatly. I love surrounding myself with good people doing positive, constructive, creative things. My biggest inspiration is my Jhonny, he is an artist and musician. He has taught me so much about creativity and inspires me to be better and do better every single day. In all my travels I’ve never met another person like him, he is very dear to me. I’d really love to start my own print magazine again…  you never know, anything is possible!

CREATE FOREVER!

In celebration of love, here are some thoughts on the subject from punk rockers I’ve chatted to over the years (mostly) taken from my

Conversations With Punx project.

“Maintaining a healthy self-image and really loving yourself is something that’s really important to me. People let life get to them too much and they get beaten down by it. They become cynical and jaded. It’s really important for me not to become like that. When I look back and say I want to love myself, it’s not because I’m running from my past, it’s because I’m learning to accept who I am with flaws. It is really hard to do sometimes in life if you weren’t raised that way. I wasn’t raised to speak up about anything or express anything that was upsetting. It was a quiet inner life. Feeling that my life is big and that I love it, is a big accomplishment.” Exene Cervenka, X

“Happiness is freedom. To be free in this life is very hard. You get moments of happiness. When you feel a triumph, that’s happiness and when you have the purity that’s around a little child and that mother-child unconditional love, that’s happiness.” Ari Up, The Slits

“Music symbolizes happiness. It’s not happiness inherently. When something moves you it is a simile and it says: this is what joy is like, this is what love is like and all these great things—where you’re moved to the point where you can barely contain yourself and you just want to hug yourself.” Ben Weasel, Screeching Weasel/The Riverdales

“Spirituality and love go hand in hand. It’s the same thing to me. Love is the foundation of all life. If we didn’t have that attraction and feeling, I don’t think there’d be anything.” Craig Fairbaugh, Mercy Killers

“Love god, love people, live in the moment and leave nothing behind.” Dan Jones, Ante Up/God So Loved The World

“Love. That’s something I forever and forever crave for. I am so a junkie for that. Music too. I get a natural high sometimes just hanging out, being around people and people smiling and having fun.” Efrem Schultz, Death By Stereo

“I don’t require my children to prove that they love me. I believe they do and it doesn’t really matter to the rest of the world whether they do or not. I am very motivated to do things that continue to nurture their love for me and I don’t expect anything from them—it is unconditional love. This is one example of something that doesn’t require science. It is faith and it applies to family and friends and interpersonal relationships in general. You could study it and theorize about it scientifically, but I think that is a fruitless pursuit of science because loving relationships come in such a variety that it is almost impossible to measure meaningfully.” Greg Graffin, Bad Religion

“Trust yourself. Whatever you’re doing, whatever you want to do, there comes a time when you have to ask yourself, why am I doing this? When you get to that point you have to do it for yourself, money, ambition and aspirations aside. You have to do it for the love of doing it. It’s where I am right now and I’m going to do my best.” Jason Cruz, Strung Out

“I believe that human love is a whole hell of a lot more important to spiritual development than I gave it credit for while I was living a monk-oriented lifestyle. Without human love, including romantic and erotic love – I notice that a lot of seekers tend to become obsessed with thoughts and words and ideas and become dried up a bit, wrinkled and twisted a bit.” Vic DiCara, 108

“Until you learn to love God you’re not going to be truly able to love other people. The ultimate reality is you learn to love God then you see God inside everybody else’s heart. Once you realise that we’re all coming from the same place you can truly have compassion for other people and try to help them.” Porcell, Shelter/Youth of Today

“It [love] is real important. It’s one of those things kind of like religion in a way: it fuels you when you don’t have it and it fuels you when you do have it. It’s a really cool thing. I’ve always just been built that way. I’ve always enjoyed having that connection with someone. It’s important to me as a person and the type of person that I am. I really enjoy having someone to pour all of my energies and emotion into. It’s awesome to have the respect from someone else and to have the respect in someone else.” Matt Caughthran, The Bronx

“I always wanted to have that feeling back of being a wide eyed kid looking at the trees, the sky or my mother. It sounds simple but it’s not. Part of the whole quest is to find a place within you that is comfortable and acknowledge that everything is connected. Whatever you feel that brings you closer to that place of pure love or consciousness, that’s what it’s about.” Robert Ehrenbrand, Boysetsfire

“I’m not going to get into all the hippie dippy shit but I love the animals and nature. My house – where I’ve moved from – if you walk out the door and turn right you go towards all the bars where all the bands play. Everyone jokes, “Tim always turns left towards the river. When everyone else goes out to go to shows he’s got a twelve pack of beer and is headed to the river.” [Laughs] That’s where I fall asleep.” Tim Barry, Avail

“It [love] is really important. When it’s there you can take it for granted easily but you really, really notice when it’s not there, once you’ve had love and it’s not there. When you’ve experienced something so deep and special and then the thought of it being gone kills you, I think that… it’s easier if you haven’t really felt that for somebody. For me, I have that. I’m married and I’m very happy and I couldn’t imagine not being with her. Before I met her I had no idea.” Mike Herrera, MxPx/Tumbledown

“I’m equally inspired by love and boredom and I’ve been a dramatic person all my life.” Brontez Purnell, The Younger Lovers

“Oh love is everything, it’s the motivating force. To me it means embracing fearlessness. The most important part of it, is knowing that it’s not about really being scared of what you might lose or what you’re almost on the verge of having; it’s this fearless acceptance of this is where I am and I’m really enjoying this moment or I’m not enjoying this moment but I’m here.” Lisa Kekaula, The Bellrays

Dedicated to the best person I’ve ever known:

I hope your day is filled with LOVE!

*Art: Jhonny Russell

• Punk In Africa a new documentary + check out the Punk in South Africa mixtape.
• Super stoked I found a Riot Grrrl Is Not Dead compilation to download for FREE of 53 bands = 2½ hours of music! Thanks to the lovely ladies at Riot Grrrl Berlin for this.
• Seth Casteel’s Underwater dog photography is pretty spectacular!
• Some of the cutest shoes ever!
• For real. Black Milk leggings would pretty much have to be the best leggings in the entire Universe!
• Brian Dettmer art is amazing! “He creates them by dissecting books by sealing their edges and slowly carving out his creations. Using surgical tools he shows certain elements and hides others.” Thanks for the heads up on this Roxy Epoxy (her blog rules too)! Roxy also recently brought this to my attention – give it a read…it’s pretty interesting for musicians and venue owners/bookers.
• Ever wanted to know how-to carve your own stamp? I haven’t done it since I was kid, this easy guide shows you how to make things in your world extra pretty. You gotta love crafting! Also, celebrate love with this how-to make a heart sweater guide.
• Grrrl Zine Network has always been one of my favourite resources for Grrrl related zines and DIY projects. Lots of interviews with female zine makers and features on zines, their history and info on where you can get them.
• I heart Belgium’s Little Trouble Kids! Fancy a trip to Adventureland? How fun does that sound!
• Superb pop culture column from Tobi Vail, touching on Debbie Harry, The Go-Go’s, Pussy Riot, M.I.A. and Madonna can be found on Collapse Board.

One of the Brisbane bands that I love Dreamtime (I interviewed their bassist Catherine Maddin not too long ago) has a rad new clip:

Hugs & hearts,

*Image Source

I live in one of the most beautiful places. 15 minutes from my door and I’m at the beach and in the city’s centre, 30 minutes west and I’m up in the mountains. Currently, on the newly revamped foreshore in Surfers Paradise, they’re having a sand sculpture contest. The theme is ‘Pirates in Paradise’ and the intricate sculptures I spied were really neat. It was so lovely to get outside and into the fresh salty air and sunshine! Being by the sea always recharges my energy and makes my soul sing—nature is the ultimate.

I hope this post inspires you to venture outdoors!