The lovely folks at Australian Hysteria not only get me to chat to some of your and my favourite punkers they’re also kind enough to chat to me about Conversations With Punx.

[Interview extract]

AUSTRALIAN HYSTERIA: What inspired you to explore ‘spirituality’ in the punk community?

BIANCA: I’ve grown up within the punk and hardcore community, it’s what I know. So, it’s natural for me to choose to explore something in a setting that’s familiar. Over the years punk music/lyrics and interviews I have read with my favourite artists has helped educate me on everything from politics to social issues to nutrition etc. Many of my core beliefs and values have been influenced by information and experiences from my involvement in the worldwide punk community. I’ve always been that punk kid questioning ‘why?’ and with spirituality it’s the same.

When I started to engage in a lot of self-reflection and things like meditation and yoga I had a yearning to discuss and share what I was experiencing with my others, Unfortunately not too many of my punk rock friends were into chatting about the deeper things in life so I started to ask those I interviewed about spirituality. I guess you could say that I was searching for my truth.

To read more get the latest Hysteria…
Photo by: Mischa Photography

The above ad also features in the debut issue of Hysteria. It’s been created from a Jhonny Hobo photomontage.

Create forever!

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when? ~Rabbi Hillel

We tend to define ourselves by the roles that we play in life and base our decisions on the expectations associated with those roles.

We define ourselves by our relationships (e.g. I am a loving daughter/son, I am a single mother/father, I am a wife/husband, I am a best friend), groups we are a part of (e.g. I am a Buddhist, I am a New York Yankees supporter, I’m a punk, I’m a hip hopper), our geographical location (e.g. I’m an Australian, I’m a Californian, I’m a New Yorker) and by our practices (e.g. I am vegetarian/vegan, I’m a golfer, I’m a painter). While these things all represent different aspects of us they are not who we are at the ultimate core of our being.

You can change your job, you can move cities, change relationships, your ideas, your wants (desires) but who you are at your core is perpetual without beginning or end. It’s the one thing that is with us for life. You can’t get away as much as you try (ha!) I believe that who you are at your core can never be lost completely… despite how much we try to bury ourselves under ‘stuff’ or activities we distract ourselves with.

I came across an exercise in one of my favourite books: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by my man Deepak Chopra which has helped me get to the core of it all, of myself. It’s helped me think about and understand who I really am and what I really want. It’s helped give me a solid platform, a starting point to take off from whatever the destination.

Deepak asks us to ask three questions that are essential to ask ourselves:

1) Who am I?
2) What do I want?
3) How can I serve?

I thought I’d share the exercise with y’all here. Hope it’s helpful! Here goes:

Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for a few moments. Sit down, close your eyes, start with some slow deep breaths, and settle into the awareness of your heart area. At around 15 second intervals ask yourself, who am I? Who am I really? At first you may get answers like the above mentioned. Keep asking yourself over and over until answers arise for deeper within. Then repeat the exercise asking the other two questions.

I’ve found that this exercise has help raise my awareness on so many levels. It’s something super easy that anyone can do regardless of religion, cultural background etc. I dare you to try it ;)

“My philosophical belief in life is that we have a meaning and a purpose for being here. All of what we do is important to drive towards that purpose. That comes from a spiritual place. It’s not necessarily a God or set of laws that’s in a scripture. We have an obligation to do our best and reach our goals that were meant for us… Everything I do is part of my purpose or meaning in life. That’s what guides my decisions.”
~Louis Posen, Hopeless & Subcity Records (book extract).

Please take the time to check out the Take Action Tour that Louis has helped create. His work has raised over 2 million dollars and has been donated to over 50 non-profit organizations. We CAN make a difference!

Happy exploration!

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I’ve only really started using mantras on a regular basis over the past year. My astrologer Vic DiCara (he also plays in hardcore punk band 108*) drew up my astrological chart using Vedic Astrology last year. After interrupting it he decided to prescribe a certain mantra that would help in manifesting my dreams to reality. You’re probably going ‘what the hell is a mantra?’ Let me explain:

Mantra is a practice that involves the repetition of a word or a phrase of words. At first it may feel mechanical but once you get into it you start to (hopefully) embody the quality or essence you are trying to invoke. You should try to be sincere when saying your mantra.

My friend Vic described the usefulness of mantras by telling me, “Practice the mantra with a given intention and need and you will find that need, will be addressed… the power of mantra is to open your mind and free it from habit. So doing the mantra enables you to learn the lessons of the planets as quickly and painlessly as possible, even enjoyably and blissfully in fact.”

Art by Abhi Ryan

I have found that putting both meditation and chanting a mantra (along with yoga) into my daily routine has helped give me a grounding and solid base in which to start my day in.

Mantra are used across many cultures (it’s not just an Eastern exotic thing), faith and philosophies. I have found that they help to give me clarity and boost my energy.
For more on mantras check out: The Power of Mantra, Gently Returning and History & Info on Mantra.

A song from the album Mantra by one of my favourite hardcore punk bands Shelter.

*108 trivia – 108 is a semi-permanent number; malas have 108 beads for use when reciting mantras; according to Ayurveda there are 108 pressure points in the body…

Art by Chainsaw Panda

Om mani padme hum…
With Metta,

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Art by John.E

I LOVE books! I adore reading. I have several on the go at one time! I can’t help myself. I’ve worked in libraries for the greater part of a decade. I’m addicted to the smell of the pages, the feel of the different textured page paper (I also care about GSM! ha!), the quirky cover designs and the thrill I get from opening a package from Amazon.com and my frequent visits to Borders books. I’m currently in the midst of the following books:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deeprak Chopra (this is by far one of the best books on yoga I have ever read)

The Mastery of Music by Barry Green (this book has been blowing my mind with it’s approach to making music)

Tribes by Seth Godin (this guy is the marketing guru)

My reading wish list currently includes:

Gimme Something Better, A History of San Francisco Bay Area Punk Rock by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor

Meat Is For Pussies by John Joseph

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (an old classic with a new twist)

My pal Rob Fusco (Most Precious Blood) shares with us a book that’s made a difference to his world:

“I think the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is extremely important. That book helped shift my paradigm. It helped me understand what spirituality means. The young Brahman in the book falls into materialistic practices. In his old age he becomes not religious, but spiritualised by his connection to the river. He works as a ferry man and that becomes his spirituality. The river becomes his religion. It’s an incredible book. I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone. Even if you take nothing away from it except a good story, it’s still incredible. It’s a work of genius…

… If you’re doing something long enough, religiously enough—pun intended—then it kind of becomes your spiritual practice. It becomes your religion. It becomes what you’re about. Your heart and soul is in it and it’s what you do. Even the simplest practices become active prayers. There is a definite connection there. If you do something for long enough it’s going to smack of spirituality.” (extract from my book project)

Are there any books that have made a big difference in your life? I’m always on the look out for a new read… I read lots of different types of books so let me know what’s awesome that you’ve found so I can check it out.

RANDOM MISS B STORY: At a show one night in my hometown a young punk kid came up to me and said, “I never read anything but I read your zine from cover to cover and it made me really happy. You so get it. Thank you.” That kid’s comment made my whole night. Recalling it still makes me smile… a lot!

Get those pages turning & that mind expanding!

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Change is pretty much one of the only certainties and constants in life (‘besides death and taxes!’ says my pal Dave from Punkcore Records. Ha!) We all reach points in our life when we realise that our ways, patterns, and habits might not suit us anymore or may even be hurting us—in other words we’re growing! Congratulations! Go you!

Changing our ways requires us to learn new habits, to replace the old with new. It requires commitment, hard work, patience, dedication and perseverance. It can feel totally daunting at times—it can seem like an impossible dream. It can feel really, really hard! It can really push you, stretching yourself to new limits can be frightening and uncomfortable. I’ve found though that in these kinds of times I grow so much more than in times when everything feels super sweet and mint.

‘30’ is the magic number of days it takes to make a new habit stick (obviously that number will vary from person to person and habit to habit but it’s a good place to start) it’s the average length of a rehab stint.

For most of us the hardest thing is to overcome our inertia and simply start. We get all psyched out because we scare ourselves into thinking that the change we’re making will be forever! We get overwhelmed and scared and we can want to stay where we are because we know that, it’s familiar to us. That’s why setting yourself a temporary goal of trying something for a short time (in the grand scheme of things) of 30-days and telling yourself you’re free to go back to your old ways after that period is a good way to make it seem less scary. It’s not FOREVER it’s for 30-days. You can do it! If need be put up a calendar on your wall and count down the days to your freedom. Crossing off the day on your calendar in the evening before you go to bed will give you a sense of achievement; it will track your progress.

I know from my own experiences with changes I’ve made in my life over the past few years that the keys are to first establish a new habit and second to need maintain that habit—persevering with your new habit will help you to break your addiction to your old habit.

Sticking to something for 30 days will give you confidence, the confidence to keep going. Lastly (and perhaps most importantly) you’ll have 30 days of results to look at and make a more informed decision as to whether or not your new habit is working for you. If it is, extend the period, if not try something new again and keep going until you find something that you’d make into a habit for life.

For example, part of starting this blog was a little 30-day trial for me, a commitment to engage in something I love (beyond words :) he, he, he) like writing—in turn disciplining myself to work on bettering myself and to contribute something positive to the world every single day. I’m only one person but I know from comments left and an inbox full of correspondence (that I’m slowly working my way through) I am making a difference. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement.

See I’ve always enjoyed writing but I’ve always been very sporadic and unfocused (for the most part) with it. I woke up at 4 am on New Year’s Day this year and decided that I wanted to write every single day, that I wanted share what I’ve learnt in life so far from my own experience and from those I’ve had conversations with (interviewed) from the creative world.

My hope is that by sharing me trying to live my best life with you guys it will hopefully inspire you to work towards your ‘best life’—to let you know that you’re not alone. Even though at times we may feel alone I can pretty much guarantee that someone somewhere has experienced what you’re going through (and lived to tell the tale). Sometimes we’re just too busy concentrating on our differences to see our commonalities! Open your eyes, mind & heart!

..and just because I don’t look like you or act like you / It doesn’t make me any better or worse– The Suicide Machines

Helpful tips to get you started:

Decided on one thing you’d like to change about your life whether it’s to change your eating habits, quit smoking, drinking or coffee, to exercise, to be less shy, to be a little braver, it is super, super important that you only work on changing one thing at a time! If you try to change more than one thing at once or everything, as I’ve ambitiously attempted unsuccessfully on many occasions… ha, ha!

Ask for help. Have a support group… tape a piece of paper with phone numbers of those that you can count on to encourage and support you to your wall. Even though you may not call them having that visual reminder that you have people on your team will help you hold fast. Knowing that you can pick up the phone when you have a strong urge to engage in your old patterns and talk to someone is an powerful aid.

Prepare for sabotage. When you try to better yourself, unfortunately there can be people you meet and so-called ‘friends’ in your life that don’t share your enthusiasm for you living your best life. They try to derail your plans. They poke fun at your attempts and try to discourage you. People fear change, and a lot of the time you’ll find they’re afraid you’ll leave them behind. You must go forward my friends! Don’t ever play dumb for your social set. Stand up to those that try to keep you down, confront them and tell them they either need to start supporting you or it’s goodbye time.

Identify triggers. What are the things or situations that foster your habit you’re trying to change? Knowing what sets you off can allow you to plan alternate action when they come up. It’s important to have a plan in place. For instance when you get super stressed or when you feel blue what do you do? Do you go drinking with your buds? Do you reach for the cupboard for the cookie dough? Try replacing your existing habit with a new more positive thing like meditation instead of watching TV or drinking herbal tea instead of coffee. To make things easier for you, try to avoid things that could trigger your urges.

Stay Positive. If you slip back into your old pattern or if you miss a day of doing your new thang in the 30 days don’t beat yourself up! Just get back on the horse and keep riding. It’s okay… really! Don’t see it as failing; don’t sabotage all your good work with self-beatdowns. You’ve started to change things in your life you don’t feel are working for you and that in itself is AWESOME!

Take it one day at a time. Take it hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second if need be! Slowly but surely. Find your own rhythm. Some days will be radder than others.

Rest! Don’t run yourself into the ground… take time to replenish your stores, do steady. In my experience when I set my little heart on something I put everything I have into it. I work 110% all the time. I’ve been prone to exhausting myself and I’ve found if I am tired I get fuzzy headed. Being tired can leave you susceptible to triggers and urges and impair your judgement.

Things that can change your life given a 30-day trial:

Talking to someone new every day. It’s amazing what you can learn through conversation. Everyone has a story. Everyone has insight. Everyone can be a teacher.

Stop watching TV. You’ll have time to do more constructive things.

Going for a walk. I get some of my best thoughts while out walking. My brain gets a chance to have a break from the computer, TV, whichever distraction I’m engaged in.

Take up yoga (post coming soon). Seriously, yoga has had such a big impact on my life. Since starting my practice a couple of years ago only good things have come from it.

Spend one hour reading every day. Learn something or get lost in a whole new world.

Call a family member or a friend. We text, email and social network so much these days that we forget the importance and specialness of connecting via picking up the phone. Reconnect with the people you love.

Good luck!

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“Health is a holistic effect. It’s not just a matter of cutting calories or working out or meditating, but a whole range of factors that contribute to physical, mental and spiritual well-being. I teach my clients to listen to their body, thoughts, and emotions as indicators of overall health and refer them to a specialist if necessary.” ~Dan Jones (book extract)

We all feel sad from time to time, it’s a natural part of life however sometimes we feel a whole lot sadder than others and it’s in those times we need to stop and have a look at our way of life, our habits, our thought patterns. In these times it’s also good to share how you’re feeling with a close friend. Problems shared are problems halved after all :)

Depression is a very complicated and personal thing, depending on a myriad of factors including genes, environment, lifestyle, brain chemicals, psychology and personality it affects everyone differently. What may seem like a walk in the park for you could be a serious challenge for someone else. Please don’t discount others challenges as silly, trivial or childish. I know you’re only trying to help when you say ‘Don’t be silly, it’s not that hard!’ but seriously, you’re not helping.

Throughout my life I have suffered numerous strains and bouts of depression (and a little craziness… ha, ha) and one of the things that would make me mad is people telling me, ‘Get over it!’ Seriously, I wish it was as easy as that! One of my family’s doctors even went as far as to say that ‘Depression doesn’t exist, it’s just laziness’. I could have punched them when they said that (and I’m not even a violent lady!)

Also, something else that I’ve found that can happen when you’re in the depths of despair is that it can temporarily blind you to everything and start to numb you. When you’re majorly depressed sometimes it can feel that the only pain that exists is your own. You start to not care about anything or anyone; you push it all away and isolate yourself. Please promise me lovelies if you feel this way you’ll pick up the phone and call a friend (and no texting or emailing does not count… you need the human touch in these times… although if it’s all you have text and email is better than nothing). The simple act of talking to someone (you trust) can make you feel instantly better and their insight could give you a fresh perspective.

In the (US) summer of 2006, in transit to join the Resin Dogs’ Euro tour, I had breakfast in San Francisco with a good friend. We got talking about depression over pancakes and eggs. The topic came up because I noticed a gnarly scar on his forearm and asked, ‘What happened?’ (typical Bianca style to just blurt out a ‘why? what? How?’ question). He told me that when he was younger he became so numb from being depressed that he cut himself because he just wanted to feel something, anything! He shared with me intimate stories of his battles with depression—when his band called it a day, feeling trapped in a relationship with the love of his life, his daily self-loathing and frustrations with celebrity.

A thing that’s always stuck with me from that conversation is, here is this great, great man that has achieved so many things with his work, is a hero (to a lot) and brought so much joy to people’s lives yet in his own, he struggles with his happiness too. Depression doesn’t discriminate; it doesn’t care if you’re black, white, brown, male, female, whatever. You can (to others) seemingly have it together and have it all on the surface when in fact your business is as messy as everyone else’s.

If you’re been feeling blue or know someone else that’s been down let me share with you some helpful things that helped get me on track. None of the below is ‘rocket science’ and I’m sure it’s all been said before by someone somewhere but it’s nice to be reminded. My greatest wish is that you (or your pal) will get something from this and get back on track and reach the Possibility City limits.

Photo by Allison Fahmie (my homegirl from the Jersey Shore)

Get Moving! Notice I didn’t use the dreaded ‘e’ word ‘exercise!’ ha, ha… throughout my life my attitudes to working out have ebbed and flowed, changed and evolved. I usually get super into something for a while and then find myself getting bored and my enthusiasm dwindles. I was the kid at school with the note for every physical education/gym class reading ‘Please excuse Bianca from class today, she’s unwell’. My teacher would make me observe the classes and write a report on what they were doing (which I actually won school awards for! ha, ha).

So why is daily movement helpful? It is essential to keeping everything in working order; it helps relieve stress, helps your organs to function properly, and boosts your energy levels and your mood! Physical activity alters brain chemistry, the serotonin levels, which can lead to feelings of wellbeing. My disco biscuit eating buds know all about serotonin (lol!)—it contributes to a range of functions like appetite, libido, sleep & wake cycles and mood.

When choosing physical activity to engage in the best advice I can give you is: Choose something fun! If it’s fun it won’t feel like exercise. I adore walking, swimming, yoga, hula hooping (my friend Jow makes awesome hoops for her company Circle of Light), skateboarding, riding bikes, surfing, dancing and making sweet, sweet love! ;) If you’re in the New York, Chicago, Miami areas, David Barton Gyms are totally insane. The decor makes them look like art installations!

Laugh! It’s free! Free! Free! And it’s the ultimate mood lifter. I’ve often heard it called ‘the elixir of life’. I am so thankful for all of the hilarious people I have in my life. More often than not you can find me grinning like a Cheshire Cat because I’m so amused by the antics and quotes from my pals.

As a sidenote, I thought I might mention that being amusing and funny does not involve making fun of or putting down other people that just = lame and boring and says more about you than the person in your firing line. Thankfully I have no people in my life like that anymore! Anyways, laughing is a great tonic for the sads ‘cause when you’re laughing you can’t exactly be crying, or at least if you are crying they’re happy tears. Join a laughing club, rent a comedy, engage in laughter yoga (watch the vid below), watch Bill Hicks, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job (I love Spaghett!) or Sealab 2020.

UK funny man John Cleese talks to the Laughter Yoga founder:

Tommy De Vito (in Goodfellas): Let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it’s me, I’m a little f*cked up maybe, but I’m funny how? I mean funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh; I’m here to f*ckin’ amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny? …Like funny ha,ha funny?

Smile! Lily Allen sings about it and it’s a well known fact it takes more effort to frown then it does smile. For all the sceptics out there even science says it’s good for you. When I don’t feel like smiling I still try to smile anyway. I’ve found that if I start smiling the floodgates can crack open. A friend, Aflah from Ghana does this little ritual most mornings where he looks at himself in the bathroom mirror, makes funny faces, smiles and laughs at himself. Having the courage to laugh at yourself makes you not take everything so seriously, it can help to put everything into perspective. It can be the first step towards becoming your own best friend.

“You grow up the day you have your first real laugh, at yourself.” ~Ethel Barrymore

Get your creative on! Everyone is creative; despite the common societal view of creativity being an art thing. I’ve learnt being creative isn’t necessarily all about music, art, film, writing and the like. I’ve seen my pal CJ work creatively with numbers. I’ve seen my buds Zsolt and Andrew work creatively in their business dealings. When you engage in ‘creative’ tasks I find your mind has no time to be sad because you’re having such a good time. Being creative can make you feel awake and ready for new possibilities.

Photo by Woodley Wonder Works

Other notable mentions: Music! I’ve talked a bunch about the benefits of it here and here. Using essential oils. I’m a huge advocate of aromatherapy. After trying it for myself and reaping the benefits I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a try (don’t worry I won’t tell all your punk, hardcore & hip hop friends you’re a secret hippie!) I think that the effect smell has on your mood is super underrated. Green tea, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, citrus and chamomile are known for their mood lifting properties. Positive affirmations can be helpful as can stroking your puppy or kitty friend can be. Spending time with your animals friends can help calm you and can promote happiness. Organisation! When you’re organised you feel in control, when you feel in control the world doesn’t feel as daunting and overwhelming. And last but certainly not least practice gratitude! Fight depression with gratitude, there’s no room for sadness when you’re thankful.

Much gratitude goes to the following bright lights in my world that have helped me when I’ve been down and out, feed me when I’ve had no money, housed me when I’ve had no place to go, listened to me when I talk in circles, encouraged me to keep going, to keep bettering myself, to believe in me and ultimately, to live again (man I’m crying as I type this, talk about emo! Ha!): Ant, Jhonny & Andy, Grover, Dannii, Sophia, Civi, Kieran, Prue, Miss Amy, Franklin, Z, James Thomas, Brian & Lisa I love you all beyond words. Your love, kindness, compassion and guidance mean the world to me. From my whole heart, I thank you.

*A big part of what compelled me to write this piece is the fact that I know a lot of people that suffer from depression at one point or another and it’s often a subject that people in general don’t want to talk about, discuss in the open or confront. For some, it’s apparently not cool to talk about the rough times; you just deal with it and get on with things.

Sometimes it’s simply not that easy. When I suffered my last serious bout of depression I had people tell me that they didn’t want me around because I was ‘bringing down their good time’. Those comments really hurt. It’s funny because when I’m ruling it and working on exciting projects those people are the first to brag to their pals that we’re such good friends, yet in my greatest hour of need they didn’t want anything to do with me. Please friends, be there for your friends in the tough times as well as the good times. Anyone can be there for party time! It takes real love to be there when there’s intermission.

Fight the good fight & derail the Desperation Train I’m waiting for you here in Possibility City!

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I have a lot of friends that come through Brisbane (my hometown) on tour with their band throughout the year. I get the question ‘what is there for us to do on our off day Bianca?’ a lot.

I decided to put together a little guide of my beautiful city of birth for those of you who find yourself Down Under and in my neck of the woods. It’s for those of you that may live here but may have missed something and are unaware of some of the awesomeness that is right on your door step and it’s for those that are just plan curious to explore somewhere else other than where you’re currently at.

If you have anything else noteworthy or worthwhile to add, please comment and leave a link. I find that whatever city you find yourself in it’s always nice to have some insider local knowledge. The most interesting things are usually found a little off the beaten track. I hope this is helpful!

Brisbane by Cyron

Brisbane by Burning Image All other photos by David Jackmanson

Here goes:

Brisbane we go hard, we go hard / Brisbane we go hard, we go hard / We on the lookout for the advantage, we work hard / And if we seem to rough it up a bit / We broke but we’re rich at heart / Pull ourselves up now we won’t choke / It’s our time, put the lights on us -*Santigold lyrics with a slight adjustment ‘Brisbane’ instead of the original lyric ‘Brooklyn’

Eat, drink, be merry at…

Kuan Yin Tea-House – (I think) this is pretty much one of the greatest vegan/vegetarian places in the entire Universe! Kuan Yin’s owner Michael is one of the loveliest human beings I’ve ever met. The veggie treats are prepared with the upmost care and love plus its super crazy cheap. If dumplings (boiled & fried), noodle & rice dishes, veggie calamari, tofu salad, set meals (with veggie chicken, fish, pork etc), soups, bubble tea and crazy desserts with shaved ice, and hidden jelly treats (thanks for splitting one with me Greg) are your thang this is the place for you. You can pretty much spend under $10 and walk (or roll from all your food consumption) away content and full. Tip: If you bring your own containers for take-away you get a 10% discount.

Black Star Coffee – West End’s home of fair trade single-origin coffee! Coffee is definitely an art form and the folks at Black Star have it down pat. You can even put your order in online and pick it up, no more waiting! I find that a lot of my US buddies are obsessed with Starbucks coffee, let me tell ya this is so much better, it’s a no contest—very worth your while. The staff are super friendly and smilely plus they have the most amazing iced coffee (on both regular & soy) that they make fresh on the premises and bottle to keep in the fridge… it’s a taste sensation! Black Star also has acoustic live acts play.

Happy High Herbs, West End.

Pearl Cafe – French Country is the theme, amazing breakfasts are their specialty. There food is often described as ‘cheeky classic’. The menu changes with the seasons but I can highly recommend their toasted muesli with berries and their ‘eggs your way’ with sides of mushrooms, spinach & roasted tomatoes put my tastebuds into full swing. Say ‘hi’ to their barista Miss Kelly she rules & brews a damn fine coffee. The cakes are without equal as are the Brownies and Blondies. There’s also lots of fun shops to look at nearby if you’re in the market for antiques or quirky interesting pieces check out Pearl’s neighbours such as Miss Mouse.

Cupcakes from…
The Cup Cake Parlour – cupcakes! Do I need to say more? Decadent, hand iced, made daily for your pleasure. They make incredible vegan cupcakes too! Passionfruit Power, Fluffy Bunny, Mocha Motion, Mango Frangipanni the list of treats goes on and on… so yum!

The Forest – is your place for organic vegan wholefood meals. Kick ass veggie burgers, curries, lasagne and salads.

Govinda’s & Krishna’s Cafe – Hare Krishna eats! They hold a all-you-can-eat buffet daily for lunch and in the evening for dinner. At $10 it’s a bargain. I can rarely get through my first helping! I always manage to have room for halva. On Sunday they also hold a feast with chanting and a whole lotta Krishna love.

Tibetan Kitchen – eats from the roof of the world. Specialising in Tibetan, Nepalese and Sherpa cuisine. I highly recommend the vegetarian platter! When my best friend lived around the corner from this place we ate there like every week!

El Torito – what kind of eats list would it be without a killer Mexican restaurant. The chef is from South America and totally on it when it comes to preparing traditional Mexican eats (I included this one for you Brooks, I know you love your Mexican! Actually most So-Cal dwellers do ha, ha!)

Shop & consume at…

Butterbeats – it’s the home of hard to find records & CDs. The Butterbeats crew are purveyors of the finest urban literature, collectables and clothing. For all your graff to hip-hop to trance to reggae to rock to funk needs, Butter Beats got yo’ back. They have three stores: Brisbane City, Fortitude Valley and the Gold Coast. Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask questions while in store the friendly staff are there to help, educate and facilitate!

Trash Video – Australia’a largest cult video store.Over 12,000 handpicked rare movies.

It’s Vintage Darling – owned by the lovely Holly and Emily this is a cute little store that has great vintage clothing and decor finds. It’s a treasure trove of goodness. They serve great coffee and soy chai while you browse the racks and listen to retro tunes.

Comics Etc – if you’re a comic nerd like me this place is your mecca. I always seem to find hard to get things here. These guys have helped me expand my ever-evolving Marvel comic collection. If you’re also in Brisbane at the right time of year there’s the Supernova Comic Convention (Lou you may want to plan SOIA’s next Australian tour around convention time… lol! We can go comic trawling!)

Kill the Music – Brisbane’s only punk and hardcore music specialist. The only place in Brisbane worth going for punk & hc. It’s co-owned by one of the raddest people ever Paul Voge he also plays in The Paper & The Plane and has a blog here.

Rocking Horse Records – is Queensland’s largest and oldest independent record store. They also have a rad collection of music related books and zines that I love to browse and geek out over.

Bent Books – for quality rare and 2nd-hand books. These guys stocked my fanzine years ago!

Bare Bones Barbershop – is the place for the closest shave in town. Rockers, Greasers, Punkers you’ll love this place. They have a blog.

Places to get inked…

All Star Tattoo – Get in quick All Star will be (unfortunately) closing its doors 28 February 2010. All Star’s owner Link (Bossman!) is responsible for the art work that takes up a large portion of my back, he also did one of my hip tattoos. As of 12 March 2010 my pal Link will be tattooing at Preachers & Fools in Hollywood. Link is the man, go get inked by him and tell him Bianca sent you!

Black Throne Tattoo – members of the All Star family branching off and doing their own thing. Rachi Brains and Clint Steele are the artists in residence. Rachi’s the lady responsible for my beautiful side pieces, mi familia dedication.

True Love Tattoo – my homegirl Pip works here.

Mimsy’s Trailer Trash Tattoo – this lady has laid ink in the skin of a large percentage of my friends. I’m yet to get a piece from her but I’ve seen her in action inking one of my dearest friends. She’s a dream come true for all lovers of 50′s kitsch, operating out of a trailer decked out in theme. With over 10 years experience in the industry this lady rocks it!

Westside Tattoo – has seen a roster of great artists through its doors in its time. You can check out the work of one of the Westside crew Loz here.

Music…

Joe Malone Audio – this place is a muso’s dream! Joe has some of the rockin’ custom pre amps and monitors. His creations have been used by the likes of Wolfmother and Silverchair.

Tym Guitars – is an independent guitar shop like no other in Australia. They offer the best range of vintage to affordable second hand guitars, amps and effects pedals, and ship all over the world. They make a very limited number of hand crafted custom guitars, basses, amps and effects pedals (the way they should be made – completely by hand). They also do guitar repairs, restoration and refinishing. If it’s broken or not playing like it should, they’ll fix it. Clients have included J Mascis, The Hellacopters, My Chemical Romance, Backyard Babies, The Streets, Trail of Dead, as well as local legends Magic Dirt, The Nation Blue, Butterfly Effect, Powderfinger, Grinspoon, Screamfeeder and many more.

The Drum Cartel – customers have included everyone from The Mars Volta to Unwritten Law, Bullet For My Valentine, Fishbone, Suicidal Tendencies and The Dillinger Escape Plan. If you need drum equipment and a drum tech that knows there stuff look no further.

Hobo Obituaries, 4ZZZfm car park before a live to air performance

4ZZZfm – with a motto of AGITATE, EDUCATE, ORGANISE you just have to love Brisbane’s community radio station. They are a music formatted station with no playlists! Their presenters are genuinely interested in what they play. Have a listen to the live stream and find some new (Australian) bands.

The Troubadour – is a good hole-in-the-wall venue ran by good people. The decor makes me feel like I’m sitting in my eccentric grandma’s pad. I saw one of my favourite local acts, Jackie Marshall & the Black Elles Band here live towards the end of the year.

Jackie Marshall by Pete Wild.

Ahimsa House – The Evens featuring Ian MacKaye & Amy Farina have played there, its a little d.i.y. ran operation, grassroots, good intentions.

The Zoo – live music since 1992. I’ve seen Dresden Dolls, the BellRays, Bouncing Souls, The Real McKenzies, The Herd & more.

Rhythm Collision Sound System – Feeling Ire? Wanting to lively up yourself? I love conscious roots, reggae, dub, and dancehall! Basmati & Co deliver the goods here.

The Ark – is a studio and recording community based in Brisbane. It has a colourful range of friends and contributors in the form of Musicians, Producers, Photographers, the odd net nerd and whoever is around at the time. The Ark began when a group of like minded friends decided to pool their gear to make great recordings without the pressure and time restraints of a commercial studio. They have amazing vintage instruments and there’s (pretty much) two of everything, hence the name ‘the ark’.

Tip: Check out Brisbane Street press Rave Magazine (I’ve been writing for them for 13+ years) for live gig guides, info on local music and culture. Plus there is Gossip for cheap drinks & great music on Saturday nights. Tell resident DJ Polar Bear ‘hi’ for me.

You all know I love music a whole bunch here’s a short list of some Brisbane bands that have rocked my world over the years or that continue to rock my world today.

On the…

…punk rock tip we have: The Saints, The BlackMarket, Bad Day Down, The Disables, Mouthguard, Plan Of Attack, The Quickening, Knaw, Steve Towson, Lookout Mountain…

The BlackMarket

…hc bands: Against, Just Say Go!, Wish For Wings, B.A. Baracus & more…

…hip hop-wise it’s all about: Mad Occupants, Impossible Odds, Resin Dogs, MC DNO, MC Lazy Grey, Brothers Stoney…

Mad Occupants

…then there’s the undefinables (Brisbane has a looong history of producing bands that are super diverse) : Pangaea, Felinedown, Regurgitator, Jackie Marshall, Afro Dizzi Act, Golden Sounds, Sunflower (I love these guys!), Pink Bullet, Green Thief, Laneous & the Family Yeah, Butterfingers…

Felinedown

Sunflower

If you’re in Brisbane in the first half of the year it’s festival time! Check out: Big Day Out, Splendour In The Grass, East Coast Blues & Roots, Good Vibrations, Future Music Festival, Soundwave, Woodford Folk Festival and more…

Also there’s the Big Sound Music conference in Brisbane every year. There’s three days of panels, workshops and artist showcases for local, national and international music industry peeps. The forums and workshops are usually quite interesting it’s definitely worth checking out.

Things to do…

Roller Derby with Sunstate Roller Girls – SSRG are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to developing and promoting the sport of women’s Flat Track Roller Derby. They facilitate the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship and goodwill among league members. SSRG aspire to create a community of skaters that advances the sport of women’s Roller Derby and expands opportunities for all women to participate. They promote the empowerment of women in a safe and organised environment that fosters the health, well-being and personal growth of the ladies. They honour diversity and encourage self-expression and are committed to building a network of friendship and support. Very punk rock indeed! Bottom line is it’s all about fun!

Mana Bar – a new ‘gaming’ bar were you & your friends can get your Wii on and be Rock Star Guitar Heroes! It’s opening in February. It’s the first place of its kind in Oz.

Strike Bowling Bar – (this one’s for you Ahmir! he he) Ten Pin Bowling & Karaoke! Go get your bowl on under the neon lights while sipping your cocktails or cola.

Zen Hot Yoga – my favourite place in Brisbane for yoga. It’s the 1st FIR studio in Australia. This place transformed my life. Renae, Will and Louie’s classes are best!

Southbank Cinemas – As far as catching a flick in Brisbane these cinemas are best. They cost between $6.50 and $8.50 for a ticket depending on the day of the week. They also have a large curved floating screen in one theatre.

As in most major cities around the world we have our Museum and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Artfor your exploration, historical fix.

Bleeding Heart Gallery – use their powers for good not evil, showcasing the works of upcoming artists. At the end of last year my manfriend was featured in one of their art showcases.

Nine Lives – is a gallery space in the heart of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. They feature local, interstate and the odd international artist – all of whom have provided an assorted array of visual pleasures. Nice space.

New Farm Park – a nice place to get away from it all. There’s a delightful rose garden, picnic tables & chairs, the Brisbane river snakes around a majority of the park. You can find all types of group meeting there: laughing clubs, meditation groups, tai chi and more. It also home to…

The Brisbane Powerhouse – a contemporary multi-arts, dining venue. There’s also a farmer’s markets there on the weekends plus travelling art exhibits and performances.

Once a year I go there to see the Gyuto monks of Tibet. They do workshops over the course of the week, chanting and the creation of a sand mandala. At the week’s end there’s a ceremony and the sand mandala is cut, scooped up and taken out to the river—it’s to remind us that everything is impermanent. I remember one year I asked one of the monks why their robes are always orange? He told me it was because back in the day orange was an unfashionable colour and the monks usually went against the grain so embraced orange.

Fortitude Valley Markets – 2nd hand and vintage clothes, locally made fashion, crystals, homewares, quirky bits & pieces. Worth a look in.

For all your skateboard/skatepark locating needs try here. If you really wanna skate some awesome secret spots email me and I’ll put you in contact with those in the know.

Lone Pine Kola Sanctuary – a favourite with my o/seas friends. This is where you get to pat koalas and have your photo taken cuddling one. There’s a wall of photos of various artists that have toured and their furry new friends.

Oh, and another link that may be of use to some, if you’re in need of a little support on the road ;).

And if you still want more of what my ‘hood has to offer another great source of information about Brisbane is Four Thousand billed as the definite cultural guide to Brisbane it doesn’t disappoint!

So, welcome to my fair city! Can’t wait for you to visit! Brizzy represent! Boom!

Wishing you safe travels & rad days my friends…

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Photo by Sarah McD ॐ

RITUALS

I use the word ‘ritual’ when talking about the things I do (at least I try to do) every single day—practices or exercises that I have found on my adventures which over time have been developed, adapted and made to work for me. As the talented Mr Bob Vennum once told me “rework your inspirations to fit your own vision.” To me a ritual is a personal something I do that can really add value to my day and help me draw my dreams closer, faster by allowing me greater clarity and focus in both mind and heart. Think of a ritual as an option or tool to tap into your most-raddest self! Who doesn’t want to be their most rad self most of the time?!

Cultivating daily practices of self-discipline, self-nurturing and self-realization are key to creating a great foundation for a truly remarkable life. We all have the potential to enhance what we are. I’ve found, for me at least, daily rituals lead to peace of mind, and when my mind is clearer ideas flow and the sky is the limit.

RITUAL ONE: MORNING PAGES

Naturally, I have a tendency to think waaaay too much about matters, circumstances, tasks at hand etc. I have a tendency to get distracted easily (which is something I’m working on.) I think so much sometimes my mind becomes cloudy and I get bogged down with trivial things. I often find self-doubt, my inner-critic and censor (bless them) can appear in these moments too. All the obsessing can kill my productivity. It disburses and dissipates my energy and shifts my focus from where it really needs to be. I don’t get anything done! The following ritual helps me cut through all the self-defeating inner ‘chat chat’ to get things done more days than not.

One of my favourite weapons in my ritual arsenal is the concept of ‘Morning Pages’. Each day I wake up, stretch (I adore yoga) and brew a cup of yummy rose green tea. I sit down to write—handwritten stylee—kind of like journaling. I’ve been doing it on and off for years and things are always infinitely better when I do them. For the ritual I like to sit at a little desk I bought at a second-hand store and painted the happiest colour I could find, Aztec Gold. It’s always nice to have an inspiring area to work and create in (more on that in coming posts). A fancy pen and a pretty notebook can also make the process even lovelier—honestly though most times I find myself scrawling on whatever is handy, usually a dog-eared notebook like the ones I used to use in school. The most important thing though is to write.

The idea of Morning Pages is to write to get everything out so your headspace is free to focus on your hearts true path (the things that bring you greatest joy). Why not try it today? You have nothing to lose. If it’s not for you, you never have to do it again EVER! Move the pen from one side of the page to the other and allow yourself to write down whatever comes. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Some mornings I find myself writing, “I have nothing to say. I need to do the groceries today. Did I call my folks yesterday? Blah, blah, blah stuff, stuff, stuff…” Sometimes I just write “This is stupid” over and over until I have a breakthrough—it usually involves me laughing at myself for being so resistant to the process. Remember though what you write is never too silly, stupid, lame or weird, as the pages are for you to look at and no one else. If you’re persistent enough with it, let go and have fun with it you may just find yourself experiencing your very best ideas yet.

I find Morning Pages to be really liberating. It is an authentic, true expression of you, (hopefully) totally uncensored. You can really learn a lot about yourself. Some days I treat it as a meditation. Are there any rituals in your life that you find effective in living your best life?

There’s a great book, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron that I’ve come across in the past month or so that includes Morning Pages as one of the basic principles to helping make your dreams a reality. So what are you waiting for?

You never know, it could be great / Take a chance ‘cause you might grow ~ Gwen Stefani

Get your creative on!

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