"I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."

-George Carlin.

Greetings, my happy little Deviant droogs.

It's been awhile since my last update, but what with this, that and the other thing, I've had a lot on my plate.

There are, of course, my ubiquitous personal issues, but I shall not trouble you with those in this particular entry. I've posted more than my share of whiny, bitchy, emo journals in the past on the hallowed pages of DA, and spoon fed my beloved watchers and friends far, far more crap than they deserve.
So I'll spare you most of the drama and keep my issues to myself.

I'll be brief here, and I don't want to speak too prematurely, but there is a possibility that a monumental change might be upon me, a change that was long-in-coming and is far overdue.
With any luck, the schism will be the catalyst for the beginning of a new chapter in my life. The stigiant, suffering, corrosive, caustic weight of stagnation and decay will, with any luck, be purged, burned out utterly with purifying fire. Those forces which would impede creativity and growth will suffocate in the noxious fumes of the conflagration. It is time for a new light to cast out the darkness.

It is time, in short, to ring the bell.
And that is the crux of this particular entry. But these potential new elements in my life aren't what brought this entry about. This is:
Not long ago, my dear friend. started her own group. And invited me to be a contributor.
Not being able to draw for crap, I was left with little recourse but to write some literature for the club. Really I could do anything I wanted as long as it involved ladies of one Supernatural persuasion or another. What I decided to do was take some characters from the novel I'm currently working on and look at the lives of their ancestors in the far past, many centuries ago. My stories, "The Oracle Bones" [link] and "The Goth" [link] have been my fruits thus far.

The reaction to these stories varied. Some people liked it, and others were less receptive, but were generous enough to offer critiques on how I might improve as a writer in future. And I for one, appreciate that.
But the remark that left perhaps the most lasting impact on me came from one of my newest Deviant friends.

Still young and finding her artistic voice, ~Highlighterjuice is a surprisingly talented visual artist, an avid nature lover and appreciator of the glory and splendor of the natural world, and all kinds of awesome to boot.
Definitely check out her gallery, leave a bunch of comments and fave all her stuff.
  

In discussing "The Goth," she told me she really liked it, particularly the gritty fight scene near the end.
Offhand, I pointed out to her that there was actually a rather vivid and visceral moment in that scene that I thought broke the momentum of the narrative and ultimately cut out.
She countered by telling me that graphicness can add to the believability of a piece, and I had to admit she had me on that point.

It really got me to thinking, about putting the whole of yourself, the whole of your creative efforts, the whole of your consciousness, the whole of your being into your project, whatever your creative medium might be.

One of my favorite quotes on this subject ever comes from the author of my very favorite book, Mr. Matthew Stover.

"When I write a book, I put everything I have into it; so the more I have, the more the books become. Some people get freaked out by them: mostly the people who believe, mistakenly, that fantasy is about escaping reality. To them I say: If you have a problem with reality, you should be spending more time dealing with your life, and less time reading popcorn fantasy."

How Pimp is that?

What is all comes down to (Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine) is that my new Deviant pal reminded me of something that the good Mr. Stover has been trying to teach the literary world with his works, and what the avant-garde and the daring creative minds have been telling us since the dawn of civilization.
Sometimes an idea, a concept or even an entire project like a book or a movie might be so out there, so crazy and so defying of any previous conventional norms that all but the most courageous dare not approach, let alone attempt to bring it forth and present it to the public.

Ringing the bell is not the path for everyone, but both in the real world and in the realm of the creative arts it can be used to make some of the most profound and lasting impacts the historical record had been witness to.
Perhaps the best example of Ringing the Bell comes to us from visionary comedy master and director Mel Brooks and his 1968 film "The Producers."

If you're like me, your first and most enduring exposure to Mr. Brooks' work was his 1993 film "Robin Hood, Men in Tights." [link]
It's an exceptionally funny movie, certainly, but for me, I have a particular soft spot for Mel's earlier films. "High Anxiety," "12 Chairs," "Young Frankenstein," "History of the World Part 1," "Spaceballs," "Silent Movie," and perhaps my two very favorites, "Blazing Saddles" and "The Producers."

Now, I liked the 2005 version fine. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I thought Lane, Broderick, Thurma and especially Will Ferrell did a really good job. But for me, it didn't beat the original.
The late, great Zero Mostel pulled off his part with the gravitas and nuance that only he could deliver.
And Gene Wilder... Come on people... Do I really need to say anything else?
Gene Wilder.

The man who was and still is made of awesome.

When it came to the centerpiece of the movie, the infamous "Springtime for Hitler" number, [link] Brooks, understandably had his reservations.
Shortly before shooting, Mel started getting cold feet and second-guessing himself about whether the scene would work or not. Wondering whether or not the scene was in such horrific taste that the audience wouldn't find it funny.
But in the end, he said to himself,

"You know what? Forget it. If you're going to ring that bell, just march right up and ring it. I'm going to commit to it and do it!"

So I think there's a lesson in there for all of us. Whether you're devoted to a creative medium or whether you're dealing with trauma or issues in your own life, and the opportunity to "Ring the Bell" presents itself, just march right up and ring it.

And if you ever loose your way, you can just hum this little ditty to remind yourself of the wisdom of the great Matthew Stover and Mel Brooks.

Sing along if you know the words.

[link]

Out on the quarter deck and walking about,
There's the second mate so steady and so stout.
What he is a-thinkin' of he doesn't know himself,
We wish that he would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Strike the bell second mate, let us go below,
Look well to windward you can see its going to blow.
Look at the glass you can see that it is fell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Down on the main deck and workin' on the pumps,
There's the starboard watch a-longin' for their bunks.
Look out to windward and see a great swell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Strike the bell second mate, let us go below,
Look well to windward you can see its going to blow.
Look at the glass you can see that it is fell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Aft at the wheel, poor Anderson stands,
Graspin' at the spokes with his cold mitten hands,
Looks at the compass and the course is clear as hell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Strike the bell second mate, let us go below,
Look well to windward you can see its going to blow.
Look at the glass you can see that it is fell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Forward at the foc'sl' head and keeping sharp lookout,
Yonder there is John a-ready for to shout.
"Lights are burnin' bright sir and everything is well."
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Strike the bell second mate, let us go below,
Look well to windward you can see its going to blow.
Look at the glass you can see that it is fell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Out on the poop deck the gallant captain stands,
Lookin' out to sea with a spyglass in his hands.
What he is a-thinkin' of we know very well.
He's thinking more of shortenin' sail than striking the bell.

Strike the bell second mate, let us go below,
Look well to windward you can see its going to blow.
Look at the glass you can see that it is fell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.

Strike the bell second mate, let us go below,
Look well to windward you can see its going to blow.
Look at the glass you can see that it is fell,
We wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell.