Eric M Chicago » Inspirational

Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille

ericmchicago — Sat, 14 May 2011 03:11:21 +0000

May this inspire you as it inspires me as an artist, and encourages me to keep creating no matter what I think of my work (both as an actor and as a graphic artist):

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine

how good it is;
nor how valuable it is;
nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

You do not have to believe in yourself or your work, You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate YOU.

Keep the channel open…
No artist is pleased…

There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction; a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille

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The Neverending Move

ericmchicago — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:30:47 +0000

The end is in sight! Our move date has been postponed (once again) and now our move date is September 1st. Let’s hope this sticks this time! We were originally supposed to move June 1st… got postponed to July 1st… got postponed to August 1st… sigh. Harmony went over there the other day and snapped some shots of the work in progress:

Can you see it? The recessed lighting, the dark cherry floors, the exposed brick… it’s all coming into focus. Slowly. We’ve already picked out the colors for the apartment, and I have been finding some inspiration for decorating my bedroom, my bathroom, and my office. I am trying not to do theme-based rooms, as my roommate has advised me that that’s somewhat tacky, so I am going to mix 3 themes together: Chagall (my favorite painter), Marilyn Monroe (my favorite celebrity), and Chicago (my favorite city). I found some faaaabulous Marilyn prints at one of the booths at Market Days! So excited. Here are some of the prints I have and are trying to collect to decorate with:

Wall Colors: Office, Living Room, My Bedroom, Harmony’s Bedroom

These are the two Marilyn prints I got at Market Days:

I LOVE them. I also have this full magazine, which I would like to frame in its entirety:

In addition, I would love to get these prints:

…among probably about a thousand others.

I’d like to get a few of my favorite Chagall’s, too, which include:

…I think a Marilyn/Chagall duet would be quite nice. :-)

-Eric M Chicago

Popular ‘Braid’ Game Now Available for Mac

ericmchicago — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:03:28 +0000

A very popular Xbox video game has made its way to the Mac. Braid for Mac was released today alongside a free downloadable demo. The full version costs $14.95.

Explore the human condition and manipulate time in the lush, painterly world of Braid, a puzzle-platformer that takes you from a house in the city on a journey through a series of worlds to solve puzzles and rescue the princess.

Braid is described as a puzzle/platformer created by independent developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released to Xbox Live Arcade in August 2008 to critical praise and commercial success. The game sold over 55,000 units (~$825,000) the first week and went on to become the second-largest selling Xbox Live Arcade game in 2008.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One unique element to the game was the use of time control that could allow you to rewind your actions. The game was ported to the Mac by Hot Head Games.

This is one of the coolest indie games to come out recently. It has a unique and STUNNING painted art style, and it’s really fun! Definitely check it out. -Eric

Vanity Fair – The Secret Marilyn Files

ericmchicago — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:12:16 +0000

My roommate gave me her copy of Vanity Fair – The Secret Marilyn Files for my small collection of Marilyn stuff!

Towards A More Equal Union

ericmchicago — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:47:57 +0000

This week it was announced that Iowa and Vermont will now recognize same-sex marriages (effective April 27, 2009 and September 1, 2009 respectively). That’s four as of this date: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Besides the obviously hilarious fact that Iowa is officially now more progressive than California, we are slowly moving in the right direction. THANK GOD.

It’s interesting to me that people often want to side with the popular vote when it comes to civil liberties. If we had always sided with the popular vote, we would not have made as much progress as we have. Supreme Court rulings (both on the federal and state level) have always been instrumental in defining progress in Women’s rights, minority rights, and so many other civil liberties throughout history. Thank you, wikipedia.

I personally don’t care what we call it. Call it marriage, call it civil union, call it whatever you want as far as I’m concerned. Hell, if we call it something else then the maybe social conservatives who are so concerned with the sanctity of marriage will go concentrate on their own marriages and leave us the hell alone. It sounds to me like all they want is the word, anyway. Give it to them. It’s not the prettiest word in the book, anyway. We’ll call ours A More Equal Union and I bet a lot less of us will take it for granted.

My good friends Nicki and Kara got married last weekend and are now starting their life together as partners, despite what the “popular opinion” is telling them. I am so inspired by their relationship with one another. They don’t take it for granted. They did it for the right reasons. And I think their wedding came with a really cool bonus too: The most beautiful “Fuck You” I’ve ever seen. Thanks, Nicki and Kara, for being two of my heroes. I remember being at the protest with you two, marching for hours in the cold with nothing more than coffee, signs, and freedom.

Update: To read more about Nicki and Kara’s Log Cabin Wedding, Click Here.

Nicki and Kara's most exquisite wedding photo! XD

Read about Same Sex Marriage on Wikipedia.org

Status of same-sex partnerships in the United States Same-sex marriages Unions granting rights similar to marriage Unions granting limited/enumerated rights Foreign same-sex marriages recognized Statute bans same-sex marriage Constitution bans same-sex marriage Constitution bans same-sex marriage and other kinds of same-sex unions

Types of partnerships recognized in countries where homosexuality is legal Same-sex marriage recognized Other type of partnership recognized (including unregistered cohabitation) No recognition of same-sex couples Foreign same-sex marriages recognized Homosexuality illegal Minimal penalty Large penalty Life in prison Death penalty

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A Lion Called Christian

ericmchicago — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:21:39 +0000

I’m thinking of kindling the book A Lion Named Christian (I have Kindle on my iPhone ftw). It’s a very unique story about a british couple who bought a lion cub from Harrod’s in London (back before they were an endangered species) and were permitted to raise it until maturity. At that point they had to release it into the wild. They returned a year later, and after being told that the lion would not remember them, the most beautiful reunion takes place.

Enjoy this clip from the documentary film and just remember how powerful and inspiring love can be between all of us animals. Cheers!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Random Inspiration for a Plain Tuesday

ericmchicago — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:03:57 +0000

I had a rough weekend, and bitched a lot and put a lot of negative energy out into the universe. So, let’s do something to counteract all that negative energy. I just officially ended my work day, so now it’s time to RELAX! woohoo.

I think I’ll send along some inspirational photos, videos, and other things I like, just for the fucking hell of it. Here’s an inspiring photo from my best friend/roommate’s home design blog: Harmony’s Nook

Looking for fun, quirky and sarcastic FREE e-cards to send out to your friends? Like this one:

Someecards.com: They’ve got a smartass e-card for every possible occasion (especially the bad ones)!

More of a science geek? Well, visit FourteenLOL to see a video tutorial for a science project where you can make water form crystal balls when it comes into contact with air! Watch Waterballs

Enjoy these few treats of the internet.. I’ll check back in later.
Peace

Eric M Chicago

Oh it’s Complicated Day!

Whiskey and Underwear

ericmchicago — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:47:39 +0000

So, interesting day today! I had a productive design day, and then on my lunch break decided on a whim to go get a haircut at my favorite hair salon here in Chicago, Robert Jeffrey. $35 men’s haircut. Can’t beat it. I had a lovely stylist, we chatted, I paid, and I left. As I walked past His Stuff (my favorite men’s clothing boutique) I saw the MOST amazing jacket by Energie! So I went inside to take a closer look, ended up chatting with the seller for a while, and bought a great new pair of underwear on sale! Aren’t they cute!!

$10 and I love them! Well, I actually managed to book two modeling jobs from the seller (who is a fashion designer) while I was there ☺ and came home to find that the one and only Patti LuPone was on this week’s episode of 30 Rock! No. Way.
Awesome day, to be sure. So I just got back from the liquor store where I got my lil’ bottle of Jamie for the night and when I was checking out I happened to see the most AWESOME flask for sale! $1.99!!

(It has the JAMESON logo on it, with a JAMESON bottle topper!)

Seriously!! HAH! So, I think I may have to break this puppy in tonight, since I’m going out to meet Matt (the new guy!) after he gets out of his show. Thinking of Jameson flasks, here’s the one I hope to have someday:

isn’t it BEAUTIFUL?!? And the pocketwatch is to DIE for. Aaah, Jamie. Well, I’ll try and take some pictures tonight and post about my evening ☺
Enjoy your weekend!

Eric M Chicago

My Marilyn

ericmchicago — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:47:38 +0000

This is my Marilyn Monroe shrine. I just finished reading my favorite book, again: The Assassination of Marilyn Monroe by Donald H. Wolfe. Great, GREAT book. I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures of the legend and create a place I can always go to see my favorite sides of Marilyn.

Goodbye, Norma Jeane. We love you.

My Easter Gift To Y’all

ericmchicago — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:44:43 +0000

Happy Easter!

I google imaged “beautiful easter egg” so I could give everyone a beautiful Easter Egg for a present! But, this turned up. Easter Egg? Yes. Beautiful? You decide. But you decide alone. Read on.

My Easter gift to you this year is Inspiration.

…Hopefully. The ugly egg is what you get if you don’t take Inspiration.

As I was uploading a video to my YouTube channel (which, incidentally, seems to be turning into a shrine to Bernadette Peters) I was listening to this song. Someone requested that I upload it, so as I was doing so I listened to the song. Now, I haven’t heard it in a while, and it’s from a wonderful musical Into the Woods (by Stephen Sondheim). The song is called No One is Alone (I believe it’s sung by Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood) and has some of the most wonderful lyrics I’ve ever heard in a song. I heard these words and felt positively inspired. Not to do anything more than write a blog about it, mind you, but still – inspiration is inspiration! Absolutely beautiful words to go with an absolutely beautiful song. And – truly – words to live by.

No one here to guide you;
now you’re on your own.
Only me beside you -
still, you’re not alone.
No one is alone. Truly.
No one is alone.

Sometimes people leave you halfway through the world,
others may deceive you.
You decide what’s good.
You decide alone.
But, no one is alone.

People make mistakes;
Fathers, Mothers -
people make mistakes,
holding to their own,
thinking they’re alone.

Honor their mistakes
(everybody makes),
one another’s terrible mistakes;
Witches can be right.
Giants can be good.
You decide what’s right.
You decide what’s good.

Just remember:
Someone is on your side. Someone else is not.
While you’re seeing your side, maybe you forgot:
They are not alone.
No one is alone.

Hard to see the light now…
Just don’t let it go.
Things will turn out right now,
we can make it so.

Someone is on your side -

No one is alone.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The performance is Bernadette Peters at her famous concert a few years back at Royal Festival Hall London. I love the way she uses vowels. GENIUS.

Oh, and P.S. – I love that I tagged this post as both “Inspirational” and “Wasting Time.” HAhaha!!

Well, you know what? You decide. But be warned: You decide alone.

:P LOL