art fuel no. 2
surf rock – earth homework – side quests – treehouses and playing make believe – dream responsibility
‘Art Fuel’ from DEVOTED CONTEMPLATION is a monthly curation of 5 things that are fueling my soul and exciting every cell in my body. (5 simply because I was born at 5:55 PM). In sharing these sparkly tidbits that give me energy, I deepen into the trust that what I love is not random––it’s all leading me somewhere cool and how awesome that the journey can be this fun. Enjoy xo
01 surf rock
This is an ode to the “reverb-drenched electric guitars, twangy melodies, and driving rhythms” of surf rock. It is carefree adventure as a sound and I have been drawn to since I was a child.
I was in 2nd grade. It was the weekend and a good one at that because we were going to Best Buy and I was allowed to buy 1 CD. At the time, iTunes was barely afloat so the music discovery of a 7 year old happened here, before hundreds of plastic squares that I would choose purely for vibes and then hope I liked the music. And so I reached for the sunset orange CD that looked beachy because I lived for the beach and was committed to the aesthetic, from the music I listened to, to the hawaiian light switch frame on my bedroom wall (I’m 1/16th hawaiian), to having a rainbows sandal tan year round. (The light switch frame and beach theme remnants still exist today in my childhood bedroom). Turns out the CD was the Sounds of Summer by the Beach Boys (their greatest hits) and so began my love of surf rock.
Fun facts: 1) Surf rock originated in Southern California in the 60s from the king Dick Dale whose Lebanese background greatly influenced the quintessential sounds of surf rock. 2) The Beach Boys were greatly influenced by him. 3) I had a major crush on Dennis Wilson.
I too originated in SoCal and when I hear this music my body says, hello, yes I’m home, that’s me! Now it’s any and all indie/alt bands that give me that same feeling. All I’m looking for in music at this point is a derivative of what I love that’s gonna make me feel that familiar way that feels so good. (Does that mean I’m getting set in my ways? Is this why old people only listen to their old ass music? Fuck. It’s happening.)
They say that we tend to be attracted to qualities in others that lay dormant within ourselves and I am attracted to people who are adventurous and whose essence taste like a hearty glug of surf rock. Who say fuck it, I’m gonna live in a van and travel up the coast because that is living.
This music makes me feel like I am all of that. Like I have a surfboard on top of my car (I don’t surf) and I just solo camped (too scared) and I have earth stuck under my finger nails from living so much (mine are clean). I wear workwear pants and talk about how hearty they are and how they’ll hold up through so much but only wear them to cafes to write and have yet to kneel into soil and season them with living.
This music has been a long-overdue calling that I think I’m finally ready to answer.
02 side quests
I was walking through the arboretum in Seattle when I saw four men on a meadow doing what appeared to be martial arts long-stick fighting. They were all different ages and all deeply focused on their master and the tips and tricks he was sharing with them. It made me cry. A lot of things make my cry but there was something so beautiful about all of these men choosing to live their lives like this. Choosing to show up in the arboretum at 6:00pm on a Wednesday to practice their long-stick fighting together simply because they wanted to and because it probably brings them joy and community.
“A side quest is an optional mission in a video game that doesn't directly affect the game's main story.” “It has no direct bearing on the main story/campaign of the game” but it can “provide additional content, play, or amusement, and often results in the player receiving money or items that are otherwise unavailable.” (Quora) Side quests in real life aren’t much different than the ones we complete in video games. They are a mixture of hobbies and activities that amuse us in some way or another. They are not crucial for our survival but they make the game of life more enjoyable and there is always something to gain from engaging with them.
Side quests make life richer because when we engage in them we are acting as the creators that we are meant to be. They remind me of the item bag (and spell book? I forget) in World of Warcraft that you fill up as you keep playing. It’s fun to have a satchel of goodies.
When I learn a new song on my guitar, I imagine a little bar filling up with experience points as my avatar masters this new level. When I weave a lil potholder, I get a cool new item added to my satchel. When I learn how to bake sourdough, I add a new entry-level skill to my skill list.
When I am not engaging in my side quests, I start forgetting who I am because we are not nouns, we are verbs. Our state of being infuses our action and our actions are what make up the trillions of moments that our lives consist of. The truth is, we are the verbs we engage with most often and I want mine to be fun ass side quests.
We’re simply verbs: Hi, I‘m Kristen. I write, I journal, I collage, I dance for fun, I spend quality time with friends, I walk through nature, I doodle, I bake yummy baked goods. And there’s always more to come.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to DEVOTED CONTEMPLATION to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.