I have talked in the past in recounting this journey that I’m on, of creativity, of sharing a creative spirt and of opening my studio to all kinds of creative endeavors.  This space, this building called Blaze Studio has indeed become that: a place to create and to share.  I have dreamed of it and it is so nice that the dreams have manifested themselves into real live.

Gary Russell and his fledgling band are here regularly now.  They have staked a claim to this ground and have called it theirs.  And what they bring is pretty amazing.  They bring guitars, they bring drums, they bring a bass.  They bring speakers and monitors and electronics and cords.  Lots of cords.  And they bring sound.  Lots of amazing sound.

Oh, and they bring beer.

It seems to be an offering to the music Gods.  And to the guy that unlocks the doors for them.

They share their amazing talent.

These guys have become a small family of creative geniuses.  They give and take of creative ideas, without the usual ego that clogs things like this up.  They arrange and rearrange sound waves to create music that, at this level, is truly a spiritual experience for me.  And I am so blessed to be able to witness it happen.  The birth of amazing art.

Blaze Studio is a commercial photography studio, and the work is coming in, albeit slowly, but it is coming in.  Advertising work, business portraits, models, high school seniors and an occasional family session.  Light is bouncing off the walls, color is explored.  We laugh, we have fun and we create some great images together, me and my clients.

But one of the surprises of this journey is the music.  Creating music within these walls was always a fun idea, but making it happen has been an awe inspiring diversion of the path I take on this journey.

It’s funny.  I started down this path over a year ago.  I had my ideas of where it would lead me.  Plans.  Goals.  But I have found a very important rule to this journey:

As a traveler, expect the unexpected.  Keep the goals in site but keep the blinders off.  Keep yourself free to explore the side roads with your eyes wide open.

New roads very well may lead to a very different destination.

And there it is.  It has been said before but I am here to testify, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey itself.

Life here at “The Blaze” is always changing.  I’ve kept my mind and my spirit open to all possibilities.

And the band plays on.

And they bring beer.