trans•par•ent  | tran'spe(ə)rənt; -'spar- |
adjective
(of a material or article) allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen : transparent blue water.
• easy to perceive or detect : the residents will see through any transparent attempt to buy their votes | the meaning of the poem is by no means transparent.
• having thoughts, feelings, or motives that are easily perceived : you'd be no good at poker—you're too transparent.
• (of an organization or its activities) open to public scrutiny : if you had transparent government procurement, corruption would go away.
• Physics transmitting heat or other electromagnetic rays without distortion.
• Computing (of a process or interface) functioning without the user being aware of its presence.

    I've provided the precise definition above so that we might share a true appreciation for the meaning of the word transparent and understand the importance of applying it to the business of living.

    There are few things I believe in so wholeheartedly as the necessity for us to abandon the old idea that who we are as individuals and what we do for a living should continue to be two separate and distinct realms of our being. It's precisely the sort of self-entitlement embraced by individuals who seek justification for intentions that knowingly seek to avoid responsibility, accountability and, financial liability.

     While we can't change the fact that there will always be greedy and selfish human beings on this planet, we can deconstruct the foundations of their old paradigm by which they have been reliably able seek comfort from their guilt and assuage themselves of any regret or remorse having resulted from the consequences of their own actions. This hidden agenda has been tearing at the fabric of our families, our communities and our civilization for centuries and, like so many other archaic ways of thinking, our society cannot continue to sustain itself with such intentions. Its time to embrace the change for ourselves.

    Can we individually usher in a new era of collective transparency? What do you think?

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     Over the past several months I've spent immeasurable hours discovering, uncovering, editing, publishing and showcasing the unique stories of some truly incredible small businesses here in Greater Victoria. Never before have I been surrounded by so much youthful, hopeful and contagious positivity. I can safely say that's certainly rubbed off on me. My radar has become focused like a laser beam; a red-hot laser beam of local-loving intensity. I've entered a new hyper-reality where my neighbourhood is my backyard and my city is my universe. Sure I love certain things about other countries and other towns but nothing holds a candle to this town - my town. At least not as far as I'm concerned.      

Call Me Crazy

     You could call me crazy but I'd prefer it if you'd just call me "Loco". According to Wikipedia, "Loco is Crazy or Madman in Spanish". I'm certainly not Spanish but the word suits me to me a tee because I'm certifiably bat-shit crazy for this town. Like so many other local-loving Victorians, it gives me a great sense of both pride and achievement to be able to get to know a little bit more about my neighbours and what passions and talents they bring to the community. When I find out more, I care more. When I care more I will go out of my way to buy more. When I buy and support them more more money stays within our communities. when more money stays within our community...well, you get the picture.

     The more I move about the Capital Regional District the more my opinions and preconceptions about it change. I'm coming to realize that while indeed sometimes Victoria feels a lot like it's reputation as a small-town-kind-of-city-where-everybody-knows the-same-person-you know-and-gosh-golly-gee-doesn't-word-travel-fast-around-these-parts it's only now that I'm beginning to appreciate the distinct and unique nature of each of the nearly 100 recognized neighbourhoods that make up Greater Victoria.

     Perhaps I'm late to the local-loving party and that's fine - after all, I lived in Vancouver for 10 years between 1998-2008 after my brother was murdered on the streets of this town. You can see it took me a decade to heal from those wounds and forgive my city for something that plagues every city and town in the world - upset and unloved individuals reacting without thought of consequence. But I'm not here to write at lengths about that side of my philosophy. Instead, I'd much rather introduce you to a much more positive outcome that my time away from Victoria inspired within me.

      After many years away I return home to embrace Victoria in my long gangly arms and stand back to look at her from a distance. Here I see a vibrant landscape full of opportunity, passion and innovation. I see farmland, fresh lakes, rivers and streams all surrounding by fresh moving tidal waters. I move in a little closer and her face reminds me of dear old friend; a familiar array of places been and stories told from a childhood experienced nearly thirty years ago. I look into her eyes and can feel her intent; I recognize kinship within them, an understanding bound with the same string but cut from many a different swath. She opens her hands before me and I can see the long lines of her travels; intersections of lives crossing and uncrossing, each one winding along the path of its own unique journey. Finally she guides my head towards her chest where I can hear her heart beating. Soft and steady like the seasonal rains I can feel the rhythms and hear the sounds of my home shifting at night beneath its own weight as windswept ocean breezes rush between the streets of James Bay where I live with my wife Amy and our young daughter Bella Hope.

     I love her again, old Victoria. I love her again wholly (local) but I cherish her heart in a new way. This time I love the essence of her spirit; the soul of the local neighbourhood where I live and work (hyperlocal) that fills the faces of my neighbours with smiles as they walk by me and swirls throughout the park near my home with the divinity of children's laughter. It's exciting and exhilarating to feel so connected after being untethered for so long but this is not a joke. This is not just fluffy-goo or sappy-dribble. This is where I live. This is my home. These are my roots. This is my loco.

     I represent a whole new breed of local lovers that are eagerly devouring the cool joints, hot spots, trendy digs and worthy causes of their direct neighbourhoods. In this city we are united by a common cause, a shared set of goals to build a stronger community that will flourish for generations of Victorians to come and so now that you know a little more about me I'm dying to ask, "Where's your loco?"

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Let's get all Freudian/Jungian...

How Does Social Media Make You Feel?

     Are you a seasoned "pro" who flies through status updates and shares posts from across the web at the speed of light? Are you busy exploring posts and keeping your thoughts, comments and opinions to yourself or are you huddled in the corner of your online sphere, endlessly mopping beads of nervous sweat from your brow unsure exactly what to post to your timeline, wall or feed? Does online social engagement feel more like the high-school hallway of heaven of your dreams or the hell of your worst high-school nightmare? Are you now starring in the global social show of the century as the popular über-stud or rejected über-cybernerd? Do Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Google+ and other such social platforms excite and inspire your bones or do find them boring, terrifying or brutally annoying? Does Social Web 2.0 signal the righteous emergence of a shifting cultural paradigm for mankind or the-self-serving-narcissistic-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it?

    Are you checking in or are you checking out?

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     I remember when I was nineteen years old I read Ishmael, a little fictional tale about a man and a silver-back gorilla that fundamentally and irrevocably changed the way I would view the world and mankind's place in it. I recall a feeling in my heart and mind, simultaneously heavy and light at the same time - a paradox of shifting paradigms trying to find their place in my persona. (Try saying THAT ten times fast!) I felt on top of the world for the possibilities of wonder that were whizzing around inside my newly minted mind whilst suffers unimaginable lows as I discovered time and time again through conversation trial and error that really, ultimately, nobody else gave two shits. I was beside myself with inspiration and stressed to anxiety by the future global apathy as I was surely doomed to endure.

     That was 16 years ago, and while the global exchange of information has certainly made it far easier to explore in the ideas and passions of my earlier years and ally myself with like-minded passionate individuals from every corner of the globe, I've come to find that local is the truest desire of my growing heart and mind. Yet while I have changed and slowed the brow-beating fervor of my former younger self into a more focused and experienced perspective on such matters, I still find the waters around me to be tepid to the touch where local passion meets local purpose. Through my free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Evening Post, I have the incredible opportunity to explore, learn and discover the tales of amazing local men and women with unimaginable depths of passion seemingly ready at the call yet while there's a slight flutter of activity when the stories are published,  it's not enough. It's not nearly enough.

     Maybe my fire burns too hot and my expectations continue to be unattainable but I believe in with cell in my body that we are capable of a deeper and richer community. I'm convinced that you and I can collaborate and work together to build it - one new brick at a time. I wholeheartedly feel that without you none of my own dreams are possible. I'll do whatever it takes to bring more greatness and to share more inspiring tales and insightful information to your eyes and ears for as long as I can - but I need your help.

Here is where passion meets it's purpoose; uniting those around you and fueling the great abilities of one another with a supportive network of positive possibilities. It's not just sharing that shows caring, it's lending your voice to the conversation that matters most.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you as we work toward a greater Victoria.

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When It's About Me, You and Us

     It used to be all about me. Some of my closest friends (and perhaps even my lovely wife!) would say that it still is and I can't completely disagree with them. I do spend a lot of time and energy focusing on the things that interest me and projects that I'd like to work on. The point is though that it used to be ALL about me - I wouldn't compromise my vision or even consider bringing someone else in to work with me on anything - which makes it incredibly difficult, especially when you play in a band! But those were my passions and I didn't want to share them with anyone. In actuality, I couldn't understand how to share them because sharing would mean giving up control and there was no way my life could deal with such a devastating blow. Not then. In my mind at the time, not ever. But thankfully things have changed.

     Perhaps it's how human life evolves as we transition out beyond our adolescent adulthood (some, like myself, mature much later than others!). Be that as it may, I'm ecstatic to have arrived at this new phase in my personal growth. The prospect of sharing and building towards something that is greater than the sum of its individual parts is incredibly inspiring to me now. Where once I was obsessed with how to make the world notice me, I now constantly work towards showcasing the incredible creative efforts and struggles of others. It's not that it's the right thing to do, it's just that it feels good; far better than consuming myself with my own little world.

When All The World's A Stage

     I worked so hard and was so passionately blind to the words and feelings behind my youthful efforts. As a committed artist, I thought that saving the world could only come from screaming to the heavens, wailing into a microphone in front of a sold-out crowd or banging my fists against our cultural prison walls. From the perspective of time and distance between here and there, I have thankfully since discovered not just the essence of humility but the enormous personal benefits of true collaboration; the long-lost mythical art of fusing mutual passions and values in an concerted, honest effort towards working together to achieve a common goal. Aside from loving and protecting one's family, those common goals are the ones that matter most.

I Welcome You With Open Arms

     And so I reach out to you friends, neighbours and strangers of Greater Victoria. I reach out to you to share your creative passions, your unique stories and your honest human you. I encourage you to consider collaborating with me to help bring our community closer, to stand up for one another and against those who would seek to weaken our collective resolve and to work together to make Victoria even greater. We don't have to march in the streets to be heard, we can share our insights, opinions and concerns right here in the digital sphere. Here, our individual voices can be easily united towards a common goal. Here, we can collaborate from opposite ends of our city, from home offices, beachfront perches and bar-side stools.

     Here we can collaborate.

**************************************************

     This week I am I proud to welcome Jade Norton into the fold of The Sunday Evening Post, a free weekly newsletter custom-designed towards small business owners and local-lovers in Greater Victoria. Jade is a passionate food lover who has agreed to collaborate with me on the "Foodie Feed" section of The #SEPost. Her debut post this week, "Baguette, Je T'Aime", is an incredible piece that fuses her Parisian passion with local flair and I'm incredibly excited and inspired to have her on board. ANY other local-lovers interested in sharing their unique perspectives in The Sunday Evening Post, anyone interested in COLLABORATION, please contact me in the comment section below, on Twitter, through my Designs 20/20 website, email (connect at thesundayeveningpost.com) or directly by phone (250-507-7819).

     I'll be looking forward to working together with you all.

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There's No Place Like Home

     There's so much to love about the nearly 100 distinct neighbourhoods that make up the thirteen municipalities of the Capital Regional District we call home. You don't need me to convince you of this by providing cute or quirky little aspects of each; if you live here you most certainly know exactly what I'm talking about. We have enough historic civic landmarks and big-ticket cultural events every year to keep the social calendar full all year long, not to mention the rich and innovative lifestyle being passionately enjoyed by the nearly 370,000 men, women and children who fill my local-loving heart with pride. Surely some of us have our differences from time to time and we're certainly not without our own fair share of socio-economic and civic challenges but all-in-all I think it's pretty fair to say that this town, our town, kicks some serious ass.

Think Locally, Act Locally

     The collective pride we share is inspiringly reflected in the intense local support for independent business, farmers, artisans and the like. We wear our support like a badge of honour and it shows in the unique personalities of the wide selection of locally owned and operated shops, stores, restaurants, bars and markets that nurture our city streets and rural neighbourhoods. In the grand scheme of things, Victoria has really embraced the phrase "think globally, act locally." So much so in fact that I believe we are now on the cutting edge of the hyperlocal movement and consequently on the brink of making our shared Victoria experience even greater.

     Thinking globally really boils down to informing and inspiring action within your our small manageable communities and here, in Greater Victoria, we take those ideas to heart. We're on our way to greatness but there's always room for improvement and that takes sharing the inspiration of our dreams. Whether those ambitions and goals ultimately result in incredible success or failure, the most important aspect of community building and growth, in my modest opinion, is to follow those dreams with intelligent and innovative passion. These are the risks that bear the possibility of our greatest collective reward - a vibrant community that champions and supports its own citizens in the pursuits of their own dreams.

     I'm hoping that in the months and years ahead as I bravely forge ahead with my vision for Greater Victoria that more and more locally owned and operated small businesses are also able to identify, build and nurture such powerful and intimate connections to their neighbours. But I'm realistic. I realize we can't always find what we need or want from a local source but I do feel that we're pretty damn lucky to have the unique and vibrant local businesses that are such a large part of what gives our beautiful city its special feel. What I have in mind is a truly unique online and mobile experience for citizens and visitors of our city to enjoy - a way to learn the stories and inspirations behind our incredible local businesses and keep more of the money we earn and spend in our community in our community.

     While I seek the investment I need to help bring my dream to light, I proudly encourage everyone to continue to explore, uncover, share and support our neighbours who are actively and bravely following their own dreams, providing our communities with the products, services and experiences we all need to make our Greater Victoria even greater!

     If you share a strong local love and are interested in being the first to know about the incredible online experience I am developing, please subscribe to my Hyperloco mailing list and be the first to know the whole local story. If you are interested in investment or partnership opportunities for this powerful new start-up idea, please contact me directly (connect at hyperloco.ca)

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I've heard many people throughout the past week attempting to assuage the situation with shallow assurances that the sole responsibility for the violence and destruction that took place on those beloved city streets, the sight of so much positive celebration only a year ago with the Winter Olympics, was the work of a handful of crooks, thugs, punks, anarchists, yahoos, idiots, morons, hoodlums and goons bent on creating chaos and havoc regardless of the sporting outcome that night. All I see are labels being used to separate those who did the destroying from those who did the recording. All of whom share the responsibility in my opinion. One guilty of physical destruction and one guilty of passive digital and social encouragement that fanned the flames of the situation by celebrating the type of narcissism that Facebook Walls and You Tube fan pages live for.

Social Worship for The Socially Inept

Many criticized the Vancouver Police for not acting swiftly enough or for a perceived lack of planning for the management of such a monumental public gathering. But they did have a plan. They knew from previous events and the experiences of other enforcement agencies from around the globe the most successful tactics for managing a large and unruly crowd. Yes there were missteps along the way but all in all, the mayhem of those moments was not caused by a lack of police attention - it was created by an overwhelming mass of attention given to those who deserve it least. The mess was started by numerous groups of angry young men, drunk, misguided and vying to be seen as something greater than who they are; desperate to gather an ounce of physical control over a world that doesn't give two shits about them. Take that sort of soul crushing perspective of oneself and multiply it by the hundreds of cameras, camcorders and handheld mobile devices pointed in their direction and you've got a one serious powder keg of pent-up negative energy just waiting to explode.

When it comes to social media however, there is no experiential plan or strategy for how things might develop; this is the Social Revolution in progress and as inspiring it can be when documenting civil unrest that leads to major political and social change, it can be equally as unforgiving and ugly when the power of it's viral spotlight is focused not on rebels with just cause but rather fools without one. This is what a powerful shared experience like the Vancouver Riot has to teach us; the scope and reach of mobile and social technology has surpassed the understanding and respect of the user.

I often say that there are no rules when it comes to social media, that it's just a fancy term used to describe the freedom of social expression that the Internet now affords the people of our culture. We can like, follow, share, take, create and be pretty much anything we want to be in the online digital sphere. It liberates some of us to be informed and inspired just as much as it permits others the voice with which to spout ignorance, intolerance and hatred. We can all be seen for who we are or choose to be seen as something entirely different. We can share peace and we can share unspeakable violence; the choice is only ever the equivalent of a mouse-click away. Some people refer to it as the wild, wild West. I think of it as social evolution in progress.

Think about this, if a group of angry young men start to monkey dance and thrash themselves into each other with chests puffed out after consuming too many intoxicants and there aren't several thousand people crowding around them, egging them on and snapping a hundred pictures on their iPhone's, does anybody care? Hopefully it would get broken up before anyone got seriously injured but otherwise these intellectually stagnant alpha males would just a) tire themselves out or b) get themselves arrested by the hundreds of police officers who were out in force there amongst the seething throngs. My point is that without an audience to be seen by and a stage upon which to perform their sad little angry monkey dance rituals of old, would things have continued to escalate unchecked for several hours as it did? I contest that it would have petered out fairly quickly. But alas, the cat is out of the bag and Pandora has left her box for good and so we must find the balance point between the potential our mobile/social technology affords us and the cultural repercussions caused by the ignorance of its legacy.

Many will argue that they were simply on hand to document the evidence and record the experience - many of my friends were amongst the onlookers including the one who shot the photo above. I'm not saying it's right or its wrong as there are no rules outlawing such behaviour nor am I in any position to judge. But I can look at the unfolding events and see the end result. I can hear Vancouver Police asking everyone to go home but still the number of gawkers and onlookers, as "disgusted and embarrassed" as many claimed to be, clearly seemed to outweigh the number of fools and tools jumping, fighting, burning, kicking and smashing their way across the downtown core. So many people were just standing around, complicit in waiting to see what was going to happen and because they were waiting for something to happen they were passive-aggressively encouraging something to happen. And so something did happen.

The Facebook Lynch Mob

In the hours and days following the riot, Facebook pages sprung up with people being encouraged to post their pictures and videos in order to "bring these criminals to justice" - and people are still coming out in droves. It's like a nouveau-Salem Witch Hunt or some sort of Digital-Social McCarthyism taking place out there - people posting face shots and action pics of people in various states of being, with countless accusations, threats and verbal assaults being wielded openly and freely for the world to see. Please understand, I can relate to the sense of frustration and anger that comes from seeing something you care about disrespected and people you love put in danger - I lived in Vancouver for ten years and I felt pangs of it myself sitting at home here in Victoria watching it unfold. But the type of reckless behaviour being exhibited and vented on Facebook, one of the most popular social networks on this planet, is nothing short of alarming.

There's also a new blog that has sprung up in the wake of these events called Public Shaming Eternus by a man who refers to himself as "Captain Vancouver" and the number of readers and scope of commentary has recently exploded. The idea is that, like the Digital Witch Hunts on Facebook, this young man is posting "photographic evidence" of individuals taken during the riots and laying judge and jury verdict upon them all. He has determined himself the true protector of Vancouver's civic pride and thus feels quite rationally justified in his quest to fan the flames of hatred faster and further by including the names and locations of the people in these posted photos, condemning them to "eternal Internet fame" through shame.

There is little understanding of the long-tail of the digital footprint. In fact it's not a long-tail at all, but rather infinite. Once you post something, anything, to the Internet, it's there forever. In his angry haste, "Captain Vancouver" posts a photo of two young adults, a boy and a girl. He accuses them of crimes against the state and publicly ridicules them both. But no sooner has he done that than it somehow comes to his attention that he got it wrong. The young man in the photo was only observing. Oops. My bad. Can't take that back. Not only can he not take it back, h still doesn't bother to delete it from the original post but rather deems a simple strike-through of the text to be a sufficient apology/retraction. Do you sense the danger in any of this? (This is taken directly from his blog)

If you're not familiar with 1984, I suggest you spend some time getting to know it. There are dangerous social consequences that we cannot yet imagine when we shamelessly take justice into our own hands. Scarier still, is the ferocity with which seemingly rational and intelligent individuals will bare their teeth upon another in an open digital forum - and this is not some  online platform of yesteryear where angryman2011 and lonelygirl666 are having it out amidst the comfort of anonymity- this is fucking FACEBOOK. Our grandparents are on Facebook and so is our little cousin. I'm the hugest proponent of transparency but I cannot believe that people do not seriously consider the eternal nature of their online activity before posting these things. Surely the world is not full of this many assholes.

And so while there aren't any rules governing how to navigate the infinite possibilities of the emerging digital frontier there are indeed codes of conduct for human beings living together in a limited physical space. It's not even nearing the next distant galaxy of being perfection but we've been juggling that bag of rotten tomatoes for centuries and it's somehow managed to keep us from blowing ourselves up. My point is that we've had eons of time to test drive, ditch and re-imagine the boundaries of our relationships with one another in this stranger filled world but with this digital social landscape we've but a nanosecond to familiarize ourselves with the consequences.

We're still so tightly bound to our evolutionary roots, to those mammalian and reptilian ancestral links that can still somehow manage to wipe the entire scope of our rational, reasonable and intellectual thinking brains into extinction - especially when we find ourselves in a large herd (you can substitute mob or crowd if you prefer). We grew from the sludge of a heartless violent world and, much to the chagrin of many others like myself who seek intellectual, spiritual and emotional evolution, those ancient synapses are still firing to this day. And so, often in spite of what would appear to be glimpses of better judgement, we continue to threaten violent recourse in response to violent actions. And what good has ever come of that?

The photos and videos of the masses will live forever in this realm, as will the hateful violent words of the swarming social vigilantes unless we can find means with which to calm ourselves amidst the rising storms.

Dancing On The Razor's Edge

Perhaps it's due in part to my own personal experience with violence (my younger brother Paul was murdered in a late-night altercation 13 years ago), but I simply cannot condone nor abide by the increasingly violent reactionary shape of our culture. We're too complacent to stand up to action when the moment behooves us to do or say something to protect something or someone else. We're too quick to race to the comfort of our own homes with our opinions rather than to confront the true nature of our own frustrations and disappointments. We're too afraid of being judged and ostracized by everybody else and so we're too quick to judge, ridicule, shame, threaten and hate someone else instead.

It's too easy to get caught up in those moments but those are the moments that count the most. Those are the moments where we have the opportunity to grow, learn and become better human beings. Those are the moments where our social selves demonstrate that we're always a work in still have a long way to go.

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[View the story "The Third Edition: June 12th, 2011" on Storify]

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It was a great pleasure to take Off The Beaten Path down to the original Discovery Coffee in downtown Greater Victoria to speak with one of the local owners, Logan Gray.

I was introduced to Logan through a mutual friend, Shawn Soole (thank you Shawn!) and really enjoyed hearing the story of Discovery Coffee and the passion that has helped make it an incredible local success. You can also enjoy the story by listening to the podcast episode below or by signing up to recieve The Sunday Evening Post every week in which the podcast will be featured.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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    Many of you may not know this side of me but an enormous part of my experience on this earth has been in the pursuit of those particular dreams and filled with those particular experiences. You might not see that it's relevant to the focus of my current passion to help small business owners in Greater Victoria to get personal, get creative and get involved in the Social Revolution but I assure you that it is. Having a transparent agenda means giving every aspect of your being an equally important role in the presentation of the story you share with the outside world.

    I'm a whole person made of a seemingly infinite scope of distinct parts and I believe in the collective good that comes from sharing the intimate with the public; the triumphs along with the tribulations; for each one shows the world who we really are. If ever there was a time when I've felt the "bittersweet" aspect of life, it was today. I don't regret it advance or celebrate its passing, but instead pay homage to a chapter in my life that has led me down a labyrinth of doorways and thresholds; a gauntlet of personal and professional choices that have led me to this juncture where I stand today, poised to demonstrate myself as leader in this city and a creative enabler to those in need of a spark.

    Here is where my philosophy might well veer slightly outside the current comfort zone yours; the traditional mantra of economics dictates that all adherents religiously avow to keep the two dimensions of themselves - what they do for a living and the life they live - mutually exclusive from one another. In my own very strong opinion, the mandate of our individual and collective well-being requires that the opposite occur- that such destructive thinking is so fundamentally opposed to the social nature in which our kind has evolved that I challenge anyone of sound mind and reasonable process to rationally explain why such a false guard must be so vehemently maintained. Blame it on the #Gatekeepers.

A Toast To Change

    It's hard to say goodbye to certain dreams you've carried so close to your heart. It's okay to admit you're grieving a loss and adjusting to change - even when it's a choice you consciously made for yourself. Signing off from the music channel today for me was one of those moments and it affected me much more profoundly than I imagined it would when I composed that blog post earlier this morning.

    There's absolutely no shame in showing your true colours - in fact, I feel that quite the opposite is true. Being transparent doesn't mean denouncing privacy for oneself any more than it entails showing up at work stark naked. All it requires is that we permit the truth of our individual intent and aspirations to rise to the surface, owning our mistakes and embracing our successes.

    After all, in a world so desperately in need of accountability and responsibility, what else is this fantastic global Social Revolution trying to communicate to us about ourselves if not to explore the possibility of a cultural landscape of earning and maintaining both trust and respect?

Thoughts on this post? I'd love to hear from you.

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    I've loved music my entire life and been dreaming of becoming a bona fide rock star since I was very young. There are pictures of me in my diaper strumming a potato masher alongside others of me plodding away in my room as an awkward teenager channeling the fears and anxieties of high-school life into song. I've written with gifted talents (Heavy Sun, The Next T-Shirt, Black Hat Villain, Adam Sutherland), shared the stage with other incredible artists and belted my personal power in front of countless audiences. I've also strutted my stuff at The Commodore Ballroom. Twice.

     I've written hundreds of songs who have become dear old friends and allies to me along this path and created a unique album experience unlike anything else anyone has ever seen. I've been old school. I've been new school. I've been sensitive and I've been brash and cocky. I've been folksy and I've been rock & roll, baby. I've screamed to the heavens and shook the bars of the cage that surround me. I've said hello to you and been touched by your reply and now, my dearest friends and fans, I'm saying goodbye.

    My pursuit of music as a livelihood has been long and filled with expectations, some of which I have achieved and many which I have not but I carry with me not one single regret in my heart. Music has been my lifelong muse; the strongest shoulder upon which I could lean when my soul needed rescue and little else could show me the courage I needed to face the road that lay ahead. I've given it my passion, my truth, my grief, my fears, my dreams and my hopes in exchange for the voice with which to understand who I have been, who I am and what I might yet become. My pursuit of music led me to Ishmael, which led me to Daniel Quinn which in turn led me to Houston - a journey that in itself showed me the world I wanted to live in; a world I knew I needed to help encourage others to discover too.

    I am so appreciative for all the support I have received from my family, my friends and from people who I've never even met that have, in some small way, been touched the words, melodies and passion of my song. There are no words to express the depths of my gratitude and dire appreciation for your encouragement. Without knowing you might hear my cry for help or my hopes for the future, who knows where I might be today. Thank you. Thank you so very much.

    Where I am today feels better and better to me with each passing day. Sure it's been a struggle, particularly over the past 16 months since my car accident but I'm happy to say that I'm beginning to heal and enjoying the growth of both my precious little family, the little local businesses I own and operate (Designs 20/20, The Living Experience), my daily blog (The Transparent Agenda) my new weekly newsletter (The Sunday Evening Post), all of which I've been pouring the focus of my passions towards.

    Please understand that I'm not giving up anything - I'll always write and record music. I've just realized that my passions for storytelling and community building are leading me down other exciting and inspiring paths of creation. The only thing I'm retiring from is the relentless pursuit of the music industry's eyes and ears. I've given who I am and shared my soul and I no longer carry the strength of desire in my heart to try and live off it's scraps. It's a wonderful game to play but a difficult path to travel, and at this stage in my life caring for and supporting my own young family is the priority. (It's also just gotten too hard to create content and spark conversations on so many different social platforms for so many different businesses I'm pursuing to make my living. :)

     I not interested in trying to make the world hear my songs anymore or beg anyone to give a shit about my music. I know what these passions mean to me and the people who've loved them along the way and that's become more than enough for me to appreciate. In fact, its the only thing that has ever truly mattered to me. When it comes to the inspiration behind my writing and my performances connection through communication and relatable life experiences has been my sweetest reward.

    Fear not my friends - my songs will always be available for everyone on my website, free for the taking anytime you want them, need them or feel the desire to share them. I'll always keep this site up and even updated from time to time when inspiration arises. I might even play a cover tune and post a video for you. I might hit an open mic night when my soul requires it or hit the streets to give away the boxes of CD's and tees I have in my closet. You have my blessings to take my songs and do with them whatever you please and I promise you that anytime I do write and record something new that I want to share with you that this is where you can find them. They might not be the same professional quality studio recording as my new studio single Dirty Minds (which I'm releasing today for you) but they'll always be true to who I am as an artist - honest, sincere and straight from the heart.

    I would like to thank my wife Amy for the incredible love and support she has given me throughout. She is my light, my love and my life along with our daughter Bella and I'm so grateful for their presence in my life.

    My mother has been my strongest ally since I first strummed that potato masher and has selflessly helped to fund most of my creative dreams along the way.

    My friends have tirelessly attended my shows, bought my CD's and allowed me the honour and privilege of sharing time and space with them, both in their hearts and in their minds.

    My manager Brain Thompson of Thorny Bleeder has been a great revelation to my music career over the past 3 years, encouraging me to discover new channels with which to express my ideas and share my soul.

    Little did we all know my path would lead me here to write these words today but I'm proud to say that I'm a transparent storyteller first and foremost and you can always find me looking and listening to the heartbeat of the world around me. I wish you all the opportunity to discover your own voice and experience the world you want to live in and sincerely look forward to hearing from you throughout the course of our lives together.

    Here. On this awe-inspiring planet we call home.

    With respect and love to you and future generations of us all,

    From Here To There,

    scotty

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     What can I say? I just believe with every part of my being that something greater than this way of life is possible...for everyone. To quote my friend and mentor Daniel Quinn, “If the world is saved, it will be saved by people with changed minds, people with a new vision." So I promise that although I will be transparent in my feelings and ideas I would like to promise you (and myself!) that negativity and angst is not going to be the overall tone of this blog.

The Next Revolution Is Upon Us and TV Can't Keep Up

    I've been digging underneath the prison walls for so long that I forgot the need to come up for air and take a look around. The  cultural landscape continues to change and it does so at an exponential rate. I listened to this incredible podcast today, hosted by one of my favourite "infovores", Mitch Joel, author of Six Pixels of Separation.

252_SPOS_#253_-_Don_Peppers_Looks_At_The_Future_Of_Marketing.mp3 Listen on Posterous

   Oh sure there's an African-American President in the US and there are dozens of dictators scrambling left-right and center across the globe to avoid being torn limb from limb but even so - the economic foundations on which our modern civilization has been built is protected by The Old School, and these #Gatekeepers play for keeps. We're talking about thousands of years of financial and military investment. They've got a lifestyle, a highrise city-block mortgage and a private island to protect.They're not about to step aside for the sake of the people because a bunch of yahoo's with cell phones are uncovering all their dirty secrets. Even though the system is fundamentally so unsafe and structurally unsound, the charade continues.

    Despite our greatest collective efforts the #Gatekeepers maintain their ever-vigilant presence; guarding their long-term investments by monitoring social networks in an attempt to manage and contain the tone, presentation and ideas of the billions of minions chattering down below. I've read about them in books, seen them on TV and driven past their house. Ok. Past the gate and boulevard driveway outside their house, but you catch my point.

So What Are We Supposed To Do?

    If we met in person and had a chance to share a drink or two you'd quickly understand that I'm actually a terribly hopeful person, almost to the point of breaching the much-maligned threshold of idealism. In any case, experience what I deem passionate sincerity and if you too are also prone to occasional fits of utopian fancy now and again, I think we could get much of this shit figured out over 4 or five Negroni's at Clive's.

    Perhaps therein lies the real culprit of my internalized intensity; I just care too much about the possibilities of our kind in spite of the tortoise pace of our intellectual evolution. I mean, really? UFC? We've still got a long way to go before we learn the lessons of our historical nearsightedness, civil ignorance and violent brutality.

    Be that as it may well be I'm making a cognitive effort to channel my own ideas, frustrations, insatiable appetite for information and passion for storytelling into one place. Hence the creation of The Sunday Evening Post (#SEP for any of you following along via Twitter and caring to spread the word).

Just Another Creative Type Lookin' For A Place To Happen

    But seriously, I'm here to be transparent and share mutual interests and insights with people of like-mind and spirit. I consider myself a source of great ideas and a creator of powerful content. I'm a storyteller looking to make myself available to anyone who needs a hand telling, capturing and sharing their own unique story. But I'm not a social media "expert" by any means - in fact, I despise the term. I think it's misrepresented and too easily self-applied. There's really no qualification for such a claim. Have all of these people studied it at university? Have they blogged every day since the term "weblog" was first coined back in 1997? Do they have upwards of 10,000 followers on Twitter or a best-selling book on Amazon? Would that validate their ideas more than yours or mine? Not necessarily. So while I admire and religiously follow many great social thinkers and proudly share their insights with you I hesitate referring to them as "social media experts". Maybe once all the hoopla surrounding the social media craze has died down a little the true experts might emerge but until then it feels a lot like self-indulgence. Besides, this is only my 6th blog post ever in this capacity. How simply Neanderthal of me!

¡Viva la Revolución!

      What really appears to be taking place is a bona fide Social Revolution - a paradigm shift unlike anything our species has ever known (although many news networks would have us believe otherwise). And since we're just at the beginning of it no one can truly predict in which direction it might lead us. After all, one paradigm cannot safely predict the next or it would be the next paradigm.

    What we're experiencing is the shift of social and cultural mass; billions of us human beings packed tighter than sardines across the face of the planet (except for us lucky Canadians and Russians with all of this physical space still to enjoy! Hands off America!). We're using online platforms to exchange information, ideas and stories with one another as we individually discover the freedom to express our own unique creative, intellectual and emotional selves and spread our wings. We're talking about an ever-changing social landscape where rules and guidelines get left by the wayside in favour of something new, something different; something more. It's incredibly exciting but damn! if it isn't nearly impossible to keep up with it all!

A World of Possibilities Tomorrow

    There aren't any guidelines or set means with which to govern such an infinitesimally expanding digital landscape. There might well be countless numbers of places where conversations are happening and people are sharing, some much grander in scope and reach than others (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), but that doesn't mean that any one of us, not even the original designers and developers of these networks, are able to control charge of the inspiration, tone, tempo or scope of its content. We're remotely plugging in to each others worlds en masse because in a world owned, operated and governed by #Gatekeepers, it allows us the chance to be ourselves. Or at least the time and space to discover who we might be. The Social Revolution is a people powered movement and we continually dictate the terms. These platforms are here to serve our desires.

    So if you want to join the conversation then jump on in the waters fine. There's nothing to be afraid of. Everyone connecting through this myriad of social hot spots are men and women just like you and I. They too are discovering the liberty that choice and preference can create when everyone gets a megaphone. You might not think this applies to you and your small business but I assure you it does - more so than you might realize. Once you identify, accept and embrace your own personal brand story you'll soon discover where "your kinda people" congregate and exchange online. And that is the indelible power of the online social juggernaut.

    So while I'm not an expert here's my advice: Be yourself. Be transparent. Be fearless. Be bold.

    And let your own unique freak flag fly with the rest of us.

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[View the story "The First Edition: Welcome To The Sunday Evening Post" on Storify]

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Old School vs New School

    Every generation runs up against the #Gatekeepers; they exist in every industry and every community and today's landscape of young, passionate entrepreneurs are no different. And so the epic battle continues.

    The good news is that once you can identify them they're incredibly easy to uncover, "unlike" and "unfollow" thus removing their wicked ways from your own feeds and spheres of social influence. But what about the next guy? What about the newbie who bravely ventures forth into the social realm unaware? Unfortunately for them the bad news is that they've already likely mistaken the number of friends and followers of these thought relics as evidence of their positive influence and joined the party line, when in reality it's often just a swollen perception of popularity that results in another mind-numbing example of the blind leading the blindfolded.

Why Say Yes To The Stress?

    Obviously this has struck a solid nerve with me and I'll be the first to acknowledge it. But I'm not hear to bitch and whinge for whining's sake. Rather I'd like to ask you to join forces with me to give voice to the community of small business owners and merchants who, like me, feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the lack of support and respect shown to us, our friends and our colleagues by the #Gatekeepers who consider us beneath their efforts or concerns or perhaps determine us too late to the social media party and thus undeserving of decent civil support, respect and recognition.

    We have valid concerns and valuable ideas and are looking for relevant and useful information that we can use to leverage our small business. I'd prefer to  surround myself with thinkers, dreamers and doer's who say "be who you are and say what you feel"  and "follow your bliss" as opposed to "you can't say that here" or "out o my way" or "this doesn't concern you." Wouldn't you?

    So what do you think? Am I completely out-to-lunch? Can we forge a better alliance?

    If you're interested in helping to build a useful, informative and inspired local small business community in our city please visit The New Rebel Alliance Meetup page.

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         With a not-so-subtle tip of the hat to the widely popular Saturday Evening Post of a world gone by, I have elected to create The Sunday Evening Post (and corresponding #SEP "hashtag" for any of you uninitiated Twitter users out there) in an attempt to establish a weekly ritual for sharing an eclectic collection of inspiring stories and insightful links from across the Web. While this unique online presentation is available for everyone to enjoy, it's geared toward local small business owners and supporters who might, like me, struggle to find enough time during the work week to catch up on some of the relevant information being shared across the ever-expanding array of social media platforms.

Localizing The Conversation

    It's my sincere hope that this weekly collection might become an effective resource for you to engage and interact in thought-provoking dialogue without having to weed your way through the noise and clutter of Twitter streams, Facebook feeds, RSS subscriptions and other overwhelming conversations to digest in order to find some glimmer of useful information. At the same time, I hope you might also find cause to engage in commentary and discussion on the various articles and posts I have collected. It's a living, breathing conversation between us and I value your suggestions.

Running A Small Business Leaves Little Time For Leisurely Reads

    More and more small business owners and merchants are recognizing the power of engaging their brand within new and rapidly evolving online social networks. We're opening lines of communication and expanding our knowledge base to keep up with the wired-in and mobile savvy customer culture that has emerged at the forefront of business and commerce. We are seeking to understand and develop strategies to stand out, to create unique content for web-hungry audiences while at the same time vying to raise our own brand presence amid an ever-diminishing collective attention span. It's no easy task but we also understand and embrace that transparency, integrity and accountability are re-establishing themselves as the most integral parts of building trust and loyalty within our communities, real world and digital, and so we carefully look to nurture meaningful relationships with our neighbours, both locally as well as globally.    

So Much Information, Such Little Time

    It's impossible to stay informed on all things in this rapidly shifting social landscape so unless you're heavily invested in trading commodities, juggling stock options or trying to be the first person on Twitter to break the latest news of a celebrity break-up or political unrest in an emerging democracy then this weekly newsletter is just what the doctor ordered. You can breathe a little easier knowing someone else is taking the time to collect interesting content that relates to your needs and to deliver it to you in one uniquely succinct presentation.

Every Sunday Evening. 7:30 Sharp.

    If you're anything at all like me I know you struggle to balance home, work, family and leisure time. But I'm quite positive that if you set aside just 30 minutes every Sunday night after dinner to sit down with a insightful collection of stories and developments from the week before and catch up on some helpful tips and inspiration to prepare you for the busy week ahead, that you'll feel just a little less stressed when it comes time to wake up Monday morning and head back to the business of making a living.

    After all, isn't that what these great technologies are supposed to do, make our lives a little easier?
   
    So relax a little more, enjoy your week and I'll see you on Sunday nights.

    Sign-up here to have The Sunday Evening Post delivered directly to your inbox every single week at 7:30pm.

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Hello Victoria.

I'm looking forward to sharing insights, information and inspiration with you and hope you'll feel encouraged to do the same as this blog finds its legs in the weeks, months and (hopefully!) years ahead.

I have a strong vision for our community; one that empowers us as individuals with a respected voice, unique outlook and shared passion for building success across all of our varied passions.

I look forward to connecting and exchanging ideas with you all.

Scott_Valentine
Creative Director
Designs 20/20

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