I haven’t had one in a while. I think the last one was with an Uber driver in LA in December.
I’m choosing to air this here, because I don’t think many Rocko fans come here. Or if anyone reads this blog. ( I know spambots do) But hear me out.
I’m grateful for the experience of doing my TV shows ( and yes, as Hunter S. Thompson says “TV is a long plastic hallway where thieves run free and good men die like dogs”. I was on a mission. What I did n’t know that was I was signing up for a pop-culture Nostalgia club. ( again, let me say, grateful for those who watched) but I don’t think most got what I was trying to do with Rocko, Definitely not with Lazlo, and also Luna. But as colleagues frequent the pop culture carnivals called Comic Cons, I’m content to sit quietly on my farm and make animated films. I’m not doing the 90’s cartoon rest home for creators.
The pop culture world seems very shallow to me. I crave intelligent conversation. Not about politics, or fear based problems. The beauty of myth, storytelling, nature, awareness. I tried teaching a class on what really excited me, me most of the students were there to talk Rocko and Lazlo. I’m a geek for the artform of animation, the detail, the motion, the auteur aspect of animated filmmaking. I sound like an art snob, but this is where I am.
Most of my so called friends liked TV Joe, and what they could derive from it. Other people around me , are living so much on the external, and not paying attention to the internal.
The weapons of mass distraction are far more dangerous than anything in the military arsenal being lobbed at Iran, or whoever gets on the wrong side of you-know-who.
So thats it. I watch a zoom podcast where he says “leave a heart emoji if you resonate with this”. I don’t really expect any. Just a spambot saying something generic.
Peace.
4 Responses
Joe, I just wanted to say I took your recent class and it was a pleasure hearing you talk about your passion for the art form of animation.
I’m still trying to learn how to animate and transition from drawing/illustrating to creating life with the characters in my head.
I’ve been in a soul sucking job for ~10 years now. I work in a datacenter of all places and am just surrounded by AI and tech bros and all of the stuff that makes each day a true living, waking nightmare.
I am completely misaligned in my career but it keeps my bills paid and provides good health insurance and benefits.
I feel like there are multiple lanes in life and art/creativity is the one I want. But somewhere early on I stumbled and fell into this lane, and now I keep stumbling forward in this same lane while I try to catch my balance.
My biggest fear is that this is the lane I’ll be stuck in until I get to the finish line. And each year it looks more and more like that.
But I’m still drawing and creating every day, even if it’s just for me.
I guess I just wanted to let you know I’m thankful for your class and insights. They really motivated me and pushed me to step out and take more classes to hopefully turn my life into one I want to live where I can eventually pay my bills and make art at the same time.
And I wanted you to know it’s not just spambots reading your blog. Here is the heart you asked for <3 lol
Yayyyy! I get to approve a comment!Thank you Jeremy!
All I can say is we all have different paths, but reading the signs of what you are aligned with or not is an important step, and a good foundation. Your dedication to your art can take many forms, but keep going. Let me know what I can do to help.
And thank you for the soul revealing comment. It means a lot to me. and the heart emoji! -Joe
I feel so bad for not having kept in touch with this journal Mr. Murray! I thought these entries were long gone… I’m so sorry for drifting when I could’ve reach you.
I feel many people just pursue art because that’ll make them famous or important, not so much because they need to share something meaningful with the rest of humanity, or maybe they do have something very important (to them) to say, but they make it sound like hate speech towards an absolute pit of emptiness.
❤️❤️❤️ Your work has always resonated with me, your words got me getting up over and over from the fight and your spirit lifts mine up even when everything seems hopeless
I care a lot about you Jaina. We will get through this!