brick and mortar...

Twenty years ago when I first moved to the house I still live in, we would pass a dairy farm with its cow smells and green pastures and drive in a round-a-bout way to arrive home. The stars would shine bright in the darkness and the crickets chirp could be heard.

A lot has changed, buildings are all around, streets have grown wider, parking lots have take over natures habitat and you have to drive out into the remote area to even see the long ago bright stars.

Lately I am reminded of the nature that hangs on in spite of the ever growing brick and mortar. A lone woodpecker who wakes me with its "rat-a-tat-tat" on a near by tree keeps me reminded of the animals and wildlife that adapt and refuse to be taken over by man. It's a nice sound to hear first thing in the morning before I start my day. Before I awake and see the cars racing by and the building that glare at me across the street. It helps me center myself, not in the hustle and bustle of everyday but in the quiet and peacefulness that only nature can provide.

A Sad Heart...

Divorce and separation aren't always a "bad" thing, but I always find it saddens my heart just a little when I hear of others going through it. I was listening to a friend last night share her journey with this issue and one of my neighbors (that I am not very close to) but are now going their separate ways. Not sure if it's because I've been there, done that and it strikes a cord with me and I can relate - I don't know. I just know when I encounter it, my heart is sad and always a little surprised that once again it is happening to someone. In someways I don't want to feel any other way. I don't want it to be so expected and normal that it doesn't faze me at all. So for all those I know and those I don't that are going through this situation - I will be thinking of you today.

A friend told me once: that is was better to live for awhile uncomfortable in the truth then comfortable in a lie. I Pick TRUTH...

It's never to late...

Be Inspired...

Working dreams won’t get you rich. But amazing things happen when you take risks.

In summer of ’98, I sold my drum kit for gas money and convinced my college roommate to drive me from Ithaca to San Diego. All I kept was a pack of Field Notes and my Beach Boys records. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” was playing and it was at that moment that I decided to invest in myself. I had thirty bucks, a landline, and a ton of motivation.

I have never written a business plan, yet I have three businesses that I’ve been running for over a decade now. I can’t read a lick of sheet music, yet I’ve toured the world managing bands. You wouldn’t want me to adjust your camera’s F-stop, yet I’ve worked on three films and produced a web series.

I don’t know anything about book publishing, so naturally, I wrote and self-published a book.

I’ve never been overly great at drawing, but I’ve been an art director on projects for Zappos, MTV, and TOMS. I don’t drive a Ford, but I’m continually hired to help promote their vehicles.

I grew up attending public schools and battled with reading comprehension, yet now I’m invited to lecture at Ivy Leagues.

I don’t own cable television, but I’ve licensed music to Californication, Nip/Tuck, CSI, and Grey’s Anatomy. CSS, HTML, and Java mean nothing to me, yet I’m preparing to launch an iPhone app.

Life changes the minute you start doing what you love. And guess what—it’s never too late to get started.

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Dave Brown lives in Brooklyn, NY. By day, he’s Etsy’s social media specialist and by night, a blogger, author, record label owner and creative consultant. Dave’s a huge fan of ice-hockey, chicken teriyaki, and the film Rushmore. Anyone interested in making this world more awesome is someone Dave likes to meet and collaborate with. He coined the motto, “Love your work. Work your love.”