It's all about YOU!

[Henry Long]

An idea-
I am always facinated by the different people who are into Daniel Johnston, whether they be long time supporters and pals, or new to the magic. Hence, a topic inspired by Gina's personal history...a place for us to talk about who we are and how we got here (brief existentialism unintended).

So, who are you? Tell us about yourself. What you think. Why you care.

(I have pasted Gina's post into this topic to get things going...)

[Poonhead]

I saw segments of one of Daniel's concerts and an interview with him on this show The New Music, up here in Canada a couple years ago.  I was immediately fascinated by this character who was looking at comic books through the whole interview and answering questions with minimal, occassionally funny one-liners.  Daniel Johnston stuff has been hard to find.  Although with work I got a hold of a couple cds and downloaded some songs too.  

     It wasn't until a couple months ago that I was playing some music I'd made to a friend, that he said "that sounds kind of Daniel Johnston-ish," and I said "you like Daniel Johnston too?"  Then he showed me this site, and Dan's official site.

     I've always liked music for the songwriters and the songwritting.  My favorites are Dan Bern, Daniel Johnston, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Johnny Cash.  Daniel's work is refreshingly unpretentious and shockingly honest.  I always believe everything he sings.  I also love his drawings for being unpretentious, absurd, hilarious and sometimes just beautiful.  I bought a couple pieces and I read the handbook.

Hmm, and about me:  I am a 25yr old, unemployed painter (BFA) in Canada, who just got rejected by 6 grad schools (3 of them American.)

     Anyway, I've been reading this forum for the past couple months but mostly to find things out rather than tell people anything.  I really can't wait to see the documentary.  I have lofty expectations.
Cheers!
Adam.

[guest]

I'll join here very soon.... but in response to your question:

I stumbled across Daniel Johnston on Amazon.com. I had just purchased some Vincent Gallo CD's and then Wa-Lah. The rest is history. The very first song I sampled was "Crazy Love." I played it easily over 50 times. I couldn't get enough of his shaky, insecure, emotionally broken voice. Similiar to driving by a horrible accident and you always have to look. I felt like I was tapping into someone's subconcious. So I got Rhapsody, only in the sole pursuit of getting a full version of "Crazy Love." I've listened to it over and over all day. Then, I've found myself looking up websites, reading articles and finally venturing here, which is feeling so much like home. And Wah-La, the rest is history.

I'm a 20 year old female in my second year of college. I'm always contemplating what I want to do for the rest of my life... what do i want to do... what do i want to do... I fear commitment. Yet whatever I do, I want it to be concrete, what I devote all my energy, time and myself to. Music is my muse and literature my pleasure. I'm lonely, yet oh so independent. I don't understand... all these reviews, interviews I've read... the first "catcher" is meet Daniel Johnson, the man who's best when he forgets to take his meds... the man whos schizophrenia is his best friend, etc. etc.. and for one split second I thought, what is my sudden sick infatuation with this handicapp man? Then I thought... he's like that guy w/ cerebral palsy who everyone sticks up for and says "hi" to only because it's the right thing to do, only because our concious plays a part. Only because his handicapp is so easily displayed in his voice.. his music that I feel the need to protect him.

[Anonymous]

its me again.. he puts Conor Oberst to shame...

Just as good as Jim O'rouke's "Ghost ship in a storm"

[poonhead]

I'm a also a Vincent Gallo fan.  Buffalo 66 is one of my favourite movies.  I haven't seen Brown Bunny yet.  He is also, as Tom Waits might say, "big in Japan."

Adam.

[Henry Long]

Me?
I am 42. A Leo. Born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Moved to Delaware 10 years ago (to get the hell out of Wilkes-Barre!). I am an artist working primarily in painting and mixed media. I’m also a poet, currently working on my 11th chapbook of new material (see attached). I live in Bellefonte, Delaware with my beautiful fiancé Emma, 26, also a Leo, and also a painter. We met when she moved in next door to my 1 room studio apartment last November. Love at first sight. I am a lucky lucky man.

My artistic vision is similar to Daniel’s in that I was inspired in my early teens by
1. Rock and Roll (The Beatles, Zappa, Alice Cooper)
2. Comic Books (especially the art of Jack Kirby)
3. Mythology (Catholic upbringing. What a mess.)

In my work, I am interested in the intuitive process, the figure, the ideas of chance and randomness, and working from a seemingly arbitrary palette, (although, as I have found, nothing really is arbitrary, chance or random!)

My poetry is similar; a sort of broad sweep of imagery carefully made personal, while caught in the beauty of the sounds of the words and flashes of their connected meanings. Or something along those lines.

I have loved Daniel’s music for a long time, own 10 of his drawings, a few personal items, and many many CD’s, cassettes and records. I promote his work at every opportunity, and consider myself a fellow seeker in the mystery, with my main desire to simply BE in the mystery.

Recent Poem:
(It's kind of a summing up of where I am creatively, spiritually, and honestly)

Pudendum Continuum

Caught in the continuation of creation,
like menstruation in the Indian Ocean.
I finally unplugged the Martyrdom Machine.

The Academy of Posthumous Radiance
returned my applications “Unacceptable:
Contact the Department of Insignificance.”

Thank you for the rejection! Disapproval! Yes!
I understand your misunderstandings on this.
You’ll forgive me if I take the time to go on...

             And it’s Clay versus Clay. And it’s wave upon wave.
             And at the end of the day, it’s you that you save.

A torpedo of an idea; Let Love In.
I looked into the Pudendum Continuum,
through the narrower aperture of the eye’s mind.

My ice vine valentine pressed between the pages
of her Frost poems. Poetry is Magical.
Magic: Intuition. The Intuitive: Art.

Bono says, “All Art is Praise.” Praise is watery,
and water is that what the soul consists, solely.
(Notes from the well, I’m happy to have heard your song.)

Disenvoweled. Fragile. Skeletal. Memorable.
Given to being filled like a wheel thrown vessel,
she fills so deeply. I mean, she feels so deeply.

I don’t need system enter rusting every word.
Chosen or honed, home or alone with all the world,
form follows purity of intent, and then some.

Antlered, nodding to the moon, imbrued, I thank you
for this fortuitous arrangement of the fates.
For how our inward boundaries are touched by grace.

Stealing butter. Baying loud at the naked clouds.
The embracing night sky has been patient with me.
I thank you for making me a Human Being.




As for "Guest"...
"I'm a 20 year old female in my second year of college... I'm always     contemplating what I want to do for the rest of my life... what do i want to do... what do i want to do... I fear commitment. Yet whatever I do, I want it to be concrete, what I devote all my energy, time and myself to. Music is my muse and literature my pleasure..."

I think you've made it quite clear what you "want to do." If Music and Literature are your Muse and Pleasure, then (as Joseph Campbell would say): Follow Your Bliss!!!

Oh, and Poonhead, I got my B.F.A. back in'84. (Studied with Berenice D'vorzon, herself a student of DeKooning's). Took a long time to unlearn a ****load of bad ideas and finally CREATE! Know what I mean? Hang in there, and trust your instincts. (Any links to your stuff you care to share with the rest of us???)

[Poonhead]

Yea, do you have any of your art online Henry?  Let's see it.

As for mine:
www.adambrooks.net

[dbeefy]

Whoa, where to start...?

I'm 33 years old, currently live in Cardiff, Wales' capital city, work for 'the government' in publicity/digital media.

I've also been making films in various capacities since the early 90s, all independent, self financed kind of things, especially the digital feature Eightball on which I was 2nd unit director.

At the moment I'm making a 'fan video' for a Daniel song, more on this later once its done...I'll make it available for everyone here to see. Given the dichotomy between having a 'proper job' and following my creative endeavours I've been in some pretty low places, but I wouldn't insult anyone by laying claim to serious depression, Suffice it to say that I identify with some of where Daniel is coming from. And I obviously love his work , it has had a real good effect on me! More for the music than the artwork at the moment, the songs are beautiful.

The website for my film stuff is www.lausanne-films.co.uk , and I'm also involved with the guys at www.trickshot-films.co.uk   Sorry for the plugging , but it's a big part of who I am and what I'm doing. The day job is www.wales.gov.uk , but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have insomnia! (am working to fix it but, 'some things last a long time' ! )

[dbeefy]

ok, just a bit more, what other stuff am I into ...?

Music
Husker Du/Bob Mould, U2 (early stuff), House of Freaks, 60s and 70s soundtracks, Aimee Mann, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Todd Rundgren, Zappa, Dead Kennedies, Pixies, 90s British indie (blur, stone roses etc) , and probably more than I can list right now! Also have a bit of a fascination for extreme expermental noise - Throbbing Gristle, Whitehouse, etc


Film
Pt Anderson, Tarantino, Argento, cult/exploitation from the 60s/70s , classic XXX movies - Chuck Vincent, Radley Metzger, Roberta Findlay, that sort of thing. Oh and Linklater of course Slacker, Before sunrise/sunset but that stands to reason ..

[Henry Long]

Poonhead-

Thanx for the link. Amazing work, man. Strong ****. I especially am drawn to "Self Polaroid," "Pieta Freak," and "Bisect," although all of them are exciting, daring and definately about the PAINT! "Krisztina" is as beautiful a painting as it is disturbing. I know you will take that as a compliment, as it is intended as such.

My site was up without "permission," let's just say, and all images (paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures) are out there somewhere in the Internet Limbo. My latest work is oil stain and acrylic with charcoal and graphite on large gessoed masonite panels. 6-armed Goddess imagery (Emma's my model) with serpents and goat heads and text. Palette is mostly reds, maroons and pinks, with small touches of light blue and yellow (variations on the primaries). I have no idea why or where it's going.

I'm not sure how I can add an image here, but I'll give it a shot later.

How'd you do it, Wickedwill?

[dbeefy]

Henry , juat read your poem properly. Lovely words.

[Anonymous]

It is hard to know where to start.  

  Well i am 24/f. Currently i am home bound due to a mental condition. I eventually would like to go to school for graphic animation. I have been working on a few home projects.
   Anyways a member of the band Sparklehourse recomended daniel to me and my b/f. We went out got one of his albums and listened. Funny thing is i didn't like his music at that point, but eventually it grew on me and now i am an obsessed fan who doesn't know the diffrence between genius and madness. hah

[dbeefy]

sounds cool, please keep going !

[Poonhead]

Henry, thanks for the kind words.  It's pretty cool the things we all have in common, other than appreciation for Daniel.

Has anyone noticed the HACKED forum group and that the word spelled I S has been replaced with the word DESU?  This seems pretty annoying.  Also how Henry's first post has been vandalized.  Oh well, I guess I'm making myself a target to have my words manipulated.

[Marc]

Hey, I am in the process of signing up but my email hasn't come yet.
I'm 16, I live in Nacton, England. I first heard Daniel when I in Rex Records (a local independant) and I was totally transfixed. The song playing was Go, I had to find out who was singing it. I asked and they said Daniel Johnston and I thought, hey I'll go out on a whim and buy it. I've only heard bits of two songs but it's worth a risk. I brought Discovered Uncovered as it was the only thing they had.
I couldn't stop listening to it. The honesty just blew me away. As I play acoustic myself, I felt aweinspired.
I then managed to get hold of Songs Of Pain + More Songs Of Pain and again, couldn't stop listening to them. I've recently got Fun as well.
It's always nice to find artists who you never knew of before, artists with such honesty and disriguard to what people may think of them. To be honest, I felt a little scared to post here because I wasn't sure how I would be taken, as I'm relavtivly knew to Daniel's art. After reading different posts I realised that it wasn't just for Daniel fans who had been there from the beginning, it was for all.
Sorry if it's a lame way to end it, but thats a bit about me.
Marc