I recently came across the blog of a long time muse of mine, Labi Siffre. I was once in a second-hand shop in Manchester and the cover of his 1972 album, “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying” called out to me to buy it…

I had never heard of him, and the record was a little scratched, but I took it home and haven’t stopped listening to it since. I even hooked up the record player to the computer so I could make mp3s. Some time later, I saw him perform a sublime set of music and poetry - on race, religion, politics and people.

When I came across his blog, Into The Light, I saw a stream of poetry… This one really caught my attention:

as 123 as ABC

“life has no meaning without God” say many
but life has no meaning
full stop. period.

life is the muse, the inspiration
equalled only by existence
and these wonders inspire us
FIRE us to meaning

to not realize that is
profoundly
odd

and the customary way
to flee
responsibility

At the recent SLDevU conference in London, I understood the vision behind the online virtual world, Second Life, to a much deeper level: a platform for the 3D Internet - a richer, more compelling and more collaborative space for information and communication than our current, flat-screen Web.

Created by visionary programmers and inhabited by curious explorers, soul seekers, revellers, entrepreneurs and a frenzy of big-bucks brands, I wonder if we could turn this new Frontierland into something greater than our First Life?… Read more…

Do you like Dharmasphere? Do you listen to music? Sure you do!

Roll up and join the Dharmasphere group on Last FM. We’ll get group radio once we have a few more members…

Last FM is a website that learns your musical tastes and plays you a radio stream of similar music - from highly commercial to highly independent artists. It has introduced me to some fantastic new bands.

If you’re interested to listen to my music, one of my albums is in there:
Ishta - Live in Manchester

I’ve been playing with artwork for a new Dharmasphere logo. You can find the results in this interactive animation… but you’ll have to be clever and work out how to find it! :)

What do you think?

Illustration Friday is one of a multitude of projects on the web with the simple desire to unite minds across the globe and to share inspiration and creativity. In my eyes it is a simple example of how the web can be used to establish a worldwide family.

It is a very simple concept. Each Friday, a theme is given and anyone around the world can illustrate the topic and then submit a link to their illustration from the website.

Anyone is free to suggest a topic and any aspiring or established artist can interpret the theme.
Read more…