It is my belief that you must do those things that make your heart beat with excitement. You should do it – even if you aren’t quite “ready”. You should do it – even if things aren’t quite perfect. You should do it – even if it scares you shitless.

This is why I have lately started video blogging over at Seamus.TV - it’s not strictly about (insert whatever this blog is supposed to be about) but essentially, to me, it is all the same thing (inspiration for living life to it’s fullest).

Soon, I may start doing some Rebel Zen specific video blogging. (I am currently restricted from doing this due to lack of time. Vlogging actually takes me longer than a written article, despite the fact that I don’t script my video posts. The things that take time are editing and uploading – but I am getting systems down to speed these chores up. “Systems” like wearing a t-shirt with the vlog title on it so I don’t have to integrate title bylines on the screen, sophisticated stuff like that ;-P … And one day I may actually get another video camera instead of just using my iPhone, which ain’t so crash hot I will admit.)

Anyway, check it out, if even just to have a laugh at my apparent lack of sanity.

A small collection of black songs about those moments in life where you look at yourself in a filthy, cracked, blood-flecked mirror and the first thought that springs to mind is “Yup – file this sucker under D for Damaged Goods”.

I may be completely unenlightened, and therefore have no idea what I am talking about, but to me enlightenment is not an event but rather, it’s a place.

By this I mean it’s not (in my opinion, unqualified by any particular dogma) something that just happens and then that’s it – you’re enlightened for the rest of your life.

For me it’s somewhere you have to make the effort to go (although sometimes you stumble upon it without trying, like walking out of the trees into an unexpected clearing in a forest).

And like all visits, you sit, maybe drink some tea, enjoy – but then you have to leave, already looking forward to your next visit.

Usually, I travel to this delightful place by meditation, and it can be a bumpy ride getting there. Sometimes I run out of time and steam and have to turn back without reaching the destination. Usually, if I keep steadfastly on, I get there eventually.

I used to go to this place a lot but over the last year or two I have rarely made the effort or found the time to visit this place.

I think this is ok (I had things to do) but it is not sustainable and the price is always increased feelings of negativity and decreased well-being. Recently I have had to admit to myself that this has been reaching a quiet kind of crisis point and I have really needed to get back on my chair and meditate. Thankfully, my trusty old steed is still happy to bear my load.

Maybe this is also what is meant by “returning to the breath”?

By Seamus Anthony

By Seamus Anthony

As I type my partner is fuming in the kitchen, banging cups and plates around and lamenting people and their selfishness. She is a particularly selfless individual and this is part of the reason that I love her so much. Of course the downside is that she is constantly disappointed by the self-centredness of those around her, both in the community at large and *ahem* in her immediate circles.

It’s true when she says that I don’t listen very well when she talks about things she is passionate about but which I struggle to be very interested in (although it’s not true when she says I am not really sorry; I am actually).

And it’s true when she says that people are, to use what I presume is an Australian colloquialism, “pikers” (to “pike” means to cancel on a commitment, whether that be volunteering for a charity event or just morning tea). People are Pikers. So am I – although not anywhere as much as others are.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Seamus Anthony

Now that I have made the commitment to blogging here again, I have been pondering what this blog is actually about. To start with it was about “personal development”, “self-improvement” and “success” but I have never felt comfortable with any of these labels whatsoever.

I think I prefer to decide that this blog is about “Meaning”.

Why? Because that’s what we all need and crave in this life – Meaning – and big time.

It is my humble opinion that all of human activity, everything we do, is shaped and coloured by the fact that we are given life, wonder “why?”, get no answer and then have to die. This shaky sequence of events, facts and mystery is the foundation on which the entire human condition is built.

But Why?

The thing that sets us apart from the animals, as far as we know, is that we hit the age of 2 or 3 and suddenly we wonder: “Why?”

It’s like – all this stuff exists … ok … got my head around that …

… but why?

Why does it exist? Why is my Mummy so tall? Why am I eating potatoes? Why does the dog have black hair with a white stripe on his nose?

In fact (can you tell I have a 2.5 year old kid?) it is very interesting to follow the train of thought of a toddler and discover in this, the entire problem of “being human” – we just don’t know what it all means. (Some people think they do of course, but they have no precise way to verify their beliefs about meaning so it cannot be denied that they are anything more than conjecture.)

Here’s a hypothetical discussion with my 2 year old:

Daddy what are you doing?

I am working.

But why?

Because we need money.

But why?

Because if we don’t have money then we can’t buy food or clothes or toys.

But why?

Because this is the system that is set up, it’s called Capitalism.

But why?

Well, truly, I don’t know why Capitalism exists, probably because of all the systems they have tried, it is the one that seems to work, albeit far from perfectly.

But why?

Dunno – maybe because it is the system that most honestly addresses and mirrors human nature.

But why?

Because humans are by nature very concerned with getting things, with survival and with the pursuit of pleasure.

But why?

Because that’s how our brains are wired up – we chase pleasure and avoid pain and do our damndest to survive.

But why?

Because that’s just what animals do and we are animals.

But why?

But why are we animals? Well … because we just are. Nobody knows the answer to that question.

But why?

Because when you ask the question, you’ll never get an answer.

But why?

You’ll never know why you never get an answer to this either. We do not truly know why we exist and we never get an answer when we ask the question. It’s just a big, big mystery.

I wonder if you started with any question whether it would always come down to the eternal question that every human must ask and never get an answer to: Why?

So I guess that’s what this blog is about – it’s about the eternal, fruitless search for Meaning (yes, with a capital M) and what to do about that.

It’s not really about trying to sell you on an answer – because there is none. Rather, this blog is about finding ideas and ways to cope with the absence of Meaning, and to connect with others along the way – so please, drop me a line and say G’day!

… to find out go and watch Seamus.TV – episode 5

(it is about marketing music (or anything really) in the kooky new Internet world so don’t click if this doesn’t inherently interest you, and it is a video blog post too I should point out)

By Seamus Anthony

I was just reading a blog post that explained something I kind of knew but hadn’t really thought about – that the old gatekeeper barriers (to a career in the creative arts, creative business, etc) that the Internet has famously blown away were only ever a smokescreen anyway and that the real barrier still exists – hard work, persistence, focus – all that tough stuff that we don’t wanna do a lot.

Just so happens that I was also just reminiscing with an old friend who I used to live with in the 90s and with whom I have recently made contact with again ala Facebook. We were talking about where the time goes and how did we get this “old” already so fast and I said something about how I wish I could time travel so I could go back and tell the very happy-go-lucky 26 year old me to get the fuck on with it and do some hard work (that mattered, as opposed to tending bars until 4:30am like a crazed go-bot for minimum wage).

Then the thought struck me that I CAN time-travel and that I SHOULD and that in fact it is VITAL to do so.

I can and should travel forward through time to when I am 46, then turn around and travel back through time to now and be the 46 year old me and tell the current 36 year old me to get the fuck on with it and do some hard work (that matters, as opposed to lazily doing cool shit like write the odd blog post, build the odd website and strum the odd guitar chord until 4:30pm before going in for a pre-dinner snack like a dazed slow-bot).

Do you get me? What I am saying is that when I am 46 I am potentially going to feel the same about me NOW as I do about me ten years ago – which is that it’s all very well and very nice but for God’s sake – there is SO much opportunity right now for those who work their arses off.

Don’t get me wrong: I am all for, you know, being all like, Zen but Hey! News Flash! Zen dudes work harder than, like, anyone, you know?

ok I do work pretty hard, but I can always work harder.

I don’t get to just jam all day whenever I want (family man and all) but you HAVE to make time for it or your skills and your art wither. There’s plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead.

Check out the latest episode of Seamus.TV, this week’s episode is a fly on the wall look at my songwriting process in progress (otherwise known as jammin’).

Hi all, just a quick note to let you know that I have begun video blogging and I am McLoving it!

Seamus.TV – A Musician’s Guide to Giving it a Red Hot Go

To “give something a red hot go” is Aussie slang for giving something a try, for having a shot at doing something.

It’s  not about me preaching about “how to be a rock star”, that would be not be keeping it real – that would just be silly.

Rather, it’s a diary of me getting my music out there and generally raving on like a loony hopefully inspiring you to do the same.

So I’ll be making great music, having fun promoting the music (on and offline), and trying my damnedest to find a  bigger audience to dig my musical vibe-ola.

Yes, I still REALLY need to get a better camera. Yes, I have a LOT to learn yet about video blogging. No, I don’t think it’s better to wait until all the ducks are lined up: Real artists ship. Check it out:

Seamus.TV – A Musician’s Guide to Giving it a Red Hot Go

If you like it, please subscribe to it, or connect with me via Facebook or Twitter and let me know what you think. That would mean the world to me.

By Seamus Anthony

This website has been dormant for some time, but little by little it is waking up.

What happened was my former business partner Steve and I (it’s ok; we’re still mates) decided to stop dividing our attention and chose to focus on our business, SquareEyes, for a while. That worked fine but then came the time for the partnership to split and so now SquareEyes is just me. Same goes for this blog – for now – but soon Rebel Zen is morphing …. into a band.

Yes that right! The blog that became a band! Hey why not?

But it will not just suddenly be a band – it will also still be a blog and an art project and it will continue to be about “existence and how to cope with that” which is all this has ever been about anyway.

The other players in this project will be introduced soon. But meanwhile I will be blogging about the process and the process of being a musician in general over at SeamusAnthony.com

I would love anybody who is interested in the stuff I am publishing over SeamusAnthony.com to subscribe and to let me know what you think. Includes video blogging so you’ll get a chance to check me out in the digi-flesh.

Meanwhile stay tuned for more fun here at Rebel Zen 2.0

Update June 25th: OK we have decided NOT to use Rebel Zen as the band name but the band is going ahead. Ah well – blog on!