Blog assignment 2

Go to this link to read Jonathon Flaun's Finding Your Howl .  www.changethis.com 
      One of the stories that Flaun tells in this piece is about a wolf, Mumon, who needs to find his "howl" in order for his pack to survive in the wild.  He goes on to kill a deer, but initially feels sadness for doing so.  A raven tells him there is no shame in what he did, and that he must embrace it in order to live.  Mumon begins to feel the power from killing the deer, and it carries him on for weeks, until he himself is shot by a hunter.  The hunters in turn celebrate this killing with a fire, and it is within this fire that Mumon discovers his howl, and he discovers that "freedom is the real existence, which is the main point the author is trying to make.  The howl is returned by his pack, and he in turn becomes their howl, and their freedom.


 My own Howl: The song "Tin Cup Chalice" by Jimmy Buffett- Lyrics:
I wanna go back to the island
Where the shrimp boats tie up to the pilin
Gimme oysters and beer
For dinner every day of the year and I'll feel fine
Ill feel fine

I wanna be there
Wanna go back down and lie beside the sea there
With a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine
And Im a chewin on a honeysuckle vine

Yeah now, the sun goes slidin cross the water
Sailboats they go searchin for the breeze
Salt air it aint thin
It can stick right to your skin and make you feel fine
Makes you feel fine

I wanna be there
Wanna go back down and a get high by the sea there
With a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine
And Im a chewin on a honeysuckle vine

Yes and now you heard my strange proposal
So get that packard up and lets move
I wanna be there before the day
Tries to steal away and leave us behind
Ive made up my mind

And I wanna be there
I wanna go back down and die beside the sea there
With a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine
And Im a chewin on a honeysuckle vine

Yeah with a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine
And Im a chewin on a honeysuckle vine


This is a piece that speaks to me for several reasons.  I have always found Jimmy Buffett to be, although simple, a fantastic lyricist who can express life's issues, problems, and desires in easy flowing songs.  This particular song talks about Buffett's wish to be be down by the ocean and enjoy all the benefits that come from this lifestyle, something he often talks about in his songs.
  This appeals to me because I feel a similar way.  I think it would be great to be able to live a simple life by the beach, and enjoy all the surroundings, and all the freedom that comes with it.  While this is obviously not a very realistic goal, that is partly why it speaks to me as a creative person.  The way he writes of his yearning to be there makes the listener of the song, or in this case simply the reader of the lyrics, share a similar feeling.  This kind of writing inspires me to make creative work that also inspires the same kind of yearning for a certain place as Buffett does in "Tin Cup Chalice." 
    One of the main things that helps him pull this off is how specific he is in his imagery.  His mentions of "shrimp boats" and "a honeysuckle vine" let the listener see exactly what Buffett is yearning for.  The more detail that is included, the more the listener or reader can feel where the creativity is coming from.  I feel this is important, and something that i hope to integrate into my own work.  
    Buffett also lets some fun into his work.  The refrain of the song is about drinking wine on the beach, not a very serious topic, and it reminds me that creative work does not always need to be deep and serious to be successful.  If fun loving, relaxing topics are what you know best, this howl says that that is what you should write about.  Buffett let's his fun loving demeanor come across in his lyrics and sound, and this is something that inspires me in my own creative work, to not always be extremely serious, as light, fun art is successful too.   
  Another thing about this piece that inspires me as a creative person is that Buffett is writing about what he knows.  He truly loves the beach and the many joys of living there, and this comes across in his song.  he does not change his creative style for wider popularity, he simply continues to talk about and write about things he knows.  This inspires me to make creative works based around things that I truly love and enjoy, be it a place, person or thing.  I think Jimmy Buffett, and this song in particular, with it's imagery, and subject matter, are a good personal howl for me, as they inspire me to create art and media about things that i love and care about, and to use details that apply specifically to the situation, and let the audience see and feel what I am trying to put across.