Luis A. Lopez

Name: Luis A. Lopez
Website: http://luislopez.com       http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5913491/

What do you do?
I write and make film.

Where can we find your work?
Online, Amazon.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Art is the most important thing in the world. It’s more than a communication of emotion and experience, it’s a conduit between people which is vital to human culture. It’s extremely powerful and necessary. And to me, this is where the inspiration lies.

I want to learn and share. I want to participate in the dialog between the artist and audience. The dialog between humans. It’s the only fulfilling human experience I know. It stands above emotion, and says, here, look at this, touch this, feel this, experience this with me, this is my story, it proves my existence and yours.

Humanity is a strange and special thing. It’s an experience no one has yet to figure out. It’s the greatest puzzle there is. Look at the world; violence and atrocity rule the news, everyone’s killing, weekend wars, drones, famine, religious wars, power grabs for oil, banks collapsing the economy, PRISM, etc… it’s horrid. This also has to serve to inspire and motivate.

It’s up to artists all over the world to capture and share these stories - capture the reality of their lives and speak for themselves and the voiceless. We can’t count on traditional journalism anymore, it’s all bought and paid for by the handful of large media companies. One spray painted wall can tell a better story of what’s happening in that area at that time then all the newscasts in the world. True art tells the truth.

And there’s the other side as well, the small beauties of life that get us through, the special moments, love and tenderness, wishing, wondering, dreaming: these are all important things to share as well.

Without art, without shared stories, we can’t grow as people.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
It’s all important. For the artist it’s a bit like a birth. After careful nurturing once it’s out and on its legs there’s nothing left to do, it becomes a different animal for different people as they experience it. However, it’s not always intent. A poem that I write for me explaining one experience, can mean something completely different to someone else. But still relevant to both.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I could list a slew of artists that have stayed with me over the years, or specific poems or films. But I’m more inclined to get inspiration from regular day to day activities, the things I see on my own path: Broken things. Useful things.

I get inspired by artists that show me things I’ve never seen. Or reveal to me an emotion in a way I wasn’t expecting. I saw a silent short film the other day, it was 1 minute long, and it was one of the most powerful things I’ve seen. Completely unexpected. And it’s going to stay with me for a while.

I also get inspired by perseverance. People that don’t give up what they know to be true. People that don’t throw in the towel at the slightest scare. People that stand up for themselves and for those they care about. There’s a certain protection in art, it shields and helps understanding.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Taran, assistant pig-keeper

When do you get your best ideas?
The best ideas usually come while driving. I don’t know the process that others use to write, but for me what works best is having the story worked out in my mind already. I’m literally writing all the time in my head, putting the story together and playing with ideas. Then when it’s time, I put it to paper. I’m not the sort of person that sits every day at the keyboard at a scheduled time and forces the writing. For me, the keyboard is just the final execution component.

Whenever I’m stuck on a story or poem or whatever it is, I drive. Usually over Hwy. 17 to the ocean. Then I write while sitting on the rocks overlooking the water. There’s something about the sound of the ocean that helps free up thoughts and dream.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Laptops and Film equipment.

Books. Always books.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
For the poetry, I am self-taught. For the film work, formally educated.

It’s interesting because I’ve been writing poetry and short stories since I can remember. I won my first short story writing award at 12 or 13. It’s always been a huge part of who I am. I believe that poets are born not made, so it’s not something that I ever thought twice about. Growing up, I read every poet I could get my hands on, and still do. I devour poetry. So to say that I’m self-taught on the poetry is a bit skewed; I’ve learned from the greatest poets.

In a blurb for my first book, Jimmy Santiago Baca said that I “cut through the lukewarm room-temperature poets of our times”, and it blew me away. I’ve never taken a poetry class. And because of that, I think it has allowed for me to try new things, to not be afraid to break rules, and allows the passion to fly true. I also think it made me study a bit harder. Following my own path allows me to see the poetry with my eyes, to touch the words with my soul and not through someone else’s. I am so close to the art form it feels like an extension of me, another limb. I don’t fear a grade on my poetry, it stands on its own and answers to no one but the reader, and that’s between them.

For the film work, I thought it would be presumptuous to think I could just become a Director overnight. Film is a craft that I knew I needed guidance and mentorship for. It is a huge undertaking, and you can’t ever lose respect for that. I took the time to go to film school because I felt it was important. I didn’t want to cheat myself or cheat the story simply because I wasn’t exposed to a certain film concept or method. I want to understand every tool.

I’m just embarking on the film career, so we’ll see how it fares. But it’s a craft that I’d like to master as I go forward. It’s one of the most important mediums known to man. It touches everyone.

What would your creative work taste like?
Tamales 

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Reading and music are two of the most important things to me. They keep me whole.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience? 
There’s a poem by Bukowski called, “So you want to be a writer?” and another poem by Neruda called, “Poetry”. The poems are very similar to me and very profound in regards to this question. They explain it much better than I can:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16549
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/poetry-2/ 

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
At the end of the day, all art forms are really one and the same. It’s all poetic in some sense. Find the poetry in your art, and don’t be afraid to look for it. Life is dirty and tough and mean and beautiful and breathtaking and so many other things. Take them all in and be true to them all. Don’t be afraid of yourself. Your experiences and laughter and joy and pain are no different than anybody else’s. Don’t ever question your validity in this world.

Troy Joseph Curtis

Name: Troy Joseph Curtis
Website: NuRoutesRecords.com

What do you do?
I play a handful of overlapping roles in the Downtown San Jose community and facilitate culture where I can be of some help. I am a poet, actor, journalist, songwriter, multi instrumentalist, producer, instructor and curator on the creative side. I am a small business owner entrepreneur and innovator on the business side and I am a community organizer, volunteer and provocateur on the local culture side. I am a working musician and currently run a music production, performance venue and gallery space called Nu Routes Studios located within The Citadel Artist Community in Downtown San Jose. I am about to launch Nu Routes Record, a San Jose focused DIY record label, sometime this fall. I also teach and create youth arts curriculum in schools, nonprofits and art studios.

Where can we find your work?
Music:
Nu Routes Records
www.nuroutesrecords.com

Nu Routes Studios
www.facebook.com/NuRoutes

Youth and Community Service:

I am the art instructor for a fantastic non profit that creates family resource fairs at Downtown San Jose elementary schools named Sunday Friends. Volunteer and you can make some really fun art projects with great kids.
http://www.sundayfriends.org/

volunteers/index.html

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I am truly inspired by the wealth of talented artists and artisans of all kinds that surround me here in Downtown San Jose. From musicians to urban farmers, makers to visual artists there are so many gifted people sharing inspiring art and culture. Personally mentoring and educating youth is the best cure for when things get challenging. No matter what's happening in my world, I can set it aside and focus on exploring another world with these young artists and it usually gives me new perspective on what ever I’m stuck on.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I go around and around with this one. My content follows my technique and my process chases my finished product. I tend to get more hung up on content/finished product but I am a deconstructionist at heart so no matter how much technique I learn or what process I apply I am always secretly or not so secretly taking things apart so the whole thing is a set up. I write a piece of music, play the snatch of music relentlessly until the overtones ring in my head. Create a vocal melody from that, let the melody stir up what ever is lurking in my sub conscience...formulate that into a coherent rough draft of a song, take it all apart and rebuild it with stronger more technical parts and less personal neurosis.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
There are a lot of well known artists and humanitarians I have been inspired and influenced by but it’s the people around me that are trying to live their dreams and overcome the adversities of everyday life that truly influences, motivates and inspires me. Three such examples of people that have an influence impact on me and inspire my work.
-Brian Eder & Cherri Lakey- Owners of Two Fish designs as well as Gallery AD, Kaleid and the Phantom Galleries downtown, Hosts of the annual DIY art & Culture festival SubZERO held in the SOFA district downtown.
www.galleryad.com  www.kaleidgallery.com  www.subzerofestival.com
These two gallery owners have mentored me for years. I couldn’t say enough about the culture, community, creativity and balance they have inspired in me. I learn from them on a weekly basis. We share a vision of San Jose as an Art Metropolis and it is their passion and fearlessness that fuels my own creative desire.

-Eric Lichter
www.facebook.com/
dirtfloorstudio ericlichter.blogspot.com/
Eric and I began talking about music and recording online a few years ago. He is musician and owner of Dirt Floor Studio in my home state of CT. We both have a passion for old school analog recording and American music. The work he’s doing and the bands he’s working with are a big part of my inspiration for starting a local record label. I feel if Eric can Start a thriving music community in a barn in the backwoods of New England than I have a shot at getting something started in the 10th largest city in the country.

-Erin Salazar
www.salazarcustoms.tumblr.com/

Erin and I are friends and neighbors at The Citadel Artist Community. Erin is a visual artist and recent graduate of SJSU. I am most inspired by her undying passion to create in the face of school debt, family illness and the overall lack of opportunity for artists in San Jose. It has been a big motivation to watch Erin set up her studio, start a small business and create unique, dynamic work from her large pin-striping inspired paintings to the murals she paints for local businesses throughout the downtown.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Kilgore Trout

When do you get your best ideas?
In bed, usually early in the morning, when I’m just about to wake up or go to sleep.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Guitar, Bass, keyboards, Vox, records, Sp 404, pen & paper, Kazoo, smartphone, craft beer, Coffee

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
My uncle gave me my first guitar when I was five. It was an old Harmony with three strings that he had pulled out of a dumpster. I beat on that thing for years before I grasped the concept of tuning it or having all six strings. Growing up we didn’t have a lot so we made the most out of what we had. I think that informs my style and approach. We never had money for lessons but my mother got me a wurlitzer piano when I was ten and my father got me my first electric guitar when I was twelve both on the condition I would continue to teach myself. As I grow technically as a musician I see elements of my untrained style still come through. It gives me a feeling of uniqueness.

What would your creative work taste like?
Coffee & Flap Cats (cornbread pancakes)

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I’ve always been into movies, documentaries, cult and foreign films mostly. I enjoy woodworking and refinishing furniture as well as building and riding bikes.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I was a really painfully shy child who rarely spoke. I started writing music and poetry in middle school but only as a creative or emotional outlet. I slowly began reading poetry at bookstores and coffee shops around New England and started getting into slam poetry. In high school I had a Theater teacher named Maggie Kline. She was a passionate renegade English Teacher who grew up right here in San Jose. She was one of the first Americorps volunteers in the country back in the late 60’s and she became my high school mentor. I quit the football team and become Romeo in the school play. By the end of High School I had the opportunity to develop as a person and an artist as well as perform poetry, theater and music in front of thousands of people.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
I have worked with young artists at the beginning of their creative adventures for almost a decade now. As an Instructor I believe I’m there to inspire and inform. In my classes I tell my youth not to limit yourself, or let other people put limits on them. Experiment, explore and gain experience. Don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do or how to do it. Find your passion and answer your own questions.