A Walk thru Catharsis w Dam
A list of my favorite Charles Bukowski poems after reading two books with collections of his work. The titles were "Charles Bukowski: Come On In!" and "Charles Bukowski: The Roominghouse Madrigals"
A Guide thru Catharsis.
I think a major reason I love Bukowski is his ability to cook up stories that are so easy to consume. Whether it’s a poem about something as simple as the beauty of a red dress that’s drifting away or a poem on loathing one’s own existense on a mundane Thursday. Bukowski speaks to the drifters who are trying to find themselves in this “empire of coins” and his words can be spoken to those of us who come with a brutish backround.
1. Why this, why now
Ever since I wrote my first poem I knew there was this intimacy with creation that was completely alien to me. I was confronted with truths about myself that I wasn’t even aware of. From those truths, I was both very appreciative and terrified of the new reality I found myself in. One thing I did know though, is that there was now a tiny fragment of myself that I could actually hold onto. A solid form of me. Its a beautiful process, art, and I want to give that same experience to others who are experiencing this odd and at times lonely existence.
I spend most of my days consuming video essays on old painter, scrolling through instagram finding amazing artist breaking all the rules, I listen to podcasts on history and look up depictions of what these historic moments would look like on google. I always wander my mind (maybe even too much) and I love creating. Whether its writing down an idea that flashes into frame or helping a friend get into thier “flow state” I love seeing humans at their most vivid selves. So over the last year I have been making and posting on various social media sites trying to extend all my creative arms to where they would be appreciated and here is will most probably be the most intimate. I will be posting everything from all my favorite artists and their respective creations like you see Mr. Bukowski above, great podcasts I find having to do with everything from the Persian empire to trauma (like the trauma expert on Theo Von’s podcast), book reviews and recommendations, music I love, films to watch, to my own writings,poems and drawings, maybe even some paintings as well.
My name is Dam and I love art so much. I heard something recently about how organisms grow depending on the petri dish they are raised in, how the environment has a direct effect on how you are molded. I was being molded into something extreme without acknowledging who I was being turned into. The environment was war and when a human, whether child or old man enters war, the mind is forced into a state of preservation. AKA not a lot smiles in the childhood photos. That being said, I never had comfort-space to explore what I really believed in and who I wanted to be. Until I wrote my first poem of course.
Nothing but a blank page in front of you and empty lines, unsatisfied until they are filled in. This was a source of serious angst my senior year in highschool in AP Literature. My Lit teacher by the way, who had my class read the bible and sat us down for a JFK assassination cover-up presentation, had me write my first poem and introduced me to the creation process. He was the first genius in my life who I was fortunate enough to rub minds with. My teacher also died the year after we graduated and hes a major reason why I’m trying this journey now, I will talk in detail about him later but that can be for another time.
Whether your canvas is a blank sheet of toned paper or a pair of thrifted denims I love how art forces the mind into a state of introspection and catharsis. I think both the artist and the consumer are taking part in the process of art cooperatively. Both of them are just as significant. This is why Im taking this journey to try to join the whole process of art in every way I can.
you looking to build here
I am hoping to use my substack as a center for all my social medias, this is where I hope my following can communicate with me, get to know who me better, make recommendations as a friend, and hopefully support my work as well. I never thought I’d make money doing this and I hate asking but I know in my heart this is what makes me happy.
All my social medias will be linked like: instagram, tik tok, wix, and inprnt. If there is any other areas you can recommend as well please don’t hesitate.
I will be posting at least once every week, I will try to keep the day the same everytime but because this is my first post and I’m still feeling everything out I won’t make that clear until later on.
I am thinking of making my free subsribers able to read my posts on other artists but keep my personal creations for the paid. Once again if any of you have any experience with this and have any advice, feel free to send it. Thank you.
