Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in a little dark corner of Texas known as Rio Grande City, zip code 78582(google it to set reference point) for the first 17 years of the 43 that I am TODAY. I still reside in Texas, although NOW it is about 400 miles North of that particular town. And for proper reason[s]. Atleast for me PERSONALLY it is. I DIDN'T mention it being a dark corner of the world just because. This place has been and is STILL KNOWN for its REPUTATION of operating solely on the OTHER side of 'good'. One word perhaps defines it ALL; CARTELS. Everything that stems out from the existence of such entities like the drugs, corruption etc. etc. etc is, well 'bad'. And obviously worse off is the VIOLENCE that is 1000 times GREATER due to said places being MOSTLY ruled by those who DECIDE to CHOOSE to CONTINUOSLY do what 'has been handed down' generation after generation. I, for one, DECIDE every MOMENT of the day (the only one we get to live) to BE THE CHANGE I want to see in the WORLD. Michael Jackson COULDN'T have been any clearer when he sang about "The Man In The Mirror". (Which reminds me to plug in my song titled "The Man In The Mirror" that you can find on SoundCloud. Link in my Instagram will lead you there.) I am a simple FAMILY man (the one you create is more important than the one you come from) living with my dear wife Janette and four beautiful daughters Sophia Janette, Serena Juliette, Solara Jezette and Sky Daniela whom I spend as MANY moments as possible to CREATE core memories because that is ALL we 'take' and leave behind. I currently hold a full time JOB(with occasional overtime) for a small business that provides the world with industrial lubrication equipment as one of their BEST grease pump makers because it is what 'pays the bills' and has ALLOWED me to BLESS us with the MANY experiences we have LIVED through thus far. Even though it is not what I LOVE to do nor am I doing what I love for 9 hours of the day, 5 days a week, it is STILL a BLESSING because I GET to provide while WORKING towards being an INTERDEPENDENT artist. That meaning I depend on YOU as a fan or audience and you can depend on ME to always deliver GREAT content in return. So please get your copy[ies] TODAY and share with as MANY as you feel INSPIRED to do so. Remember that it's the ONLY day we GET to LIVE OUT. Life will NEVER EVER happen AGAIN. EVER. A few more details about me are that I LOVE to mow my lawn with a push mower. I like to wash my vehicles barefoot on the grass. I read EVERYDAY. I apply WHAT I read that is relevant to make me a BETTER me whether it be from a fictional or non-fictional character. Also I pray and I meditate.
Q. What personal experiences have shaped your writing the most?
The Human Experience
Is to have a full human experience to actually appreciate fresh, clean AIR?
About everyone's well being, actually CARE?
The infinite resources, freely SHARE?
Or just be known as a blank-illion-HEIR?
Is it to, everything about life LOATHE?
Or enjoy to the utmost, our inner and children's GROWTH?
How about to do 'good' take an OATH?
To one another serve and PROTECT?
Every other ELECT?
Or selectively SELECT?
Is it to, 'have it in hand', just EXPECT?
How about demand RESPECT,
Without it EARNING?
Would it be about 'new' information LEARNING?
Watching our own creations BURNING?
Is it to uncontrollably LUST?
Have Faith and just give away our TRUST?
Or just obliviously return to the DUST?
Perhaps it's to have a DEGREE?
Or two or THREE?
How about actually alive BE?
So perhaps you SEE,
That every ME,
Equals WE! ©️
As you can see from the poem, I take from EVERYTHING about this 'hellish' paradise we know as LIFE on Earth!
From the MANY traumatic experiences of having my childhood stolen by growing up in an abusive home, to running the streets as a teenager having to do grown up stuff, to going to prison and making it out alive, I have pulled what was/is needed to do this work because like The Requien of the Moon Poetry kindly put it in an instagram post: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MINDS BELONG TO THE MOST FU**ED UP PEOPLE BECAUSE HOW COULD SOMEONE POSSIBLY THINK BEYOND THE REALM OF IGNORANT BLISS WHEN THEY HAVEN'T
BEEN THROUGH SH*T!
Also a wise man once said that with trauma essentially we are just making an excuse for the way we are which we ourselves don't like. That if something bad happens to you, you can either become wise or wounded. Choose. If MORE bad things happened to you then one must be the wisest man soonest not CHOOSE to be wounded and carry that wound like a badge to cause the SAME to others. What's the point if you know the pain of it? Why do the same to others?
Q. In what ways has writing influenced your personal growth or perspective on life?
I'd say it has had quite the influence because I have been able to take what I feel (emotions) in my heart (the seat of the soul) and watch them flow up through my mind, turn them into words to then transmute what hurt me. Once these words have been written down, whether it be in a poem, a song, a short story or personal journal, they have been released from my body/vessel and can NO LONGER weigh me down. I have a poem in my first book titled "Until You No Longer Cry" that ends with the lines, "To show off your scars don't be SHY. As you must tell your 'story' until it no longer makes you CRY." Accountability also comes into play. Once I have put this into print, I am now VERY accountable for them and their depth. So I must STAND BEHIND THEM! And I do so with my chest out, my chin up, BOTH feet and ALL twenty toes firm to the ground because if one is to be known as a GREAT leader one must be willing to BE held accountable and responsible for the actions of other but ONLY through the actions of HIMSELF. So I lead my life with integrity, dignity, honor and respect. I don't just 'accept life' either.
Q. What does being a published author mean to you, beyond seeing your words in print?
Well that's easy! It means that ANYTHING is achievable! Not too many 'make it' where I'm from! And when I say 'make it', I don't necessarily mean materialistically. So not ONLY have I 'made it,' I have CREATED legendary status for myself, and for generations to come. I read somewhere, 'it's not HOW famous you are but WHAT you are famous FOR'. And also I wouldn't mind my children inheriting businesses, land, properties as a solid foundation not pain, struggle, and trauma.
Q. How did the 21-day challenge impact your writing habits or your relationship with writing?
When anything is done with INTENTION and CONSISTENCY, then the outcome is more than likely to BE what you envisioned for yourself. Entering a poem consistently for 21 days contributed to me being able to visit myself(heart) over and over for what to write about. And well since then I have written MANY MANY more that are ready to be put into ANOTHER book. The title had ALREADY been thought out but here it is. And the poem from earlier is part of it.
"Silent Noise"
'Conversations between an open mind and a healing heart.' ©️
And the cover is just as AMAZING as the title itself. Coming soon...stay tuned.
Have as GREAT a day as you WANT just because you CAN. On purpose, with purpose. One love.
Respectively,
Daniel G.
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