The Summer of Schmooze

Wednesday was the first day of Summer and I kicked it off by attending a networking. It was very fulfilling because I met people from all over NJ. Sadly, I received an invite to a networking in NY that very evening and I really wanted to attend that one as well but I had a prior engagement.
I am starting to get the hang of all this 'shmoozing' and unlike other artist I am not feeling any conflict of interests. It seems to come with the territory... how are people going to find out about you or your product if you don't get out there and advertise what ya' got? I think that the businessman in me is the real person who regrets missing the NY function. It would have been great to meet the theatre crowd that were slated to be there that night and give them my business card.
At the event that I did attend there was a representative from Warmspirit.com (GREAT smelling skin care products), a beautiful singer, and also a Public Relations/Mass Media Writer by the name of LeGina Adams. These three women were fun and interesting contacts to make because they reminded me of the people that you usually meet in the arts. They had strong personalities and were very creative.
I guess in the end, the networking that I was suppose to attend was the one that I went to anyway. In life it seems that when you force an issue that is when you meet the most resistance but when you go with the flow that is where you gain the most ground. I am pretty sure that there are going to be a lot more of these events this Summer and for some reason the businessman in me is ecstatic!

Father's Day

Just a brief note on this special day to every man and woman who has filled the role as father/guardian/provider of their family. Your efforts are not done in vain. Coming from a single family household I truly appreciate the aspect of having a strong father figure. My physical dad was never there for me and in the later days of his life he disowned me but spiritually I never gave up on the idea of a strong Fatherly presence within me. I know this maybe a difficult concept for some of you to understand but I do believe that within all of us is both is a Mother and Father presence that transcends our physical understanding. All we have to do is acknowledge this presence and it is already there. So I never feel lost or alone during these holidays and neither should you.
May you have a peaceful and joyous holiday!

N8

Tara, Family Misunderstandings, And An Equery

I saw a cool statue on eBay of the goddess Tara. As usual, I did some investigating to find out who Tara was/is and what she means to the people that follow her. Personally, I believe that there is only one God and we insignificant minded specks of star dust are not capable of comprehending the totality of God's being. That aside I was intrigued to find out that there are 21 variations of this deity. I automatically thought of Baskin Robbins 21 flavors and giggled because I do believe that are many aspects of the human personality that are reflected in the things that we worship or admire. I do not want to offend the followers of Tara so I apologize if I am being culturally ignorant. I still believe as an artist that the statue that I saw on eBay was beautiful.

So my very religious mother walks pass me looking at the statue on the family computer and the sparks flew. I spent the next two days defending my artistic interest in the images of which she thought was idolatry. This incident spun into another incident when I told my sister what a therapist friend of mine said was the real cause of my family's over observant behavior of me. Needless-to-say for the pass few days the old cycle of male bashing behavior that my almost all female family kicked in and now I have become a verbal pincushion at home. I HATE OLD CYCLES OF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR! So to do something new I racked my brain to find a positive means of contradicting this behavior and I remembered the success I had doing Equeries for my scripts. Whenever I solicit new buyers for my scripts my family's attitude changes for the better. I guess it is difficult to smash a man's will when you think that he may make enough money to buy you a new house.

So far I have received several positive responses but nothing really beats having a little peace of mind when you are over your relative's house

Mathematics and Simple Communication

So I contacted my publisher about the problems I had noticed and they responded rather quickly admitting that the deletion of part of the webpage was their fault.
As for the money issue this is what they said:

You are earning a 24% royalty on a $17.95 retail price. Due to
mathematics, remainders, and rounding, that is the closest to $5 the
royalty can be without going over. 24% of $17.95 is $4.31. Had you set
your retail price at $18.95, you would be earning a 27% royalty for
$5.12.

Sincerely,
The Guy Who Has Way Too Much Power Over Your Career

This was cold comfort to me seeing that my naturally greedy instincts would have charged more for the book had I known this earlier. Just kidding... no I'm not. ;)

N8

BE CAUTIOUS

To everyone keeping tabs on this blog you may have seen some changes to my blog. My publisher without my consent lowered my profit margin and edited my web page nearly removing more than half the script presented on that page. So I would advise you to be cautious when dealing with self-publishers. My publisher will remain nameless in this post so that it won't seem like I am slandering them but all that glitters isn't gold and some of their big talk is starting to lose its luster. So BE CAUTIOUS and always use reliable sources. However, I still have hope that my publisher will redeem themselves.

A book with a three letter name

I recently started to work on a book with a simple three letter title. It is eerie because it is based on a real person who doesn't necessarily wish to be exposed on this level. Personally, I am being very careful and discreet so that all identities can and will be confidential. However, on many levels I don't care about the feelings of these individuals because of the cruel nature of their actions in the past, but discretion is the better part of valor and as a writer I would prefer to build bridges rather than burn them.
For those of you wondering about my acting performance and skills I assure you that all is well. Currently I am losing weight (about five pounds so far) and trying to get into better shape . I figure that it will be about six months before I really feel comfortable in front of the camera again. Until then I guess that I will continue to write and pray that I don't sabotage myself with these holidays coming up. Food, food, and more food seems to be the only way my family knows how to celebrate. I guess it could be worse because there are people who do not have food for the holidays or any other day for that matter. I know that this sounds corny but I have to put my petty grievances in check when I examine the BIG PICTURE .

I wish you all the best this Memorial Day and I ask you to be thankful for the blessings you have.

N8

Back to business... or something like it

I am awaiting news from a producer about the fate of one of my Summer projects. I guess that it comes with the territory but I still can't shake the nervousness I feel waiting for answers and or replies to my inquiries. This particular producer seems rather positive which gives me hope. If it doesn't work out I won't give up because I still have other options.
Interestingly enough, I have just received conflicting criticisms about my writing. An associate that happens to have her own newly formed film company said that my writing wasn't edgy enough and lacked the research and originality/authenticity that most tv shows currently give the viewing audience. That's funny because an industry veteran who works for a major cable network said that my writing was too dark for tv veiwing audiences. I'm sure that somewhere out there is an executive or producer that feels that my writing is suited for their viewers.
Perhaps this period of conflicting messages is a good omen. It is like turning on the shower... at first it is too hot and then it is too cold and then you make that final adjustment and it becomes just right... that pleasing state inbetween the extremes. I hope pretty soon that I find that wonderful place between the extremes.
Also, for those of you who have been sending me good energy and buying my book all I can say is THANKS!!! :) Your support is truly appreciated and my LOVE and POSITIVE ENERGY goes back out to you.

N8

A little something for Mom

This is an image of my Mother's book LEAP OVER WALLS. I felt that I should do something special for her besides the normal stuff. Maybe this will help the sales of her book. She got treated sort of poorly by her editor who didn't want to make enough changes to the manuscript so there are many grammatical errors but the content is still good and for a book of music by a first time composer it is well put together. I will be posting more images and info about this Summer's activities in the next two weeks if not sooner.

N8

Searching For Answers

Just a quick note for the readers of this blog. I am currently in a very flexible and anxious state of mind. I was going to post some more pics when I realized that I there is a good chance I may be able to turn one (if not several) of my scripts into promos or short features this Summer. On a sad note, if I do this I probably won't be able to attend my class reunion. I don't in particular feel bad about this because anyone who has had something passionate in their life would understand that following your dreams is like nurturing a child... it is something that you cannot do haphazardly or the child will suffer. I currently don't have any children or a mate/spouse but I do have dreams that weigh heavy on my mind. If anything I can compensate for a lack of love in my life by focusing on a career that satiates my deepest ambitions. Ambitions that stem from both a creative and intellectual need. Hence, I would encourage anyone reading this blog to pursue your innermost dreams for they are the children of your heart and soul.

My art and my world right now

It is a Sunday and I am torn between how to feel. I guess because I was raised going to church I always feel a little guilty when I miss church. The ironic thing is that I haven't been to church in a few years but I have compensated by doing as much spiritual reading and soul searching as possible.

My art ( I think) is a reflection of my spiritual desires. In most of my pictures there are themes of self-improvement and a contrasting sense of light and dark energy or a yin/yang sensibility. I don't really feel that the light and the dark are different but rather two sides of the same coin. I could be wrong but for my art's sake I need this axiom to be true in my creative world.

* FYI * For those of you who are reading my blog weekly I will start to post pics from my work and other activities this Summer but for now just enjoy the art. I will also be injecting notes about my books into the blog just to appease my publisher ;)

N8

The picture to the left is a solarized image of myself when I was 17 years old. I added the phrase 'actor, artist, and author' to clarify the nature of the work that I do right now. At first I thought it was conceited to say such a thing but then I remembered the story of Beowulf and the one section in particular where he takes a moment to tell the king of his accomplishments. He wasn't bragging but merely telling those who didn't know him what he was capable of doing.

Personally, the artist in me doesn't care for such "horn blowing" or the "theatrics" that usually ensue after such statements but I must admit that if you don't declare your attributes proudly very few people in this industry will for you...especially without pay.

OF COURSE, there are others out there who are more talented and skilled and experienced than me ( that's a given^_^) but who knows what tomorrow will bring and where your true fortunes may lie. Hence, I am confident that the above phrase isn't a boast but merely a statement that hopefully over time will become a well proven fact.

This is breaking the rules but I have to post this pic. One of my dearest friends is having her second baby. The picture at the bottom of the post is an ultrasound of the child. I wish her the best with her new baby and new life. She is a sweet girl and clearly deserves the best.

But back to business, the two other pics show both my photo art and the cover of my book.... is it just me or am I "pimping" this book too much. And for those who have heard the rumors I am working on two more books. One is fiction and the other is non-fiction so as the books progress I'll be sure to keep you guys and gals informed. Peace and Love. And to my 'sister' and friend...Good Luck with your new child...my prayers and energy are with you all the way!

N8

These are some more images from the networking. I foolishly stopped taking pictures after the first hour so a lot of people that I met are not in the photos. The bar and lounge that I the networking was held at is called THE CRIME SCENE. It is right across from CBGBs on Bowery Street in NYC. The networking was fun and interesting and to all the people that I didn't post I'll get you up here the next time I see you.

The poster is pure advertising. The spoon and fork motif have nothing to do with THE ZEN COOKBOOK because there is no cooking in the book just a cool metaphorical recipe for the experiences that the main character, Ethan Zen, is living through.

For anyone interested in the book it can be bought at Amazon.com, bn.com, and bamm.com

THANKS for your support.

N8

These are some images from my book including a poster of the cover. The image of the man with the different color eyes represents the Darius character in the story One Man's Choice. He is the living embodiment of the perfect Yin Yang duality in the universe.

The image of the three leaves represents the gradation and gradual difference between the light and the dark within every person's soul. The use of a different leaf from top to bottom and from light to dark is a reflection on human character and personality.

The poster is of a man trapped (frozen) in an ice cube. There is a drop of water on the bottom of the cube meaning that every condition changes. What you have to ask yourself is whether or not the cube is melting or in the process of freezing?

I will post an image of another poster and some more pics from the networking later on today.

N8

These are some of the people I met at a networking on April 21.

The beautiful Blonde is Natalie Caron. She is a producer and a model/actress...very hot! The older gentleman next to her is my good friend Don Eschbach. He is an actor. The African-American girl sitting on the couch is Melissa and the guy next to her is Todd Essary. Melissa is a boom mike operator and Todd is a talented actor and theater director. Edmar Flores was the host of the event and you can see him holding up his Frat symbol and I am the Biggie Smalls look-a-like in the cream kangol. These are good people...I was fortunate to meet them.

Greetings my name is Nathan Zen-Sapien ( aka Nathan Waire) and my first book was published February 23 by OutskirtsPress. It is called THE ZEN COOKBOOK.

http://www.outskirtspress.com/ZenSapien


This book is a compilation of three scripts that I wrote and thought were enjoyable. The first script I actually wrote from a treatment (short story) from a relative. It is an urban drama about a woman who seeks revenge against a local gangster by disguising herself as a man. At first I wasn't going to do it but there was a challenge in taking a 7 page story and converting it into a 100+ page script. I even altered the story in several spots to add more violence and depth to the characters.

The second script is called One Man's Choice and it starts on page 137. It is about a secret war that is waged by Heaven and Hell over one man's soul.

The final script is the namesake of the book. The Zen Cookbook or How The Cosmos Can Screw You Left Then Right is a humorous yet dark look at the events in my life. The main character, Ethan Zen, examines his life through a mystical cypher but for some reason can come up with no answers. That story starts on page 257 and is dedicated to the Indigo Children of this world. For more information I suggest that you look up the Indigo Children on the web. There is a lot of false info about them out there but for every group of lies there is a nugget of truth...EXPLORE!

I have never blogged before so I will try to post some pics pretty soon. Take care.

N8

"This is only the beginning and not the end...this is the beginning without end." - Nathan Zen-Sapien