SOULSPEAK WITH JUSTIN SPRING (Prize Winning Poet, Novelist and Video Artist)

Who is Justin Spring?
A poet, video artist and writer in that order. Beyond that I have no idea.
Where are you now in your journey?
I left the farm years ago. I’m 73. You tell me.
What passions do you enjoy most?
Poetry, music, swimming, family, the companionship of Adora Here is something about Adora: http://ssadora.blogspot.com/
Tell me about the birth of your art (Soulspeak.Org)
Poetry came to me naturally: first written then later in life in spoken form. Both birthed themselves.. SOULSPEAK.ORG was founded because I outgrew poetry as literature and WHAT IT’S ABOUT
SOULSPEAK.ORG  is about promoting all forms of poetry (written, spoken video, etc) and the allied arts ( music, performance etc) besides publishing over 50 chapbooks of written poems thru Sarasota Poetry Theatre Press, http://sptpress.blogspot.com/. I also created a web radio station (RADIO SOUSPEAK) for spoken poetry and eclectic music  http://www.live365.com/stations/soulspeakspring
and a web video station (VIDEO SOULSPEAK)  for true video poems. http://www.youtube.com/user/soulspeakspring
To know more about SOULSPEAK, go to www.soulspeak.org    and follow your nose. Take lunch with you, it’s along trip.
If you really want to know more about me about the full scope of my artistic activities go to http://justin-soulspeak.blogspot.com/
Is this something you had dreamed of as a child?
I didn’t have the slightest idea of anything as a child except that I loved the nursery rhymes and still do. Here are my tributes to them. http://www.box.net/shared/e7z60eitoc  and  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL05A60DBDE4E7FFDD&feature=mh_lolz
Tell me about your most memorable project.
Creating our first real SOULSPEAK poem after years of trying, i.e., the first one that came completely from the unconscious. Three people were involved, my self, poet Scylla http://www.scyllastrangefire.com/   and musician George DeJong http://www.georgedejongmusic.com/fr_aboutgeorge.cfm
The speaking was done from something like Zen No Mind and convinced me that poetry is a psychic archetype that could be accessed if you simply surrendered to it. And by more than one person at a time.
Here is the sound recording of the event, or speaking as we call it. http://www.soulspeak.org/CDs/CD_Speakings_files/Many%20Voices%20-%20Dark%20Journey%20-%20Speakings.mp3
Here is a later video Dreamstory of the initial sound recording   http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL05A60DBDE4E7FFDD&feature=mh_lolz
Where do you get the inspiration?
It is like light; it just happens.
What motivates you?
Beauty and Truth a la Keats. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
Your major influences.
Frost initially then a number of others: Marvell, Levine, Stern, Olds, whose work opened doors for me.
Your dreams and aspirations.
To live in a world where poetry fills the air. Unfortunately, around 2000 BC was the last time that happened .
If you could be anywhere right now at this very moment where would you be?
Right where I am.
What have you learned from yourself lately?
That I don’t have the slightest idea who I really am or where I’m going. The best I’ve come up with is a speaking I created with Scylla called Singer of Songs. It is on the SPEAKINGS CD album: http://www.soulspeak.org/CDs/CD_Speakings.htm
What have you unlearned.
Thinking.
Any regrets?
No regrets only sadness for the pain I’ve caused others.
If there’s one thing you’d like to change about the world. What would you change?
I’d prefer a world where people were wiser not smarter. Unfortunately, smarter is where we are today.
You are face to face with yourself as a 10 year old. What would you tell you?
Watch out.
2012
Just another year. Sorry.
What is love?
Companionship of all kinds: from the silent to the sublime to the silly to the chatty.
What do you think the rest of 2012 will be like?
More of the same
What are you most grateful for?
Good health, family, and the gift of poetry and a great deal of good luck that the unthinking Gods somehow bestowed upon me.
Your one message to the world.
Stop thinking. Start  feeling.