About Ife Oshun

Ife Oshun is the author of The Angelica Brown Series. A professional writer and actor, she wrote and produced for the stage in New York and Los Angeles, for television (as a WGA intern on Star Trek Voyager and producer at Tyler Perry Studios) and produced a pilot for a Warren G reality show. She is currently working on her next novel and lives in Boston, MA.

My Muses: Dark Shadows – RIP Jonathan Frid

Jonathan Frid: Dark Shadows

Jonathan Frid: Dark Shadows

I was raised on Dark Shadows. Literally.

My mom loved this show. She watched it religiously, and I sat right beside her watching it, too. I remember the excitement both of us displayed as the eerie music rose at the top of the show. I’d look at her, she’d look at me and then we’d turn to stare at the dark stories unfolding before our eyes.

Real mom-daughter bonding.

The anticipation was the highest during the opening:

It was truly an event.

The funny thing is I cannot tell you anything about the plot. Yeah, I know it was about a weird family, that witches were involved and that the main guy Barnabas Collins was an ancient vampire. But I can’t remember the plot lines or even one episode. I was too young to even understand it much less absorb the story lines.

Nonetheless, Dark Shadows became, and will forever remain, part of the foundation of my creative subconscious. I grew up loving gothic mansions, strange unusual families and of course anything related to vampires.

The show was even an inspiration for Blood To Blood.

So now that Jonathan Frid, the actor who portrayed Barnabas (at the time of this posting his website, www.jonathanfrid.com, was “unavailable”), has passed on, and Hollywood has decided to revisit the show with a major film starring Johnny Depp, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to delve into one of the deepest parts of my subconscious. Thanks to the magic of YouTube and the miracle of Netflix streaming on my laptop, I can explore scenes from the original Dark Shadows and even watch an episode or two.

Maybe, this exploratory activity will uncover something about my writing that I was unable to figure out. Like why it’s always easier for me to write after the sun goes down. Or it might shed light on my personality. Like why images of brooding gothic mansions near cliffs pounded by waves give me the warm fuzzies.

 

 

Weekly Word: Watch Your Thoughts

Weekly Word: Watch Your Thoughts

Watch your “Thoughts,” they become words. Watch your “Words,” they become actions. Watch your “Actions,” they become habits. Watch your “Habits,” they become character. Watch your “Character,” for it becomes your “Destiny.” ~ Frank Outlaw

This quote says it all. My son memorized this when he was 7. I was so thrilled, I patted myself on the back like “Yeah, you’re a good mom.” A week or so after, he forgot it.

Oh well.

I’m assuming it’s somewhere in his subconscious, coloring his emerging character and personality.

Weekly Word: Watch Your Thoughts

Weekly Word: Watch Your Thoughts

Either way, I’m going to buy this poster and put it on his wall.

Seriously though, this is a favorite quote of mine and I’d like to get your thoughts on this. Do you think this is true?

 

Rant: Still Ticked At The Voice

Last week I realized The Voice is a fraud. The show that distanced itself from the superficiality of American Idol proved to be even shallower. And I’m still upset!

At least AI doesn’t try to pass itself off as any more than what it is; a popularity contest for under-30 wannabe professional singers. The Voice, with its more or less blind judges promised that it would serve as a platform for all talent regardless of looks and age based on only one requirement: that they could really sing.

So why was “the one to beat” Jesse Campbell taken off the show in an “Instant Elimination” that didn’t even involve the audience? Even the show’s host Carson Daly, was “thrown for a loop.”

“A Song For You”

Was it a commentary on Christina’s lack of skill as a vocal coach? Watching the re-run of the episode I saw the foreshadowing Rolling Stone pointed out. You could see it on her face. She knew she was going to give him the ax. Perhaps she couldn’t take him any further than she did and had to cut him loose.

“What A Wonderful World”

Perhaps it was the result of the industry’s innate ageism. At 43ish Campbell is hardly the typical Top 40 flavor-of-the-month. Or perhaps the winner of the Voice has already been identified by the show’s producers. Whatever the reason behind this decision, one thing’s for certain, Jesse Campbell is on to bigger and much better things. Perhaps he should’ve chosen Cee-lo or Adam?

“Halo”

Either way, Godspeed to him and his beautiful daughter. I’m not sure I’ll be watching this show again without feeling duped and jaded… but I do love, love, LOVE Juliet Simms:

“Roxanne”

 

 

Lyrid Shower 2012 – Ooohh, Aahhh!

I stayed up until 5AM writing last night/this morning and during that time tried to see the Lyrid Meteor shower. Alas, the sky was overcast all night, but I did find this gorgeous photo:

Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Also check out this cool photo from China DeSpain Freeman:

Credit: Science@NASA

This cool video from NASA explains it all:

Weekly Word: Daily Actions

“Anytime that you notice you’re not feeling well, ask yourself ‘What am I thinking?’ Usually it’s a negative thought.” ~ Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield usually hits the nail on the head when it comes to the how. How to take the law of attraction and make it a practical application to daily life. This installment sees him give some advice on things we can do everyday to change our lives and reach the goals we’re striving for. Good stuff!

Whenever I find myself having “one of those days” I think about my thoughts about what is going on in my life. It would be easy for me to say “Oh, X Y and Z is happening, and that’s why I feel this way blah blah blah.” But the real truth about what’s going on is my thoughts about X Y and Z and the blah blah blah.

One daily action I am working on making a habit is training my mind to work for me and not against me. Yep, it’s hard, but the benefits are immediate.

Weekly Word: Inspiration and Work

“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” ~ Chuck Close

Part of the writer’s dilemma is writing, and finding the time to write in a busy schedule. Writing on a daily basis is ideal, but making the time to write, for many of us, is an art.

saraswati I like this particular quote because it reminds me that the work of writing is the most important thing. When I’m writing my creativity flows and I feel the need to write more. There’s a connection with the practical doing of writing and actually getting it done. This doing can be applied to anything, not just writing.

So yes, inspiration is great, but without the doing the inspiration is wasted. Even if you don’t feel inspired, do what you need to do anyway. Whether it’s writing or any other creative endeavor, just do it.

Make it a habit, break it down into manageable steps, tackle the biggest job first, and before you know it you’re not stuck waiting for inspiration. You’ll be actually taking action to make your ideas a reality.

Weekly Word: The Importance of Rituals

“Will power doesn’t last, but rituals can last a lifetime.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins talks, actually rambles in an amazing way, about not only the importance of rituals (aka habits) but exactly how to go about changing your life and achieving your goals, whatever they are.

I love the practical way he approaches this topic and how this can be applied to anything and anyone regardless of background, age or situation. Right now I am building a habit of effectively planning and managing my time. I am making progress but I’m not going to say it’s easy. It is not! But it is do-able because I am able to break things down into small steps and take it, sorry for the cliche, one step at a time.

 

My Muses: Death Cab For Cutie “I Will Possess Your Heart”

Death Cab, like Radiohead, is one of those bands that I play all the time to the point that I wonder if it’s healthy for my son.

To give you an example, one day we were driving along the countryside in Dekalb county (Georgia, Atlanta area). It was a bright and sunny day, and as always iTunes was piping through the stereo. Death Cab’s “I Will Possess Your Heart” was playing. And my 5 year-old was singing it verbatim.

I realized that this must have been the thousandth time he’d heard this tune, and for a moment I wondered if it was normal, after all it’s a pretty intense song.

But then again, what is normal? I recalled the dark and hyper-sexualized songs I’d grown up listening to and never caught the real meaning until I was in college (some even later, like Frankie Goes to Hollywood “Relax” I had absolutely no idea that was about reaching orgasm until the new millennium, but I’d never seen this banned version of the video either, eewww!). I figured he’d be fine as long as I continued to balance out the Death Cab with Backyardigans, The Wiggles, The Muppets and less dark, more family-friendly bands like Coldplay and U2.

This particular tune has a play count of over 300 in my iTunes. That was after my computer crashed and wiped out my play counts. It’s right up there with the most popular songs from my Blood To Blood playlist, but ironically it’s not on that playlist. Nonetheless, I crafted a good amount of Justin’s interior monologue while listening to it:

I imagined Justin saying these lyrics, or something like them, in his head whenever he spent any time with Angel:

How I wish you could see the potential,
the potential of you and me.
It’s like a book elegantly bound but,
in a language that you can’t read.
Just yet.

You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.

There are days when outside your window
I see my reflection as I slowly pass,
and I long for this mirrored perspective
when we’ll be lovers, lovers at last.

You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
I will possess your heart.
I will possess your heart.

You reject my… advances… and desperate pleas…
I won’t let you… let me down… so easily.
So easily.

You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
I will possess your heart.
I will possess your heart.

That’s *so* Justin. Wow. Now that I’m thinking of him again, I need to run and write some more of the Justin story I’ve been working on.

Weekly Word: Your Habits = Your Life

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~Aristotle

This is one of so true it stays posted on my wall. When things are not working smoothly in my life I usually take a look at how that connects to my personal habits. Then, adjusting my personal habits accordingly fixes the issue, or at least improves the situation, the majority of the time.

Angel Heart

For example, when I for whatever reason start putting off doing little chores at home, that procrastination builds and spreads, like a disease, to all the other parts of my life. Soon I am putting off big things and not staying on top of important things. Once I reverse this and address even the smallest of matters in a timely fashion (like finally washing those dishes, or replacing the batteries in the chirping smoke alarm) that energy also reverberates to the other sections of my life (staying on top of my work schedule, paying bills on time, etc.). Effective planning  is a habit I am currently in the process of building (emphasis on effective).

So the message here is to make sure that what you do repeatedly, your habits, are serving you and facilitating the type of life you want to live. If they aren’t let them go, replace them with actions that do serve you, and watch how your life changes for the better. As Zig Ziglar says, self discipline is the key to excellence!

 

Blood To Blood YouTube Playlist

My trusty Blood To Blood YouTube Playlist includes tunes scooped directly from my iPod playlist, and served up via YouTube. These are the videos to some of the artists listed in the official Blood To Blood playlist. One of these days maybe I’ll be able to pipe everything directly from iTunes, but in the meantime, this little playlist feature on YouTube is kinda cool.

Anyway, I played these artists and their songs hundreds of times while writing Blood To Blood. Many of them are connected to specific scenes from the book. Hole’s “Violet” for example is for when Angel feels her new powers for the first time as she runs through the Maine woods with her family.

Featured here are:

HoleA photograph of the band HOLE playing a concer...
Coldplay
Cee-lo GreenCee-Lo
Metric
Muse
Nicki MinajNicki Minaj
Robin ThickeThicke
Gordon Lightfoot (yep, you read that right)Gordon Lightfoot
Ramsey Lewis feat. Earth Wind and FireRamsey Lewis
Deathcab For CutieDeath Cab for Cutie
Carlos Santana feat. Everlast

I hope you enjoy these tunes as much as I do. These are just a few of the songs I wrote the book to, and I look forward to sharing more.

Blood To Blood YouTube Playlist

 

 

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