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About

My name is Josh.

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Here’s the boring stuff:

I’m an American writer, musician, and artist currently living in Lexington, KY with my wife, two dogs, and two cats. In February of 2018 I started a marketing agency called BIG Creative Design. I run the company alongside my best friend Jake, an award-winning graphic designer and artist.

My music has been enjoyed all around the world and recognized with dozens of awards, nominations, and prizes, including Best Film Score, Best Sound Design, and Best Original Production. My poetry has been featured in several literary publications, including The Aviator Magazine. I have a completed manuscript for a novel called TRANSMUTATION laying around somewhere.

Here’s what you need to know:

I’m a pretty simple guy. I love comics and video games, but my favorite pastime is reading. I’m a huge fan of Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, Philip K. Dick, Hunter S. Thompson, William Burroughs, Ken Kesey, and Kurt Vonnegut. You can hear them all, calling out from the depths of my words like orphans trapped in a well.

I collect books and audiobooks like our furniture collects dog hair. My office floor is lined with stacks and stacks of books. I’ve read most of them. My wife doesn’t believe me when I say that.

 

I am a thief.

I steal words and stories, songs, thoughts and feelings I could never begin to understand. If I think a moment is beautiful, I steal it, and keep it locked away. I’ll steal from you, if you give me the chance.

I suffer from depression.

 

I recently started a fundraising effort called Project StoryLove. We’re raising money for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention by donating funds and participating in our local Out of the Darkness Walks. Our goal is to raise over $10,000 per year for the AFSP, and over $1,000 for each walk we attend.

You can learn more about StoryLove and our fundraising efforts here.

My fight with depression began when I was in my early teens, and it has been an ongoing struggle ever since. For the last 10 years or so I’ve gone through some nightmarish battles. In August of this year, I will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the day I tried to end my own life.

#StoryLove is an effort to raise awareness about Suicide, Mental Health Advocacy, and Depression. I started my business because I love stories, and I believe that no story should be cut short.

If you’re reading this now and you suffer from that terrible darkness, know that you are not alone. I’m here, and I’ve been through it all.

I’ve seen what rock bottom looks like, trust me. If you want to share your story with me, come talk to me. I will listen. I will share with you, too.

I would love to be your friend. I mean that.

You can talk to me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook, but the best way to reach me is by sending an email to josh@bigcreativedesigns.com. I respond to every single email I receive. I respond to most comments here, too, but sometimes I’ll simply “like” it if the comment doesn’t beg for a response.

If you want me to write a guest post for your blog or website, I’d love to do that. If you want to share my work, simply reblog it or blast it out on social media, whatever works best for you. Stealing is caring, these days.

I end most of my work with a simple message: I love you.

I do that because it’s true. I do love you.

I love you for being beautiful, unique, complex and imperfect. I love you for giving me moments of your life, moments you’ll never get back. I love you for being you, and I’ll never ask you to change.

That may seem odd to you. How can you love someone you’ve never met?

We may have never met face to face, but at some point you and I were made of the same stuff. We came from the same point of matter in the universe, and whether it was god or a tiny particle that put us out here and brought us to life, you and I are one. We are connected.

We are all connected.

If you think about it, that means I don’t have to meet you to love you. You are already a part of me. I see you when I look in the mirror, and I love what I see. Maybe that’s the definition of true vanity.

Thank you. I can’t say it enough.

Thank you so much for being a part of this journey.

Thank you for letting me touch your life. Thank you for touching mine.

Today and every day, I love you.

34 thoughts on “About” Leave a comment ›

  9. Pingback: Nominated for Versatile Blogger Award | Nubian Brown

  11. Hey, Josh! I just want to thank you for visiting my blog! And I would like you to know that your blog is simply awesome, man! Keep up the good work!

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. You are real, and stand out to me. I choose my online friends like this … you stand out in a good way. I am honored to call you friend. I like the name you have for your dog, Reznor. Our dogs that we always call Pups … are Kissy Fairchild and Precious Camo/Camie (they have a Facebook page)… they are our only family. Skip, my husband, our Pups are my whole world. It’s nice to meet you, Josh. Gloria/Granny Gee

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. I meant to say I love the way your fiancée spells her name ‘Chelsy’. Our neighbor’s name is Chelsea … each day I take her Rottie named Angel out for her while she is at work. 🙂 I do it from my Heart, not for money. It’s not that I don’t need money … but when it comes to love … no money is needed. Take care, Josh. Gloria/Granny Gee

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  15. I am fascinated by your blog. Your “about” page is rich with information and emotion. I, too, have suffered from depression all my life. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2004. I unfortunately suffered silently for a very long time because I spent 37 years drinking and getting high. I have been sober since 2008. I started my blog in order to share ruminations on recovery, spirituality and creativity. Frankly, I needed to start blogging in order to have a regular writing routine. I look forward to hearing more from you, and I hope you will visit my blog again.

    Liked by 1 person

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  25. What a wonderful world that has such people as you in it. Really lovely. I’m glad to have met you. Thanks for coming by my blog! I think we’ll find many things in common along our shared paths through Bloglandia.

    My best to you!
    Kathryn

    Liked by 1 person

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  28. Hi Josh, thanks for your like on my recent post. I’ve since read your blog and I really connect with your story. I LOVE your poetry! If you’re interested I also have a poetry blog called https://wiltedflowerpoetry.wordpress.com/ (that’s how thewiltedflower started). In reading your poems we seem to have a similar style and themes so I hope you might enjoy it. Looking forward to reading what you publish in the future! Sincerely, -thewiltedflower

    Liked by 1 person

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