What is the best thing that I love about my work? What I usually like to do to experiment with any ideas popping up in my head is to draw and paint and write stories and poems. Whenever I’m writing a poem and I feel like there are unheard of punchlines and effective messages, as well as rhythm, I wound up celebrating. Maybe it is odd, but if I feel like a poem is powerful, even if it is written in a romance, Christian, and/or superhero content, I’ll jump in the air or possibly temporarily shadow box or pose. If nobody is around, I may say something like “I did it… Me. It was me” like odd words of affirmation, but I refrain from doing that so much. I’m thankful that I’m capable of still being creative and that I don’t experience any brain fog, that I know of. While I’m an artsy person, I feel like that I’m inspired by life in general, from what words I see in videos, to the phrases in person, to life experiences, to the experiences of others, and much more. I feel a sense of accomplishment whenever the poem feels like I’ve gotten to know it and evoke the exact emotion out of me that I aimed for, which feels like innovation. Also, I try not to celebrate so much, as I do not want to self-practice having an ego.

What is my idea of happiness? I know how to be happy for my friends, family, and sometimes, complete strangers. It’s actually complicated for me to accept happiness, just like it may be complicated to accept love. Of course, God comes first and there’s really no true happiness without that. I guess happiness for me is to release my ideas, somehow manage to survive life, and be around my loved ones. Happiness is really to survive the misconceptions that life brings to me, try to help out others if I can, and to make my way to meet Jesus.

What is my greatest fear? If you was to ask me this question 10 years ago, maybe I would try to sound tough by saying that I have no fear. I probably would’ve said that my greatest fear are spiders or worse… tarantulas. The thing is that arachnophobes will not even want to look at a picture of spiders or want to look up if you should say they’re “hairy tarantulas” or “furry tarantulas.” I could honestly deal without knowing how related they are to lobsters or if they are, but I’m not trying to Google it. One time, I actually drew a picture of a tarantula, even though I was terrified of the creature, so I think I used a picture as a reference to draw. Back then, I was trying to get over my fear as a mission and to pursue the genre of horror, but now, I’m focused on Christianity. Even if countless people claim to not fear death, I think that
everyone fears it. It’s a subject that is often avoided by many, even though millions of people died before their generation. My greatest fear is really to make my Creator unhappy with me.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? While I still have my own insecurities about myself, the trait that I mostly deplore about myself is probably trying to be funny when I’m not funny. I know that comedy is subjective, but I I’m just not funny and even if I was, I having bad comedic timing, which probably could be aggressively improved. I have my own sense of humor, so because most people don’t laugh at my inside or outside jokes, I try to keep them to myself, especially in the politically correct society.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? I am enthusiastic about the content that poet Sarah Kay has. It’s complicated to admire others or to maintain admiration because I’m constantly finding flaws or a greater reason that I should morally not look at certain content creators or content in general. There are some painters that I admired, but now, I’m not sure if I can say that I admire them. If the optimistic, confident, and go-getter Sarah Kay, somehow saw this article, that would be wild. I do not think that I have a specific poem of hers that’s my favorite because I enjoy all of her work from the poems “If I Should Have A Daughter” to “The Minister of Loneliness.”

What is my greatest extravagance?

I’m not sure if I have a greatest extravagance because I like to try to budget. Either my greatest extravagance would be buying art supplies or trying to financially help others if I can, even though I try helping myself. My greatest extravagance is probably helping others because if I’m rich by being on the right path, metaphorically, the money that I spent on others could even be advice. I’ve received my fair moments of advice as well.

On what occasion would I lie? I do not agree with lying, but there is one occasion that I can think of when someone can lie. If you lie though, why would you publicly admit when you would lie? Therefore, if you actually lied, anyone can look back on the answer to a question like this. I do think that if someone’s life is in danger and you’re trying to save them, it’s your right to lie.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? I write about romance a lot, but it’s like I’m somewhat writing about a subject that I don’t understand. To me, love is the most powerful source, which can be shown by our actions and emotions. If someone was to ask me what genre that I write, I may say romance/Christian, but to say the romantic part makes it feel like , even though I’ve written various genres before.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Maybe this sounds cliche, but I may never be completely satisfied with my work and do not think there is a defining moment to where I was the happiest with my work. I make mistakes and maybe autocorrect or anything in general can help me make mistakes, so it’s rewarding to feel like I do projects properly.

If I could, what would I change about myself? If I could, I would not be born rich because I’d obviously misuse the money. Now, when I reached the age of understanding and vibes about how life truly is, that’s when I’d like to get rich. I could then have more of what to expect and how to react to real-life situations. To be honest, I do not love money, but it would be beneficial to have a lot of it.

What is my greatest achievement in work?

Back in May 2016, I wanted to take painting seriously after I graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Arts and Science. Since I would overthink the process of all of the sentimental writings I’ve done, to some rigorous writings that took much obstacles to complete, I would have to say that my greatest achievement is actually an 18” X 18” acrylic on wood panel portrait that I’ve created, called Sun-kissed Sugar. The piece has abstract work painted on the back and in front of that is a painted poem. Originally, the poem was not painted on the back, but included in a separate sheet of paper on 5/22/22, then I added the painted poem version on 2/19-24. I like how vibrant the painting is, down to the symbolisms (like the smiling sun and made-up exotic language that I don’t even understand), and the incisions from me pressing the tip of scissors into the wood panel. The symbol that looks like a raindrop plus a raindrop sign is actually what I call the Teardrop Formula. The formula shows that it equals a heart and the theory is that for two raindrops to fall and not mix with additional raindrops (being loyal) before crashing to the ground is nearly impossible.

Where would I most like to live? Believe it or not, I would most like to live in Las Vegas because when I was at Vegas, I liked how the neon lights light up the night sky and how it’s always active. I would’ve probably mentioned Italy, but I would have to visit the country in order to call it home. I enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil event, the restaurants, and the many attractions in Vegas.

What is my most treasured possession? My most treasured possession is my Holy Bible and if you’re deep in your faith, I’m sure you understand.

What is my most marked characteristic? I think my most marked characteristic is simply that I’m shy, but I don’t think I’m actually shy because I’ve spoken up at moments when most introverts wouldn’t have. I’ve uploaded videos of myself online. I could be considered an ambivert, but most people dislike that I’m an introvert and I’m remembered by that, if not by my creativity.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? My room is the most inspirational place to where I’m not sweating longer than necessary when the sun is out and freezing at who knows what degrees Celsius when it’s cold. I could easily turn on a television and watch tourists, to look at pictures from books to know how the scenery looks, and eventually, I think of ideas. Other than wanting to turn away from every news station and for the entire city to be perfectly humane, I would probably say that my room is still the most inspirational place. I’m somewhat like a hermit.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? When I’m not eating healthy foods, I enjoy going at Chicago Dough Company in Richton Park, IL.

What books influenced my life and how? The Holy Bible influenced my life because I learned from many of my errors just by reading it and learn something new every time I read it. I used to read Othello by William Shakespeare and always wanted to outdo Shakespeare when it comes to romance, but I’m simply myself. The book 1984 by George Orwell helped to change my perception of what is going on in the government. When I already gained my views about the government, Orwell’s 1984 novel made me wonder how he know how the world would turn into a totalitarian government. The book Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch is a simple, but sad story about the unconditional love that a mother has for her children. To me, no matter how your relationship is with your mother, Love You Forever is a story that can leave you in tears. It’s emotional because everyone wants to be loved and the heartbreaking ending is what makes the book rereadable.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? On my last day, maybe I’d listen to Shema Extended Acoustic by Devoted to Yah because it’s 23 minutes long and 46 seconds, allowing me to listen to a song that feels like it should never end.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? That would have to be Arnold from Hey Arnold!

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My biggest hero is Jesus. As for the other heroes, that’s probably the people that saved my life or tried desperately to support me, if they did (even if I never knew that they tried). My heroes are the friends that are loyal. Heroes to me are those that keep their word, fight for justice, support, give advice, defend the defenseless, show compassion, and so forth. A hero is also brave and unafraid of being different, even if it means to be alone.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? At first, I was not too sure if I could pick one movie, then I thought about two movies with the same director, but I’ll just name one. If you have not seen the movie Weird Science (1985), then maybe you’ll like it.

What role play stories in my life and work? Stories play a huge role in my life. Words of wisdom can be used with parables and I could read about that. Hearing about a real-life tragedy and the reason they put up a “Do Not Enter” sign is a clear indicator that we as people should listen to some stories. Listening to some stories is how we learn to avoid repeating history and can advance in society.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? To be the storyteller of your own life could either mean that you’re ultimately in control of your success or that you can control how you react. I believe that it means you control how you react and whatever you do have control over, you use it to your advantage to make the best of your life.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My friends. They’re the ones that I know for sure are looking at my content.

Which people or companies would I like to work with? Creating one-of-a-kind drawings and paintings that can automatically be auctioned would be absolutely euphoric. Really, I do not have a specific company that I would like to do business with, but I do know that it would be invested in having my work presented in museums, which is a dream for many artists. I’d also find an interest in writing storylines for comic books/graphic novels, as well as writing for a book publishing company that cares as much about my content as I do. If I was to have a book to movie, book to television series adaptation, or whatever, that is a large step that I would take pleasure in. If I could write scripts for movies, then I
would put forth my best effort. Basically, I would like to work with a caring and understanding team that is not trying to steal ideas, pay me minimum wage, or anything similar. I’m willing to be a loyal team member, accept constructive criticism, and sacrifice my schedule in order to reach strict deadlines.

What project am I looking forward to work on? I would like to paint a landscape piece where there is a person in the painting. I want to experiment with the depth of the piece by creating houses, stairs, and rocks, with texture. No matter what, I try to mentally prepare myself before I paint because even though painting is relaxing, I want to constantly improve. My paintings used to have childlike imagery and now are having more details.

Where can you see me or my work?
You can check out my WordPress page.
WordPress: Isaiahpoet.wordpress.com
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@isaiahjoshua1356/videos

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Even though you do not get any recognition or form of compensation for your work, you may have moments of doubting yourself and wanting to give up, but you won’t stop doing what you love. You don’t stop doing your passion because you’re not creating for others, but for yourself. There are scenarios to where someone may have to put aside their passion, but that does not mean that they will will have the drive to continue it. Maybe the person has to raise children, work, or who knows what in a predictable world, sometimes having unpredictable circumstances. A passion that never retires is a nearly irresistible everlasting emotion and respect for what it is that you do.

How can you contact me?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/me?
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My email: isaiah_lawrence22@yahoo.com