Today marks the day that Scott and I have launched Gaia Bros. If you are reading this, you already know. What you may not know is how long this has been in the making. Almost an embarrassingly long time ago we picked out the name and general features of the site. Thinking at the time it would be a hub of our music and a catalyst for creation. In a way, we were correct. This will serve as a hub for our music. However, it will also serve as a hub for all of our creation and the continuation to which there is no definite end. We hope to have discussions and involvement from all visitors. Of course this won’t happen immediately and there is much room for growth. Which what I am most excited about, growth and learning.
This past weekend I caught up with a friend whom I haven’t seen in a year or more, which ended up being a perfect way to launch Gaia Bros. It was his birthday and he was celebrating it in one of the coolest ways I’d ever seen a birthday celebrated. I arrived at my friends place and after thanking me for my friendship and a quick tour from him he handed me a canvas and told me to paint anything that made me happy or filled me with joy. An almost family tragedy inspired him to choose this theme. I selected my paints and brushes and I sat down next to a few friends and began my adventure. I had an idea that quickly devolved into a bunch of pretty colors on a canvas. However, it was only my second time painting, so lay off.
Having party guests paint and be artistic was a great way to experience art. It didn’t matter if you were a paint newbie or a professional artist, it was still inspiring and fun. Guests could exchange techniques or just enjoy good company. After handing my finished painting to the birthday boy, so he could use it as a rotating art exhibit, he thanked me again for my friendship and said he was glad I came. As I said before, we haven’t seen each other in more than a year. I know I wasn’t the only one that he said this to and I feel that, like myself, he truly cherishes quality friends.
As I grew up and made it out of school, I found it difficult to keep friends informed of everything going on in my life. It was also more difficult to schedule time for people in general. This is another reason why Gaia Bros. is such an important site. It gives Scott and I a platform to not only create, but also a space for connection with friends new and old. I truly value good friends, but it isn’t always possible to show that. I am excited not only to flex my creativity, but to rekindle relationships of old and to form new ones.
If you want to know more about how the painting party was planned and host your own, leave a comment.
– MK
