brandish background3.jpg

Brandish

Words about words, brands, names and naming, and the creative process.

#sparkchamber 060418 — Dean Hollingsworth

042318 d hollingsworth.jpg

Today in the #sparkchamber we are delighted to spend a little time with Dean Hollingsworth, an Ashtangi, a drummer, and a seeker … “I have always been seeking, I just spent the first half of life looking in the wrong places.”

Rarely interested in doing what has already been done, Dean likes to look for the un-trod path and explore the territory there. He is a lifelong musician, playing from elementary school through college, and with many groups after that. He currently plays solo for enjoyment and meditation, but still dreams of finding the right person/people to collaborate with. 

In addition to music, Dean is a skilled artisan who enjoys working with his hands, creating from wood, metal, PVC, concrete, string, paint, and glass. He also practices Ashtanga yoga, and shares his love for the practice with the Ashtanga community in Dallas, TX. 

1.] Where do ideas come from?

I think ideas often come from regular activity in any area coupled with sparks of imagination, sudden intuitive insights, or by making fortunate mistakes with desirable results. 

2.] What is the itch you are scratching? 

I’m looking to expand my consciousness through new paths. New approaches, new feelings, new experiences are to be found through repeated effort, so I dedicate myself to the discipline of simply going through the act and seeing what manifests. 

3.] Early bird or night owl, tortoise or hare? 

My nature, I’m a night owl, but out of necessity now, I’m an early bird. I’m drawn to burn the midnight oil and stay up late but I love the whiteness of the early morning when the rest of the world is unconscious and sleeping. I tend to be a bit of both tortoise and hare, as well. Often I work quickly when being creative but only in short bursts. Most projects that hold my attention are long and drawn out and so I identify with the tortoise as well. 

4.] How do you know when you are done?

Usually things are done only when I’ve exhausted all options or have a rare feeling that something is “good enough” to share with the world.