Maddox Ranch

So that Mind, Body, and Soul festival was INCREDIBLE!

It only lasted 3 days at a place called Maddox Ranch in Lakeland, Florida.

If you've never been to a hippie camping festival, I'll tell you about it.

Everyone there makes eye contact because they certainly believe that we are all one in the same, and that we deserve to know and love each other. 

I'm definitely new to eye contact with strangers, so I thought it was weird at first.

Money isn't all the vendors worry about either.

To barter simply means to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money, and that's certainly what my good friends and everyone else was aware of.

I watched a good friend of mine who was selling wooden pedants barter them off for even cooler things like forged knives, stones, and just cool shit in general.

I regretted not bringing cool stuff to trade but it was only my first time so I took notes.

It wasn't only a place to go and get fucked up on as many drugs as you could (although I did) because there were kids around. It was a family event.  

There were gypsy women with dreads and fat squirming babies in their arms sitting on pillows with solar powered lights around them smoking weed.

Kids were just running about barefooted not having a slight worry about danger.

There really was no danger. 

No bitches or assholes there to throw garbage all over the ground, no one breaking glass, no one screaming and fighting or cursing at each other. 

Only love.

There was plenty to learn about too.

Free workshops that taught topics ranging from mushrooms to cbd oil to GMO foods to music, even art and yoga and tons more.

Just people who respectfully want you to learn a few things.

The stage was constantly filled with musicians of many kinds from folk to reggae to rock to indie.

Of course, after 5pm things got weird. 

The average iridescent lights got shut off and replaced with flickering psychedelic lighting that fooled you into thinking that you were indeed tripping on something.

Drum circles happened, people dancing around barefoot, howling like their inner spirit animals and the love was everywhere.

It was such an experience. 

I recommend going to at least ONE camping festival in your life.

Young or old, just do it.

You'll meet lovely people who aren't looking to tear you down but looking to build you up.

Everyone there was willing to teach or be taught, to give or receive, and even to protect.

It certainly won't be my last festival.

Rebel Yell

You know what sucks? I was born just a tad bit too late for Billy Idol, that is what sucks.

Killa Croc

Bitch I eat people!

nuff said

Ha Ha Ha!

Here we go, this was actually the first one I did. It all started with me being curious about whether or not I could figure out green hair. After that, "FUCK IT" I said and began a whole fucking series.

Mr. Two Face

The newest of this series, Harvey "Two Face" Dent. Dun dun dun....

*dramatic pause*

The Quin

lol Probably my favorite of this series so far even though I'm not a die-hard fan of Harley like EVERYONE ELSE!

Meeeeeooooow!

Here is Catwoman, I did my best to make her absolutely gorgeous. I mean, it'd be an insult if she wasn't...

Boy blunder

Here is my rendition of Damian Wayne. More Robins and they're many identities to come...

Oh and let me know if any of you would like me to do some work for you. I'm a fairly cheap whore and I love drawing anyway so keep in mind, commissions are open.

Bats

This is only one of several pictures I'll be doing inspired by the superhero craze going on this year.

I'll be uploading more today and will still be painting more as the year goes on. I hope to do anywhere from 15-20 and you guys will be the first to see them.

Flux baby, say my name!

First Time

My very first camping festival!

I've never camped out at a full fledged festival before, this will be my first time. 

I decided that since it's festival season, 

I would write out a list of helpful and needed things to bring.

1. Tent and sleeping bag. For obvious reasons. It's up to you if you want to bring along an added pillow and blanket.
2. Water! Most camp sites have running water that is okay to drink BUT there's always the chance that something will go wrong or it'll be flooded with lines, therefore never attainable. Having your own water gallon or filtration system is just a way to look out for your own back in dire situations. If you plan on staying longer than 2 nights, consider bringing a FROZEN gallon of water to keep with the foods you bring. It'll act as a coolant for the foods and it'll melt to drink.
3. Food or money for it. This is something that a lot of people don't put much thought into at all. A few packs of beef jerky might not get you through the entire 4 day weekend so think of light food with little to no packaging that can be eaten hot or cold. Examples: Fresh and/or dried fruit, sandwich fixings, nuts, granola, chips, tuna, crackers, et cet. But depending on the festival, there may be some food vendors set up so you might not have to bring any, you'd just have to pay for it.
4. A bag for your garbage. You won't want to look like the festival prick when everyone has their setup looking like a second home and you're still throwing garbage on the floor hoping no one seen. Just do the environment a favor and keep your garbage in a plastic bag of sorts so as not to leave a mess.
5. Comfortable clothes. It should come to no surprise that the clothes you bring along should indeed be comfortable. I'm not saying you can't bring a pair of heels out into the campgrounds, I'm just saying that if that's all you bring, you'll regret it. Consider the amount of nights you'll be sleeping over and the activities you'll get involved in. Minimize the apparel as much as you can. You don't want to be carrying an entire wardrobe in and out of the site. 
6. Light or wood for fire. If you're thinking of making up a campfire, consider the state laws, camp site rules and regulations and proceed with caution. If that's not something you plan on tackling on your own, make sure just to bring a few flashlights, lanterns or just candles for bugs and mosquitoes. You'll be glad you thought ahead.
7. Wet wipes. I know you aren't a baby but they do wonders. Especially if there is no access to running water for showers. Depending on the kind of festival, there's a huge chance you'll get yourself pretty active which means sweaty. Do yourself a favor and get Wet Ones or just baby wipes to wipe yourself clean before bed.
8. Togo bag of toiletries. You won't be sorry that you store your toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotions or anything else of the sort inside ONE single to go bag that is rain proof. 
9. Entertainment. It's not like there won't be lot's to do, there will be. But you wouldn't want to spend a second being bored so take advantage of the time by doing things you find entertaining. Things like art, hula hoops, archery, books, a camera for photography and so on. Just consider whatever you bring because it'll add to the load of things to carry.
10. Portable charger. You'll be glad you invested the money for one. Nowadays, you can get a portable charger at gas stations or drugstores. They're pretty common so you could even ask a friend to borrow theirs.
11. A cooler. If the amount of nights you're going to spend camping exceeds 3 then you'll need to bring a moderately sized cooler to carry all the food stuffs in one place. 
12. First Aid. There's usually someone (if not everyone) who will need some kind of medical attention due to a fall, scrape, burn, or bug bite. It's very useful and in some states required to carry when you camp primitively. The smaller ones are definitely okay to bring if you don't plan on going somewhere dangerous.
13. Toilet paper! You will be glad you brought your own private roll. 
14. Condoms. Just in case, ya know?
15. An open mind. Wild things can happen at festivals, ESPECIALLY the camping ones. Just keep in mind that people sometimes travel from all parts of the state (and even the country) just to attend the event, so they plan on having one hell of a time and making wild memories. 
16. A good attitude. Don't let negative energy keep you from having fun. Keep the positivity up by doing things you enjoy and just trying new things.
17. Sunscreen. Just do it.
18. Rain boots. Depending on where you are geographically, it's extremely useful. Being from Florida where it's known for it's sporadic rain and swamps, you'll find yourself relieved to know that your socks and shoes aren't drenched in mud or whatever else. If rain boots don't seem like your thing, just bring along an extra pair of shoes to put on when/if it gets rainy.
19. Jacket. Again, depending on where you are geographically, you might not need it but it's useful during autumn and winter.  

If I think of anything else that I haven't already mentioned, I'll be sure to make another list or just add it later.

To Do

I'm sick.

I'm pretty tired.

   And I'm getting pissed off at the fact that people won't just shut up and think before speaking. 

   Too many people have nothing to say and continue saying it. 

   Was it religion that made judging so openly a societal norm? Because as a non-religious person, I've learned not to judge people so goddamn loudly and openly. Keeping the shitty, hurtful things I could cut people down with to myself. By doing so, I've learned to just overlook things. One thing leads to another, now, negativity is far from my mind.

   It wasn't always that way, of course. As a person with 3 older siblings, I spent the majority of my pre-teen and teenage years defending myself against comments that tore me down as a person, and cause insecurities. It was the most difficult thing I had to go through so far in my life. 

   When those people that were born into the same family as you, who have lived through most of what you have lived through just cut you down and shit on you, it's not easy to come back from. What hope does that give a human being when the only people that are really supposed to lift you up and help you out actually tear you down? Is it something that we have to get used to? Is it something that we have to become and allow to cloud our minds and future? 

   When we allow negative thoughts to become all we think about, it becomes who we are. It becomes what we put into the Universe. Therefore, it becomes what we get in return.

   Learn who you are, worry only about your mind and spirit. 

Don't let negative judgmental thoughts cloud you from growing into a better individual. 

Gain your own mindset. 

Learn to do that thing we've become very scared of, 

Love.

Trailblazing

One thing I do worry about is:

My society not being ready for the change I inspire.

I have been told a lot (more recently) that there's nothing I can do, or anyone for that matter, about the current situation of society and it's stance on Natural Plant Medicines.

Day by day, people like my best friends, and loved ones assure me that nothing can be done. Nothing can be changed. Nothing can do it.

But is it true?

Once upon a time, women couldn't vote. 

Women couldn't wear pants.

But I'm a woman and in the great modern year of 2016 I voted and I also own pants that I wish I could wear often but can't because I live in Florida and it's always hot as hell.

Things change, they're constantly changing.

Why is it okay to shit on someone so easily, with no remorse? 

Why is it okay to convince young people, who are our future, that they can't change anything for the better? 

Why is it okay to drag someone down with surrounded negativity? 

And it's not okay to let someone/anyone know that they are worth more than their day jobs?

That they deserve happiness as individuals?

That the only way positive things can happen is if positivity becomes the very essence of who you are?

Our society has made it acceptable to judge and bring people down instead of building one another up. 

It's literally offensive to people nowadays if you try and let them in on the fact that they are from unimaginable realms of light and power.

We as humans must realize our worth.

Not one another's worth but the worth of ourselves.

I won't stop letting people know that they can be happier than they are.

We deserve happiness.

Someone just has to pave the way, I guess that someone is me.

Nothing to be done?

  I was told by a new friend that there's nothing that can be done about the current situation of things in society.

 Do I agree? Not at all. 

I strongly believe in only one thing. Murphy's Law or Sod's Law, if you prefer. That means, if anything can go wrong, it will. 

Wrong is only what is not in accordance with what is morally viewed by society as right. 

But who's to say what 'right' is or what 'morals' really are?

As humans, we differ from opinion. We can all agree that we see the wrong side up and that our brains are smart enough to flip the image for us. 

Does that necessarily make it so?

Consider:

Once upon a time, when I was a very small child, I came to an understanding that everyone my age and younger agreed that there was a man who watched me night and day, judged my actions based on his own moral agenda and if I did what was deemed as morally right in society, at the end of the year, I would be surprised with presents in abundance.

His name was Santa Clause.

But I was only fooled for a short period of time.

My point is, we are all placed in a room with four walls and a roof when we are about 4 to 6 years old  and told that the answer to 1 + 1 = 2 and that the sky is very much the color blue.

That doesn't mean that what we call 'school' is not teaching what is right, because the term 'right' is purely subjective.

I don't have many answers to the questions I ask.

Only clever remarks.

I encourage anyone brave enough, to simply consider what society deems as Right and Wrong. 

Does it comply with your very own moral understanding of things?

I hope not. 

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

 I do not encourage the partaking of illegal drugs. 

HOWEVER, assuming that you're in a country where it is not a legal issue, I give this scientifically backed up information only to spread awareness and knowledge.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Otherwise known as LSD or Acid. 
    Here in The United States of America it's scheduled as a Class A drug. That means if you're caught with it, you've got up to 7 years of prison time. Even more if you can't afford a decent lawyer. If you get caught doing something even worse than carrying it around, like say, dealing it, you'd get up to a LIFE SENTENCE.
  Although every state has their many varying laws that differ from one another, it's safe to say that this is NO JOKE and NOT to be taken lightly.

                                    Now lets begin with some good old fashioned learning.

   First, we must understand what LSD is before we even consider consuming such an illegal substance. Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD is a  Semi-Synthetic Substance. That means it is produced by chemical manipulation of naturally occurring substances.
             Before any synthesizing of any sorts can happen, there must be a presence of a psycho active fungi called Ergot. It actually comes from moldy Rye, if you didn't know. It is then derived and synthesized into what we know as LSD. It is a tryptamine and an ergoline alkaloid. It works off of the serotonin receptors in our brains. (Serotonin is what is responsible for maintaining mood balance.)
             After it has been synthesized, it is then dropped from a vile onto parchment paper, cut into squares only a few centimeters across and distributed.



    Second, we must come to terms with the reality that there are plenty of fakes out there. I25-BOME is one of the many Chinese research drugs made and distributed here in the United States as LSD itself. It can be very dangerous and has indeed been found as the cause of many young deaths. But here's a place to find a proper  TEST KIT to ensure that what you're doing is the real deal.



    Third, we must become familiar with what LSD can do. The trip itself lasts anywhere from 8 to 12 hours depending on the dosage as well as the person.It is not uncommon to trip longer.
     It is active in the MICROGRAM dose making it the most potent psychedelic compound ever. Even eating as little as 20ug can cause active effects on the body. Having such a small amount is called Microdosing. The average tab in modern society ranges from 100 to 300 micrograms. Let's just say that no beginner should allow any sort of entitlement or ego to talk him into dosing more than he/she is mentally prepared for.
       

           So in essence, someone tried and succeeded in creating mold artificially in 1938 but were unknown until 1943. That someone was Albert Hofmann, the Inventor of LSD. He created the most potent psychedelic compound in the world in hopes of it being put to use in psychiatry but it became completely illegal in 1967.

 THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTED CASES OF AN INDIVIDUAL DYING DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF LSD INGESTION.

Weekly Propaganda

When To Stop

I hadn't smoked an entire cigarette at all until I was about 17. Until then I only had a few drags when someone pressured me to try at about age 8 or so.

 I didn't particularly like it but I didn't hate it either. 

To be honest, it was the idea of rebellion behind the cigarette that ultimately made me try it wholeheartedly. I started smoking cigarettes at age 17. I had stolen a few from a woman's purse and snuck my way out of my house to the community pool that was locked up due to cold weather. Enjoying the darkness that comes with the night, I hid out only to determine whether or not tobacco was right for me.

 How fascinating it was to inhale something so toxic..

So I loved it. Not the taste, not the feeling it gave me, but the idea of going against what people wanted for me. That's what I loved. 

Who knows what's good for someone else really? Who's to say?

I ended up allowing it to become not something I liked or wanted but something I needed to "take the edge off" after a tough days work , emotional disturbance, and quite simply bored. When I turned 18, I rejoiced in the fact that I could aquire something so deadly without any legal issues. 

Age 19 came along and I was still doing the same old smoke and cough routine. By this time, my skin had lost it's healthy color, my hair was fragile and I had smokers cough. 

We both know that it was apparent to me that cigarettes aren't something useful or needed.

The question is: As a former smoker, when did I decide it was a good time to quit?

Every single day.

It was something that would present itself in my mind daily. Family brought it up the moment they seen the the death stick approach my lips, co-workers would comment on the aroma I caused, and every so often, I would injure someone with the burning tobacco itself. (Sorry, Flux.) 

So what did I do?

I definitely tried to quit on my very own.

Didn't work.

LSD was something I only had to dose with just a few times, while under the trap of Nicotine and tobacco, in order for my consciousness to be Un-Blocked from the reality of what I was doing to myself. It allowed complete awareness and oneness of mind and spirituality. Not that I'm very spiritual. 

But a nice evening of many substances caused a chemical reaction in my mind that allowed me to let go if the things that I very well knew were harmful to myself and my environment. 

 I can't endorse the use of illegal substances but there is definitely a reason it has become so illegal.

Not because "The Man" is worried that you'll jump out of a window and hurt yourself or others but because it opens you up to the 

idea that everything you know is 

wrong.

Now, at 20 years old, I can happily say that LSD has helped me on my journey to quitting Nicotine and Tobacco as a whole. My hair looks fuller, skin has cleared and  

I no longer have a need or even want to partake. 

However, everything is good in moderation. 

At least, that's what an intoxicated Redd would convince herself of.

My Meatless Decision

So I'm attempting to get healthy. I decided the first way I was going to do this is to fix my disgusting fucking diet. I would eat anything really. Processing preferred, please! I was that chick who asked for Kraft over Gouda. Yep, I ate like a hog and suffered the consequences. I was overweight, I had cystic acne, and I couldn't walk half a yard much less run a mile. I was also a heavy smoker more than capable of taking out a whole pack of cigarettes within a day or two. My throat felt like the barren wastelands of the Gobi.

Look everybody, a picture of me and my esophagus!

So I got sick of seeing a 40 year old like...

...and me over here like...

...still in my fucking twenties.

So first thing's first, a tiny bit of research. I eventually figured a great way to start a better diet would be to cut out meat. I became vegetarian. At first it wasn't very difficult. Then my wallet really started to feel it. I love good food, I really do. I was still in love with deliciousness so I'd spend more on flavor. That's what made it so expensive as opposed to eating $1.55 "cheeseburger" from McDonald's.

It wasn't until later that I realized cooking for myself was so much cheaper. I actually cook now, often even!

Anyway, I was eating healthier. People noticed. I started to drop weight. I'm not speaking figuratively people, I lost 15 lbs. in about a month just by not eating meat. I was still eating bullshit like cheesecake and doritos. I wasn't complete pleased yet though, I still wanted to lose more weight and I desperately wanted my skin to clear up.

I don't know if any of you are too familiar with cystic acne but it's the shit that looks like this...

Which I later discovered is often caused by dairy. Dairy is an interesting topic in my opinion. It's pushed on us from the time we're born. In actuality, once we've stopped nursing from our mothers we're not supposed to ingest dairy. Our digestive systems aren't built to process it. Only when we're babies and we need an immune boost are we really supposed to eat/drink dairy.
So there was that. I stopped ingesting so much dairy and started taking in more nutritional, anti-acne foods like berries, nuts, chia seeds, and honey. My skin is starting to clear up, it's a wonderful but slow process I'll tell ya; Cystic acne is notoriously stubborn.
So beyond that my immune system is also stronger. Instead of taking all the fucking medicine anybody recommends to me I'll just keep eating. I eat healthy shit like oranges for my immune system. Usually every year I get sick at least once while seasons change. I'm prone to sinus infections. This year I of course knew exactly what time of what day Spring arrived because I woke up and couldn't fucking breathe. So I ate just a shit of oranges. They managed to fight off my potential sinus infection and guess what, I can actually breathe right now. It's been about two weeks of Spring and the pollen still hasn't gotten the best of me.

That's it for now, I'll get back to you guys later on more details of my diet so maybe we can get healthy together.
Flux baby, say my name!

Since I was little

I knew from a very young age that I'd reign terror.

One of my favorite, arguably mythological creatures is the kraken. I even have a giant octopus tattooed to my back, I consider it to be my most prized possession.

The octopus is by far my favorite modern animal. Not sure why, perhaps their ferocity and determination. Everything about an octopus' life is well--metal. They're kinda hardcore.

When mating a male will rip off his arm, jizz on it, and present it to a female who is left to decide what to do with it. Whether she uses his sperm or not, she'll still take the arm.

After finding a small, dark hole to lay her eggs in, a new mother will stay with them. She will not leave, not even to eat, until her eggs have hatched.

Once they hatch, the female is so withered and starved that she soon dies right beside the bed of eggs she laid months ago. The newborns are on their own.

Every species of octopus has a bone crushing beak hidden under their tentacles. They use this beak to crack open anything small enough to fit in their mouths.

One of the deadliest animals in the world is an octopus, the Blue Ringed Octopus. These little guys are tiny. However they've got quite the bite as their saliva is made up of a nasty venomous cocktail which is by all means, lethal. They're kinda cute...

Just my two cents...

I thought of my new motto, guys.
Introverts: Watching the same damn thing in a different room.

Fuck you that was funny when I thought of it.

Here's something you should know about me--I used to work for a restaurant. I won't say which one because I'm not getting sued over it so let's just call it, "LedRobster". LedRobster is not a casual, seafood restaurant previously owned by a massive restaurant corporation. Any who... As a server for this not-seafood restaurant, I came to understand exactly why waiting staff can occasionally be a bit cold. I certainly plan on telling you guys all about it (eventually) but for now I'll just settle on one little noteworthy problem of restaurant work...

The hours are so unpredictable that you never know if you're working two hours with a break or twelve hours without a break. It fucking sucks, and it pissed me off every time without fail how I can work till midnight and be right back in the same place by nine o'clock.

Enough food bitching, I'd like you idiots to take a second and look at the sky. Do you see those weirdly straight, thin streaks of what looks like streamer clouds left behind by jets?
Those are actually what's known as "chem-trails".
Look it up; you might find yourself motivated.

Now remember my fellow American bastards, I'm called Flux, baby! Say my name!

Keep it real. Keep it corrupt. And keep them quiet.

Nobody Reads Anymore

I'm getting to that age where people often stop reading unless it's for college. Y'know, the shit that's required for you to make the life your parents always wanted.

Anyway, it's pissing me off. Reading is good for you; it's healthy for your mind to continue developing once you've left school. People forget this, I suspect mainly for the reason that educational literature isn't everyone's 'thing'. In fact educational literature is boring to most people. Yet that's the majority of what we--as North Americans--are exposed to while growing up. Years of "NatGeo" could easily put someone off of reading. It could cause someone to even dislike reading so much that they practically refuse to do it once they're no longer required to.

I think it's sad that people find reading to be boring...pathetic really. It's my goal to use this shiny new blog to change a few minds about some of the things that make us the fat, loud, and unhealthy apes so many foreign countries pick on. Yes, you should probably come to terms with these ideas; especially that it being no secret how the U.S.A. might be viewed by other parts of the world.

I'd also like you to know it's o.k. some of you might be all like...

It's o.k. because I don't care, and I'm not gonna.

Why Read?

1. First of all reading is healthy for your mind. It keeps your mind sharp. Not only that, but if you occasionally read the dreaded non-fiction, it can also keep you relatively educated or at the very least, aware. It's also good for practice. There is nothing more embarrassing than taking 15 or so minutes to read the first page of a children's book to your nephew. Only to mispronounce common, 5 letter words and just hand the book to the 8 year old out of frustration.
2. You don't have to read fat books just to be reading. You could actually just look up articles or stories online. There is so much free literature out there that's perfectly accessible via Google or Bing there's just no excuse.
3. If you read more, you'd laugh more. Fantasy and fiction are excellent for maintaining a healthy imagination and a strong connection to your own or other cultural environments. References from classic and semi-classic literature are literally fucking everywhere. The media hasn't come up with new material in centuries (yes it has been that long). Wouldn't it be awesome to know and understand where some of your favorite Hollywood icons get their muses?
4. I know I'm repeating myself but I can't stress enough that reading more will in turn make you more aware. You will realize many new things and come to understand the world around you much more successfully. You will start to grow and learn. I realize that's a scary thought for some of you...
   
   
   ...but it's never too late to stop acting and sounding like an idiot. If' you're an overweight fool practically snacking on a six-pack I think it's either time you rethought your life's decisions or you need to start reading. I'm not just talking about reader's digest, or which celebrity fucked whose brother in the ladies' room of Madison Square Garden.

One day we'll all have to pay for being ignorant and every patriotic optimist with a giant F-1500 will suddenly find themselves at a loss for words. Know your culture. Know its history. Know its current state. Know what to do when it all changes.

~Flux baby, say my name!

Hello World

Fun fact: "Hello World" was how Bill Gates kicked off the age of programming in the 90's.
(yes I drew that)
~Flux baby, say my name!