I have just been talking to a member of the community, and he was showing me some of his paintings.
I too paint of course - and then it occurred to me that magicians are creative people and that this creativity is not always confined to magic. How many people do you know who are also musicians, painters, writers or really great disco dancers?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I want to have a section on the Moon that supports the creative industry. In the past this has been frankly hard to establish and community involvement is sometimes hard won.

So my idea is this.

To gradually build up this community involvement in a section called 'the underground' on the Alchemy Moon website. This will be a password protected area of Alchemy Moon. The only people who will have access are people who actively contribute. There are of course many potential serious uses for this, and such a mechanism can be used to discuss and share ideas, with the aim of evolving the art (this being achieved in consultation with existing projects already out there). However, I also want it to be a place where individual performers can actively promote their work (these areas will be open to the general public). So a service for *you*.

Would it not be great to learn a little about each other too? Photographs or videos of performance, bios, news of upcoming events and so forth.
And just for fun - how about a section where you can just show off other things that you do outside of magic? Videos of you band - a gallery of your paintings. extracts from a book you are writing etc etc. Of course, this can be just a bit of fun, or it can have a more serious aspect. You could *sell* that painting, the latest book or CD/MP3 - and directly make a bit of cash out of this.

There could be many other ideas that simply have not occurred to me, but this is an open resource and open to ideas.

This would be a totally free service from the Moon.

However, it comes at a price - and that price is involvement!

So the facility is will be there *IF* people get involved and contribute. If you sit back and think 'yeah great idea - I will see what happens' then quite simply nothing *will* happen. I will facilitate *if* the energy is there.

If the energy is not there, 'The Underground' door will remain locked (except to the few who are active behind it).

So there are two stages to this. Here is the first one.

Feedback.

If you think this is a god idea and has potential - all you need to do is let me know. Either here, or by pm or email.

If you have ideas for what you think would be of use to you, or to the community, or something that is just plain fun - let me know.
If you want to get the ball rolling now and you want to get involved in the simple but fun idea of showing off your non-magic creativity - send me the pictures, photographs, the pdfs, the videos and mp3 and (if they are not vulgar) I will put them up.
If you want to send photos or videos of you performing, or want to send an advert for an event, or anything else you want to promote. Send them to me. I will put them on the Moon.
I will contact all the people who send me content and we will keep in touch.
I will watch the level of interest both here, and from other sources.

If the interest is there - something will happen.
If the interest is not there you will hear no more.

The Door is open - for now.

Sent you a PM

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. - Da Vinci

This is a great idea. Not only will this provide a platform to display our creativity, it will foster creativity as well.
I'm heading out to meet my in-laws for breakfast. More later...

Great ideas as always!

I think it is a great idea. Unfortunately for me, my mouth is my creative tool.

I think performance videos are mentioned, and I imagine that prose and poetry, voice acting and various other creative inputs would be welcomed by Chris. I was the one who sent him my art after we discussed his painting hysterectomy on the Séances and Spookshows podcast.

I will give it a try, who knows maybe I can find another hidden talent somewhere lol

This sounds like a great idea! I recently wrote a song cycle about ghosts, that I would love to share with this community!

Send me anything you want me to put up sir (email in sig) - As soon as the dust settles on the new site - a door will open.

Verily excited about the possibilities here... PM sent Brother Gould!

Glad more feedback is coming in, it's a great project!

Hi Chris I think this is a good idea and I would be willing to participate.

I play a little guitar so if anyone wants to trade riffs or lessons that would interest me and we can talk spooky.

You should get a bigger one, it is easier to get your fingers on the frets!

Well after a disappointing start - things are beginning to hot up a bit - I have had offers of music, paintings, poetry and short stories so far.
I really think it would be a wonderful thing to celebrate our creativity in a broader sense - and maybe to get to know each other a bit better too!

Just a quick note in this context to say that I have been receiving a *lot* of emails, please do not think that I ignoring you if I do not get right back - things are a bit hectic at the moment, as I am sure you will understand. I keep finishing the website and then getting new content sent in. So racing against time at the moment. The newsletter is just finished and about to send out - so that is one thing done. But plenty more in the pipes. So bear with me folks, I will get back to you all.

anyone got a match for the other end of my candle?....

It's good to see some interesting discussions have already developed on the underground. Well worth signing up.

If I can get things together enough here I would perhaps make a vid of me telling a story. Would that be considered appropriate for the creative?