My Journey into Busking - Part 3 - the value of a coin.

Searching through the scraps of paper, half eaten sandwiches and dirty food containers, the man located what he was looking for. He picked out the glass bottle worth 10 cents from among the filth and placed it in his little canvas bag that was draped over the handle of a two wheeled trolley. 

The man’s clothes were tattered and torn and his wrinkled hands were black from the dirt and grime of street life. He was a patient man who had accepted his humble position. He was not proud, but neither was he arrogant and bitter. He had developed a skill in seeing what was valuable amidst the common and unwanted things of everyday life and this had changed him on the inside and strengthened his self-worth. He knew he was just like that discarded bottle, and someone special had eyes just for him.

He lifted a few scraps of rubbish to reach further into the bin. As he did, his ears picked up the sound of someone singing. He listened for a while as he retrieved another bottle. The voice was not trained in performance and was not eagerly vying for approval or attention. The buskers words floated upon a scratchy melody as his guitar strummed. “When darkness closes in, I shelter under your wing; you love me and heal me from sin”.  As he listened, something within him stirred. Somehow he wanted to be a part of the busker’s expression. Somehow it echoed what was happening in his heart and life and he wanted to be a part of that song. He opened his old cloth purse, took out 50 cents, then walked over and placed it into the busker’s guitar case.

The busker stopped mid-song amazed and stunned by what had just occurred. Something special and meaningful had happened before his very eyes. He understood that to get this 50 cent coin, that wonderful man dressed in rags had to journey from rubbish bin to rubbish bin, amidst glaring eyes and a harsh environment, to a recycle depot and back. This money would help pay for his next meal. “Thankyou my friend”, the busker whispered in appreciation. “Thankyou”. The man dressed in rags, lifted his hand knowing his offering had been gratefully accepted and in that instant, both the busker, and the man in rags were richer than anyone else in the city.  

My Journey to Busking, Part 2 - Cracks in the Footpath..

Looking into the tree, I could see the brilliant sparkle of the glowing sun flickering on and off. The cool breeze sent the leaves of the tree on a dance that blocked and then unblocked the path of light that had travelled a vast stretch of space and time to reach me. The magnificent tree glowed as the sunlight passed through the leaves, transforming it into a luminous green delight. 

I placed my guitar case on the ground, put the guitar strap over my shoulder. “This is a perfect place to busk”, I whispered to myself. And as my guitar filled the air with music, I wondered if the people who passed by ever stopped to consider the beauty of the dappled light that reflected off their skin.

As a new busker, I love it when I find a good place to play. I have discovered that one of the most difficult things is actually finding a suitable place. There are many things to consider if you want to busk lawfully in Adelaide. There are rules, and if you break them you will be fined. 

Some of the rules are... You cannot “adversely affect or disturb the peace, comfort or convenience of users of a public place”. You must not “undertake an activity for more than 30 minutes in one location, use the same location more than once a day, obstruct or impede the flow of pedestrians or vehicular traffic”. You are not allowed to busk in front of landmark buildings, or businesses. etc. etc. All good rules for a decent city, however it does make finding suitable good places to busk difficult. It’s a bit like finding cracks in the footpath.

Have you ever noticed how even the strongest cement slabs and carefully placed pavers cannot stop the peep of tender leaves growing in and around them? There’s nothing you can do to stop life oozing out of this good earth. Eventually, no matter how toxic the environment, life will burst through. Sometimes, when I see a tree clinging precariously on a rocky cliff or discover plants growing through a sidewalk I have to step back and marvel at how incredible it is. How can something grow in such harsh inhospitable conditions?. It fills me with wonder and amazement. Life is… and it is oozing out everywhere.

Busking, to me is like that sunlight shining through the trees, and life growing in the cracks of the footpath. It hints to deeper things, to life under the surface. The heart of humanity is revealed and expressed as it shines through in the raw poetic expression, humour and art of street performance. It is tender and fragile... but it is resolute, determined, unyielding, and a miracle. It gives of itself, where it finds a place to do so. The human heart and soul won’t be destroyed by a concrete monster, and the creative expression of our experience will never be silenced. After all, we are made in the image of God. We are born to be touched by sunlight, and we will grow through the cracks of the pavement to reach it. Life is. It is all around us. It's just that sometimes we are too busy, or lost in our own world of dead things to notice... and we walk by without even knowing that golden beams of sunlight adorned our faces with its beauty. 

Brian Maunder is the author-illustrator of the 

children's picture book Polly's Little Kite.

Website: brianmaunder.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PollysLittleKite

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862325-polly-s-little-kite

Review: www.goodbookreviews.org.uk

My Journey into Busking. Part 1.

Picking up my guitar case, backpack, extra water and loose change, I was getting nervous. “What am I doing?” I thought to myself. “You’re a family man, a father… you don’t go BUSKING!”

I shook my head realising how stupid things would be either way. If I chickened out now all my preparation would be for nothing. If I went through with this hair-brained idea then they would actually certify me crazy.

I grabbed the keys, drove to the bus stop and caught a bus into town. It was a bit tricky carrying all my gear and protecting my precious guitar. I squished through the crowded bus and found a seat. I struck up a conversation with the lady I was sitting next to. I find this happens a lot when I get a bit nervous. I start talking with people, initiating conversations. They talk back and then before I know it we’re sharing stories and laughs. Town arrived quickly.

I got off the bus and proceeded to the Adelaide Council Office to obtain my busking permit. I paid the $2.70, showed them my ID and tried to relax in the cool office. It was a scorching hot day, and I wondered why, of all days, I chose such a ridiculously hot day to do this.  I drank a cup of the free iced water they had available. They handed me the permit and suddenly the reality hit me. The penny dropped and I realised, “There’s no turning back now”.

I headed to Rundle Mall, THE place for busking. When I got there I was horrified at how the recent renovations had left it a concrete jungle. They had pulled out all the lovely trees and garden areas. It was awful. I did notice they had planted other trees, but they were just saplings. It might be okay in a few years but right now, the place didn’t look inviting for a would be busker.

I decided that maybe the best place for me to play would be near one of my favourite bookstores (The Pauline Bookstore) which is situated along one of the city’s garden squares just out from the mall.  There was hardly any people there but amazingly I saw a friend having lunch. “Awesome”. We talked a while and my nerves eased a bit. She encouraged me with my crazy ambition so I placed down the guitar case, set things up and then….. strum… strum…  YEAH… this guitar works… and works well… strum.

I was grateful that I was only singing to a lady sitting on the hill and few people sitting having lunch behind me. I wasn’t ready to have people actually look at me yet. I was encouraged when a guy came over a bit closer and sat there listening. It was surreal.  I was actually singing in public and filling the air with music. Strangely, (well actually not strange at all) when I stopped playing, the place returned to its ambient atmosphere of motor cars buzzing and footsteps plodding and it felt like something was missing. “Oh yeah” I thought. “There is something missing. Me. The sound of a busker is missing. Buskers really do create atmosphere and bring a place to life.”

I finished the set (my list of songs), had a drink break then went to Rundle Mall. I was a lot more confident now. I found a little miniscule place of shade under one of the sapling trees. I placed my guitar case down, opened my word sheets and started playing.

Being a performer in a public place is a weird thing. You become something, or someone different. You are not a pedestrian anymore. You are someone to look at… or ignore. It’s an unusual psychological place to be as it places you outside of your own world and into the world on the street. You observe people and see things differently. At the same time you are offering yourself and your art.

I really enjoyed playing my set, and noticed people behind me just listening, and not moving away. Some people would look and turn and listen for a while and move on. I amused myself with the thought that if anyone was crazy enough to actually stand and watch me in that heat they should probably be a busker too. But a few people did listen and that was a real encouragement.

A lot of people have asked “how much money did you make?” But is this the right question to ask a busker. I can only answer this from my perspective so it might not be the case for all buskers but people paying (not giving) money is a REALLY important issue for buskers.  I will talk about this in a future blog. However, receiving money is not the only reason why people busk. (Well it’s not why I busk, and I speculate that I’m not alone in my motivations. I will talk about this too in another blog). If you ask the question “how much money you make?” you are potentially thwarting the motivation to creative expression if the level of success is dependent on money. You don’t want artists losing heart if they aren't bringing in the cash.

I learnt a lot from my first busking experience and there are many topics I will explore in future blogs as my journey into busking continues. I will talk about the people I see and meet, and how busking makes you notice the vibe or attitude of people. The mood of the city. How buskers look out for each other. I know that this is the beginning of the journey for me. I hope you will join me for future blogs and share the journey with me.
Bri.   

Brian Maunder is the author-illustrator of the 

children's picture book Polly's Little Kite.

Website: brianmaunder.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PollysLittleKite

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862325-polly-s-little-kite

Review: www.goodbookreviews.org.uk

Links in the Chain... How I found the Lord 28 years ago.

The car was heading towards us at lightning speed and it seemed as though my strange premonition was coming true. Everything seemed to slow down. I turned to see the driver. His arms were straight, pushing hard against the steering wheel, forcing his body back against the chair. His expression of fierce determination began to shatter into an awkward grimace as the horrifying reality of the situation turned into naked fear. An impact was imminent. His eyes squinted as they looked ahead. His chin turned to his shoulder, bracing itself for the inevitable.

It was an overtaking manoeuvre gone wrong. Usually, only one car will merge out into the opposing lane to overtake a slower car. This time, two cars crossed the line simultaneously. I remember the ominous feeling of dread as we followed the car in front of us. He seemed to be taking forever to get past the slower car. “Why is this guy taking so long to overtake?” I screamed. Too late. He pulled back in front of the car he just overtook, leaving us on the wrong side of the road heading straight for another car at high speed. We had nowhere to go. Cars on our left and gravel on our right.

“This is it” I thought. “This is it”.

And then… nothing.

There was no sound, no tyres screeching. Something miraculous had happened. It seemed as though we actually went “through” the other car. What happened? We missed it? Somehow, two cars heading towards each other at high speeds on a single lane managed to NOT collide.

We stopped our car and trailer. It was fully loaded with music gear for a country tour the band had just done. Not a scratch on it. We looked over and could see the other car had stopped too. We walked over to see if they were OK. It was a long distance. I felt terrible as I approached the car because I didn’t know how they would react but what happened next would change my life.

“Praise the Lord, PRAISE THE LORD” the lady cried as she emerged from the car. She was waving her arms in the air excitedly. “Praise the LORD”. We were all laughing from relief but I found her words disturbing. I had never heard words like this before. Not like this. They were innocent enough, only words of thankfulness, but they confronted something within me and I did not like it.

“Oh no!” I thought. “God is real. God is actually real. What am I supposed to do now?”

The idea of “God” was not new to me. As a kid I went to Sunday School but I was never interested. I found it boring so I forgot about the idea completely. It was a silly idea anyway. I never thought about God and I never wanted to think about God.

“Aww man, why is this happening to me?”

There was a deeper meaning to this unbelievable escape and I knew it. My mind was racing as I began trying to piece together the puzzle of what had happened the night before.

The previous evening had been fun. I was a fill-in keyboard player for a cover band and after a night of music and laughs I went to the hotel room and fell into a deep sleep. Life was good. Suddenly I was awoken after having an extreme nightmare. “What? What was that?” I thought. Shadows of the disturbing dream reflected off my consciousness, as the image of the nightmare replayed itself over and over. I had had a premonition. ”Far out! I don’t believe in stuff like this”. But I knew that this dream was different. Tomorrow we were going to have a head on collision.

The dream was extremely vivid and I was shaken by it. I looked over and saw a Gideons Bible. After reading a few pages I said, “God, if you are real, please get us home safely”.  It was a strange thing, but I could not deny the reality. I had actually had a premonition, read the bible and also said a prayer. No one else knew about it. Only me.  Only me and… God.

The following weeks after the “near accident” were intense as I battled the idea of the reality of God and what it meant for me. I went to see an authority on the subject. My Grandma.  She gave me a book by Barry Goode and said “He will be visiting us at the Salvos on Sunday. Why don’t you come along to the meeting?” I read the book and decided to go with my Grandma to Church. By the end of the meeting I found myself at this little table thing out the front of the congregation called “The Mercy Seat”. I didn’t know what was happening but I was sobbing and confessing something called sin. I didn’t even really know what sin was. I just knew that God had saved me from a car accident, and apparently from something even worse, sin… and He was real. I needed to acknowledge His reality now.

Now I know we cannot always trust personal experiences as a basis to understand and grow with the Lord. We can easily deceive ourselves sometimes. We always need to refer to the revelation of his love as revealed through His Holy Word in the Bible. However, this experience seems to reinforce a few things to me. Firstly, God hears prayers. Secondly, older people are used by God in marvellous and powerful ways. Thirdly, spontaneous praise is powerful. Fourthly, a few words from a Bible left in a hotel room can be a pathway to faith.  Finally, everyone working together creates a ministry to embrace the lost. I am incredibly thankful to all those people who created those links in the chain for the Lord to work His miracle. He wants to save people. He wants to save you. 


Special thanks Julia Collings, Paula Vince and Rhonda Pooley from Christian Writers Downunder for their editing (and or willingness to help with editing) with this blog. :-)

This is the book by Barry Goode which helped me trust in the Lord - Too Tough For Tears. 

Brian Maunder is the author-illustrator of the 

children's picture book Polly's Little Kite.

Website: brianmaunder.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PollysLittleKite

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862325-polly-s-little-kite

Review: www.goodbookreviews.org.uk

Author's First Year - The highs and lows of my first year as a published author in Australia

Happy Birthday Polly's Little Kite

Last year, on the 7^th of January 2014, my first children’s picture book “Polly’s Little Kite” was published. It was an exciting and surreal time as I ventured into new uncharted waters and the year unravelled in ways that other writers and hopeful authors may be interested in.

I wasn’t sure of what to make of the new status of “published author”. Did it mean I would be rich and have thousands of dollars rolling in due to monumental sales? Would people stop me in the street and take selfie photos of themselves with me at their side? Would I be contacted by a shoe company and do commercials slam dunking books into basketball hoops? I didn’t know what to expect, however, I did know this opportunity was a once in a lifetime event and therefore decided to do whatever I could to help the book on its way.

The book was published and printed in America by New York publisher New City Press and whilst the publisher has a network around the world, it is limited in Australia. My relationship with the people at New City Press had grown during the planning and editing phase of the book, and they decided to send me a few boxes of books and leave it in my hands to see what I could do in my homeland. Given my limited experience and knowledge, this was a wonderful gesture of goodwill and trust from them towards me. This relationship has continued to grow throughout the year and has been a great personal blessing to me.

As soon as I received the book, I began the process of promotion and developing additional material to compliment the book. This required me to set up a website, create activity packs, make designs for kites, develop lessons for teachers etc. I also created YouTubes and songs for story presentations. As I delved into these creative projects, I sent sample books to bookshops around Australia, entered the book into a (US) competition, contacted libraries, sent it to be considered in the Premiers Reading Challenge etc. etc. This took a lot of time effort and yes...money.... and the responses were mostly negative or unbelievably slow. I was really shocked at the negativity of the Australian market.

It was quite disheartening and if it weren't for the story reading presentations I did at schools, churches and a library I may have completely lost faith in the project. The presentations and story readings gave me direct feedback from people who experienced the book first hand, and the encouragement and enthusiasm (mainly from kids) was a HUGE motivator. I also loved the awesome kite creations, pictures drawn for me, smiles and conversations. It re-enforced my belief that I should continue doing what I was doing even though i wasn't earning any money, and the doors of the Australian commercial market seemed closed to me.

There are many other things I could say about this year but to make it easy for everyone, I have summarised things into a list… the disappointments and the highlights. 

The Disappointments.

- When the Premiers Reading Challenge rejected my book for their reading list stating the “lack of evidence of quality design” and concerns about the “exclusivity of the language” as reasons. (that one hurt)

- When my local library denied me the opportunity to present the story at their library stating the Christian content might offend some people. (that one hurt too)

- When I didn’t score a mention in the Moonbeam Awards which I submitted at a price. :-((

- The slow response of bookshops around Australia to stock my book. Even now, there is not one bookshop in Australia that actually stocks my books. They are only available online.

- Writing to a number of Christian/Catholic schools with a loan sample book, with not one of them wanting to buy the book I sent them. In the end I just donated the books to the schools. :-?

- The struggles I had in setting up my website was also a lowlight (although getting help from my friend to set up the PayPal feature was a highlight… thanks Cypherbyte). 

The Highlights.

-The wonderful relationship I have developed with my Publisher.

- Receiving the books for the first time and seeing the story in print.

- Meeting other incredibly gifted authors and the ongoing friendships we have.

- Being approached by Inform’d Newpaper to have a promo/activity in the kids section.

- Speaking at the Salvation Army Home League ladies meeting. What a privilege and honour.

- Presenting the story (at Burnside Library with my Dad and Auntie)

- Presenting the story at a few schools, kids clubs and churches. (incredible experiences) 

- The radio interview with PBA-FM was an absolute thrill to be a part of.

- The Kids… they are AWESOME. Their enthusiasm and joy and seeing their response to the story is what it is all about.

- Seeing my own kids develop a love of art and books and being with them in the journey.

- The hope that these books will help children on a pathway towards the beauty and logic of the Christian Faith.

 

Conclusion. 

As you can see, it hasn't been plain sailing and a golden road this year and I have still not received any financial return yet for all these efforts (my first commission payment will be later this year). Yes... that's correct... I have done all this on zero income. However some wonderful things have happened, and it has challenged me personally in a positive way. 

SO… Happy Birthday Polly’s Little Kite… One year old today. You have blessed many people and taken me on a thrilling journey.

And a BIG THANKYOU to New City Press and all my friends and family, church brothers and sisters and all the awesome kids who participated and read the story. 

Also a Humongous Hug to all the people who left comments on Facebook and wrote Reviews for the story. Your feedback was incredibly refreshing and sent rays of sunshine beaming through the year. . .


And please don't forget to download the FREE eBook available in a few weeks. Polly's Little Bear.  


For updates, funny things and info please like the facebook page.


Peace and God Bless

Brian Maunder.

Website: brianmaunder.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PollysLittleKite

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862325-polly-s-little-kite

Review: www.goodbookreviews.org.uk

Good Aftershave… a pathway to healing.

My seven year old son, a young man way beyond his years, decided he wanted to try my aftershave. After splashing it onto his neck, he cried out in alarm as a painful stinging sensation stabbed into his skin. He had a slight scratch on his neck and the aftershave applied to it caused pain.  I explained to him that this was a good pain to experience as it meant the alcohol in the aftershave was killing bacteria in the wound and therefore the scratch would heal better.

Now I’m not sure if this is a medical fact or an accurate understanding of the molecular nature of aftershave, but after the discussion with my son I pondered the truth that a clean environment helps the healing process, and I realised this was a general principal in life.

There are many things that corrupt and dirty our lives; however the Bible lists three main categories. The World, the Flesh and the Devil.  Working together , they pose a huge threat to our lives. They wound us. They kill us. They create an environment that stinks. What is needed is good aftershave.

The Church knows the terrifying consequences of falling prey to the lures and temptations of the World, the Flesh and the Devil which is why it has so many “disciplines” to confront them. Practicing  a discipline such as silence, fasting, solitude, serving, study, community etc. helps create a clean environment for our lives to heal. However the application of a discipline can sting and cause pain, much like that aftershave.

Is this a self help exercise? Yes and No. We do need to be involved, however the process makes us even more aware that God is the only one that can heal our Soul, 

There are many examples in scripture and throughout history that demonstrate a cold reality. Unrestrained passions and undisciplined living will destroy, even if we desire to love God. That is why we are called to be Disciples. A Disciple is a disciplined person.  Indeed the fruit of the Holy Spirit includes self control.

I personally believe that many people who are trying to “sort things out” in their lives forget that wounds heal faster in a disease free environment.  What is polluting your life? Find out about some of the church disciplines and begin to practice them as this will clean your environment.  If Jesus did these things, surely we need to follow his example. As Ephesians 5 says, “Follow Gods example… and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself as a fragrant offering to God”

\

Brian Maunder is the author-illustrator of the 

children's picture book Polly's Little Kite.

Website: brianmaunder.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PollysLittleKite

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862325-polly-s-little-kite

Review: www.goodbookreviews.org.uk

Blue Collar Prayers. (Part 2) by Brian Maunder

Blue Collar Prayers. (Part 2)

I wrote these 10 prayers about 8 years ago whilst working in a sheet metal factory with a bunch or awesome guys making doorframes. I scribbled them onto little pieces of oil stained paper as the thoughts worked through my heart and mind.  Peace.  

Prayers 1-5 are in the previous Blog.

6.

Father I thank you that you are big enough to take squarely the hard knocks of life. Like when people insult you and take you for granted, or want things from you that you know you cannot give. I pray Lord that today, I can be like you in this regard and if it gets difficult, help me face things squarely. May the struggles of life not negatively influence my heart, my actions, my drive or my passion, but may they spur me on to new levels of adoration of Your greatness.

Father, there are all sorts of people to deal with today, with all sorts of attitudes. Some may rub me up the wrong way. The work culture itself may seem a million miles away from your glory and appear to slam the door on your goodness. It all may seem a bit tough at times. However…Here in this factory, this is where I am and this is where You are, and this is where we all belong for now.  My workmates and me, we are all in it together and I’m so glad that by your example, you showed that it’s your intention to hang out with people like us.  Lord it’s your good intention for us to know the reality of your presence in the work environment. Raw humanity and truthfulness, jokes and friendly banter, does not scare you off or catch you by surprise. 

You’ve seen and heard it all before and you enjoy real people being themselves.  You understand the conflict that a human heart must sometimes endure as it deals with human limitations in real life work. You understand that this stress can overwhelm us at times. Lord, thankyou for loving us though it all. Fill us with understanding to realise that whereas human power has limitation, your power doesn’t. May we overcome in your name. Amen.  

7.

Father, thankyou that you are always with us, and that your presence permeates creation in every way.  Thankyou Lord, that you made me, dust as I am, to live to have my own identity; and you have surrendered your power enough for me to make my own choices and understand the power of these choices. Help me to remember that as I interact with others… that we are all created by you.  May even those people who turn away from you, remind me about how great you are. You allow us all free will and the opportunity to choose, and have made yourself vulnerable to be rejected and hurt by us. It is amazing that you care and respect us so much Lord.

With this in mind Lord, I pray that you teach me to choose wisely in the decisions and actions I make today. I pray that my choices do not work against the natural order of things but work in line with your will. Amen        

How did a LifeFM sticker end up on this machine? I don't know.  

8.

Father I thankyou for the example of your son. I’m so glad that he is one of us, one who knows what it is to use his hands to earn a living. I’m so glad that he provided for his family by the sweat of his brow and through his job. His example showed that ordinary work and the jobs that need to be done go hand in hand with your plan for us, which is constant friendship, reliance and companionship with you in every day things. This is the good life, what it’s all about Lord. Those moments in our day when we are content with who we are and what we are doing because we love you and knowing that you are working in us and through us. Co-workers with you Lord, the divine carpenter. Knowing you are with us fills us with joy Lord. May we have many moments like these today Father, and may we use our job, as an anvil to shape our character into Your likeness.

9.

Lord, your faithfulness to us had created another beautiful sunrise and we thankyou Father that you have given us another day.  Lord, we acknowledge the poverty of our fallen nature that is so weak that even those seemingly good aspirations and intentions that we can perceive in our sin weary state, even these things seem way beyond us, beyond our abilities. Father, we need your help, your goodness and purity to permeate our lives and actions to make up for our shortcomings.  Help us Lord in our strivings and bless our work. Help us achieve your purposes in our lives. Amen.

10.

Lord, even though life can seem secure and I feel in control of things, for me to think that I am independent and in no need of you reveals the pitiful state of my human nature. Pride can so easily blind me to your reality. There’s no doubt that you created the universe and all in it, and to think that I am something when I’m not is just foolishness. My time here on earth in only a blink of an eye compared to your eternity, yet I am so thankful that you have let me experience this moment. Help me Lord to experience time here, not in pride, but in adoration of you. Father help me this day to be a person who follows the way of the rest of creation, not in rebellion of your laws, but operating within them. This is your good will Lord, as it is the way that works best. Empower me to do it today. Amen. 

Brian Maunder is the author-illustrator of the 

children's picture book Polly's Little Kite.

Website: brianmaunder.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PollysLittleKite

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862325-polly-s-little-kite

Review: www.goodbookreviews.org.uk