Since the dawn of time, humans have relied on fire for our very existence. Because of this, we have developed a relationship with fire that continues on to this day. Examples of this connection can be found all around us. Even in the urbanized and industrialized worlds many of us live in today, you see our human need for fire. Many people today have installed gas or electric fireplaces in their homes.

Similarly, when you're in a restaurant or hotel lobby, you may find these same artificial fires adding to the ambiance of the setting. Often people will put a video of a fire on their TV while they cozy up on the couch with a good book or throw on some headphones and listen to the sound of a crackling fire while they sleep. From little babies to grown men, if you light a fire, people will be drawn to it. 

Since starting on this journey of building my own business, I often find myself overwhelmed. There are a staggering amount of new skills that need to be learned just to build and run a website. Then add in social media management, marketing strategies, and "content creation." Everywhere you look, all the advice is, you have to be on this platform and that one, oh and this one over here, and oh, by the way, you have to post five times a week on each platform, and they all have different requirements, so you have to restructure every post to fit each platform, also be sure to use trending audio and create a ridiculous thumbnail and title, and on and on and on. Keep in mind that none of this is making any money and probably won't for some time, so you also have to have another job that actually generates income for you to live. If reading all that gave you anxiety. Hello and welcome. Coffee and donuts are in the corner, and group will start in five minutes, so come grab a chair when you're ready. But seriously, who cares, right. I could be back on an ambulance working 100-hour weeks, surviving off of rage, sarcasm, and enough caffeine to kill a wild mustang. This is not a pity party. What I wanted to talk about is the concept of doing less; better.

Adventure and Intellect are two of the foundational principles of Blot and Blood. These two words represent the brand's primary mission, which is to help create balanced individuals. Balance will get its own post at some point in the future, but today the topic is adventure.

Over the last few years, I have continued to learn and grow on my journey of creativity. The biggest hurdle I have to overcome, and something that I still struggle with, is allowing myself to be terrible at whatever I'm learning initially. It's a journey that I have been thoroughly enjoying and one which I hope to continue for the rest of my life. It all starts with a bit of experimentation.

Most will search and never find

The treasures she has left behind

As vipers strike with fleeting blow

Her secrets we may never know

For here one moment gone the next

Her absence leaves us ever vexed

His love of people and cultures led him all over the world in search of new experiences and showed him the beauty of humanity. Following his passion for hunting and fishing, he was able to experience the many adventures the natural world has to offer. Through war, he had a front-row seat to the evil and depravity of man. These experiences are responsible for inspiring the incredible writing of the sensational man, Ernest Hemingway.

Although it's been a mild winter, I still find myself eagerly searching for signs of the returning spring. I find that just about everyone looks forward to this time of year. The days are growing longer, the temperatures are getting warmer, and new life is everywhere. For those of us living a more agrarian lifestyle, this is an incredibly busy season. Seeds must be started, soil prepared, eggs incubated, and firewood split and stacked to dry over the summer, along with countless other tasks, to prepare for the coming year. Although it can be a hectic time of year, it is quite possibly my favorite season.

In solitude, we come to see

A vision of, our enemy

Reflections of, ourself within

The battles we, have yet to win

In quiet night

she lies in wait

And spins her web

as though to bait

This trap she weaves with silver thread

A snare from which

too few have fled