Jennifer: 0:24

Welcome to another episode of behind the dreamers. I'm your host, jennifer Loading, and we are talking to the achievers, the creators, the magic makers and the dreamers. These are our friends, these are your friends and they are living the extraordinary Well. Today, I'm thrilled to have two incredibly talented individuals on the show. One is a seasoned hip-hop artist rap artist with over a decade of musical expertise. The other is a versatile graphic designer, illustrator, comic book artist and writer. Together, they've created a captivating young adult graphic novel about making the earth a better place for all living beings. So I'm super excited to chat with them today. But before I get them on, we do need to do a quick announcement for our sponsors. Shout out this episode is brought to you by Walt Mills Productions.

Jennifer: 1:10

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Ad: 1:47

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Jennifer: 2:51

All right. So now we got all that out, I get to welcome my guests on the show. I'm so excited. I always have to put the little plugs in because we want to help people be the most effective leaders that they can be, and so my guests today. Tim Blest and Michael LaRitia are the dynamic duo behind the book Planetta. I like this blue volume. One Rise of Agoo. Tim Blest said the author and Michael is also the illustrator. Through their collaboration, they introduced us to a world of courage, compassion, love and sacrifice, and so welcome guys. I'm so excited to have you on the show today.

Tem: 3:22

Yeah, thank you. Thank you for having us. Glad to be here.

Jennifer: 3:25

And thank you for being patient as I got all that out.

Tem: 3:28

No worries, that's the name of the game, right Patience.

Jennifer: 3:31

That's right. That's right. Well, I am so excited, so I want to talk about a little bit about this book. What led to the inspiration? Because you guys bring different skill sets to the creation of this and so tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind this.

Tem: 3:45

Yeah, so I've been a storyteller for a while through music hip hop music and socially conscious so most of it very positive, conscious music. And I have kids now I have four and at the time three of my sons. I was telling them bedtime stories, like I do with my daughter now, and they were often silly, often about talking chickens or whatever they were like it was. But at some point I started telling this story of Planeta Blue, about these young people who, you know, get whisked away underwater to Atlantis and get put on trial for what's the human beings are doing to the planet and to plant, to animals and to each other. And so that story wasn't just staying in my mind at that moment. It kind of went on to waking hours and I found myself thinking about that story more and more and decided to just write it, just start writing it, and to talk about these young people that I knew a lot about and know a lot about as a youth worker so not only am I a hip hop artist, I work many years with nonprofits and was like let me, let me show these young people as the brilliant young people that they are in this fantastic sci fi adventure that has a lot of action and talking animals, but it's, you know, these animals aren't wearing clothes, so not Disney type, and they're dealing with some real issues like climate change and pollution, and just you know what happens in zoos and two seals, right. So it's like heavy stuff, but in a way that young people can access it. It's for young adults, but I say you know, anyone, anyone from seven to 70, I think, will enjoy this, and maybe even beyond, because I'm somewhere in the middle there and I enjoy graphic novels and comics, like, like the young people, and so you know.

Tem: 5:47

So I started writing. It took me five years because I was always doing music along with it. That's really my passion. But you know, at some point I had to just put that aside and focus on it. So I wrote the, wrote the whole story out, and then was like you know, I had a publisher in New York who wanted to put it out as long form, but I knew I wanted it to be a visual expression of it, mainly because for me, who immigrated from West Africa, reading was was a challenge at first, and so comic books was my entry point, and so having the visuals there really helped me engage with, engage with literature and so when I recorded I was like, I mean, when I wrote it, I was like I need to get me an artist, find me an artist. I looked around and luckily I found this guy who was amazing, mr Mike LaRitia, amazing artist, and he really had the vision and ability in the skills to bring these words to life.

Jennifer: 6:48

That's so awesome, well, and I think the thing that you know you said you said so many great things there, but I think, like the resonating thing with man all of this is the storytelling. Right, because it's interesting. I just built out this totally different. I've written a book before, but nothing like what you're doing. Completely different because I'm in the coaching space and so I just built this really big program out and the entire program I tell people. It's kind of like this immersion experience. It's not where I tell you these points, it's where I show you these points.

Jennifer: 7:15

I'm trying to get my message across why you need to know, like, about these core values which you heard me talk about in the beginning. But how do you tell somebody what that is without really giving them an example of what that is right? And so I think storytelling is so powerful to your point. You know, and having come from the space that I did, I was in Mary Kay for many, many years, like 22 years and some and we always talked about nobody ever cares what you know, really cares what you sell till they know why you do what you do, right. So I came from a space where storytelling was really what we did, and so I think it's great when you can find a place, and whether it be your music, you know that you've done it for years in that form.

Jennifer: 7:54

I do it in my podcast. You know how we can tell our story to other people and get things out there and show it and create those messages that we wanna send out for the right audience that we're trying to hit. So congratulations to you both on that front and I'm totally get it. I mean, I get the whole storytelling thing.

Tem: 8:11

Yeah, no, thank you, and yeah, you know, we always tell the story of how we met and what you know. It's sad and different.

Jennifer: 8:18

Yeah, share that with us cause.

Ad: 8:18

I'm curious cause you're in the same room right now for our people that are listening.

Jennifer: 8:21

you're in the same room right now, so you've got to tell us about this.

Tem: 8:24

Yeah, we are. Well, it's awesome because we both Mike and I, went to UMass Amherst for undergrad and we ended up in back in the same area At different times At different times. Yeah, totally totally at different times. Yeah, I'm Mike's senior, so respect your elder Mike.

Mike: 8:43

I just want to make that very clear. It was not at the same time.

Tem: 8:46

Yeah, it was not at the same time. We did not know each other at all, in fact, when I graduated was when you were coming. I was just starting, you were just starting.

Tem: 8:54

He was a young youngster when I graduated. But no, we. And so I had a friend, also from UMass, who you know knew I had written this story, and she was like, hey, I know this amazing. I know you're looking for an artist. I know this amazing artist who's my neighbor. And I was like, yeah, okay, you know an artist who's a neighbor. I was like, you know, do you got something Like, show me something of his. And she sent me his web address and I was just blown away because his art is just so phenomenal and I was like, I think he, you know, this is the guy, this could potentially be the guy, and you know.

Tem: 9:31

So she put me in touch with him and when, you know, we met up, it was like instantly, you know chemistry, instantly. When we talk about core values and principles, you know Mike has and we share a lot of the same principles, which is really about, you know, family, about, you know, being honest, being authentic, being who you are and ultimately, for the betterment of humanity. To be honest, just to hit it the nail right on the head, but also, you know, for the culture of comics and storytelling. All the things that were important to me I found in Mike. But you know I'll let him tell his side of it because you know, I don't know. I think he was trying to, he was trying to get away, I don't know when he saw that.

Mike: 10:12

He was just joking, I you know it's funny when we talk about this when he says it was my neighbor. I only had one house next to me at that time. On the other side it was the street, so the only neighbor I had happened to be this mutual connection and you know, it was a similar situation where the neighbor's like I have a friend who wrote a book and in my mind I'm like I know lots of people who have written books, you know, like that could mean anything. And a lot of times as an artist you find people who have a project and they're new at it and they want you to be involved and it's usually something like well, you know, I can't pay you, but if we sell the book you get a percentage, and it's sort of this sort of gamble.

Mike: 10:51

So, going into that, I was sort of like I really don't want to get involved in that kind of situation, you know. But when we met and he showed me the project, it was sort of like I could feel like the energy behind this work, you know, and I could see that this was something that he was invested in, that it was something he was going to continue to put energy into and the work itself stood on its own. Like I, you know, he gave me the book, I read it and I was like you know, this is something I commit to, for I mean, this is not a short book, it's. You know he gave me about a hundred pages of text, so translating that to a comic book is going to be. It ended up being double that.

Mike: 11:29

So taking on a project that big, it's got to be something that is worthwhile in a lot of ways, and especially since you know You're going to be devoting all this time to itself. So Our initial meeting I I was on board. I said I'll do a few pages and and do some concept work. Let's see what that looks like. And then, when we found that the working relationship was good Because this is sort of a time for us to test each other out right- See you know like do we work well together?

Mike: 11:55

Is this going to be difficult? It turned out to be good and we decided we're going to do a Kickstarter, and then you know, we've ended up here. That's the expression over all the details, but it's worked out very well.

Jennifer: 12:05

I was getting kind of it, I was chuckling I love the story, by the way. I was chuckling a little bit because I do so much networking here and I know when y'all were saying I had this friend, because I, you know, right, when you're in that space, like everybody's got a friend that does something, and I laugh because you know, being in the podcast road, you guys probably seen this yourself. Every day Somebody's like telling me I know somebody that can help you with this and somebody's pitching me this and you know it's always like oh yeah, I know my 20 people to do that.

Ad: 12:31

You know, but then you meet that one.

Jennifer: 12:33

I think there are those moments, you know, like I meet so many people and I'm sure you guys do, and this, clearly, was a situation where it worked out like right, like there, well, you had this connector in the middle that brought you two together right, and it worked out.

Jennifer: 12:45

There are those moments, you know, and I feel like, yeah, you put yourself the opportunity and the right, you know, put yourself to make the opportunity available and the right people show up when they're supposed to show up. Because there will be those moments, you know, where I look back, even through the course of my work, and I'll be like you know, this person showed up and had I not been doing this, had I not been open to the opportunity, they would have never crossed my path and we wouldn't be here today doing what we're doing, you know. So it worked out and I'm glad for that, for you guys, because I think that's awesome. You guys were able to make that work and get this thing pulled together. But it is. We've all kind of been in that place of are we, is this the thing that we're supposed to be doing and is this a Person we're supposed to be working with? And. But you know, I think you just know.

Tem: 13:25

Yeah, and it takes, it takes some faith, right, you have to when you embark on something. You know this big this as far as writing a book, like as we know, you know, a lot of people had this dream of writing a book. I didn't. I didn't know I had this dream because music was my dream for so long, but eventually it was like, yeah, this, this is a dream. How am I gonna get there? Right, how are you gonna get to this, the finish line? Because it is a marathon, right, it's this not a sprint at all, but you know, I think it's always important.

Tem: 13:57

I love to share like you have to just commit to it. You know, at some point you just have to say I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna just and I'm gonna finish it, no matter what it, what it takes, it might take long, right, I'm gonna set a goal, I'm gonna tell, set a time frame. However, the important thing is that it that it actually gets accomplished. And I think a lot of people Myself themselves, short just kind of debating, right, I know a lot of artists who make amazing music or amazing art, but they just kind of hold it to themselves because they're a little timid and putting it out in the world or don't know the right way. And I, and I like to say this, there's no wrong way. You know, as we know now, through, you know, putting ourselves out I'm an entrepreneur, right and as an author and a musician, that all of these steps, even even what we consider failures are, you know, they just, it's just a learning process. And To cultivate that strength to say, you know, to be resilient and to say that, hey, I'm just gonna stick this through, it always pays off.

Tem: 14:59

At least that's what I found out. You know, at the end of the day, I've learned from it, I've learned what it is, and and now, having gone through the music thing, at first I was, you know, just so hungry and just couldn't wait. Like you know, we talked about patience, being patient. I just wanted to be on stage, like, give me the mic, I want to rap. But with with the book, you know, you, you realize like, hey, a lot of it is the journey and it's become cliche. Right, it's not a destination, is a journey, but but it's true, you know, the wisdom behind it is it's true that it is a journey, and so I've been enjoying the journey, even the mundane things is you know, writing emails or promoting right Like I don't yeah, yes.

Jennifer: 15:40

Michael's like I don't know about that. Hey, I'm with you. I just got through talking to a guy in marketing and I was talking about my podcast and I'm like he says, yeah, you like need to put out, like you know, like eight pieces of content per thing. And I'm like eight pieces of content, like I'm lucky if I get one put together. Oh, my gosh, like right, you got to know your strengths, you got to know when to delegate and you got to be patient with the process. You know, I think this is all good messaging. I would really love to know and even Michael, you chime in on this tell me, because you said a lot of really good things here Some of the other challenges that you guys went through.

Jennifer: 16:10

I mean, because obviously you're coming from you, you know, still create a space for you, tim, right, still create a space, but a different creative form. Michael, you talked a little bit about taking on this project. You weren't sure. So maybe just some other of the challenges, maybe I'm just maybe doing the book itself, like that you guys went through.

Mike: 16:26

Yeah, I mean I can jump in. I want to go back to the. The idea of when you're. The challenge taking on a large project is always, you know, something that is very specific to each situation because you know when we did the book it was actually right during the pandemic, so we actually met before the quarantine and then during that whole period. You know I was so I ended up doing this project while my children were home. So I have two young children and you know like I didn't prepare for that.

Jennifer: 16:55

You know, that's a whole another thing too.

Mike: 16:58

Yes, that and it's so. I bring that up only because there's unforeseeable challenges that come up with any project and I feel like if the smart move, it's just sort of bake in some wiggle room so that you're prepared if something like comes your way and you have to be able to, you know, whatever. So I think in the sense that tem and I were on such a good wavelength in terms of our workflow and the sort of our shorthand um Gave me a lot of flexibility and and how I was working and and you know my pace and everything like that. So, you know, the challenge of just getting the thing done was essentially the biggest. And then it was basically navigating these worlds that we weren't too familiar with, which were like printing and shipping and um, doing um, a crowdfunding campaigns and Things like that.

Mike: 17:47

So sort of learning on the job, yeah, you know, as quickly as we can. And then in learning and learning, I mean learning and making mistakes at the same time, so, um. So I think that just comes with any large undertaking and I feel like the both of us have had enough life experiences that we're OK with that and have that expectation that, ok, there's going to be things that we're going to have to deal with. Let's just keep the momentum going, problem solve and complete the task.

Tem: 18:19

So yeah, I think for me, one of the biggest challenges was when we successfully completed the Kickstarter. There was a date which we set to deliver the book, and it was really important. I'm very goal-driven, as Mike is, and so for us to have these backers, these folks who pledged pre-ordered, if you will but pledged the mount and said, yeah, we believe in this project, and you said you're going to have it On this day. I forget what it was. I think it was to be talking about like April or something.

Mike: 18:51

The tattoo at the moment? Yeah, no, it's so different. I never forget it, and I should add because the viewers probably won't notice that we crowdfunded the book and now we're promoting one that's been published by Dark Horse Comics. So we initially self-published and then, over the span of a couple of years, I guess it was we've now got a fully like brand new edition with a new cover from Dark Horse. So congratulations.

Jennifer: 19:17

Awesome.

Tem: 19:18

Yeah yeah, just to say, when we were ready, we did our side of it and then we sent it out to the printers. There was a problem with the supply chain because of the pandemic, and so and I remember really stressing over that, feeling really bad about it and being and then just luckily, talking to a few people Mike included, but family members and being like no, I don't want to write this email and being so distraught about not meeting this deadline. And then they were like man, everyone's going to understand, we're all going through this thing together. We all ordered from Amazon and it comes a week later or whatever the case is, and so it was really good just to have people in my ear having that support. But then also, when I shared that like hey, this is going to take a little bit longer than we anticipated, people were like no problem, so proud of you all, and so that was reaffirming and also just giving yourself that grace, Because a lot of times sometimes we put the stress on ourselves that doesn't really exist, like it's not the world putting the stress on us, it's ourselves putting that stress on it, and so giving yourself that ability to just breathe through whatever challenges, whatever delay, like it's going to arrive on its own time.

Tem: 20:34

And sometimes it's even better, right, because, for whatever reason, people are anticipating it even more and excited to receive it. So it all worked out and, like Mike said, now we got Doc Horse, which was for me growing up reading Doc Horse comics, and Mike and anybody else who's in the comic book space to be on that publishing is to me, a dream come true. It's like it's a dream I didn't even know I had until it became a reality, which is awesome.

Jennifer: 21:05

So awesome. Yeah Well, and I think too, listening to you guys, I don't obviously don't know you guys well enough to know everything about you, but you seem like your skill sets and your personalities kind of balance each other out. So Mike kind of mentioned in the beginning how you gave him the space to kind of work, and I think that's great. When you're doing collaborations with people, it's great to work with people that are a little bit different. You bring different skill sets, because I think it just adds value. And in this case you guys got a great book company behind you and we're able to pull this thing together.

Jennifer: 21:36

And something you said, tam, about, I think when we're goal driven we do we get very set on how we want things to go and especially when we have other people on board in the space, we don't want to let people down. And I go through. When you were saying, I could feel it because I'm like I know I've been there before where I'm like, oh my gosh, I promised somebody I'm going to do something and I can't make it happen and I'm beating myself up about it. And most of the time people understand right, like they're cool with it, they get it. We're all humans. We're going through things, we're working the best we can, and sometimes Amazon does suck, like the prime doesn't always show up on the day it's supposed to show up right.

Ad: 22:10

It is what it is.

Mike: 22:11

So you guys, you made it happen, and that's what matters I think it also speaks to how you have to be flexible in general in your thinking and in your strategy, because you just I remember my wife when she was in grad school and she would tell me there was a saying for when people were doing their papers and you just have to surrender them.

Ad: 22:32

Because they'd be like I'm not done, I'm not done, I need to keep doing it.

Mike: 22:34

She's like in the teacher's bill you have to surrender the papers At some point. So you have to have that flexibility to say, ok, I need other things in my life have to be attended to and I'm putting all this unnecessary pressure. And I think that's something I've learned as an artist who freelances and works full time. And you have to be able to have that flexibility so that you can adjust and pivot when it's necessary.

Jennifer: 23:00

Yeah, that's good, so good, yes, and you do. You're right, it's no point being rigid. Nothing's going to work. I feel like I've been an entrepreneur for 20. Long time, since 1997. Since my oldest, she's now 27. So we'll say 27 plus years, because I started when she was a baby and I'm telling you like I have so many stories and my angle is laughing at you about the kids I've had so many stories of, like you know, kids knocking on doors, getting stuck in doggy doors and like things happening.

Jennifer: 23:29

And, yes, you just learn patience and you learn to just go with it. You know what I mean. But I think a great thing about this is when you show people that do successful things and they're able to weather through all these different things and navigate. It just shows great skill and it shows other people that, hey, you could be some everyday, ordinary person and do these things in your home right now. You decide tomorrow you want to start writing a book, get the pen and paper out, start doing it.

Jennifer: 23:51

Whatever you need to do, you know, when I did mine, I like had the ideas, but was I didn't need to do illustrations or mine, because it was more of a self-help type thing, but I had to get somebody to help me get that into words, because I had the ideas and the things I wanted to say, but I'm a doer and I don't. I'm not a big wordy person. Thank God for AI. Now I love that thing because, man, you could just help me out with this, you know. But then we didn't have that and so I had to get somebody to help me kind of put those thoughts.

Jennifer: 24:17

And you know, and I tell people like the hardest thing for me putting that book together was like getting the freaking outline together, like I had all the thoughts and the ideas but it was just getting it in an orderly fashion to convey the message right. So I think it's great that you guys came together and were able to bring these different pieces together. You got the illustrator, you got the person who's got the storyline. Pull it together. And you guys have said so many great messages here. Would love to know what was the most fun in this, like what was the best part? Or maybe now, what's the best part of it now?

Tem: 24:48

Yeah, I mean there's been a lot of great, but I'll say for me just having these ideas, because I draw too not as good as Mike, and so I had these little you know kind of sketches that I did, that I showed Mike, you know, and he bumped them up, you know, upgraded them, but was when I would, you know, I sent him this stuff and then he would either text or email me some of these images, you know, and just to see, it was like he was in my mind, kind of like drawing out these things, and so in our day.

Mike: 25:21

that's what AI was.

Jennifer: 25:22

Yeah, He'd put it in the project and I would send it back Exactly so when people listen to this any year from now, which is when everything will change.

Mike: 25:31

It'll be like oh that's what it was like, like.

Tem: 25:33

AI. This is my AI guy here.

Jennifer: 25:35

He's the AI guy. Love it, love it.

Tem: 25:38

Yeah, no, it was. So the best way is surreal. It was surreal to see these images, you know, come to life, you know, and then eventually like the book right, to actually have a book and to, you know, smell it. You know I was a book geek as much as I'm a hip hop guy. Like, I still love the smell of that print, you know, on there, whether it's, you know, old book or new book, new book smells good, yeah, and so to have something go from just an idea to an actual 3D, you know, physical form is exciting To me.

Tem: 26:14

I get a kick out of it because it shows that, you know, each and every one of us have this power to manifest these ideas and to be part of something that's productive or someone who's productive in society feels good. I think everyone has that ability and that's the thing that I think is another message. Like you know, there's nothing special about me besides taking the time to find out what makes me special. Right, like, we all have our own special uniqueness, and so for me it's like, hey, I can tell stories. I got the gift to gab, I don't have the fear to go up on stage. I can tell a story that's, you know, fantastic and imaginary and you know, and creative, and so let me lean into that and do my part in society.

Mike: 26:58

So how about you, mike? What was I was thinking? Two things, especially with something like this. It's so immersive when you're creating it visually, so there's that sense of like being in the story.

Mike: 27:09

And I still have just a lot of memories of scenes in the story that, like, I really got into. There's like a scene where they're in this tower and there's all of these wild boars running up the stairs to attack them, which was like when I read I was like that's going to be the most complicated thing to draw Like a spiral staircase that we can see in two dimensions, with wild boars running up, and you know. But when I was drawing that I just remember, like I was so into the intensity of that scene and so, you know, being in that story for a while is it's exciting, it makes you like want to get up and work on it, you know, during that time. But the other thing that I think really sticks out to me is when we go to like a show, like a comic convention, and we see people react to the book, or somebody comes up and said I read it, I really liked it, or you know, because there's that feeling of like I always sort of talk about this where artists, we have this tendency to like work in a vacuum if we're not like performers.

Mike: 27:58

So this you're sort of working in solitary confinement and then you're not really. You know, it's just so enriching when people interact with you through your art Because you're like, oh, they're actually kind of like I love doing this, but now they love experiencing it. So there's this really great synergy that happens when you're able to, you know, connect on that level. And I see that the most when we go to sort of these comic conventions. We have a table. People come hey, what's the book about?

Tem: 28:29

You guys wrote this, you drew this, you know how long you know, and they're like, they have reactions to it, and for me that just feels really good to just be like validating yeah because we've done like school assemblies and stuff, and to have these young people come up and relate and have you know organizations who buy the books and then have the kids read it and then you know, bring us in to talk about it, and to have you know young people say like, hey, this, you know, I know these characters. These characters are mean, like they could see themselves.

Jennifer: 29:04

They could relate.

Tem: 29:05

Yeah, it's great. And then online, you know, like even today, you know it was cool to just have you know someone post and like, oh, tracking, they showed the tracker. They're like I can't wait for this to come in because it was a gift for their son. They can't wait for them to get it. And they, you know, posted that and they tagged us on it and I'm like, yes, let's go. You know, that's really exciting to see people interacting, like Mike said, with something that was just this idea or something that was in his vacuum, and now it's. You know, it's like watching your kid right Grow up and they, you know, they hit the whole world.

Jennifer: 29:36

It's more it's another child. Basically right, you use something you created and you put it out into the world and you hope people you know latch it and take care of it and bring it to life for you. So, Mike, I really like what you were talking about, Like I, because I'm listening to you and I'm kind of a, I'm a visual I and I feel things. So I listen to people talk and I'm like I can see this, Like I've had artists on here before. I had this really amazing painter on here one time, Amazing, she did murals and stuff and she would talk about how she would go in her room and play, you know, play her music when she's working and she just go in there for hours and I could just visualize this like being in there for hours and just like painting and like create.

Jennifer: 30:17

So I could see this like when you're in that zone and you're just like looking at this and you're trying to create, they take this thing and make it life, Like right, Like put it into art. I'm not an artist like that. I mean I like to play with paints and do things, but not like that. But I can totally hear what you're saying, you know, and to listen to you, Tim, say okay, this was my, what I was seeing in my picture. And then to give it him, and then he brings it alive and I'm like yes, this is what I'm talking about, my AI guy, you know whatever that is, but anyways.

Jennifer: 30:42

I love it. I think it's good. Thank you for answering. I do want to ask you guys one really fun question. I love to ask this one every once in a while because I think it's just fun from your perspective like, what does this look like for you? But I would love to know from both of you how you look at success. Like, how do you define success for yourself? And it can be about this book too. I don't, you can bring that into it, this project.

Mike: 31:02

Well, jen, this is actually something I've really thought about deeply. And you know, when I went to grad school for printmaking a while ago before I, kind of before this life, in my past life, but I remember that I had a dream that I wanted to become like a professor, and that was sort of the track that I was on and I had. There were a lot of professors I worked with who I really admired, who were doing what I was like. This is what I want to do. I want to be a tenure track professor, I want to exhibit in galleries, and what I found was that, even though a lot of the professors I looked up to were very successful, they were sort of miserable, like you know, there was a lot like I just saw into their personal life and it was just sort of like, wow, it's like Success for me is that I'm happy.

Mike: 31:51

Right, that's the other way around, and I think that what success looks like changes as time goes on too, you know, because some people might think that being famous is this mean success to them, but then when they realize that that's not what it was, and you know those kinds you always hear about these kinds of things. So for me. I think if I'm meeting my core needs, where it's like I'm able to support myself and I'm happy, then I feel that I've been successful when I'm doing. You know, if I set out a goal that is realistic and I achieve that goal, then that's also a sign of success too. So I think you know, there's sort of like different, sort of abstract ways to look at it for me when I think that's good I like it that's good, no, that's awesome.

Tem: 32:41

And, mike, I'll just expand and go a different way because, I agree, it's all about happiness. You know, at the end of the day, you got to be happy, you got to feel that what you do is meaningful. You know, I always say you know, I came up in the era in hip hop where, you know, keeping it real was so important, like being authentically you, not selling out right Was really important, meaning that you know, you're not putting, you know, profits over people or you know profits over planet. It's just. It's just for me, values that have been passed down from my parents and from people who I admire. And so it's really about being part of this lineage, of this culture of like comics, like, hey, this is a comic book story, this is a story that's meant to inspire, to have people be like, yeah, I'm that guy that can tap into the superpowers. And I want, you know, I was great because I went down to Nashville, tennessee, I was mentoring some young people down there and this little girl who you know comes to find out she was, you know, with the right term is so excuse me if I say the wrong term, but she was on the spectrum and the teacher. You know, I gifted a book to the class and this little girl grabbed this book and just immediately opened it up and started like it was almost like she was eating it, inhaling it, devouring it, you know, and she was just looking at everything and the teacher, even because we were like doing something else, she was like, okay, you can read that later. She like man, I kind of felt bad. I'm like no, let her read it now. She's like the way that she was enjoying it.

Tem: 34:13

For me, honestly, like that my work was done with that book. At that moment, like I achieved the ultimate level of success. And I know for some people like, yeah, right, you want to know. Like, and I tell my kids, like we didn't write this book, you know, because I have adult kids, we didn't write this book to become millionaires, billionaires, like that's nice, like we all want. You know, the more you have, the more you could give is what I want to. You know why I want to attract abundance to me. But it's really for that moment, for that little girl to really connect to this art form and to see herself was so profound. So that was success, in that exact moment.

Jennifer: 34:52

That's good. I liked both of them because I could resonate with both of what you said. So it was good I liked both of them. I'm totally with you in that you got to be happy and if you're not, I always say you know, if you're I use Maslow's hierarchy needs right, like you get all those things met in there and you're doing what you love to do. I mean, you're going to be doing okay and you're impacting people, which is what Tim is saying is making a difference in the world and with the people around you. So I think that really that's what it comes down to. I like the way y'all worded it very differently, but I think they're very similar and, you know, kind of finished them out. So very good, okay. So I want to ask you guys a couple of fun questions. I like to do this. They're just random, off the cuff. I'll probably ask one. Ask you, you know Michael asked you a different one, but I want to know, okay, tim, where is the coolest place you've been able to travel with your work?

Tem: 35:37

Oh, the coolest place? Oh, man, I'll say Portugal. That came to mind, you know, new Year's Eve, and Lisbon, with a hip hop group that also had, like K Vernon, creole music in it, and so that was pretty fun yeah.

Jennifer: 35:52

All right, awesome, michael. What is your? What do you love? What is like the absolute best thing you love to draw? Is it this like comic stuff, or is it? Is there's other things that you really enjoy as far as art goes?

Mike: 36:03

I mean I really enjoy doing. I mean I love line work, so something that's really graphic like that. But I love really sort of creepy horrific like monster type stuff.

Jennifer: 36:16

See, I always learn cool things about people.

Mike: 36:18

That's why I love this, so in the book too there were scenes, there's characters where Like Tim had to sort of reel me in a little bit.

Tem: 36:25

Come on back, Mike. We don't want to scare the young adults.

Jennifer: 36:29

Well, I like horror flicks, so you might be speaking my language. Everybody's like how do you like that stuff? I'm like it's like riding a roller coaster, it's just you get adrenaline rush. It's not real, I mean whatever.

Mike: 36:42

But it depends where I'm at mentally. I like to do like children's books too, yeah.

Jennifer: 36:49

All right, tim, I would love to know, like, because obviously you're a rap artist, hip hop rap artist Is there any other music that you like besides that? Anything else that you listen to? That's kind of a regular.

Mike: 37:01

All kinds, all kinds. I do listen to it, mike.

Tem: 37:07

But no. Classical music. I love classical music. Rage is a big genre for me and, believe it or not. Heavy metal I'm a big fan of Iron Maiden Slayer who else? Yeah, there's guns and roses, a bunch of heavy metal stuff. Yeah, twisted no.

Jennifer: 37:24

I feel like you would.

Mike: 37:26

I started to wear that gun.

Tem: 37:28

The music as a whole, you know, Cesare ever. So going back to Kate Verde, you know, rest in peace to Sarah Tavares, who just passed away, which is a great Kate Verdean artist too. So across the board, I love all of her. If it's good, I'm going to you. Like it, I like it.

Jennifer: 37:46

It's funny you say that because today, you know, I don't know if y'all do Spotify, do Spotify and they do like those year-end reviews. And so today, I'm looking at my thing and I'm like my music is all over, but today I was actually on hip hop, 90s hip hop music today. And I was downloading, like all these to add to my list.

Mike: 38:04

It's like my music was all from that.

Jennifer: 38:06

It could be guns and roses, it could be nine inch nails, and then the next day it could be Clint Black. I don't know. It's all over the place.

Tem: 38:13

I'm curious what 90s hip hop were you into?

Jennifer: 38:16

Oh, what was coming up on there? I had a. Well, you know, mc Hammer was popping up on there. Too legit to quit. There was a bunch on there Shaggy was coming up on there and Snoop Dogg and yeah, of course.

Ad: 38:32

I was looking up.

Jennifer: 38:33

Yeah, it sure makes a lot Like. I had a birthday party recently and people follow me know I turned 51 this year, so I went to this dual piano thing and they had us all come up on stage and apparently somebody must have known that we were kind of in that clubbing age or whatever, because they wanted us to dance to Baby's Gap Back.

Mike: 38:55

And jump and see it Jump jump and tootsie roll.

Jennifer: 39:00

And so we all got up there and I was like none of us were doing any of that, like I was like I think we were just supposed to twerk on that thing but none of us were doing any of it. People got video. I clipped all the video. I'm like nobody's even going to see that one happening.

Tem: 39:13

So anyway, yeah, that thing up is her favorite thing. Oh, from Jupiter. Jupiter, yeah, but whatever, that's like the classic twerking video.

Jennifer: 39:23

Exactly like the old music, right? Oh, and Run DMC I had a couple of those on there too. I was pulling a couple of those. I like Run DMC, classic, classic, yeah, so I'm with you. All right. One last question for you, michael, and then we'll wrap this thing up. So when you're working, I want to know because this is like a working question when you're actually drawing, do you put any music on, or are you totally like in your zone, quiet?

Mike: 39:43

It's a combination. You know, I got into the habit of listening to speeches for a while, so I would listen to. I actually listened to, like Corno West, and I was listening to some philosophers. What's his name?

Jennifer: 39:58

Saguro is a music guy.

Mike: 40:02

So I do a combination of that and then I'll listen to music, like I'll throw on some reggae or I like old soul music, stuff like that.

Jennifer: 40:11

I could totally see you listening to stuff. I think you're kind of a thinker. I could totally see it happening.

Mike: 40:16

And the shredding yeah, oldest running's on there and somebody's great live performances of him on Spotify Very cool we all have our thing.

Jennifer: 40:22

Like that's what I'm saying. Like when I run I have friends that go running. They don't listen to any music at all. Like I have to have and the faster the music, the better the workout. Like, if I have slow music, my runs going to be like you know.

Jennifer: 40:35

So anyways you guys have been fun. I've had an awesome time chatting with you. I'd love to know. So if our audience wants to get in touch with you, maybe they want to pick this book up, get a copy of it, check it out. Where do we want to send them?

Tem: 40:44

Yeah Well, first of all, it's available everywhere. You can even order it on Target and Walmart you know Amazon but also at the website, so planetabluecom. So it's like Planet with an A, so planeta, and then blue without the Ecom, so planeta blue.

Jennifer: 40:59

I like the name of it, by the way Sounds fun, thank you.

Tem: 41:01

Thank you, yeah, I've been seeing your emails and stuff.

Jennifer: 41:05

So congratulations to you both. You're awesome. It's fun to see people you know doing amazing things in the world and trying to make you know everything better for all of us.

Tem: 41:12

I love it yeah, sharing the story Awesome. Thanks for having us.

Jennifer: 41:15

Absolutely. We do want to say to our audience, of course if you enjoy the show, please head over to Apple, give us a review there. You can check us out on YouTube, hit that subscribe button. And, as I always say, I say the same thing every week In order to live the extraordinary, you must start. Every start begins with a decision. You guys, take care, be safe, be kind to one another. We will see you next time. Music.