Mental Health... and Why I Think it's Important, Especially Now (2020)!

(Hate has no home anywhere!!)

Ok, I figured I would get into this a little bit, cause a little earlier today, I was out on my balcony, and I noticed a crowd of people hanging out at the Safeway across the street from me. There was about 10 of them... and something I've noticed about the area recently, is that there are a lot of drug users and shit coming into the area... and they are doing drugs right out in the open... wherever and whenever, could be broad daylight, could be in the evening. With the recent going-on's in the world (you know, the pandemic and shit), and everyone being affected by these things... our provincial government decided to defund the safe injection sites in the area... and now there are an influx of drug users in the area... and it is really fuckin sad... cause these people used to have somewhere safe to go, and now they are doing it wherever and whenever... and they are not getting at least some of the help that they need, and likely there are gonna be overdoses and people dying in the street in the area... now you would think the government would have kept them open, being that, right now... and especially right now, that there is a lot of stress and a lot of people suffering in the mental health department, which would lead to more people using... so you think it would be logical to keep things open, so people don't fucking die unnecessarily!

So, I'm gonna say here again, drug use... is a mental health issue! Generally, people use, cause they have an underlying mental illness that they are trying to cope with, or... they have deep seated trauma, that they don't know how to deal with, and once again... try to cope by using drugs. I could get into some commentary on why I think we should legalize all drugs, but that is maybe something I'll get into another time. But, what I'm getting at is... if these people learnt better ways to cope... without the use of street drugs, but proper counselling and maybe medication of some kind (if there is a mental illness involved)... I think that most if not all drug addiction issues would be solved! If we deal with drug addiction as a mental health issue, rather than an addiction issue... that the government thinks should be criminalized, I think society and humanity would be in a way better place, cause these people would have tools and proper coping techniques that will keep them away from using street drugs.

I also want to mention here, that I do think that racism, and hate... is a mental health issue as well. Think about all the time and energy someone puts into being hateful and angry at someone who has a different cultural background than themselves. They aren't happy. They have not found inner peace. They feel that they need to spread their hatred and anger. They feel that people of other cultural backgrounds should not live... some people are so angry that, they want, or are willing to take another persons life, because they are from a different culture, or are a person of color, or whatever. That, is a mental issue... and ultimately that boils down to a mental health issue.

So, once again I'm going to mention here, my music endeavor Twitch... we are trying to raise funds for the Mental Health Research Canada charity... so if you want to support this cause, in helping better research when it comes to mental health... and finding better ways to cope... from July 10th/2020 to August 7th/2020 we will be donating all album sales on our Bandcamp here to the Mental Health Research Canada charity! You can find more info about them here! 

We hope you consider supporting this great cause, and hey... I mean you'll get some great music out of it!!

Stay safe folks!

Databomb: Refuge

“Refuge” is about the Syrian refugee crisis, and refugees in general. The people that are fleeing these conflicts are trying to save their children, and their families. All they want is peace. They don’t want to see their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, or children die. They are generally good people, they work, they take care of their families... they pray, but despite all of that, they are being forced out of their country, at the threat of violence... they flee to another country... will that new country take them in, and keep them safe, or will they turn them away? Who’s right in this conflict, the ones that are fleeing, or the ones threatening violence? Why is there a cynicism from other countries, and insist they should stay and fight? Praying isn’t working... and ultimately the question becomes 

“Why has our god forsaken us?”

“No one will take us in... will we never find peace?”

“Can you help us?”

If you haven’t heard “Refuge”, you can find it here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/refuge

And if you haven’t yet, you can grab the album “Databomb” for a fiver ($5) here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb Not only will you be getting some Rivethead tunes you can mosh to, you’ll also be supporting a great charity (Mental Health Research Canada) in the process too!

Databomb: We All Want Peace

Ye, I think the title and subject of this song is obvious... I think everyone out there ultimately wants some kind of peace, not only outside of themselves, but inside themselves as well! I mean there are a few exceptions to this rule, but I generally think people who don’t want peace, are actually misguided and if they aren’t misguided, then they actually have something wrong with their brain, and the chemicals inside of it! At the beginning and at the end of this song there is a sample of a Japanese Peace bell.

Do you want peace? Internally, and externally? Let me know!

If you haven’t heard “We All Want Peace” yet, you can listen here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/we-all-want-peace

Aaand, if you don’t have the album “Databomb” in your digital collection, I would highly suggest in grabbing it here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb You can grab it for a fiver ($5)!! All proceeds from this album, and matter of fact all our albums will be strictly going to Mental Health Research Canada charity! Not only are you getting great music, but you are also investing in amazing charity that focuses on mental health research!

Ok, Folks! I Am Not Doing This Shit Anymore!!

Ok, folks! I am not doing this shit anymore, I'm not fucking around anymore!!! In the last couple of months, you know, I know, everyone fucking knows the situation! The world is essentially standing still, due to this pandemic. There have been all kinds of things go on between the start of this self-isolation, and social-distancing periods. I mean the murder of black man George Floyd by a police officer in the states, the protests and riots that resulted after that. There's all kinds of political plays going on in the neighbors to the South of us. There's been an absolute lack of leadership, there. There's been well, I'm not sure how to comment on the leadership of our country, but we are certainly doing much better numbers wise with the pandemic than our southern neighbors. Although, the leadership in our Province is well, a fucking gong show... absolute fuckin insanity in the way things have rolled out here (Bill 1 anyone?) It's very concerning as a lot of friends and family are really unsure of how things are gonna roll out... remember this is all during a pandemic... all of this!

I know I am struggling right now, I know I have family and friends that are struggling, so.. that got me thinking, I've struggled a lot with my mental health over the last, well...21 years... it wasn't until these last... well since I started really trying to get Twitch out there and really starting to focus on live shows and performing which wasn't until around 2011-12, which is also when I realized music and performing were essentially keeping me sane! I will say between 1999 - 2004 was where I really struggled a lot! There were a lot of doctors and such getting involved. Most of them didn't know what was wrong with me. Then in fall of 2001, basically just after 9/11... I ended up getting into a bit of trouble. I would say though, even though I got into that trouble... there was a month period where I was talking to doctors... and I finally got the help I needed... and it put me on the path I am on today!! Course there were missteps between 2001 and 2004, but after 2004 I realized I can't do this mental illness thing, it's too stressful! So, I made a deal with myself, as well as some family and friends that when I'm feeling off, to let them know... and reach out (if you need to do this... do not be afraid, tell your close friends or supportive family members, what is going on... and make sure you tell them what you need, or what would be helpful for you)!

Course over the years I've managed to find coping techniques that work for me, but it wasn't until I decided to not do this mental illness thing and really take care of myself, and not fuckin end up in these mental places. Yes, I do have a mental illness, but I absolutely don't let it run my life, for me it was about deciding that quite frankly, I'm not fucking around anymore, I'm not wasting anymore time on this, I have dreams, and goals, and a life to live! So, where am I going with this... after some long and hard thoughts, I'm going to be raising the price of the latest Twitch album "Databomb" to $5 for a digital copy, or if you want to pay more, you can go ahead and do that... every sale of this album from now: July 10/2020 till August 7/2020 will go toward: Mental Health Research Canada! 

Here is what they are about: 

 

We advance outcomes-driven mental health that betters the lives of all Canadians.

Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) is a national, charitable organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of the 1 in 5 Canadians living with mental illness, as well as their families, caregivers and communities. We do this by advancing evidence-based mental health research that is problem-solving, cost-effective and usable in the real world.

We all have mental health. Mental health is the foundation for our emotions, thinking, communication, learning, resilience and self-esteem. It allows us to form healthy personal and professional relationships, sustain our emotional well-being, and contribute to our workplace and society. Mental illness occurs when a mental health disorder or condition disrupts our normal functioning. By the time Canadians turn 40 years old, 50% of us will have – or have had – a mental illness.

Because MHRC is committed to building knowledge that will have deep impact with Canadians, we place at the centre of our research process those who will use it – people with lived experience. We also consult and partner with other funders and stakeholders, including other mental health organizations, social agencies, entrepreneurs, business and government, in creative and collaborative ways.

Here's why I'm choosing this charity; first: the one thing that has resonated with me throughout this pandemic is my mental health and state, it is the one thing I struggle with, if there is no one to chat to or be social with... and I felt best bringing awareness for this charity and  the work that they do! I think it is very important for proper mental health research so we can better accommodate people who are struggling with their mental health, and to even learn from this pandemic on the effects how isolation affects our mental health, and better the ways we can deal with it! Although, the charities scope is vast... I think ultimately in the end, having better mental health research, will better help us understand human psychology and how to cope better in these situations and ultimately possibly help us find better coping techniques overall, and you know... if we have a better understanding of our psychology, and the way our minds work, and... ultimately what is going to bring us peace (personally), or some kind of peace internally, I think the entire world will be better off for it, and I do think truly humanity will start to have an understanding of each other, maybe learn to accept each others differences and such... and maybe we as a human species will actually find some kind of peace externally... and... yeah... I think you know what I’m getting at!

I hope you folks are well!

Here's the new Twitch album "Databomb"!

The Meaning of "The End of War / The Beginning of Humanity"

Manipulations of The System, and Normalcy

For some people, they feel entitled, they feel that they can bully their way into whatever they want, especially when it comes to politics. As of the last few years, there are a lot of people in power, you wonder how they got there, you wonder how they managed to stay in politics for the time they have, and how they ended up in positions of power... Was it shit voter turnout, was it entitled pieces of shit throwing money into the system and getting their way, cause money is the easy manipulation. Was it a combination of all the above... probably.

So, how do we fix this... people who are power hungry, and want to get into politics cause that means, they make the laws, their friends can benefit from their positioning. I think the thing that stands out for me, through all of the shit we've gone through lately, where has the humanity gone? Why are we seeing these ultra right leaning politicians end up in positions of power, and abusing it, and essentially putting peoples lives at risk, all for their bullshit ratings for the next election, or put money in their pockets? Why have we lost humanity in this... like I feel like a lot of these politicians right now, have lost their humanity, I feel like these people in power have gone in the wrong direction, and we see the loss of tolerance of people who are different from ourselves...

...I will be honest, I want society to get to a point where we can all accept each other for who we are, accept each others differences... what I mean by that is, you can believe in whatever you want to... if you believe in a god, or goddess or multiple gods (or you are an atheist, or whatever), and you can change and grow in your beliefs, and not hurt others on top of it, then that is for you... and that same mentality applies to me as well... the key thing, not hurt anybody else. When I look at what is happening right now, I truly thought we eventually would get to that level of understanding and tolerance, but I feel like there has been this shift in the wrong direction, there are these politicians who when they get into positions of power, they abuse it and they benefit who is in their pocket... or who's gonna make them money. I just don't understand how we got here. When I was younger, in my early to mid 20's I thought that, well I wasn't sure if capitalism worked, but I was hopeful, I looked at the examples of my heroes in life (Trent Reznor / Nine Inch Nails), or Korn, or Ice T, or the various other artists and musicians that have been successful in our current system, and they, after putting in their time, ended up being successful... but now I look at the current economy, and capitalism, and I wonder if it is truly possible to reach my dreams... I mean we look at how things have evolved in the last 10 years, and things have gotten worse, and it seems the current system is not sustainable... Which makes me wonder, are my dreams still possible, was I wrong, thinking that maybe someday I'll be like my idols... I will tell you I am not giving up, but I will also tell you, in light of the recent world pandemic, and essentially the economy falling apart, and the shit things various people in power have been doing during this whole pandemic... it doesn't look good for anyone, but I will also tell you that I have, as a lot of other people and businesses have had to, evolve and change... we don't know what this will look like at the end, and I think putting things in place now is the best thing I can do, for my future, whatever that looks like. I guess anyone trying to stay above the water is reinventing themselves.

At this point, I don't think capitalism is sustainable, with where it has been going, but I also think that we as a western society, have to be very careful of what our next steps are in this pandemic, and how society reinvents itself for the future. I know there are a few people in my circle that think communism is the answer... first of all Marx knew that communism/marxism doesn't and won't work, second of all, granted I know China isn't exactly communist, but the recent riots that had been happening there, the students and protesters that were rioting kept saying to westerners and western media "Don't let this happen to you, it's too late for us...", and it is not good in China, communism is not good for anyone, it is highly corruptible. I mean, look at the Social Credit system that they are using there... essentially it's like Facebook, but citizens can rate other citizens, and if you are a down-rated citizen, even if you are a good person, it's likely that people will treat you like shit, police will treat you like shit, you may even disappear... I mean think about that, if every citizen could rate another citizen here... people could generally rate you a shitty citizen and inform authorities, despite you actually being a good person... and you end up being arrested or interrogated, or just in general picked on by other citizens cause you have a shitty social credit. The social credit system is essentially making people informants... who ever buy's into the system the most, and is the most active in that system, likely will end up in the good graces of the police and military... Good little informants, yeah?

So what am I getting at here, I don't know if I'gonna be able to post this on my social channels, FB has blocked various posts I've made in the past regarding the bad word "D*****ia", but what I'm getting at is this... we have to be very careful of the next steps we take moving forward from this worldwide pandemic... the current system obviously doesn't work in it's current format, I mean if it did, this whole situation wouldn't have happened, and no one would fall through the cracks, cause there would be no cracks to fall through... I don't think capitalism works, I don't think communism/marxism works either... I will say, I do think democracy works as a governmental structured society, but not in it's current state... I do think democratic socialism is the way to move forward. As far as how we fix the current situation... how do we move through it... maybe a basic income for everyone... then a lot of the businesses (especially small businesses) would be able to walk through this without losing and having to close shop.

This is what I see, what do you folks think?

“We can't return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.”

Are you going to sit by and watch it fall apart..? Or are you gonna get up and do something about it..?

I'm listening to this track by the band Darker Days Tomorrow... from my understanding their philosophy on life and society was that they would rather not participate in the world, and would rather watch it fall apart. The track, I love the way it sounds from a musical and sound design aspect, but I never really understood why they believe in that philosophy of not participating in society, and just letting things fall apart. I mean, if you are not participating, and trying to make things better for everyone... at least, I think, you are a part of the problem. We already have enough obstacles in life, why not be a part of the solution? Life really is too short, and I think if we can make it better for everyone, why the fuck not?? I mean sure it takes energy and time to help others, but if your position is, that you'd rather sit and watch it fall apart, and not participate, I mean truthfully, you've already made your decision, and don't value human life or society... and if that is the reasoning, why even bother doing anything, including music... I mean even that act, creating music, truthfully you are already bringing value to society and your communities... cause music and art is a necessity for our psychology. I guess ultimately, whether they know it or not, they've already created value by creating music and art. So in a way they are being hypocritical, but once again, unknowingly doing something positive.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this?

The Meaning of the song "Dirty City" as well as "Dystopia For You?" off our upcoming album "Databomb"!

Missing the Club, the Scene, the Connected nature of being together in one place for the purpose of socialization and celebration...

(Can't remember what show this was, but yeah, enjoying being with friends)

Well, as you may have guessed from that long title, I really miss the club, going out and dancing, going to shows/concerts all that kind of shit! I miss the connected nature of being in one place to socialize and celebrate with friends, to have debates and discussions, and even being able to really show our friends our love for them, by giving them a hug, a pat on the shoulder, a handshake... all that kind of shit. I have been connecting with friends via video chat and such like that, I've also participated in live streaming Goth/Industrial DJ events, even watched live stream performance stuff too... but even though we can still connect that way, it's not the same as being present, being able to physically give someone a hug, being able to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, or even someone new to the scene... I love the culture, of being able to go to a club or show, and being able to converse, celebrate, debate, dance, watch bands perform, all that kind of shit. I love being with like-minded people, or people of my kind, I love the community... even when not knowing someone, realizing that they are there, and they are a part of the same community, even though their participation in events and shows may not be the same as another person, just the fact that they are there... they show their support for the community/scene, and their similar interest. I miss the solace of hearing loud music, being able to dance, and being with my people! I know I've mentioned this in an Instagram post I made within the last week and a half or so, but I know some of you folks that follow this blog don't follow Twitch on Instagram, so I figured I would kind of post those thoughts here as well, and kind of expand on them.

The one thing about humanity is our social nature, as a human in order to survive, we need to communicate, we need to be connected to others... whether that was talking, or showing each other physical affection. Some people can go for a long time isolated, others not so... I know for myself, I don't do very well with lack of social contact, I suffer a lot mentally, when I can't connect with friends socially and physically connecting. I am an extrovert... so self-isolation is very tough for me, but even that being the case, I've dealt with isolation, and kind of being forced into isolation for a very long time... at least the last 20 years or so. Obviously, I haven't been isolated for that entire time span, but there have been stints of spending a month or month and a half, not talking to anyone (including family), outside of going to the grocery store and chatting very quickly with the cashier or whatever (but that really isn't socialization, that is a transaction, and them making sure I got everything I needed on my list)...

...I will say this time around, it's not as bad as I initially thought this whole self-isolation thing was going to be... yes, it sucks, but being that I have spent a lot of time kind of being forced into isolation... I feel that I'm so used to it now, that it's not such a big deal... now that I look at this whole situation, and my past issues with being forced into isolation... if I wasn't forced into isolation, my first album wouldn't have been written... and the albums after, would not have been written either... when my second album "We Are Here To Dance!" was being written, before I really started to hunker down and work on it... I ended up getting into trouble mentally... but after I started to deal with the mental side... I realized that I needed to work on my music, so in order to cope, I picked a day a week that I would specifically work on music, no matter how I felt (happens to be every Saturday... still is too)! That really helped...

(Friday The 13th, May BLACKOUT! Show)

...Eventually, I would run into more mental health trouble while working on "TCP/IP" and it wasn't so much the writing part that I wasn't focusing on... I was spending every Saturday working on it, but I started to realize that it was time to start working on doing live shows (I hadn't done one yet, and I realized it was something that I have to do)... eventually I did my first live show, and that helped mentally... I actually found inspiration for the album after that, "Welcome"! Of course... before I released "Welcome", I ended up running into mental health problems again... but this time, I eventually realized that I need to be consistent in live shows... I hadn't done another one, since that first one in 2004 for "TCP/IP"... I also held off on finishing "Welcome" cause I was on the search for a guitarist for writing purposes to help me finish the album, and also help out in the live show department, but I could not find one (and there were a lot of flakes... [talk the talk, but don't walk the walk]), then after having a conversation with an old friend and guitarist who did guitars on Twitch's first "Self-Titled" release (1999), and them taking a listen to the album, they figured that there was nothing that was needed on the album... long story short, I did all the guitars myself... and that was enough for the album. So, I eventually released "Welcome" after that friend suggested what was on the album was enough... and with me holding on to this idea that I wanted to perform live, and do it consistently, cause I realized that that was a necessity for me (to stay mentally healthy), as well as consistently writing music... I eventually found people who wanted to be a part of Twitch's live show, and it was 2012 that I eventually ended up starting to play live more consistently... and ever since then, I realized these are things that, well... I have to do in order to maintain my mental health... all of this was born out of isolation. If the forced isolation hadn't happened, I wouldn't have realized any of this...

(Standalone at Terminus)

...So, that brings me back full circle, we as a human species will have to get through this, obviously our normal will look different, but at some point we are gonna need to reconnect... our connection to others comes from being present with others in the same room... but I will also say, I am doing fairly well mentally right now, through all the years, I am realizing, this has been a theme, throughout my life, and I guess, even though it's kind of shitty, I'm getting used to being isolated, even though I'm extroverted... generally good things have eventually come out of the forced isolation (although, it has usually been from a spout of not being healthy mentally, and then eventually realizing there are certain things I need to do, in order to cope and be mentally healthy), aaand I've got alternatives for now, for what I can do to mitigate that isolated feeling... regarding doing shows, and doing music related, or music things, as well as all the other creative shit that I do!

So, yeah... I'm missing the community, I'm missing my friends, I miss the physical connection, I miss the hugs, handshakes, pats on the back, the conversations, the dancing, the live shows... all of it... and I do think it is important, that after this gets sorted out, we throw a party, a very big, let the fuckin city/country/world/universe know that any and every fuckin obstacle will be overcome party! Cause I will need it, and you need it, and they need it, we all fuckin need it!! We need to celebrate, and we need to reconnect!

Your Canadian Goth / Rivethead,
Shayne "Daemon_w60" Lawrence / Twitch


P.S.: We are having a "Self-Isolation Living Room Dance Party" Live Stream performance on our Twitch Facebook page here on Thursday, April 16th / 2020 at 7pm! I would love it if we could connect there, until this shit gets sorted!

Here's the event page for details!

Love ya!!

The Meaning of "We All Want Peace" off the upcoming Twitch album "Databomb"

Twitch "Worldwide Maniac" official music video!

Here's another experimental music video we did for the song "Worldwide Maniac" off the upcoming album "Databomb"!

The Meaning of "Refuge"

Here is the meaning of the song "Refuge" off our upcoming album "Databomb":

A Twitch Story: My Time on The Streets and The Waking up Freezing Story

(Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon, SK, Canada)

You might have seen it in our "Making of Databomb" mini-documentary (I went into this a little bit there), but I thought I would get into some of the time I spent on the streets when I was in my late teens (around 1996)... more for your educational purposes. There are a lot of stories to tell around this time, but I'm sharing this particular one, cause it was right around when the weather was starting to warm up slightly, but cold enough to still freeze... I wasn't prepared for the freezing temperature (but who really is when you decide to live on the streets). So, it had gotten colder, and we had sleeping bags and shit, and my sleeping bag wasn't all that great. So, early in the morning (think 5am or so), I wake up, and I'm fucking freezing. So, I get up... wake up my friend and tell him, that I'm cold, he asks "...You're cold?", and I respond "No I'm alright", then he asks "Are you sure?", and I'm like "I'm cold.", he then tells me to go into this indoor area, where it is heated... man was I fuckin delirious... so fucking cold that I couldn't think straight... I took my stuff and went into this heated area and hung out there, I can't remember for how long, but if I'm not mistaken... until my friend finally woke up, and it was time for us to head somewhere else (I think probably to find food).

At first, we kinda looked at it (the streets) as an adventure, but then after a while you realize... if you don't get off the streets, you'll end up fucked somewhere. Now eventually, my friend and I got off the streets, but it is an experience that him and I will never forget... you learn a lot... especially when it comes to survival, and for us, the will to get off the streets was definitely instilled! After getting off the streets eventually the will to having some kind of life after... is instilled as well. You also realize, that there are a lot of people who tend to be out of touch when it comes to helping people and others (especially politicians, when they make certain decisions)... You also realize that the streets, the communities, the neighborhoods... these are our people... we are all one, and no one can take that away from us.

(I do believe more of Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon, SK, Canada)

Anyway, I thought I would share that story... maybe you learned something from it, maybe not... I might tell more of these stories... we'll see...

I guess the whole point of me telling this story is... yeah, I did survive it, I've seen things you people wouldn't believe 😉, attack ships on fire off the shore of the South Saskatchewan River, I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near Broadway Avenue... lol! Out of all seriousness, yeah... I did survive it, and the experience made me ultimately realize that certain people are really out of touch when it comes to helping others... aaaaaaaand, ultimately the streets, the communities, the neighborhoods... well reiterating what I said above... we truly are all one, and no one can take that away from us.

Love you folks, not sure if this was helpful, but I had a story in me that I needed to get out!

Let me know your thoughts!

The Meaning of "Databomb"

Alright, here is the meaning of the title track off the upcoming Twitch album "Databomb"!

The Meaning of the song "Save The Freaks" off the upcoming album "Databomb"

Ok, in this video we are talking about the track "Save The Freaks" off our upcoming album "Databomb"!

The Making of "Databomb"

Here is a little video about the making of the upcoming Twitch album "Databomb"!

Self-Isolation and De-Stressing

(Let your hair out and headbang!! Short hair? Who cares... do it anyway!! 😜)

In my last video (here), I had a little bit of a dance party in my living room, it was a solo dance party, but a dance party none-the-less... so I wanted to talk about a couple of tips that you can use to de-stress and you know... not take shit too seriously... so, here they are:

Tip 1: This tip is probably the most obvious tip... have a dance party in your living room, with your partner, or if you are self-isolating, or quarantining... a solo-dance party... yeah, that's right! Break out the tunes, turn them up a little bit and dance your ass off!! The key here is to have fun!

Tip 2: Learn something new... if you are not currently working, due to the virus, it is a great time to use online learning tools, like Lynda.com to educate yourself and learn something new. For instance; music production techniques (you can find a lot of these on Youtube too), or how to use the Microsoft Office Suites (this is a great way to expand your knowledge of the tools typically used in an office environment to write letters, or send emails, or keep track of budgets, or do desktop publishing, all kinds of shit)... there is a lot of good things out there to learn and to keep your mind active!

Tip 3: Work-out / Exercise: This one is key, working out can relieve stress and improve your overall health! Hey, you get bigger muscles out of it too!

Tip 4: Going out for walks is a great way to get outside and get a breath of fresh air, and sometimes getting out of your creative space, or work space, can really reset and refresh your mind, and you can come from a different head space and refocus on whatever you are working on!

Tip 5: This one people really don't do enough, or at all... Meditate... spending time to meditate can really clear your mind, or even help you focus on the important things and what the next steps are that you need to take in your creative, work, or other endeavors! Even just resetting and refreshing your mind... can do wonders... your mind will be clearer, you will feel more relaxed and ready to take on the next challenges (whether work, creative, or next steps to reach your goals)!

Tip 6: Something else that may help you is... get creative! If you are an artist, musician, or some kind of creative... write a song, write an album, paint, draw... really express what is going on inside you right now... getting those things out will help you cope with what is currently going on!!

Tip 7: Watch a movie or TV show... yeah, we need escapes sometimes!

Tip 8: Play a game; whether it's board games, video/computer games, card games, whatever...

Tip 9: Read something; whether it's a fictional book, a comic book, something educational... or what have you!!

I think I'll leave things off here, there's a lot of tips you can utilize here... I mean these will get you started to de-stressing and not worry about what is currently going on!

I will make a note here; it is very important for you folks to remember, life is waaay to short for bullshit... and despite what is going on right now, I would say putting things in place for you to possibly have a better future after we get through this whole situation is probably the best thing you can do right now!

I do believe we will make it through this!

Stay positive people! Love ya!!

EDIT: I forgot one tip to add to this...

Tip 10: Feeling lonely? Call/FaceTime/Skype/Zoom/Facebook Video Chat with your friends and family. Yes, we have to stay isolated, but that doesn't mean we can't share a call or video chat with friends and family!

Highly Experimental Music Video for Twitch single "Yeah, Fuck It... Let's Go!!"

Here's a highly experimental music video that we created for the song "Yeah, Fuck It... Let's Go!!":

Time and The Urgency of Living a Full Life with No Regrets

Well, recently, like in the last few months I've been reminded of the shortness of our time to live on Earth (we maybe have 100 years if we are lucky, and in good health), and being that time is so short, I might as well live life to it's fullest, and do the things I feel and want, cause yeah... time is extremely short, and quite frankly, I might as well do the things I want and feel! As of recently, I've decided to wear makeup whenever the fuck I feel like it... sometimes I don't leave my apartment, but fuck it... I'm gonna put on eyeliner and get dressed up! It doesn't even have to be a special occasion... or even if I'm going out for a coffee with a friend or solo, why the fuck not get dressed up and put on eyeliner and shit! We are certainly not getting younger. And, if life is so short, why the fuck not get the tattoos I want? Why not do the things I want? And a tip for you folks reading this... fuck what others think! In the end, what someone else thinks of you has no effect on your life, and quite frankly you shouldn't let it! Here's the mental side of it... through your entire life the one thing that will happen to all of us... in the end we all die... so do you want to live your life in fear, worrying about what others think and say of you..? Or do you want to live your life how you want, walking the path you want, not giving a fuck about what others think... no fear? I don't know if I can reiterate this enough, we are all gonna die someday, do you want the end of your life to be full of regret not doing the things you wanted to do.. fearing that you may be ostracized, or picked on, or called a freak, or whatever..? Or do you want to live life to fullest, knowing that you may die someday and that there is no time like today to do the things you want and feel, cause fuck... you never know when you are going to die..?

There you go folks... there's a mental, motivational lesson for you... I do realize for some it may be hard, but do everything in your power to live that full life, if it means to get help from a professional, so you can finally start to feel happiness, fuckin do it! Do whatever you need to do to finally achieve that peace! Find people that are supportive... fuck the rest, cause they are not worth your time or energy!

Note: I do realize sometimes an individual can feel lonely at times, stepping out of their comfort zone and doing the things you want or feel like doing, and sometimes it is lonely, but be the person you want to be, live the life you want to, be yourself... you will find your true friends are the ones that love you for who you are!


Love your Canadian Rivethead,

Shayne "Daemon_w60" Lawrence

(Your Canadian Goth / Rivethead)

The Making of "Machine Heart"

We did a making of "Machine Heart"! Check it out!!