Meet Joshua Braff

We recently connected with Joshua Braff and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

With the prompt to the idea of “meaningful projects” I think of the purpose of the person tempted by the idea of creating something from nothing in the name of attaining awareness of their identity. Can this come from painting a rose? Definitely. In one of my major projects I squeezed a tube of paint with both hands at a canvas and its splatter created a gorgeous accident that took the shape of broken tree branch. So it’s your rose and no one could ever paint it the same. This gives life to the idea of a meaningful project.

If the pressure to create is powerful, all-encompassing, the artist’s first job is to recognize the path ahead, slacker, and alert everyone listening that the news about your career is horrendous! How will you be eating, lodging and living? Only a life of debauchery can ensue, leading to an early whiskey soaked, Charles Bukowsky death, in which you’re found with your cheek leaning against a motel toilet. Why?
Because people don’t sit in chairs and write about people that don’t exist for years at a time and also make money. There is no tangible avenue in existence where this holds enough water to being a responsible adult person. I can’ t be a responsible person and write stories in a chair?
Of course you can, slacker.
I didn’t see a choice.
Got an MFA in creative writing fiction from Saint Mary’s College to buy time. How can you be both a slacker and a graduate student at the same time, especially while making money teaching?

In the 2000’s I wrote two novels with a NY publisher and two more through my own pub house. Toured the country reading them to audiences. Made people laugh and ponder, some readers took me aside to ask how I knew them so well, how did you nail that character do deeply?

At 45 I found a new major project. I took guitar lessons and started writing lyrics, also known as rhyming poems. Now at 56 I sing and write songs for my band called North Beach Gritty. Our first album is out on Spotify/Amazon/Apple and it’s called Soap Box Tower.
Poetry put to rock rhythms makes people dance and smile and remember who they are. It’s amazing to see.

In being a Major Project Person (MPP) I am most grateful to have acquired enough inner strength to avoid or outlast anyone eager to apply any droplets of envy, anger or fear when it came to their advice, connection to me or my well being as an artist. And so instead I ride with those who truly root for me, allowing me to join them in a climb that holds so much meaning. It allows us, finally and forever, to be the artist we are.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My band North Beach Gritty made an album called Soap Box Tower. We are playing on May 2nd at The Skylark Cafe in Seattle. Check us out on Youtube, Instagram and see the album on Spotify, Amazon, Apple and all other platforms. A new album of ours is in the works now.
My paintings and novels can all be seen on my website, Joshuabraff.com

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Being told to dig deep when writing and to write all the time even if you’re not writing well you should keep the pen moving to discover yourself as a creator of a story.

Do what you love and the more will come. This happens to people who spend 10,000 hours on one genre. It works. You may need to live in a shed.

Do not let anyone in your life utilize their gifts of persuasion to derail you in your effort be an artist or a person who aims to express themselves in search if identity. Never let even a relative bring unnecessary toxicity to your path. They are there only to hurt the process. It is not true, the things they’re saying to you. Their roll is as old as sand. They are trying to keep you from achieving beyond them. And they are going no where because they’re too busy setting up pitfalls for you. Avoid all toxic people. And don’t let yourself do that to other people with a dream or the gumption to be different in this life. Lemmings go no where. Toxicity is for the weak.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

There is a lot to learn from nature and it’s the opposite of the game. The game is us and life and all the things we do to keep moving and earning and getting to the next day. Nature doesn’t care – it’s a cyclical motion of change that can act as a metaphor if you’re able to be open enough to absorb its message. Humility is the message. An opportunity to sit and stare at a cliff or beach or valley or mountain range or grove of trees. It will speak to you. But you have to be listening. Listening is not for everyone. Our attention span is in trouble.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joshuabraff.com
• Instagram: joshbraff
• Facebook: Joshua Braff
• Youtube: North Beach Gritty
• Other: music is on all platforms – Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, etc

Image Credits

Josh Braff
North Beach Gritty group