The Bobby Rock Newsletter #37 (12-9-2021) - Your Daily Exorcism

My friends -

Are we really in the final days of 2021? Stunning, isn’t it? I never remember life moving so quickly before… which, I guess, is further testament to the sentiment that, if you’re gonna do something, go fucking do it! “Tomorrow is promised to no one,” as the old saying goes. (And I say that mainly because I personally need the reminder.)

With that in mind, let’s jump right into this week’s offerings...

In this Issue:

DO Try This at Home, Kids!: A quick but thorough exploration of the magic of stream-of-consciousness journaling
Down & Dirty: Whatgrass juice? - A bit about one of my all-time favorite superfoods—wheatgrass juice powder—and its role in “the most potent all-in-one superfood powder on the planet."
Lita Ford Tour Dates Check-in - Scope the horizon... so far, at least. Plus a bit more Alphabet Drumming™ madness.

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Your Daily Exorcism: The Indisputable Power of Journaling

If you’re a regular reader of this Newsletter (thank you!), you’ve probably noticed I’m big on journaling, and that I will occasionally suggest an introspective writing exercise. This is where we can drill down on a thought or idea in written form, in a sort of stream-of-consciousness way. I have always found that writing down your thoughts offers a level of illumination that’s different than just talking something out with a friend or advisor. Talking is good, too, don’t get me wrong. But we can often unpack things that are surprisingly revelatory when we “inventory" our thoughts via the written word. And this general practice is what I wanted to touch on today.

I first learned about journaling as a young kid in rehab. We were taught that writing down our thoughts and feelings—unpleasant as it may be at times—was a good way to gain clarity over the harmful mumbo-jumbo that often goes on inside our heads. Sure enough, the “exorcism” of venting on paper proved valuable to me then, and through the years. But it wasn’t until much later, in 1994, that journaling became more of the ongoing practice that I still keep up with to this very day. The impetus? Julia Cameron’s epic book, The Artist's Way.

The Artist’s Way

This book was a game-changer for me on several levels. First, one of her bedrock practices is something she calls “The Morning Pages.” The practice is simple… but not necessarily easy. Preferably first thing in the morning, you pull out your journal or notebook, grab a pen or pencil, then start writing—in a stream-of-consciousness style—until three full pages are filled. The idea is to keep the pen moving, even if you don’t know what to even write about. It can literally be about anything. You can even write… “Man, I don’t even know what to write about today… this morning pages thing is bullshit… what in the fuck is the point? I can’t see any real value in doing this… I would rather be alphabetizing my book collection right now…" etc. Write whatever you want, but write—for three full pages. (Cameron has said that page three is usually where the “payoff” happens, as the most interesting, revealing, or important material tends to emerge toward the end. I agree!)

Allow the content to be completely random (which is part of the method’s beautiful madness). It’s almost as if your subconscious will, at times, seize the opportunity to unearth things that it wants to tell you… that it wants you to take a closer look at... that it deems worthy of your introspection, basically. It’s really trippy. Of course, I’m sure the particulars of this process are different for everyone. But I’ve heard all kinds of remarkable stories through the years about folks discovering or rediscovering hidden passions or talents, coming to terms with challenging relationship issues, learning unrecognized truths about themselves, and the list goes on.

For me, it turned out to be the official start of my writing life. Up to that point, I had written a couple drum method books and a few articles here and there. I felt like I had a decent aptitude to write, but had never considered myself a writer. And then… boom! After a number of months of doing my morning pages (almost every day), I was accumulating some interesting material in the personal memoir/creative non-fiction category, just based on things I would stumble upon in my “pages” practice. From there, once I got my first laptop in ’95, my journaling process evolved a bit. And a big part of my process was going through various journal entries, cutting-and-pasting interesting excerpts into another doc, then developing various pieces out of them, which would even include poetry at times. I never looked back.

Exorcising

Exorcising is essentially my more informal version of Cameron’s practice. It’s the idea that you have a sacred space you can step into, anytime, and consistently “exorcise” the good, bad, and ugly of your life. The practice ensures that anything emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually noteworthy in your experience has a home: a private place of expression for your observation, consideration, and acknowledgment. This is huge… especially when you consider the messiness inherent to all that tends to fester in the cluttered depths of our minds with so many other neglected issues. These always come back to fuck us up on some level, so I feel it’s best to try and stay on top of them. Writing about them is an excellent way to do just that.

If you’re interested in trying a little Exorcising, here are a few parameters to consider:

1. What To Use: Doesn’t matter. You can use an actual hard-bound journal or diary, any of a number of different kinds of notebooks, or even a simple Word doc or notes app (like Evernote, for example).

Note: Cameron, I believe, always recommended writing long-hand, as opposed to typing, for her Morning Pages thing. And I agree there is something to that, which is why I will occasionally use a hard-bound journal to Exorcise. So if you’re doing her Morning Pages, yes—try to write it out old school if you can. (I did it that way pre-laptop, so I didn’t have a choice!) I think it’s worth the extra time. Moving forward, however, use the format that you will be most inclined to stick with!

The photo above, which I usually use for my journal exercises in the Newsletter, is not a stock photo. It's one of my actual hard-bound journals from probably 15 years ago, all filled up by now. (A gift from my great friend and martial arts teacher, Sifu Matt Emery and his partner Kymmy. They know me well!)

2. Privacy: Make sure that whatever you use is absolutely private and that there is no chance that anyone will be reading it. Brutal honesty and complete disclosure is the name of the game with Exorcising, so you must feel certain that no one else will ever read what you write. In fact, YOU don’t even have to read what you’ve written although, personally, I’ve always found it both therapeutic and entertaining to revisit what I wrote from a distant rear-view mirror.

3. Let it Rip: Do not attempt to edit what you write as you’re writing it, and don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Just get it out of your head and onto the page.

4. How Much: While there are no set rules as to how much you write in one sitting, just know that the more you can commit to, as mentioned, the more of a true payoff you might find toward the end of each entry. At the same time, sometimes a paragraph or two can reveal a lot, so don’t neglect those five or ten-minute sessions because you don’t think they will be worth it.

5. How Often: Every day or two, or whenever you feel like you need to document a moment, a feeling, a situation or a dilemma. BUT, don’t wait until you feel like writing! Get int the habit of “writing a little something” regularly, at minimum. In this way, it’s kind of like working out or meditating. There will be days where you don’t feel like doing it, but you do it anyway. Such is the case with Exorcising.

Dive Right in!

Not sure where to begin? Here are a few thoughts:

A) Random Diary Approach: Simply write about the events of your day, paying close attention to those things that spark resistance or conflict. Head directly at those in your writing!

B) Contemplative Exercises: If you stumble across a compelling or thought-provoking question, pull out your journal and answer it! These are precisely the kinds of “exorcises” I’ve recommended in previous entries. Here are a few:

The Bobby Rock Newsletter #9 (4-7-2021) - Crawling Toward Infamy

The Bobby Rock Newsletter #18 (7-28-2021) - The Guy In Ratt

The Bobby Rock Newsletter #20 (8-12-2021) - Your Gold Medal Moment

The Bobby Rock Newsletter #25 (9-15-2021) - Reinvention

C) Big Decision: Have a big decision to make? Try a little rambling, stream-of conscious pros and cons writing session.

D) The Morning Pages: If you want to try some Morning Pages, here is an excellent index of blog posts on the subject from the master herself, Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/tag/morning-pages/

Happy Exorcisms!!!

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Down & Dirty!

A year ago, I launched my very own custom-blend superfood powder called Dragon Dirt. In this section, we offer tips and insights for our kick-ass new DD community. Our Ingredient Spotlight provides info into the why, what, and how much of our ingredients in the Dirt.

When I first jumped on the veggie path late in 1990, wheatgrass juice was the first superfood I really embraced out of the gate. I had heard it was an incredible detoxifier and… well, the reports were true! But the shit is potent as hell, so the standard 2oz hit of juice might be a bit over-the-top to sustain daily on the long-term, beyond a strategic period of “cleaning out.” Plus, it’s a huge pain-in-the-ass to try and juice every day (as it requires a special juicer and your own fresh wheatgrass flats that you can pick from before juicing). BUT - a full-size, 1000 mgs serving of wheatgrass juice in highly-concentrated powder form is the perfect amount for daily use, especially when combined with two or three other super greens. And that’s what I’ve included in our coveted Dragon Dirt recipe. Here’s a bit more info…

Wheatgrass juice is undoubtedly the most powerful of all juices. With a 70% chlorophyll content, you would be hard-pressed to find a more potent purifier of the blood and detoxifier of the body. It’s been known to cleanse the lymph system, remove toxic minerals from cells, and aid in the prevention of degenerative diseases. It also includes nutritional gems like Superoxide Dismutase (an enemy to cancer cells) and an enzyme called P4D1, which is shown to stimulate the repair of DNA molecules. However, to replicate the concentrated power of the juice in powder form, it must be dehydrated from the actual juice, not the grass. There is a full 1000 mgs of wheatgrass juice powder in a single serving of Dragon Dirt. Find out about all 18 ingredients at www.drinkthedirt.com

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On the Horizon… with Lita Ford

Pic by Dustin Jack

January marks nine years for me on the Lita Ford gig. Been a hell of a ride! Here are a few dates that are currently on the books as we head into the new year. More dates are coming in, of course, as we keep fingers crossed that the COVID sitch levels off and we can more fully return to our road-dog ways!.

12-18-21 - Yuma, AZ

Paradise Casino

(with Vixen and Hells Belles)

1-15-22 - Sante Fe, NM

Buffalo Thunder Casino

(with Great White)

1-17-22 - Key West, FL - Rock Island Festival

Coffee Butler Amphitheater

(with Jack Russell’s Great White, Jackyl, Vixen, Bang Tango)

2-5-22 - Cedar Park, TX

H-E-B Center At Cedar Park

(with Dokken)

2-14thru18-22 - Rock Legends Cruise IX

Orlando departure/Bahamas

(with Deep Purple, Styx, Blue Oyster Cult, Little Feat, the Outlaws, and many more!

PS. In case you’ve missed it, I’ve been posting a bunch more clips of “the big kit” lately. Adding more clips each week… including this brand new (old practice room clip) of some Alphabet Drumming™, spelling out “I Wanna Rock” in a tribal-sounding groove. Scope out the Drum Vid Vault HERE.

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Thanks again, friends! Connect next week...

Until then,

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