Pen & Pad

We’re always told to follow our passions in life. For me that passion is writing. From age 12, I’ve used writing - both personally & professionally - to give me purpose, exhale pain, and enjoy the pleasures of expression. But that's only the destination. Here now is my journey.

Poet and I Didn’t Know It

It started with poetry. Yes, the whole ‘roses are red, violets are blue’ stanza we all learned at a young age. But where this 12-year-old was different than most other kids is in asking “What if?” and “Why?” — early critical thinking signs. I started to question things and reflect on my own creative beliefs.

For instance, turning the poetry of the game of chess into an actual verse. Or composing historically black leaders into a song of power and perseverance. Even taking the rugged exterior of New York City (the small scope of it I had at the time) and making a rhyme from my albeit limited experience. Sights and sounds became words in my poetry book. And thus a writer was born.

Hip-Hop Hooray

My love of hip-hop began with Audio Two's Top Billin'. While that song was undeniably infectious and wholly responsible for turning me on to hip-hop culture, no one would ever mistake it for being a lyrical track. And though I didn’t know it at the time, a lyricist is what I aspired to be. That’s where the Big Daddy Kane’s, Rakim’s, KRS One’s, and Kool G Rap’s of the world made the more important impact. And thus a rapper was born.

For me, it was always about how dope the lyrical content could be. Lyrics are the end all, be all. It is what gave me my stage name, Ledge Lyrics. “Ledge” being short for legendary, but also an homage to the classic Rakim track Know the Ledge. Writing rhymes became the most important thing in my life. So much so - I am not proud to say - while in high school I would write rhymes in class, sometimes all day long and in every class period. Eventually, I got good at the craft. Really good. After all, right or wrong, that type of dedication has to pay off. But I never got good enough to do anything with it professionally. Or perhaps I could’ve had I stuck with it and made more connections. Regardless, it just wasn’t in the cards. However, it did help set up the next saga in my writing career. An even deeper one.

Short & Sweet

Throughout my teenage years, my passion for writing continued to grow. As it did, poems and three-verse rap songs began to feel restrictive. I needed more canvas for my creativity. So about the time I got into my junior year of high school, I turned to short stories; a medium that allowed my thoughts to escape the guardrails, while still affording me the flexibility to pen multiple pieces and tap into a variety of topics and characters. It was an extraordinarily freeing sensation.

However, it wasn’t until college when I truly understood the process of writing short stories. To compose, to go through cutting & deepening (which is to take out 40% of the story and add back in 20% of true substance), and, finally, editing. It’s an exceptionally cathartic procedure. One that helped me create a bunch of fun tales, including a story of a part-time comedian, part-time cab driver that I really enjoyed writing. Weird concept? Perhaps! But don’t knock it till you read it. As much as I love rap, short stories has been my favorite time as a writer. Perhaps as my kids get older and get out on their own, I'll find time to write another.

Epic Fail

If I’m being honest, I’m a pretty decent all-around writer. Whether it’s short stories, rap, or advertising copy. But there is one form of writing I suck at … and that’s screenwriting. I only tried it once. And it wasn’t for me. Something about the dialogue and scene transitions that didn’t feel natural to me. Perhaps had I given it more time for my talent to develop, I could’ve been better. But the issue is I just didn’t enjoy it enough. Not like I did the other styles of writing. So my screenwriter ‘career’ was one and done.

Nothing Writes Like a Deere

I joined John Deere In early 2007. The style of writing for which I’d now be responsible was uncommon to me. There was certainly a learning curve. Fortunately, Deere was - and remains - a very patient organization when it comes to employee growth and development.

I’ve had the privilege to write for a variety of mediums: print ads, radio spots, video scripts, social media posts, product brochures, trade show signage, web banners, and more. I’ve even been responsible for speech writing on behalf of one of the company’s leaders. All things I’m extremely proud to have done in my career.

Sadly, I would eventually suffer from burnout. When you write because you have to and not because you want to, it becomes tedious and uncreative. For me writing was no longer fun. I lost all desire and enjoyment. Fortunately, I would find a new role … still with Deere; still in marketing — but I no longer had to force myself to write simply because it was my profession.

The Fast Lane

Since I’ve moved on from my copywriting role at John Deere, after a couple of years of detox, I had to find a new outlet for my passion. I found it in two places. First, I created this blog, The Fast Lane. The idea was to create a site that would span marketing, marriage, meditation, movies, music, and anything else I find appealing to write about.

Why ‘Fast’? Because the idea is for each post to be about a quick 2-minute read. Now, you’d think a professional marketer would know to stick to his brand promise of “two minutes”. But most posts have been 5-10 minutes. I just have too much I want to share. Guess I should’ve considered this potential issue before I named my blog.

That aside, I’ve greatly enjoyed stretching the boundaries of thought and meaning. From my post on motherhood or the one about business travel … to my review of the most rewatchable films or my write-up of the best Disney World rides. Each post grants me an opportunity to scratch an itch while, hopefully, providing my readers with worthwhile content. Because this blog truly does exist to serve both purposes.

Inner Movie Critic

The second new outlet I’ve found for my writing is that of me being a movie critic. Well, sort of. With the ever-popular Letterboxd app (if you are into movies and don’t have this app, I highly recommend downloading it), we can all be film critics now. I just happen to take it a bit more earnestly than most … that is for those who don’t actually depend on it for income.

With Letterboxd, I can rank, rate, and review movies. Any movie. Every movie. Whatever film I feel like logging, it’s in the database. Some days I’m in the app two minutes; other days 10. But I love cinema. I love to think on plots & characters and just plain talking about film in general. Like I said, I’m a failed screenwriter. So, I dig this stuff.

For me Letterboxd’s a great resource to leverage as another outlet to share my love of expression. Also, you acquire an appreciation for those who do this professionally. It’s not easy. If all we do is watch a movie and say thumbs up or thumbs down, then that’s simple. But when you have to dig much deeper, to tap into the constructs of a film, every strand, and present a thoughtful and well-explained synopsis … now that is difficult. I admire that. And while I frankly don’t have the time for my reviews to be that provocative, I still like to at least honor the craft by being true to the foundations of a critic. So, my comments on a film, while much shorter than those who do it for a living are always rooted in earnest thought.

I Believe the Children Are My Future

What’s next? What’s left to write about? A lot, actually. Doubtful I get to it all in this lifetime. And frankly, I’m not up for doing a novel. However, for the past 10+ years, I have been thinking of writing a children’s book. I just can’t seem to start. But if there’s one more hill I’d like to climb, that would be it. If I get there, I pray I have your support, as you’ve shown in reading this blog. So thanks in advance. I’ll see you the next time I pick up my pen and pad.