I'm an artist, writer, cook, baker, barterer, cyclist. I Grew up in upstate NY, raised by my grandparents. I care a great deal about the Earth and (ALL of) the life on it. I try to always remind people that it is okay to ask for help, and share each other's knowledge, resources and skills and barter our way to a better life. I try to live my life leading by example, being my own hero. I mostly find ways to do whatever the hell I want. I like fixing things myself, am an open book, romantic, blunt honest and wear my heart and feelings and passions on my sleeve. The end.

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." Helen Keller

"There’s a quote by Bruce Lee that’s my motto: ‘There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. A man must constantly exceed his level.’ If you’re not better than you were the day before, then what are you doing—what’s the point?” David Belle

"If your art doesn't change someone's life, it fails." Hakim Bey

I've worked in social work with homeless youth for the past 5 years. Exploring my spirituality and deep connection with the natural world. Biking and hiking and meeting new creatures. Being present. Acknowledging the animal within this human skin. Trying to connect and share these journeys, explorations and teachings with others. Learning, loving, laughing. Finding wonder in every moment. Helping others whenever and however I can. Nurturing my compassion. Always adapting and reinventing myself, learning what I can from every experience and everyone I meet. "Leading by example" and "being the change" I wish to see...

planning. i make lots of lists. fixing things. making the most of what I have. troubleshooting, problemsolving, brainstorming. IDEAS. organizing things. cooking and baking vegan and gluten-free. fundraising. hosting potlucks, creative surprises, thoughtful gifts, writing letters. being thorough, elaborate and intensely honest and open with who I am and how I feel. genuine. present.

Idunno, my eyes and my intensity and my words? My BRAIN. Hopefully that I'm compassionate and generous and have know-how and make things happen and get shit done with whatever resources I have or circumstances thrown at me. That I have huge...will power!

Books/Authors
Derrick Jensen - A Language Older Than Words
Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth
Daniel Quinn- Ishmael
David Abram - Becoming Animal
Bill Plotkin - Soulcraft

Movies
Princess Mononoke (and anything Miyazaki), Last of the Mohicans, Amelie, Children of Men, The Terminator
Rocky, Indiana Jones, Rambo (I'm a child of the 80s), The Goonies, Me and you and everyone we know, 127 Hours, Avatar, Inception, Pump Up the Volume

Shows
Dollhouse, House, Firefly, Castle, Misfits, Nikita, South Park, Star Trek NG, Walking Dead

Music
Nico Vega, The Album Leaf, Imagine Dragons, Typhoon, Sea Wolf, Immortal Technique, Zoe Keating, Flobots, Andrew Jackson Jihad, At the Drive-In, Yann Tiersen, Refused, Explosions in the Sky, anything with strings, cheesy 80s, old school hip hop...all kinds of stuff

Food
Indian and Thai are my favorites, but I love trying new things as long as they are veg, and LOVE cooking, especially cooking for people. Food is love. I'm also really interested in nutrition and food security.

Nature, my bike, journals, honesty, passion, adventure!

How to get pry people away from their phones and computers to go outside and LIVE and PLAY and have FUN! Unplug! How to reconnect and "rewild" humans with nature.

There's no such thing as a "typical" day to me. Tell me something fun and exciting and different and I will probably humor you and see what happens. "Choose you own adventure." I go where the wind takes me.

I spent the better part of my life living in fear of the dentist, needing a great deal of dental work. Last year I finally found the courage to face and overcome that fear and fight to raise $22K for a full smile reconstruction, and also share my story with the world. You can find more about the real me in that blog than anything I could ever include in a short profile here.
www.smilepaul2011.blogspot.com
(2013 Update: I'm almost done!)

You are fun, active, adventurous, passionate, honest, silly, love hiking, biking, exercise, exploring, playing, polaroids, parkour, stencils, screenprinting, guerrilla art, cooking, creating, building, thinking, DOing, living in the moment, love nature, animals, the earth, etc.

I am constantly bored with so many people just going through the motions in Phoenix. I want fun, I want adventure, I want a partner in crime, I want to show the world there are different ways to live. I want to do something besides sit online at home. I want to climb mountains. I want to try something and learn something new every day. I want to wake people up. I want to create and do crazy things that a child will remember for the rest of their life. I want to change the fucking world. What do YOU want to do?

Just remember:
All the greatest friends and lovers and partners in crime you will ever have in this lifetime started out as "strangers." The greatest obstacle of connection is a single word...

"Hello!"

I'm Paul. What's your name? Surprise me!