Abel Brainz Digest, Vol. 13 - August 1, 2023

Hey beautiful people,

I start writing these at various points throughout the week and edit as I go. 

Then I heard about the passing of Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) 

Like many, Pee Wee Herman was a touchstone of my childhood. It inspired me in ways I didn't even know. Unfortunately, I took a pretty roundabout way of coming to the conclusion I try to convey to everyone I work with in class: Your choices are enough. 

I remember dropping everything to watch Pee Wee's Big Adventure whenever it was on TV and years of Saturday mornings watching his show and being sad when the credits started. Maybe because it felt like we had to leave the safest place in the world. I don't mean to imply I had a traumatic childhood. I just know that the pure fun, playfulness, and silliness on that show was something so rare to see in adults. And it was honest. Pee Wee spoke to us like grown-ups. He respected us. Which is way more than I can say about a specific kids show that rhymes with Chlippy. 

It took me forever to stop judging my choices. It's probably only been within the last 5-7 years I've really embraced myself and the way I do things. Through Pee Wee Herman, Paul Reubens inspired millions to be as kind and weird as they wanted. That showing your weirdness was a way of being kind to a stranger. That being weird was a way of letting a stranger know they were safe. That they could be weird too. That they could express themselves however they wanted and the only thing that mattered was that they were kind to one another. 

"Look for what you notice, but no one else sees."

I love this quote from Rick Rubin's The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Now, there is really no way to determine what another person sees, however we can absolutely pay attention to what we enjoy, and what we "notice."

Another quote from this book gets to the heart of what Mr. Reubens did with Pee Wee Herman: "And that when we create, we are not just expressing our unique individuality, but our seamless connection to an infinite oneness."

The last part of the quote really hits home for me. I love to act and perform and it is absolutely this connection that has kept me in the game for almost 20 years. And I think that's what Paul Reubens' true gift was: he shared his individuality through his creativity, his light, and connected so many of us. 

I'm going to leave you with another quote from Rick Rubin's book that Paul Reubens lived by (even though the book was released earlier this year)

"There is no wrong way. There is only your way."

Much love.

-Abel