The Delicious Soul

Pancakes.

Universally revered as delicious, pancakes are so wonderful, and so nap inducing, they are perhaps the best food option before sitting and contemplating life. What better time is there to consider the cosmos than when slowly sinking into the couch, stuffed up with a cold and buttermilk pancakes, eyes glossing over as The Price is Right lulls you into the fever induced coma that you've been waiting for. While it may seem like I'm suggesting to have a deep revelation while you slip into this sweat drenched oblivion, I'm actually positive that you already have. As your conciseness fades, instead of thinking "What the hell would I do with an old timey movie theater popcorn maker, and why is it over 800 dollars?" a cool white noise fills your head before the sleep really comes to take you, and then maybe its the afternoon sun splayed across your blanket, or how you can sort of taste the tissue wads you have shoved in your nose when you breath deep. A moment where the senses are really without words, as simple and peaceful as that, is a moment where you've had a thought as good as any philosopher.

Rainn Wilson might be disappointed that pancakes are so closely tied to being sick in my head, but his website and thoughts are no less interesting. Soul Pancake is a type place that is increasingly difficult to find on the internet, a place that is welcoming of spiritual ideas without preaching a particular one. Discussion of life and its big questions is essential to the human condition. On The Nerdst podcast, Chris Hardwick (the shows comedian host) asks Rainn "But, do you feel that you... I mean, I assume you're a pretty spiritual guy?"

Rainn's voice quavers slightly while saying "Yeah, I have a spiritual practice, Sure, its important to me." and continues "But, the thing thats more important to me is: one of the reasons we started Soul Pancake was literally this conversation I had with Ed Helms, and I quote this in the beginning of the book. We had just launched an early version of the site, and Ed helms was like 'So what is this Soul Pancake business?' And I'm like 'Well its this site thats seeking to explore creativity and spirituality.' And he said 'Well those two things are kind of mutually exclusive aren't they?' And I really thought about it, and this is now my mission."

He goes on to explain that he believes the modern world has caused us to compartmentalize our hobbies and our work. Rainn wants to be the same person no matter what he is doing. What struck a cord with me is that to Wilson, putting these thoughts in writing, putting it in paint, putting it in song, being creative in general, these are spiritual acts.

This blog is about pancakes. It is also about my daily struggles with trying to get better at art. It is also unabashed about smushy gushy feelings. I hope to find that we can be passionate about our work and connected to our causes, I hope to find the variety in our voices. When I heard Rainn his mission, I heard a moment where he was very honest, and true to himself. My mission is to be that transparent, I can do nothing but interpret the world through my lens.

All thoughts henceforth are based on Anecdotal Evidence.