Fan Your FlamesRZA

Episode 2: Fan Your Flames

Welcome. The Exploration is now in session. For this experience, we'll travel to a place of inspiration — a mental refuge to explore so you can seize your creativity. But before we take this journey, we first need to prepare the body and the mind for what's next. So find a calm setting free of noise and clutter.

Sit in a comfortable, alert position. Place your hands together or rest them gently on your knees. Feel the floor beneath your feet. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Again. Focus on the flow. Inhale. Exhale. Slow. Smooth.

Only on a remote island can something like the hydra reach its full strength. For me and for all my Wu-Tang brothers, Staten was that island, AKA Shaolin, Parkhill Projects, Stapleton. We grew up there. It was a place of isolation. But that isolation was our greatest gift. Without isolation, we would've sounded like everybody else. But on the island, me and my brothers were cut off from the mainland. The mainstream. We had to find our own sound. We had to assemble our own influences, and we did just that. Scientists have laboratories. Craftsmen, they have tool sheds. My chamber was inside my basement. That's where I spent many hours of my formative years, surrounded by comic books, VHS tapes, kung fu movies, and gadgets, my turntables and equipment. And with that, trained my music. That was all I had. It was that understood habitat that allowed for deeper exploration that allowed me to reach my full potential. Now I'm not there physically anymore, but I can mentally summon the island whenever I need inspiration. I can picture it in my head. It's crystal clear. And all the feelings I felt, all the influence, everything I had myself surrounded with, it comes to me again. The lessons I've learned. They still center me to this day.

Now, we will summon your island and fill it with the key influences in your life. By creating this mental space — this island — you can shape your own unique creativity and your own creative output. When you feel stuck, you can travel here to explore. And return to your breath. Focus. Envision your island. What does it look like? What does it feel like? How does it smell? Now I want you to fill it with your greatest influences. Let your mind wander so they can surface. Dig deep. Go to your earliest memories. As they emerge and they come to you, write them down on a piece of paper or jot 'em down on your cell phone. It could be a feeling, the voice of a loved one, the smell of some home-cooked meal, the sound of the subway train. Anything you want. Or maybe it's just your favorite piece of artwork. It's your island and that's the catalyst for your creativity.

Now look at what you wrote. Reflect on those influences. Now select only eight. That's the number that represents build. By building positivity, you automatically destroy negativity. Your influences are with you on your island now. Explore a bit. How do you feel? This is your inspiration space. No one can take it away from you. I have my island and now you have yours.

As we move towards the exit of our exploration, I want you to put your paper or that note somewhere safe. This is now your map. It will help you find your way back to your island at any given time. And that island will be your perfect place to begin any mental exploration.

Aight, now take a deep breath in through your nose. Out through your mouth. Again, focus on the flow. Inhale. Exhale. Slow. Smooth. Slowly open your eyes and return to your day.