Hanging Up My Sword - Spoken Poetry

Have discovered this utterly cool poetry lovin' & spoutin' group in KL, "If Walls Could Talk," in this amazingly dim joint of a place called Gaslight Cafe. It's like artistic heaven. Hahaha.

I challenged myself to do it. What? Yes, after 20 years as a closet poet, I'm finally comin' out, and not only that, I'm declaring to all who will hear (and say what?) that I am publishing A POETRY BOOK. 

So, this was my first attempt to share my writing in public, and also to speak it aloud ( with the minimum-est of performance). The paper is there in case I forget the words...

I found that I kinda enjoyed doing it, even though I wondered if my poetry was good enough for others to understand and like it. 

After all, I'm just giving up excuses NOT to publish THE book. So, judgements aside, the slogan now is "just do it."

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"Then True Love Comes" poetry book & song

Then True Love Comes, was a title that came unexpectedly. Someone that I was just introduced to this year looked at my palm and told me this: "You must trust in someone even though it is risky to trust in this person, then true love comes." 

That shocked me and got me realizing how my heart had been closed in fear, not only to others, but especially to myself. I am still single. And that was a gay man who took my palm.

For the past 20 years, I worked as a producer director of many entertainment and reality shows, from high-profile Wheel of Fortune to Fear Factor, to beauty pageants, talent competitions, reality shows, gameshows, dramas & tv movies in my home country. 

Last year, I struggled with a project that went through many difficulties to complete. In the process, my company lost money, which was a 6-figure amount. I found myself at one of the lowest points of my professional life, unhappy at the struggles of keeping afloat, at failing. I was lost on what to do, without any monetary support. Desperate to keep my head above water, I drummed more spiritual messages into me night and day. I was afraid to sink again. 

It was during these times, that I came clean with the way I truly felt about myself, about the dreams I had hidden away in the name of making a living while rising up in my profession.

I wanted to rebrand myself -- spiritually, mentally, emotionally. I wanted to feel like a new person, one that was not afraid anymore. I entertained the idea of stepping out into another world -- the world where I was no longer spending days and nights managing a company. I had "discovered" and given first-time opportunities for many young talent on screen who have now become celebrities in our country. But now, I was going to do the unexpected -- and that was to be the star of my own life. 

My Project

I wrote my first poem reluctantly when I was an undergraduate at Western Michigan University, in a writing class where I thought was my first step to being a great novelist. Instead, Prof made us write poems every week and read them aloud (aghast) and then gave me A's, which surprised an Asian girl like me who was afraid that my English was not even on par with the American students. 

At the end of last year, I started editing old poems and writing new ones. For more than 10 years, I had the crazy idea of publishing a book of my poetry, but I was afraid of too many things. This time, the situation is different. The urge is strong. Deep down, I knew it had to be more than just poetry. It had to send a message of inspiration to the world. Same goes for my songs. 

I dusted out the list of music that I had composed more than 10 years ago, selected one and handed it to Hanz, a young music arranger that I had worked with on my production. 

Publishing the book and songs I composed are the steps I am taking to recreate the new me. It is fulfilling the desires I have hidden away for so long -- that is to write books and record songs. I even called myself a closet poet. Heck, no, I am not a closet poet. My closet hides not a poet, not a skeleton, but a live human -- me. And I am coming out of the closet. I am not just going to publish any book or song and leave it at that. I am finding courage to step out of the shadows of insignificance to  go out to share with others my message of "self love" -- through speaking engagements, book promotion or workshops together with friends who are professional performance trainers and life coaches. 

The Concept

"Then True Love Comes" was the name I decided upon for the book. It reflects the perfect and warm end to a movie -- if our life were a movie, how will it end? As a Producer & Director who intends to make feature films, I had an epiphany to present this poetry book as examples and scenes from my life of:

1. how we are the hero or heroine of our own movie

2. responding to your calling

3. the adventure that beckons and the roadblocks that you face

4. then finally, overcome defeat and return with the elixir

It will be truly unique in concept. Instead of another "How To" self-help book, each poem is a scene from my life which you can relate to as a scene in the journey of the heroine throughout the movie. Then, be inspired to ask yourself, what kind of ending do I want for the movie of my life? 

The Impact

True love, as I have found, cannot be found except within our most open and honest self. Self love equals to our perception of self worth, which in turn leads to the way we lead our lives. 

These poems are the honest scenes of my life. If you are not living the life that you want, or achieving your deepest desires, then look within yourself and find the love you have been missing. 

This is the universal truth that I want to share -- through this book, through my songs, through my speaking engagements. By contributing, I will not only send you my creative works, you will also be a part of the coming shift that will affect many people's thinking, from despair to self belief, from darkness to light.  

What We Need & What You Get

I need a minimum of USD5,000 to get the book illustrated, book layout and printing the minimum of 1000 copies. I intend to get them printed and available by December 2015.

Your Unique Perks for supporting Then True Love Comes: 

A. $25 

• 1 digital copy of the book "Then True Love Comes"
• 1 digital copy of the song "Then True Love Comes"
• I will write a special poem for you with your name as the title. E.g. Lisa, Jack
• These will be emailed to you 

B. $50 

• 1 digital copy of the book "Then True Love Comes"
• 1 digital copy of the song "Then True Love Comes"
• 1 printed copy of the book "Then True Love Comes"
• I will write a special poem for you with your name as the title. E.g. Lisa, Jack
• These will emailed to you

C. $100 

• 1 digital copy of the book "Then True Love Comes"
• 1 digital copy of the song "Then True Love Comes"
• 2 printed copies of the book "Then True Love Comes" including international shipping charges
• I will write you 2 special poems with your names as the title. E.g. Lisa, Jack
• Other than the printed book, the rest will be emailed to you

D. $500 

• 1 digital copy of the book "Then True Love Comes"
• 1 digital copy of the song "Then True Love Comes"
• 4 printed copies of the book "Then True Love Comes" including international shipping charges
• 1 specially curated Asian gift package valued at minimum USD80, and will include international shipping charges
• I will write 2 special poems with your names as the title. E.g. Lisa, Jack, which will be printed on specially illustrated digital artwork.
• I will write you one new poem for the next 6 months
• Other than the printed book and gift package , the rest will be emailed to you

Risks & Challenges

• In Malaysia, book publishers are not open to publishing poetry as the population is not considered one that reads much, least of all English poetry. 
• But this book has to be printed to be given away or sold through speaking engagements. 
• I will also approach the local bookstores to distribute them.
• There is also a community of poetry and English readers which I can engage with through poetry open mic nights. 
• I can also ship them overseas if there is demand. I will also make them available online for international readers, and I am doing all of this by myself.

Other Ways You Can Help

With this start, I intend to continue to write, in other forms, fiction and non-fiction. I know my legacy is to inspire people, of self love, self development, and self worth. My email is irriessechia@gmail.com. Feel free to contact me.

When The Stockmarket Is Crashing, Do You Believe In Your Calling?

So I thought it was going to be a quiet Tuesday afternoon, get a little lunch, and then perhaps sit at a cafe and finish writing, the life of a writer in progress. 

Then, a reminder came on the phone. Free briyani at the neighbourhood Cosway store. Hajjah is great at attracting her customers who become her friends, especially after tasting her warmth and her excellent cooking. Since I missed her Hari Raya open house, which I was sure, and it was confirmed that it was rows of more, more, more delicious treats, this is like perfect timing when I'm just about to walk out the door to find some lunch!

Well, I had two rounds of colourful briyani rice, with acar rampai (strips of cucumber, carrot, chilli pickled in vinegar and mixed with peanuts and sesame seed), and dalca tulang (dhal curry with vegetables cooked in bony meat) 

... and then Hajjah told me a close friend of hers, a designer, would be dropping by. She thought that it would be interesting to tell me as I am in the entertainment industry. 

Hideaki did indeed appear soon, bringing the whole house down with his infectious personality! I hadn't seen him since 1999 (oops...) and what a way to be re-introduced -- in a Cosway shop!

It was fun to be catching up with each other, and finding out how great his life has turned out. And that we had another close mutual friend in common who owns a recording studio, and that both of us had something to do with the music business as well. 

Crazy co-incidences of a day -- bumping into olden-days associate Hideaki,
and both of us wearing something in the same shade of blue!

Hideaki Lim is already his own brand. He was introduced to me in 1998, a one-of-a-kind designer who designs cyber-themed or futuristic looks! 

With his touch, we had fun conjuring up a cyber look for the beauties in the first ever beauty pageant I produced for Astro, the Miss Malaysia Chinese International Pageant in 1998. Then, we choreographed them for a cool music video with the awesome "futuristic" Twin Towers as its inspiring background. The video was played back for the judges to score each contestant's onscreen performance, and on the "live" telecast of the Pageant final.

Hideaki designed these "futuristic" outfits, and we had a blast shooting a music video
for the contestants in 1998 Miss Malaysia Chinese International Pageant. 

He shared with me even though many questioned why does he bother to design cyber-themed designs -- could it be a non-realistic fad for a young man "ahead of his time" then, as one newspaper interview of him headlined.

Years down the road, Hideaki is still doing great with his branding, which has open many doors for him. And he said, "I am so glad I didn't stop designing cyber-themed clothes." And because of the exposure he received, also from the pageant, he received calls from many parties including those from outside the country to design cyber-themed clothes for their events. 

At these turbulent times when Malaysia ringgit is at its lowest, and as stockmarkets around the world are registering declines, I sometimes wonder about being relevant and how lucrative could our business be in our chosen professions -- why do designers keep designing luxurious outfits, especially cyber-themed fashion, why do songwriters keep writing music, why do painters keep painting, and why do people like me keep writing blogs.

All I can believe now, is to be true to yourselves. That is our individual calling and uniqueness. And that's why we are here at a time when the world calls for our passion and God-given talent -- to make it a better place.