Mike Talladen - Light Writer

It's Valentines Day! Let me tell you about the first love of my life.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I was young, I didn't know what I was looking for, but one day she was there, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Elmhurst Public Library. I never thought such beauty existed in this world, it was love at first sight. She was in books and magazines, and photos of her sometimes took up the entire spread of two pages. I'm talking about the Amazon Rainforest, of course! ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ As a kid I was fascinated with the natural world, but nothing lured me in more than the wild rainforests of the Amazon. I spent hours looking through everything the library had that covered this fantastical land; a place I became infatuated with. Like so many others before me who drowned in its depths while searching for El Dorado, I became obsessed with its mystique. But unlike the explorers who sought after a golden city, my El Dorado was the jungle itself. And I convinced myself I would never be able to step foot in such a place, for I was just a nobody from Illinois. A nobody with a dream that would forever remain a dream.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Fast forward to September 2015 and this nobody was walking across a creaky, wooden plank onto a small boat floating on the Amazon Cussing River! (I have some fans who are children so I guess I need to watch my language). Living that childhood dream was everything I imagined and more. Of the many books I read, "The Great Kapok Tree" was among my favorites, and being able to climb one of those behemoths and gaze upon the horizon of the rainforest from it's canopy is something I still cannot put into words. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ The Amazon sparked a fire inside me that cannot be extinguished no matter how disheartened or sad I am with humanity - no matter how defeated or depressed I may feel. It shaped a lot of who I've become since, and that fire burns through the core of my being, driving me to do whatever I can to create positive change in this world, to share and inspire love for Mother Earth, to chase my El Dorado's until my dying breath. ⠀
It's Valentines Day! Let me tell you about the first love of my life.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I was young, I didn't know what I was looking for, but one day she was there, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Elmhurst Public Library. I never thought such beauty existed in this world, it was love at first sight. She was in books and magazines, and photos of her sometimes took up the entire spread of two pages. I'm talking about the Amazon Rainforest, of course! ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ As a kid I was fascinated with the natural world, but nothing lured me in more than the wild rainforests of the Amazon. I spent hours looking through everything the library had that covered this fantastical land; a place I became infatuated with. Like so many others before me who drowned in its depths while searching for El Dorado, I became obsessed with its mystique. But unlike the explorers who sought after a golden city, my El Dorado was the jungle itself. And I convinced myself I would never be able to step foot in such a place, for I was just a nobody from Illinois. A nobody with a dream that would forever remain a dream.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Fast forward to September 2015 and this nobody was walking across a creaky, wooden plank onto a small boat floating on the Amazon Cussing River! (I have some fans who are children so I guess I need to watch my language). Living that childhood dream was everything I imagined and more. Of the many books I read, "The Great Kapok Tree" was among my favorites, and being able to climb one of those behemoths and gaze upon the horizon of the rainforest from it's canopy is something I still cannot put into words. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ The Amazon sparked a fire inside me that cannot be extinguished no matter how disheartened or sad I am with humanity - no matter how defeated or depressed I may feel. It shaped a lot of who I've become since, and that fire burns through the core of my being, driving me to do whatever I can to create positive change in this world, to share and inspire love for Mother Earth, to chase my El Dorado's until my dying breath. ⠀
It's Valentines Day! Let me tell you about the first love of my life.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I was young, I didn't know what I was looking for, but one day she was there, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Elmhurst Public Library. I never thought such beauty existed in this world, it was love at first sight. She was in books and magazines, and photos of her sometimes took up the entire spread of two pages. I'm talking about the Amazon Rainforest, of course! ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ As a kid I was fascinated with the natural world, but nothing lured me in more than the wild rainforests of the Amazon. I spent hours looking through everything the library had that covered this fantastical land; a place I became infatuated with. Like so many others before me who drowned in its depths while searching for El Dorado, I became obsessed with its mystique. But unlike the explorers who sought after a golden city, my El Dorado was the jungle itself. And I convinced myself I would never be able to step foot in such a place, for I was just a nobody from Illinois. A nobody with a dream that would forever remain a dream.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Fast forward to September 2015 and this nobody was walking across a creaky, wooden plank onto a small boat floating on the Amazon Cussing River! (I have some fans who are children so I guess I need to watch my language). Living that childhood dream was everything I imagined and more. Of the many books I read, "The Great Kapok Tree" was among my favorites, and being able to climb one of those behemoths and gaze upon the horizon of the rainforest from it's canopy is something I still cannot put into words. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ The Amazon sparked a fire inside me that cannot be extinguished no matter how disheartened or sad I am with humanity - no matter how defeated or depressed I may feel. It shaped a lot of who I've become since, and that fire burns through the core of my being, driving me to do whatever I can to create positive change in this world, to share and inspire love for Mother Earth, to chase my El Dorado's until my dying breath. ⠀ ⠀
Does one go to Detroit, MI without exploring the endless concrete canvases and industrial skeletons?⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ The answer is no. At least for my friends and I, who braved the bitter cold of early November to check out what Detroit's Eastern Market had to offer after spending a few days at Midwest Gathering.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Anyone else attending this years @midwestgathering I'm already excited for what's in store next time, but it's so far away. So glad I'll be going to Marfa @yeahfieldtrip at the end of the month to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and create some growth.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ What's your favorite thing to do in Detroit?
Does one go to Detroit, MI without exploring the endless concrete canvases and industrial skeletons?⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ The answer is no. At least for my friends and I, who braved the bitter cold of early November to check out what Detroit's Eastern Market had to offer after spending a few days at Midwest Gathering.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Anyone else attending this years @midwestgathering I'm already excited for what's in store next time, but it's so far away. So glad I'll be going to Marfa @yeahfieldtrip at the end of the month to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and create some growth.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ What's your favorite thing to do in Detroit?
Does one go to Detroit, MI without exploring the endless concrete canvases and industrial skeletons?⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ The answer is no. At least for my friends and I, who braved the bitter cold of early November to check out what Detroit's Eastern Market had to offer after spending a few days at Midwest Gathering.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Anyone else attending this years @midwestgathering I'm already excited for what's in store next time, but it's so far away. So glad I'll be going to Marfa @yeahfieldtrip at the end of the month to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and create some growth.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ What's your favorite thing to do in Detroit?
Chicago is in a deep freeze today and I'm stuck inside, daydreaming of icy adventures of the past. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Stay warm, folks! Keep your furry friends indoors as much as possible and put protective clothing on their little feet when they need to go potty.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Found these incredible crystalized details last winter on the Straits of Mackinac in northern Michigan. I'll never forget that morning, walking across the frozen straits on parts that were completely see through, climbing over massive blocks of ice that pushed themselves up along the shore, and watching the sun shine through and create a palette of blue-green I've never known until that dawn. All that before walking back to the parking lot to slip on a puddle of black ice on the sidewalk, landing on my hip and causing the most painful injury I've endured to date.
Chicago is in a deep freeze today and I'm stuck inside, daydreaming of icy adventures of the past. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Stay warm, folks! Keep your furry friends indoors as much as possible and put protective clothing on their little feet when they need to go potty.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Found these incredible crystalized details last winter on the Straits of Mackinac in northern Michigan. I'll never forget that morning, walking across the frozen straits on parts that were completely see through, climbing over massive blocks of ice that pushed themselves up along the shore, and watching the sun shine through and create a palette of blue-green I've never known until that dawn. All that before walking back to the parking lot to slip on a puddle of black ice on the sidewalk, landing on my hip and causing the most painful injury I've endured to date.
Chicago is in a deep freeze today and I'm stuck inside, daydreaming of icy adventures of the past. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Stay warm, folks! Keep your furry friends indoors as much as possible and put protective clothing on their little feet when they need to go potty.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Found these incredible crystalized details last winter on the Straits of Mackinac in northern Michigan. I'll never forget that morning, walking across the frozen straits on parts that were completely see through, climbing over massive blocks of ice that pushed themselves up along the shore, and watching the sun shine through and create a palette of blue-green I've never known until that dawn. All that before walking back to the parking lot to slip on a puddle of black ice on the sidewalk, landing on my hip and causing the most painful injury I've endured to date. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
I've shared this story before but as one of the artists I never cease to hit play on, January 10th is one of those days that weighs heavier on the heart.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I was in the Dominican Republic photographing a wedding, staying at a resort in Punta Cana, and enjoying the last day there by exploring some of the countryside, swimming with nurse sharks, yelling at my broken GoPro for corrupting the shark footage, and walking on the beach with friends as the sun fell behind the mountains.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Retreating back to my room for the night, I packed my bags, got into the hot tub on my balcony, poured some whiskey, and hit play on the new David Bowie album, Black Star, which I hadn't heard yet. Watching the last bit of sun fade into the evening as the album came to an end, I couldn't help but feel like there was some weird finality to the lyrics. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ It was the eve of January 15th, and I'd been spending time on the island completely unplugged from the outside world. I turned the wi-fi on to double check my flight times and look up the lyrics to the album. Inevitably I landed on social media and that's when I found out that five days prior, Bowie had passed.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Never before had the death of a person I didn't personally know impacted me so much. I grew up with the magic of the Goblin King and throughout his time here in our realm, you'd have to be both blind and deaf to not feel how much of an impact Bowie had on art, music, and pop culture. He inspired so many in so many ways. In some strange way, I'm actually grateful I listened to Black Flag ignorant of his death. There is something surreal about the experience for me that I can't ever put into words. It's a sunset I'll always remember. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Thank you, Bowie, for sharing your stardust with all of us.
I've shared this story before but as one of the artists I never cease to hit play on, January 10th is one of those days that weighs heavier on the heart.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I was in the Dominican Republic photographing a wedding, staying at a resort in Punta Cana, and enjoying the last day there by exploring some of the countryside, swimming with nurse sharks, yelling at my broken GoPro for corrupting the shark footage, and walking on the beach with friends as the sun fell behind the mountains.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Retreating back to my room for the night, I packed my bags, got into the hot tub on my balcony, poured some whiskey, and hit play on the new David Bowie album, Black Star, which I hadn't heard yet. Watching the last bit of sun fade into the evening as the album came to an end, I couldn't help but feel like there was some weird finality to the lyrics. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ It was the eve of January 15th, and I'd been spending time on the island completely unplugged from the outside world. I turned the wi-fi on to double check my flight times and look up the lyrics to the album. Inevitably I landed on social media and that's when I found out that five days prior, Bowie had passed.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Never before had the death of a person I didn't personally know impacted me so much. I grew up with the magic of the Goblin King and throughout his time here in our realm, you'd have to be both blind and deaf to not feel how much of an impact Bowie had on art, music, and pop culture. He inspired so many in so many ways. In some strange way, I'm actually grateful I listened to Black Flag ignorant of his death. There is something surreal about the experience for me that I can't ever put into words. It's a sunset I'll always remember. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Thank you, Bowie, for sharing your stardust with all of us.
I've shared this story before but as one of the artists I never cease to hit play on, January 10th is one of those days that weighs heavier on the heart.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I was in the Dominican Republic photographing a wedding, staying at a resort in Punta Cana, and enjoying the last day there by exploring some of the countryside, swimming with nurse sharks, yelling at my broken GoPro for corrupting the shark footage, and walking on the beach with friends as the sun fell behind the mountains.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Retreating back to my room for the night, I packed my bags, got into the hot tub on my balcony, poured some whiskey, and hit play on the new David Bowie album, Black Star, which I hadn't heard yet. Watching the last bit of sun fade into the evening as the album came to an end, I couldn't help but feel like there was some weird finality to the lyrics. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ It was the eve of January 15th, and I'd been spending time on the island completely unplugged from the outside world. I turned the wi-fi on to double check my flight times and look up the lyrics to the album. Inevitably I landed on social media and that's when I found out that five days prior, Bowie had passed.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Never before had the death of a person I didn't personally know impacted me so much. I grew up with the magic of the Goblin King and throughout his time here in our realm, you'd have to be both blind and deaf to not feel how much of an impact Bowie had on art, music, and pop culture. He inspired so many in so many ways. In some strange way, I'm actually grateful I listened to Black Flag ignorant of his death. There is something surreal about the experience for me that I can't ever put into words. It's a sunset I'll always remember. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Thank you, Bowie, for sharing your stardust with all of us.
Upper Buckatabon Lake. These waters hold the blood of my family. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I've visited these old stomping grounds twice over the last ten years, but it has been much longer since my family and I had gone here together. This morning we booked a cabin for a week later this summer. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Of the two recent journeys I've taken to this northern realm it has been too cold to enter the water. Looking forward to swimming through the clarity of my past once again.
Upper Buckatabon Lake. These waters hold the blood of my family. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I've visited these old stomping grounds twice over the last ten years, but it has been much longer since my family and I had gone here together. This morning we booked a cabin for a week later this summer. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Of the two recent journeys I've taken to this northern realm it has been too cold to enter the water. Looking forward to swimming through the clarity of my past once again.
Upper Buckatabon Lake. These waters hold the blood of my family. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I've visited these old stomping grounds twice over the last ten years, but it has been much longer since my family and I had gone here together. This morning we booked a cabin for a week later this summer. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Of the two recent journeys I've taken to this northern realm it has been too cold to enter the water. Looking forward to swimming through the clarity of my past once again.
What is your El Dorado?⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Long ago, tales of a place called El Dorado lured so many into the jungles of South America in search of a city of gold and its king. Some of these explorers paid the toll of that pilgrimage with their lives and as terrible as that may be, I’ve always thought of this as a beautiful sort of outlook on our individual lives in general. After all, each of us is chasing out our own El Dorado, whether we know what it is or not.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ For as long as I can remember, the Amazon rainforest had always been mine, yet I grew up telling myself I'd only ever see the it through books, movies, photos, and dreams. I told myself it would never be a possibility for me to go there. But a few years ago I went, I saw, and I brought home new possibilities for myself. Since then my idea of El Dorado has evolved.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I've spent so much of my life trying to do things on my own because I hate asking for help - I still do - but I've slowly come to realize the reality is we can't always get to where we want to go, or achieve what we want to accomplish, without help from others. And we certainly can't get anywhere if we don't bother to try. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Know this - If you have a dream that seems impossible to achieve, and it's something possible for others to do, you can do it, too. It might take you a lot longer, require a lot more help, or cost more money than others, but you can still do it. And if you don’t yet know what that dream is, what your own slice of El Dorado might look like, that’s okay, too. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ We are all isolated stars in our own little solar systems, trying to break free from the gravity of our norm and make a name for ourselves out there in the universe, to find an identity, a purpose - to figure out who or what we are. We’re always searching for El Dorado. The truth is, space is infinite, and we'll very likely never be content with where we are in the vastness of darkness and light. I at least take solace in knowing there are so many other stars out there - all of you - and we share these cosmos, swirling around together, helping each other shine.⠀ ⠀
What is your El Dorado?⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Long ago, tales of a place called El Dorado lured so many into the jungles of South America in search of a city of gold and its king. Some of these explorers paid the toll of that pilgrimage with their lives and as terrible as that may be, I’ve always thought of this as a beautiful sort of outlook on our individual lives in general. After all, each of us is chasing out our own El Dorado, whether we know what it is or not.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ For as long as I can remember, the Amazon rainforest had always been mine, yet I grew up telling myself I'd only ever see the it through books, movies, photos, and dreams. I told myself it would never be a possibility for me to go there. But a few years ago I went, I saw, and I brought home new possibilities for myself. Since then my idea of El Dorado has evolved.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I've spent so much of my life trying to do things on my own because I hate asking for help - I still do - but I've slowly come to realize the reality is we can't always get to where we want to go, or achieve what we want to accomplish, without help from others. And we certainly can't get anywhere if we don't bother to try. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Know this - If you have a dream that seems impossible to achieve, and it's something possible for others to do, you can do it, too. It might take you a lot longer, require a lot more help, or cost more money than others, but you can still do it. And if you don’t yet know what that dream is, what your own slice of El Dorado might look like, that’s okay, too. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ We are all isolated stars in our own little solar systems, trying to break free from the gravity of our norm and make a name for ourselves out there in the universe, to find an identity, a purpose - to figure out who or what we are. We’re always searching for El Dorado. The truth is, space is infinite, and we'll very likely never be content with where we are in the vastness of darkness and light. I at least take solace in knowing there are so many other stars out there - all of you - and we share these cosmos, swirling around together, helping each other shine.⠀ ⠀
What is your El Dorado?⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Long ago, tales of a place called El Dorado lured so many into the jungles of South America in search of a city of gold and its king. Some of these explorers paid the toll of that pilgrimage with their lives and as terrible as that may be, I’ve always thought of this as a beautiful sort of outlook on our individual lives in general. After all, each of us is chasing out our own El Dorado, whether we know what it is or not.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ For as long as I can remember, the Amazon rainforest had always been mine, yet I grew up telling myself I'd only ever see the it through books, movies, photos, and dreams. I told myself it would never be a possibility for me to go there. But a few years ago I went, I saw, and I brought home new possibilities for myself. Since then my idea of El Dorado has evolved.⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ I've spent so much of my life trying to do things on my own because I hate asking for help - I still do - but I've slowly come to realize the reality is we can't always get to where we want to go, or achieve what we want to accomplish, without help from others. And we certainly can't get anywhere if we don't bother to try. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ Know this - If you have a dream that seems impossible to achieve, and it's something possible for others to do, you can do it, too. It might take you a lot longer, require a lot more help, or cost more money than others, but you can still do it. And if you don’t yet know what that dream is, what your own slice of El Dorado might look like, that’s okay, too. ⠀ ____________________⠀ ⠀ We are all isolated stars in our own little solar systems, trying to break free from the gravity of our norm and make a name for ourselves out there in the universe, to find an identity, a purpose - to figure out who or what we are. We’re always searching for El Dorado. The truth is, space is infinite, and we'll very likely never be content with where we are in the vastness of darkness and light. I at least take solace in knowing there are so many other stars out there - all of you - and we share these cosmos, swirling around together, helping each other shine.⠀ ⠀