Keith Cleversley and His Pea Brain

Given the opportunity to produce so many bands I adore, including Flaming Lips, HUM, Mercury Rev, Verve, Spiritualized, Posies, Flickerstick, and many others, which subsequently built the Playground Recording Studio in Chicago, often makes me feel like one of the luckiest people on the planet. I’ve been so deeply touched by music, and all I ever used to dream of doing with my life was to have the opportunity to make music that might touch others in the way it has touched me.

A long time ago, I was driven by my fear of failure, and although it pushed me to accomplish more than I thought  possible, it hasn’t suited me for some time. Now, I simply soak in as much of this life as I can, and wonder how I will ever fit all I want to do in. If I learned one thing from all my years of searching for what would bring me true joy, it’s simply this: If I’m not enjoying what I’m doing in each and every moment, then anything I accomplish will ultimately be meaningless.

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to give back, to help out, and to actively make a difference on this precious planet of ours. I treasure those who I am fortunate enough to call my dear friends, and now only wish the same joy for anyone, especially those who are dear to me.  I believe there are far more to these frames than we are ever led to believe and I’m convinced that the Divine perhaps lives within quantum mechanics (see My Quantum God) as I am the Creator as is every other person on the planet.

When I record music, I rarely feel more alive, but I’ve been making records since I was 15 years old, and although I adore producing records, I have many other passions that I feel compelled to explore, but never had time or confidence to make happen.  So, I started chasing other childhood dreams:  I got my pilot’s license in 2004 (Flying Photos), worked for my DiveMaster Certification in 2005 (Diving Photos), met the love of my life; Venus in 2006 (Burning Man Photos), traveled extensively with Venus in 2007 & 2008, moved to California and took up surfing in 2009.

I’ve also become increasingly active and passionate in my studies of entheogens, ethnobotanicals, the Shamans of ancient cultures, building a business and a coalition, while speaking on the topic and collecting artifacts used for Shamanic rituals over the past few years.  I explain this in detail in my in detail in my This Double Life I’ve Been Living article, and one of my most recent passions; the Mayans is turning into a presentation on the mystical side of the Mayans.  One example is my Shaman and the Mayans article which features the only known intact Mayan Shamanic medicine vessel featuring a Bufo toad as it’s base.

My passion for both diving and Mayan culture is what led me to Cozumel Island, where I spent much of my time for a while.  The first time I dove below the ocean’s surface, the vast landscape that sprawled before me looked like a place I have only seen in dreams. As richly textured as the most exquisitely decorated place on land, I felt like I was floating weightless in the sea-sky, and found a new passion for this amazing world we’re in.

Life is whizzing by so quickly, and I have no regrets about anything I have or haven’t done in relation to it, simply because I made the best decisions I knew how to make when I had to make them. As long as I am being as true to myself as I know how to be in as many moments as I possibly can, then I can never go wrong.  I hold no ill feelings for anyone I have ever known in my life, and wish others the same peace in their lives that I have found in mine. Life is too short to hang on to the past, and the future holds too many new discoveries and adventures as it is.

Read one of my favorite stories about this topic HERE.

So here is my beacon, honest in its design, obvious in its intent, hoping for nothing more than to know that others know of such rare treats and to share some of mine. This is why I am, why I still am, and what will always be my only purpose and intent.  In a related topic someone asked me what my point was, and I do my best to further describe it in my Keith Cleversley’s Point page.

Feel free to send any comments, questions, or whatever to keith at cleversley dot com.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be respectful of the immense effort and research that goes into writing my articles.  Do not re-print or re-post any of my work without receiving explicit and express permission from me first. Feel free to link to my articles whenever you wish, though, and I am always available for interviews or comments.

2 Responses to “About Me”