Meet Raundi Moore-Kondo: Artist & writing coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raundi Moore-Kondo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raundi, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

We were born to create! We are here to create ourselves. We are each a unique, evolving being– who is capable of creating a bit of love and beauty and usefulness and happiness and entertainment and, for goodness sake, bittersweet, every day! As humans, creating is our purpose. Without creativity, we cannot thrive. We droop and we fade. And the truth is, if we want to be healthy and happy, we can never stop being creative, no matter how long we live. It is the highest and most necessary form of self-care.

It can be likened to creating the perfect candy bar, your dream candy bar, and then having to eat only that candy bar for the rest of your life. The same perfect pie, the same sensational stew…whatever you do, if you aren’t finding a way to be creative, innovative, or of use, you will get bored and wither. If inspiration isn’t surging through your marrow, at least once a day, you might find yourself in inexplicable misery. If you aren’t scratching that itch— telling you to paint or write or make music, you are relegating yourself to living in a state of self-torture. This creative deprivation is insidious and can be debilitating.

I’ve known depression intimately. I’ve entertained departing this world: the thing that saved me was finding a way to express myself. Finding ways to express which feel better than lying alone in a dark room, waiting for lightning to strike and wishing it would. Pencils and paper are my personal panacea. Maybe I write a poem, maybe I write a pep talk or a letter or draw a flower, or just a list of things I want to remember. Any one of those things can change my momentum. Creativity has been saving me since before I ever understood what a remedy it is. At first, it happened by accident. As a kid, decorating cupcakes or building sandcastles, or styling my sister’s hair could inexplicably lift my mood. I realize now creativity is more than a passing fancy or a tool for making money: It is my reason for being. I believe it is everyone’s reason for being.

Creativity and imaginative thinking have become more that just therapeutic maintenance. I cook. I sing. I dance. I spontaneously move things around my office. I roller disco. I play music. I write poetry. Sure, I could go for a walk… and that can help, too, as nature is supremely therapeutic. But there is very little personal creativity happening on a walk. Unless I take pictures or I stop and write a poem along the way, it can be relatively weak sauce. I’ve learned that if I am not creating, I am wilting. So, I try to create something new as many times a day as I can. New sandwiches, new outfits, new songs, new stories, new throw pillow configurations. Sometimes it looks like art— other times, it is just a new way to organize office supplies.

Creativity is a superpower available to all humans. If you don’t use it, it will begin to dry up and fade. It will never be completely lost, but It will be harder to find. Never fear: creativity will always be there for you. Creativity is what we humans thrive on, so use it often, and be well.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I have a number of professional and creative projects. I am the founder and a writing coach at For the Love of Words Creative Writing Collective. We provide coaching for writers and publish books of poetry for all ages. (www.theloveofwords.com)

As R.K. Kondo, I am the author of the novel The Revival: A Survivor’s Tale (www.RKKONDO.com) as well as several poetry manuscripts (including –Let The Ends Spill Over Your Lips and Death of a Snowman)

Recently, I launched a line of clothing and accessories featuring my artwork.
On Instagram you can find me at Posey_Supposes and you can order from my website at.
https://www.legaleriste.com/en/raundi.moore-kondo?fbclid=IwAR2UPMTCyKcAeRyEqaBVoP-c0FosDFewt3CJ0MfVmvMa8700xAmY-HqDtjk

My bands Hurt and The Heartbeat, Insomniac Dreams, and Daisy Unchained plan to resume playing shows and recording albums when safety allows. As an active member and performer in Poets in Distress (performance poetry troop) my eyes are set on becoming PID World Champion in August 2021. You can catch me Performing at the Pasadena Lit Fest with the this May.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Titos Tacos for my favorite Tacos, Silver lake Ramen, for Ramen. No. 9 on 4th Street in Long Beach -( Pork Belly Sandwich and great noodles.)
Shopping in Long Beach 4th street Retro Row- Vintage clothing and house wears to die for!
Long Beach- Harvelle’s Downtown for a show and Congregation Ale House for appetizers and great selection of beer and Meade!)
Seal Beach for beginning body boarders
Newport Beach Boardwalk for Skaters.

Two Idiots Peddling Poetry at the Ugly Mug in old Town Orange. Order the hot cocoa and tell Phil I sent you.

Pondwater Society in Covina for live poetry, music, and general hedonism.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Poets in Distressed is an LA based performance poetry group that began in the early 1980’s. Some of the names and faces have changed over the years, but Brutus Chieftain, The Chairman, Tina Pasadena, King Daddy, Steve Again, Mr. P. Fireball, Steve Lution, and the rest, will knock you out of your chair with their unique brand of Daddy-Kool-Aid.

Website: www.TheLoveOfWords.com www.RKKONDO.com

Instagram: Raundikai and Posey_Supposes

Facebook: Raundi Kai Moore-Kondo

Youtube: Raundi Moore-Kondo

Image Credits
George Hammons, Robert Cavanaugh, Michael Kondo