Overwhelm

Brian Hood (0:00)

This is the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, Episode 180

Welcome to the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, where our mission is to help you turn your creative passions into a stable, reliable income. If you're in audio, video, design, photography, or really any other creative field, and you just want to learn from other successful creatives, you're in the right place. Welcome back to another episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast. I'm your host, Brian Hood. I'm here with my big, bald, beautiful, not-as-creepy-looking-today co-host, Christopher J.

Christopher J. Graham (0:32)

Graham.

Brian Hood (0:33)

How are you doing today, my dude?

Christopher J. Graham (0:34)

I'm doing great, man. We were just, maybe this will get edited out, but we were just having a really good conversation about straight edge.

What does it mean to be straight edge? And you and I are weird in this regard.

Brian Hood (0:49)

Are we weird, or are just you weird? I'm not weird in this regard, because...

Christopher J. Graham (0:53)

Neither of us drink alcohol, and not because we're Bible thumpers or something like that. I mean, we are, but not really, not in that way.

But that's a strange thing to... I only have maybe one or two other friends that don't drink, but I'm a little bit of a weird anomaly even in the straight edge community.

Brian Hood (1:12)

You're not straight edge, Chris. You're not straight edge.

Christopher J. Graham (1:15)

I would say that I am, but I'm what you call California sober, which means I don't drink, but I did just hit a vape pen.

Brian Hood (1:24)

Containing what, Chris?

Christopher J. Graham (1:25)

Containing, it's called Tropicana Cookies. It's a sativa strain.

I first tried it on our trip to NAMM 2020

Brian Hood (1:33)

Which is weird to think about that we were actually at NAMM in 2020, because that seems like a lifetime ago, but that was before it all went to poop. All right, so let's bring this conversation back really quick. Straight edge for anyone who's wondering what the hell that is. It is essentially just a lifestyle decision of no drugs, no alcohol.

And as far as I know, back in the day, at least when we were young, and everyone was being straight, was claiming edge is what they call it. It was also no promiscuous sex. So no like just hooking up with people for the sake of hooking up. It was no sex outside of relationships. So I claimed edge when I was like 17 I only did it because I was like a hardcore band with a bunch of, actually metalcore, I'm overstating myself, a metalcore band with a bunch of other dudes who were straight edge. And that was just kind of the scene back then, but I was already that way. I didn't like change my lifestyle to be that. And then what happened inevitably after a while was people started falling off the straight edge bandwagon after getting tons of tattoos for it.

And fast forward, I guess, 20 years now, almost 20 years now, I've been straight edge, and I don't know anyone else. I don't think that is still straight edge from my old background.

So Chris thinks he's straight edge, but I don't think he has a clue what that actually means when he's over there hitting a vape pen.

Christopher J. Graham (2:40)

Here's what I'll say that's adorable, is you just said the word straight edge like 17 times, and I've never seen you gotten so passionate and nerdy on a subject. And I feel like I just got a glimpse of 17-year-old Brian, that 17-year-old Brian was like, that's right, this is awesome.

Brian Hood (2:56)

Yeah, there's a lot that goes into that. The reason I'm passionate about it is not because I really cared that much about straight edge, it's because I saw a really interesting cultural thing when you see this all over the place. It's the loudest and proudest people were the first ones to break edge.

And you see this in a lot of areas. It's like the people, I see this all the time, you see the couple online who's so lovey-dovey on social media, and then the guy cheats, the guy cheats.

Christopher J. Graham (3:24)

Break the edge, man.

Brian Hood (3:26)

Yeah, whatever. But dude, it was a fun time back in the day, and it was, I don't know, it was a good time of my life.

Christopher J. Graham (3:33)

You're kind of a dork, I like it.

Brian Hood (3:36)

Well, let's actually talk about what we're gonna talk about in this episode today now that we've gone down straight edge. I'll give you this, Chris, you are California sober.