Publisher, author, musician and artist, Mike True
About Mike True
Mike True was born in Salem, Indiana but was soon fated to become a nomadic entity, initially, moving with his family to the central coast of California and six years later returning to the rural landscape of southern Indiana. The imagery of the west coast toyed with an adolescent mind and leaning on the longed-for, True began a lifetime of daydreams and doodles.
The son of an advertising salesman/print publisher and a second-generation family newspaper maven, Mike would grow up in a unique environment, an island of literary, musical and artistic elements. When it came to artistic influences, Carl True, his father, was himself, a student of the arts with a unique talent. He had the ability to sketch out the various newspaper advertisements he would propose to would-be clients. These drafts were simple but succinct in their presentation, including neat hand-scribed calligraphy in the appropriate font. His mother, a polished print publisher and editor, also bragged on being the best Scrabble player in southern Indiana.
Despite these familial talents, Mike's father would often reiterate that creating art was a foolish ambition, excluding “commercial art” and architectural blueprint making, which he would consider more of a vocational tool than some would-be form of bohemian expression. With this opinion in mind, he allowed many editions of art books and artists’ coffee-table collections to be added to the home library over the years. Carl also enjoyed an eclectic array of music, collecting records from a span going back into the 1940's. Mike would also become fascinated with the idea of being a cub reporter for his grandparent's newspaper, the "Banner Gazette". And with the concept of Heir Gutenberg's printing press and its contribution to the knowledge of man, he was likewise, destined to be a voracious reader from an early age.
During high school Mike was lucky enough to have a stimulating art teacher would did much to expose him to various art forms, a bit of art history, and instill an interest in the current art scene. The True boys, however, were to become printers, pressed into service in the family business by a single-minded parent. Publishing in the 1960’s and 1970’s centered on the lithographic process. Mike would become familiar with photographic developing and 3-color reproduction, pre and post production work including the operation of various printing presses, in the process of learning the family business.
After high school, in July of 1970, True left his home in southern Indiana and made his way to relatives living in San Jose, California. After finding sustainable employment difficult to come by he decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy and, despite a significant political movement to end the war in Viet Nam, he ended up serving two tours of active duty during the conflict.
Following his honorable discharge he returned to his native Indiana to begin his undergraduate work at Indiana University. In the course of attaining his B.S. Degree in Education, he took several classes in the fine arts, including, an introduction to art, drawing, and an overview of art in the classroom, (centered around elementary art.) Current trends in visual art at this time focused on the use of acrylics and photo-realism. He also enrolled in a Journalism class, but found that this skill set did not suit his creative bent.
As a teacher of special education and elementary education, True taught and used art in many aspects of his professional career. Much of his work went into providing his classrooms with a window to the world, and included murals, seasonal depictions, backdrops for informal stages, and pastel chalkboard pictures. During his professional career as an educator, the influence of a variety of children’s’ books illustrators would impress and inspire his own creations.
Continuing in the nomadic tradition, True lived in Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana, as well as California and Indiana. Visits to various museums, art galleries, and other public art spaces, constantly expanded his knowledge and enthusiasm along the way. Many of his jobs included work to set up the newly envisioned community-based services for persons with disabilities. As a services coordinator and administrator, his writing skills took a front seat to give life to these various programs. From writing progress notes, developing policies and procedures, to publishing PR literature, Mike's writing skills were considerably enhanced.
Due to serious heart problems and a subsequent open-heart surgery, he retired and moved to New Orleans in 2004. Mr.True made the transition, becoming a true artisan, not only in his unique acrylic on canvas works, but also in the musical and literary fields, as well.
In 2009, friends and mentors, Jon Schooler, Daniel Fitzgerarld, and Frenchy encouraged him to dig into the methods and materials of the visual arts. Jon also got him interested in the technique of pouring pictures and “frames” for his Louisiana-oriented themes, including: swamp scenes, shrimp boats, alligators, herons, egrets, pelicans, street cars and other local imagery. Many of his whimsical paintings are based on photos from his personal photo safaris throughout the state. From the imaginative pages of Dr. Seuss, and books by Maurice Sendack, and Richard Scarey, among others, Mike fashioned a visionary take on the simple and often surreal world of art. Other lifetime artistic influences included the greats of history: Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, Audubon, and Dali, to name but a few. (SEE the ART page)
Musically he took an early liking to bluegrass, the blues, and early rock and roll music. He first picked up and strummed a classic guitar, (his favorite instrument over the years), to join in a high school band headed up by his brother Patrick. During a brief period in the 1980's Mike programmed synth sequences to create some new-age sounds that were being introduced to the music scene at that time. In the end, he took to the guitar, once again, as he began composing music in earnest. His musical skills, as a singer-songwriter went from a serious hobby to an obsession from the 1990's to the present. Mike composes and produces his own original songs, with many renditions available online. He also performs in local venues, frequently accompanied by the ever-expanding Phantom Band, a host of friends and fellow musicians who have either joined him onstage or contributed to his recorded catalog over the past twenty-five years. (SEE the MUSIC page).
And last, but not least, Michael S. True began to seriously delve into the art of writing, primarily poetry, at first. His near-death experience opened his eyes to a level of introspection that had alluded him for most of his life. In addition, since the 20'teens, Mike has written and published three books, including two of poetry, as well as, a collection of short stories through Portals Press, a New Orleans-based publishing company. Other work, (some published on AuthorsDen.com), include a novella, a religious manuscript composed of six "books", and additional short stories and poetry. In addition I am going to include some of my professional writings, including: Articles for Those Who Care, and administrative support material for use in Community-based programs for persons with disabilities. (SEE the LITERATURE page)
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Mike's Blogger Notes
Now is the time for all good men , (and women), to come to the aid of their fellow countrymen. We, the People, are in a historic time and place, an era that is destined to serve as a turning point for the future of our society. Know who your representatives are: locally, statewide, and federally. Make your needs and concerns known! Ours is not a failed system. People United for a Cause Can Cause Change!
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1/18/2025
Tricks and Tips – Personal Growth
“How to survive the stress”
Across the fabric of this country there is a tension that seems destined to rip things apart. We read news articles, watch the impact of natural disasters, wars, and political upheaval on a daily basis. The chaos that we face is, for all purposes and intents, inescapable.
The human brain is an amazing thing. We are capable of making literally thousands of decisions in the blink of an eye. Granted, many are based in routines that we have created for ourselves as a means of survival. But the predictability of any routine may not be the only solution.
For instance, most of us would not walk blindly into a street without looking both ways for oncoming traffic. Likewise, we do what is necessary to get ourselves ready and then go to school or to a job we have committed ourselves to five days a week. Many, if not the majority of our decisions are put into play subconsciously.
So, what does all of this have to do with tapping into our personal creativity?
As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, time plays a major role in how we organize our lifestyle. Some would say that time is a curse and subjugates us to all sorts of conditions that seem beyond our control. Knowing that we only have 24 hours a day and that at least eight of those hours must be dedicated to sleep for our overall health and well-being can tie us up in knots. Indeed, this man-made reality only gives us approximately 16 hours to plow through our responsibilities and commitments to those around us.
Free time is not necessarily free. Pauses for work breaks or having to take time to get from here to there, phone calls and social interactions punctuate the day and we must juggle these things to make the best of it. The sheer pace of any given day can and does cause a continual basis for stress for most of the seven billion people on this planet.
On top of the usual stress involved in getting everything done and done “on time”, are the additional psychological stresses so prevalent in these times. Relationships, how we interact with those around us and around the world, can be invigorating or leave us frustrated and feeling overwhelmed.
It is my opinion that creativity can certainly be a product of our reflection on reality. Various art forms use current events as a catalyst for everything from stand-up comedy routines to political statements using visual art, music, and literature. Art may imitate nature or envision a concrete jungle.
But I also believe that stressful situations and dangerous environments can block our creative impulses.
So, let’s begin with the simplest of relaxation techniques: breathing. Pausing throughout the day to take a minute or two to slowly inhale and exhale, does amazing things to reduce high blood-pressure, and thus, tension. The idea is to mentally focus all of your attention on the air moving in and out of your lungs. This is a tried-and-true method of taking your mind off of the external world and putting your life back in your own hands.
There are thousands of books and articles on stress relief. Doing things like taking naps, light exercise, including walking, reading a good book, taking a warm bath, etc., can make for a reduced amount of stress. Talking to family and friends in positive and self-affirming conversations can give one the feeling of being a part of a larger support system.
Finally, I would again like to emphasize the importance of “me” time. It may seem difficult, at first, to take time out for ourselves. However, it is common knowledge that spending time experiencing the joy and beauty that surrounds us, is a key to good mental health. Personally, I would add, that reproducing the uplifting features of your world in any art form makes those positive elements of life more concrete in our consciousness. Being constructive, rather than destructive, is always a good thing. And the act of sharing your visions gives others the chance to consider your take on life, as well.
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Announcements
For those who may not know -
There is a weekly Poetry Reading I regularly attend at the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street, (Uptown New Orleans), every Sunday starting at 4:20 p.m. Poets, Prose writers and Songwriters are greatly encouraged to participate. Anyone over 21 may join us for one of the oldest continual readings in the city.
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I have begun attending the weekly "Payson Tramayne Freret Collective" Open Mic at the Rook Cafe , 4516 Freret Street, NOLA - Fridays 6-9pm. I share poetry, short stories and my original music. All ages welcome.
Flora Gallery and Coffee Shop has also been hosting an open mic featuring host Aleah Hayer on Thursday evenings starting at 6pm. I will get over there when I can. 2600 Royal St, New Orleans, LA
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