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my many faces
My name is Romeo Barnes. I'm an author and a BJJ black belt with cerebral palsy. This blog is about my life balancing existence in two worlds. My latest book, My World is now available Amazon.com. Glad you're here, enjoy the journey.

The Mat vs The Paper

People always ask "What do you love more BJJ or writing?" My answer is "I love art." I've said in previous posts that BJJ is the only thing that feeds both the artistic and scientific parts of my brain, while quenching that thirst for competition that has driven me since I was young. Whereas writing is, for the lack of a better term, peaceful torment. Putting words to paper in a creative format forces you to run the gambit of emotions. They are really two sides of the same coin. They are both my therapeutic canvas, but for very different reasons. I can't live without both they are integral parts of the triangle that makes me whole. I've written poems about BJJ and many of novels include BJJ in some capacity. There have been many times where I've adjusted novels thanks to an idea that came to when I was trying to finish a submission.

The mat is one of my favorite places to think; the mat and the bathroom work best for me. The shower is a thinking man's heaven and hell, but I digress as that is a different post altogether. The best part about BJJ is solving the puzzle. It forces me to be logical and make split-second decisions. Writing is very emotional. Logic doesn't matter on a micro-scale like it does on the mat and if I ever screw things up royally the computer comes equipped with a backspace key and there's white-out as well as, the always trusty iPhone for when I'm on the road. I get to free my mind, I no longer need to obey the laws of physics or the proper function of the anatomy when I'm writing; I make the rules. I can create a world full of flowers or a realm ruled by demons and no one else can do anything about it.

In short the two mediums have never competed, but instead worked in harmony side by side.

Until Next Time
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