Stephen John Kalinich

In the light of Stephen John Kalinich’s new album, A World of Peace Must Come, being released recently, I wanted to find out more about this popular artist’s thinking process. Growing up in New York, it has been stated that Kalinich was first inspired by Autumn. I asked him if that had made him more creative at that time of year.

“I feel very creative but every place and season inspires me in different ways and brings out other emotions and no set pattern occurs. Sometimes a sunny day and colourful trees and leaves will produce a darkness and open up a flood of tears, and at other times it will be inspirational and heavenly. I never know when it will burst forth but I am at it all the time and somehow I can conjure it up when I need to as long as I get myself out of the way and let the creative through.”

Eventually Kalinich moved to LA, hoping to fulfil his dreams as a writer. I asked him how the two cities differed and how this influenced his writing.

“I think Los Angeles opened me up more. It made me examine the dark side of my nature, my selfishness was holding me back and creatively blocking me, I had to look it in the face, to try and write from passion and feeling and still be truthful to the best of my ability. It started feeling like more of a gift, almost a calling, a wanting to call people together for peace and to have richer, more vital and fun lives, to be inspirational and make and impact on others for good. I had a major transformation in Los Angeles.”

As a fellow writer I was interested to find out if the inspiration has increased or decreased as Kalinich has become older and if different things move him to write.

“The inspiration has increased as I have grown older, or become older because I do not feel I gave grown older but more aware, more able to set the tones of my inspiration within reality. Yes, different things move me, many things. Sometimes all of life screams out to me and says I am alive, each day is a celebration, the other voice says there is heartache and pain and the inspirations says you can live it now, work it out. Sometimes joy comes wrapped up with sadness and that is not all bad. You have within yourself when touched by grace the greatness…”

Having donated his time and energy to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Weingart Centre in Los Angeles, as well as involvement with writing for children and children’s causes I asked if he felt an affinity with children and if writing for them differed in anyway.

“I love reaching out to children just to share the aliveness and encourage them to write their own stories, draw their own pictures, before they are spoiled with all the things they cannot do. Teach them the possible and they can have fun and still be good. They have sweet imagination and inhabit magical worlds. I do not write for them. I write. And sometimes it is for them. I try to make it inspirational and encourage them to develop themselves. It is about me and them and not just my own expression. To me the real artist is not consumed with only himself and his expression but wants to give something. Start with the child and you will have different men and women growing up, making contributions themselves. There is too much emphasis on financial and not enough on the development of character.

Having read a number of pages linked to his own website it became obvious that Kalinich is very much admired not only for his creative work but also as a person. “Genuine, honest, positive energy are just some of the descriptions. I wondered how he maintains the optimism he so obviously projects to his colleagues and fans.

“I appreciate your expression. I am human and I get low sometimes too. I feel there is no more inspiration but I go the stillness, the quiet in my own soul, hoping to find the answer out there. When I get ill or low I try to do this and be kind to myself.

As the new album has been released I asked Kalinich to describe the feeling and thought behind the album.

“A world of Peace was done with the idea of putting a few thoughts out there for some people to set a tone for inner and outer peace within ourselves and the world. Peace must start within us and then mushroom out into the world. If we try to right the world or be a leader before we are prepared we will not produce a ripe idea or fruit. I want to inspire others but I have been down low, experienced all the trial and struggles or most of them, it has not been an easy road. The idea is to live peace, to be peace and to be the best we can in the world for this will help all beings including us.

I asked what he has planned next.

“Many sweet projects. An album with David Marks of the Original Beach Boys. He is a super talented guy. I also have a project on my war poems with Stacy Keach, the great actor and friend, for film and record. He will also compose some of the music. Other collaborations with Peter Lacey from the UK and a possible dance record of sorts with DJ Cal Gibson and friends who have worked with Fat Boy Slim. I am also exploring a project with David Courtney. I am very excited about the future and the present.”