Joe Who?

Joe_Babiak_Knox2_web-14I am an artist. A visionary. An old soul. Definitely not your “average Joe.” Fueled by emotion, sensitive to inspiration, it doesn’t take much to “fill my tanks,” so to speak. I see beauty everywhere. I see a world within this world that many of us are blind to. We are capable of so much, and yet it is actually us keeping that potential at bay. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.”

People are extremely important to me; I love to meet, study, and learn from those I encounter. After parting ways with a stranger, it saddens me to think that I may never see him/her again. I invest a great deal of energy into maintaining and nourishing the relationships I have with others. Fame and fortune will come and go, but the connection with another person can last a lifetime.

For as long as I can remember, I have possessed a heightened awareness towards life, others, myself, and mortality. I was blessed with a natural resilience, a resistance to conformity, and a disregard for limitations. My gut has never led me astray, therefore, I can honestly say I have no regrets. I march to the beat of my own drum, and though the path can be lonely at times, I maintain my dignity. But like everyone else, I am susceptible to life’s hardships. On a daily basis, I battle the pressures put upon me: work, money, the media, and a plethora of obligations. I call it my “daily resistance;” continually reminding myself that being me is enough. I have learned to accept who and how I am, rather than feeling bad for who and how I am not. It is a discipline that requires much time and thought but the results bring about tremendous self-awareness and inner-peace.

As a child, I naturally gravitated towards music. Barely able to reach the piano keys, I would plunk out the theme to Superman. At the age of 5, when asked what my favorite movie was by the Blockbuster Video clerk, I responded “West Side Story!” Music has always been my passion and the driving force in my life. I especially love its universal power to bring people together. My career has allowed me to teach, perform/record/tour with a number of renowned artists, travel the world, and meet so many amazing people.

Towards the end of my residence in Los Angeles (2011), I came to the realization that there’s far more to life than stressing out over one’s career 24/7. I noticed a gradual shift in my priorities; where music once dominated, a new passion was starting to push its head above the surface. It was at this point that I reassessed my life and its direction. I could not deny the ongoing feeling that I was supposed to do more. Over the next few years I invested much energy into deciphering this new passion. Then finally, it became clear; to help and inspire others. Utilizing the knowledge and skills I have acquired over the years, I began to hone in on how I was going to share these concepts. This site represents my first offering towards this new endeavor.