Hi, We're RAW.

Below are the dates when we are in town! Swing by, hang out, and share some insight with us. We'd love to meet you and share our journey (both literal and figurative)!


PORTLAND, OR
Sunday, January 2nd @ 2 - 4 pm
Stumptown Coffee (128 Southwest 3rd Avenue Portland)

Contact: Mike.s@RAWartists.org / Portland@RAWartists.org


SEATTLE, WA
Monday, January 3rd @ 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Faire Gallery Cafe-Bar (1351 East Olive Way Seattle)
Contact: Eve@RAWartists.org / Seattle@RAWartists.org


DENVER, CO
Thursday, January 6th @ 6 - 8 pm
Jet Hotel Lounge (1612 Wazee Street Denver)
Contact: Mike.b@RAWartists.org / Denver@RAWartists.org


CHICAGO, IL
Saturday, January 8th @ 7 - 9 pm
Vertigo Sky Lounge @ Dana Hotel (2 West Erie Chicago)
Contact: April@RAWartists.org / Chicago@RAWartists.org


NEW YORK CITY, NYC

Monday, January 10th @ 6 - 8 pm

Snap (248 W 14th St New York)
Contact: Dawn@RAWartists.org / Newyork@RAWartists.org


PHILADELPHIA, PA
Location and Time: TBA
Contact: Frederick@RAWartists.org / Philadelphia@RAWartists.org


NASHVILLE, TN
Saturday, January 15th
Time: TBA
Mercy Lounge
Contact: Amanda@RAWartists.org / Nashville@RAWartists.org


AUSTIN, TX
Wednesday, January 19th @7-9 pm
Venue 222 {Formally Aces Lounge} (222 East 6th Street Austin)
Contact: Meghan@RAWartists.org / Austin@RAWartists.org


SCOTTSDALE, AZ
Location and Time : TBA
Contact: Tia@RAWartists.org / Phoenix@RAWartists.org


ORANGE COUNTY, CA
Wednesday, January 26th @ 7-9 pm
Chateaux Lounge ( 18912 MacArthur Boulevard Irvine)
Contact: Kimmy@RAWartists.org / Orangecounty@RAWartists.org


LOS ANGELES & HOLLYWOOD, CA
Thursday, January 27th @ 7-9 pm
TantraZ Lounge (3705 West Sunset Blvd. Silver Lake)
Contact: Byron@RAWartists.org {Los Angeles}

Kaila@RAWartists.org {Hollywood}


SAN DIEGO, CA
Friday, January 28th
Time and Location: TBA
Contact: Sara@RAWartists.org / Sandiego@RAWartists.org


SANTA MONICA Saturday, January 29th @ 7 –9pm
V Lounge (2020 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica
Contact: Lauren@RAWartists.org / SantaMonica@RAWartists.org

San Francisco & Berkeley -- Check!

Some things we did yesterday...

1. Pizza by the Golden Gate while we shot our first UniPaas Jet video. We met three awesome locals who were out walking and stoked to talk about a product they knew nothing about with such enthusiasm.

2. We made two dozen phone calls to local auto stores looking for chains or cables. No one in town (nor back at home) had our size -- apparently we're rollin' on Dubs? We finally found and reserved them.

3. The East Bay (Berkeley) Meet and Greet went great! We caught a local poet, singer, painter and curator on the documentary. Listening to the interviews helped reinvigorate all of us for the mission. It's easy to feel deflated of passion on two hours of sleep, long trips and a beginning signs of a cold -- so the meet and greet was just the remedy.

View some pictures on my facebook page www.Facebook.com/HeidiLuerra


PS. Vinnie and I are currently the back-seaters...

There seems to be a sound barrier when we say anything to Vy and Matt. They can't hear us -- so instead of shouting across the seats to talk to them, we're just whispering insults and making fun of them now from the back seat. It's funny.

America, here we come!

I don't think it's hit us yet. An entire year of preparation, training, fundraising, and hard work has finally paid off. Currently, we're zooming through the California grapevine on our way to San Francisco with high hopes!

Visit the tracking page of our web site to follow us in our adventure! You can watch where we're going, learn more about the objective of our journey as we hit each new city.

If we're coming to your area, come out to meet us! We're meeting with local creatives in your city and filming a documentary chronicling the underground artist struggle and would love to hear your thoughts.

With Gratitude...

I'm the oldest of four kids. My two brothers, my sister and I have an iron-clad bond. In a lot of ways, I feel like they're my kids.

Being the oldest, I was naturally the leader. I was the school teacher when we played "School House," I was the director when we played "Make a Movie" and I was the grandma in our oh-so-imaginative skit/play/game that we would play on long road trips called "Gross Grandma."

I have always been the leader of the pack.

My favorite 8th grade America History teacher once said, "Here's what you need to know about any leader in history -- he gets all the credit and all the blame!" I can picture Mr. Johnson now, with his red flannel tucked into his jeans, not a single button undone all the way to his neck. Huge glasses and a gut that competed with the likes of Santa Claus. He was one of the coolest teachers I've ever had. He was classic. (RIP Mr.Johnson)

I never forgot that quote. As I made my way into high school, I really learned what being a leader was. My senior year, I had taken on way too much and was pretty much involved in everything in school. Spearheading Key Club, Dance Team, The Yearbook and probably like 50 other things...I barely remember anymore (my hippocampus is quite full at the moment).

While learning how to be a leader, surveying the patterns of people, and leading several teams -- I lost a lot of faith in the human race. People were flakes, my dance girls would rather hang out with their douche bag boyfriends than come to my practice, and while I was busy trying to inspire and uplift -- there was no one to really inspire me. I had to be the rock, because when the rock crumbles so does the team. Sad story -- I know, but it has a happy ending.

Tonight, I'm beaming with gratitude for the mass of people that I have been lucky enough to surround myself with somehow. What an incredible group of people I work with.

Last night (in the wee hours0 Matt launched the national version of our website, check it out -- it's a beauty! www.RAWartists.org

Vy and Matt slaved over it for the past few weeks. Web design and development is NOT cake! Man, oh man. Cut to me giving them feedback about switching this color, that shape and the space between the logo. My lord, I thought I was going to be murdered with a keyboard.

Vinnie was in the office until almost 10pm last night editing the last of the seasons videos. We brewed coffee around 9pm.

Matt hasn't taken a day off in nearly 2.5 weeks.

Vy worked all Saturday and Sunday. Nick Vu came in to cut cardboard, staple ribbon and paint our RAWards credentials.

To be surrounded by people that just simply care, understand and are willing to do whatever it takes, brings a tear to my eye. They care about the well being of the whole, rather than just themselves. I'm right there with them.

There aren't many people like that out there (trust me I've worked with a ton of them in the past). Reading the blogs of our new Location Directors all over the United States, I've continued to gush with gratitude.

What a time we live in, what an opportunity we have and how lucky we are.

RAW is on the cusp of something so huge, and to look back and reflect on the road here is rewarding, exhausting and a little bit of "thank god that's over." The unknowns become less and less everyday. Everyday, I'm reminded that the vision and the mission is changing lives, helping people and working towards beneficial change on this planet. There is truly no one doing what we're doing, at this magnitude, that cares this much!

I am so very thankful. I raise my coffee cup!

I'm a mere fraction of why RAW is going on the road and expanding, why RAW has been so successful as a concept and a community... just a piece of the RAWberry pie (yes, I'm delirious again).

Though I may be the leader of this pack and I'm prepared to take all of the blame -- I surely don't deserve all the credit.

Thanks, guys. I'm forever indebted to you (especially Matt).

My Quote of the Day (and possibly of the next few months)

The bigger your perception, the smaller your problems.
The smaller your perception, the bigger your problems.

I can't take credit for this, this was a quote by Michael Bernard Beckwith that resonated with me and will continue to. On those days when the journey gets discouraging or overwhelming I will repeat this.

Today was one of those days. Because my perception is big, my problems have shrunk. Thanks, Beckwith!

14 Days in a row...

... not a single day off.

True story!

However, anything and everything "RAWards" is finally finished-- at least the portion of the event that isn't produced live in front of 2,000 people. It's relieving to have the paperwork out of the way and the 200 pounds of Vitamin Water secured in the back seat of my Mustang (for the gift bags).

Producing our biggest event of the year is one thing, producing it in the middle of trying to launch 17 city showcases, national marketing, creating viral buzz, negotiating contracts with 17 venues, documentary prep and bathing myself... that is another.

The only reason I remembered that it's Christmas time is because the property manager of our office building erected a 15 foot tree in the lobby. My brothers and sister are going to kill me when they discover I got them all a group gift card to Chili's.

Anyways... here is a picture of my desk in current state.

Luckily for me I have a very rare, neurotic strength/weakness they call "Tornado Syndrome" -- which includes the following symptoms: you let everything around you pile up for a certain amount of time, while you focus on one thing really specifically and intensely, and just when everyone around you thinks you're an irresponsible, lazy, slob... a burst of energy emerges and you fix everything in your life from laundry to relationships. Then everything is squeaky clean again until you realize your next overwhleming project. Yep, that's me- sounds selfish to type it out, perhaps it is. However, this is how I do my best work.

Unfortunately there is no cure for "Tornado Syndrome" which is also referred to as "Tunnel Vision" -- I've been diagnosed by my boyfriend several times.

You see, there is hope for my desk. AND.. .just as a disclaimer in case anyone thinks I'm a lazy slob, definitely not and definitely don't enjoy "mess" in general. It's just Maslow's Hierarchy of needs -- BACKWARDS!

First, I will be creative and problem solve and soon I will reach the bottom of the pyramid where I can bask in the red rectangle of sleep, food and water.

Ok. I admit that I'm delirious. Blog number two has taken a strage turn. Don't judge me.
(I would delete this, but this is the real, RAW story, I promised not to filter the RAWness... right?)

The Countdown Begins...

Greetings and welcome to my Blog. My first blog, ever.

I figured it was time- because the countdown to a very important event in my life, career and the arts community is on the horizon (literally).

Approximately 26 days from today, four RAW team members will depart from our Laguna Hills headquarters. We're traveling the country by 4 wheels and an estimated 10,000 miles... into an abyss of creative cultivation, adventure and by the looks of it, a hell of a lot of snow.
Watching the digital weather map on the news this morning wasn't very comforting. Outdated news graphic snowflakes and white clouds with big green numbers that read "28 degrees" throbbed over every city east of California.

I'm making it my personal mission to not think about the weather, until we're in it. We'll be armed with a trusty white steed, that will conveniently have 4 wheel drive, chains or "cables" as the kids are calling them these days. You'll be able to spot us because we'll have a BIG RAWcross America logo across the car..

The fun of the journey and the unknowns of it haven't quite set in yet. Myself and my team have been working ferociously on this mission since April of this year. The past eight months have been relentless work. Almost every day is about 14 hours of work and sometimes (mostly) weekends.

I'll be honest in saying it hasn't been easy. I think I've gained 10 pounds out of convenience eating, I'm pretty sure I'm starting to look like I'm 45, (at least I feel like a 45-year-old) and I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to all forms of caffeine -- and there is no turning back on that one.

Calls and emails are only the half of it. I have never been so ingrained in my craft, and while my soul is full of excitement for what has been accomplished and what is to come... I'm freaking exhausted!

I recently watched an episode of the show "I Shouldn't be Alive" where a mountain climber man had been pummeled by 2 avalanches, had a head trauma, broken leg, broken hip and broken ankle and he was completely alone scooting across a snowy plain to find sign of another human being. He ended up finding a warm cabin somehow and was fine (obviously, he was narrating the story).

This has been a common analogy between myself and Matt (my partner). The strength it takes even when the chips are down to keep going- sometimes feels like a broken leg, head trauma, broken hip and crushed ankle. Matt and I just look at each other every once and a while and say... "We have two more miles to drag ourselves through the snow." Now that I think of it, that's kind of ironic.

It's been a long road and we haven't even started the drive yet. In February 2011, RAW will be operating into 17 locations nationwide. Imagine a metropolitan city that you love in the U.S. and I'll bet you we're hosting a RAW there. It's going to be phenomenal to get to see whats really going on in all these cities. The real RAW talent that exists and thrives and inspires- and how does their environment and surrounding affect their expression? How intriguing! I can't wait, but as i said I don't think I have even really thought about the fun of it much.

My mind in buried in to-do lists, contracts and about 19 emails every minute.

The countdown has begun. I will be documenting my experiences and the fantastic journey that lies ahead. I encourage you to follow the blog for some interesting stories, pictures and a whole lot of laughs. We'll have videos and blogs from the other team members on the trip so you can get a 360 degree view of what is going on in our 28 degree weather adventure!

Until next time!