Many artists lost their creative edge during the last year of election anxiety, pandemic, forest fires and whatever else the world threw at us. iAmMoshow The Cat Rapper wasn’t booking the gigs and public events that normally kept him busy, so he found himself with more time on his hands than he’d experienced in a very long time. “My mama used to tell me that idle hands are the Devil’s workshop,” he laughed as we spoke on the phone last week, “and I really believe it!”
I’ve known Moshow long enough to appreciate his passion for creative output and giving back to the community. Through his professional endorsements and networking, he has raised over $60,000 for local organizations serving cats since the pandemic began. “While that felt great, I wanted to do more. I kept hearing stories about friends who were experiencing hardships like not being able to pay their rent, or struggling with depression and anxiety.” Moshow explains this is where he found the inspiration for creating A New Cattitude: An Illustrated Guide for Getting Through Tough Times.
Moshow knows all about hard times because his own path to professional success wasn’t easy. He lost friends, struggled financially, faced racism and bigotry, and experienced the pain of losing his beloved cats due to tragic circumstances. Through it all, he claims he developed a set of guiding principles that have enabled him to work toward peace and happiness, and a better way of life. I asked local podcaster Mark Middleton of The Mark and Toddcast to sit down with Moshow for a discussion about his new book, and his philosophy on life. Enjoy!
by Nico Seabright, Weird Portland United –
