Better Know a Disney Fan: Interview with Mouse of Zen

It's rather fitting that I just got out of my weekly meditation class, because my guest today is J.B. Conway, the poet and zen master behind Mouse of Zen, one of my favorite Disney sites.

Mouse of Zen provides daily, Disney-inspired bits of inspiration. I'll confess to being addicted to Mouse of Zen's twitter stream, where you'll find beautiful Disney-inspired haikus - here's a sampling:

himalayan scents\linger in the winter air\thrills, frozen in time

my wine glass explodes\as her fireworks reflect\ from the cali' grill

feeling winter blues\ heart left on monorail loop\ going in circles

And so, I was super excited to connect with J.B. to find out where he gets his ideas, how he stays so zen all the time, and what's next for MoZ:

What inspired you to start Mouse of Zen?

I wrote a book of poetry back in 2002. After it was published, it seemed like a sense of closure and I didn't write anything for a good seven years. In June 2009, I hatched the idea of Mouse Of Zen because I wanted to do something that hasn't been done yet for all the Disney fans craving new content. The itch to write resurfaced as well and off I went. Lou Mongello was the first to do the Disney trivia book. There are countless trip planning/tips book out there. Steven M. Barrett wrote the Hidden Mickey books, which was also one of the more original ideas out there. With Mouse Of Zen, I feel new ground has been struck and the possibility of my kids reading the book to their own kids on their WDW trips one day keeps me writing away!

Where do you get your ideas from?

Ideas for each haiku vary. Most come from personal "snapshots" frozen in time from our family vacations. At times, I put myself in the parks ( in my mind) and write based on the time of the year and try to put the reader at the parks. Certain current events such as the monorail tragedy, spark ideas as I try to honor that moment in time respectfully.

Your haikus always evoke a certain stillness within all the chaos that comes with a day at WDW. What is your favorite spot in WDW for a moment of reflection?

That's a difficult question being that there are probably multiple answers. If I had to choose one, the down time after your Illuminations viewing spot has been secured is quite the spot for reflecting back. The soothing music along with a nice cup of coffee sets the scene for what's the come.

WDW has a fast-paced energy that can be overwhelming at times. Do you have any tips for staying zen in the middle of a crowded theme park?

I think the trick is to try to stay away from the commando approach & try to enjoy the people, castmembers, scenery, music, romance within the parks. Taking a step back and slowing things down a bit might make you appreciate the trip more and who knows? You might discover things that might have been overlooked if you were trying to satisfy your spreadsheets.

You have written hundreds of haikus - do you have a favorite?

That's like having to chose a favorite child! I guess it's safe to say, the ones I write directly based on personal family vacation memories and/or pictures are my favorite.

What's next for Mouse of Zen?

The content for the first Mouse Of Zen book has been completed. I now start the 300 haikus that will make up the next book, tentatively titled- Mouse Of Zen:Chasing Pirates. I hope to have the first book out before March 2010. The official Mouse Of Zen website went live on Christmas day which was very exciting. The content of the second book will be presented there as a fortune from a fortune cookie!

Be sure to check out Mouse of Zen on Twitter and Facebook. Namaste!

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Related Links:

* Wordless Wedneday: Prayer Flags
* 10 WDW Wishes for 2010
* Moving Forward, Sometimes Too Much