{"title":"Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFunctional matchboxes \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eare great to\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ekeep and display or use for candles or arson. Matchbook packs come with 10 🔥 designs. Factory printed. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"drunk-cat-matchbox-set","title":"Strike Your Fancy Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eA collaboration with Arna Miller.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese little functional matches are great to\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ekeep, great to share, or just leave in a restroom. Light a candle, light a campfire, or light a cigarette. Choose your destiny, have fun! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePLEASE NOTE. Because we cannot ship flammable material across borders, international customers will not receive matchsticks in the boxes. The correct sized matchsticks for these boxes can be found at most ordinary grocery stores\/supermarkets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32245164245062,"sku":"syf","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/strikeyourfancymatchboxes_750_CFav.jpg?v=1750896417"},{"product_id":"complicated-friendships-matchboxes-syf","title":"Complicated Friendships Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eBy Ravi Zupa, part of the Strike Your Fancy series by Ravi Zupa and Arna Miller.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA set of matchboxes celebrating the complex personalities of some of our closest friends and family!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are the people in our lives with complex dispositions and attitudes\u003cspan\u003e—the overly expressive, stubborn, supportive, unpredictable, confused, self important and so on\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Those friends who never fail to bring us joy, even when they’re profoundly frustrating.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese little functional matchboxes \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eare great to\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ekeep and display as art or to give as a gift to that special complicated friend. Light a candle, light a campfire, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLight the busted burner on your stove. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehave fun! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePLEASE NOTE. Because we cannot ship flammable material across borders, international customers will not receive matchsticks in the boxes. The correct sized matchsticks for these boxes can be found at most ordinary grocery stores\/supermarkets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39516185231430,"sku":"syf","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/complicatedfriendshipmatchboxes_750_CFav.jpg?v=1750896460"},{"product_id":"zodiac-matchboxes","title":"Astro-Logical Matches","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThese tiny, functional, art pieces feature the 12 signs in the western astrological system, drawn in the style of Medieval woodblock prints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eI recently read a book by Stephan Fry called \u003ci\u003eMythos\u003c\/i\u003e which retells the Greek myths in his modern language. That was part of the inspiration for making this matchbox series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eLike Stephan Fry, I don’t need these symbols to take on more significant, literal meaning or to describe a field of influence that the stars have over us. It’s enough for me to have a narrative framework that tells us something about human minds and helps us to rethink our perspectives and our decisions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eJust as we can’t perceive our physical appearance without looking into a reflective surface, we also have difficulty understanding parts of our own minds and personality without an external psychological mirror.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTarot and the I Ching function as similar psychological mirrors. They needn’t be infused with anything paranormal or supernatural in order to give us insight. When we look at our horoscope or astrological reading, we receive a reflection of our own knowledge as though it were divine. This is often surprising, it can even shake us. How can what a mind generates be a revelation to that same mind?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis kind of mirrored exchange opens up new ways of thinking, it clarifies thought by positioning us outside of our own heads. Let’s celebrate ancient knowledge, because it reminds us that there is something outside of ourselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEnjoy!\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is Certified Organic Intelligence Art! Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Astrological Matchbox Set of 12","offer_id":40872377253958,"sku":"rza","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Aries Set - Includes 6 ARIES matchboxes","offer_id":40872355037254,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Taurus Set - includes 6 TAURUS matchboxes","offer_id":40872355070022,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Gemini Set - includes 6 GEMINI matchboxes","offer_id":40872355102790,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Cancer Set - includes 6 CANCER matchboxes","offer_id":40872355135558,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Leo Set - includes 6 LEO matchboxes","offer_id":40872355168326,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Virgo Set - includes 6 VIRGO matchboxes","offer_id":40872355201094,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Libra Set - includes 6 LIBRA matchboxes","offer_id":40872355233862,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Scorpio Set - includes 6 SCORPIO matchboxes","offer_id":40872355266630,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Sagitarius Set - includes 6 SAGITARIUS matchboxes","offer_id":40872355299398,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Capricorn Set - includes 6 CAPRICORN matchboxes","offer_id":40872355332166,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Aquarius Set - includes 6 AQUARIUS matchboxes","offer_id":40872355364934,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Pisces Set - includes 6 PISCES matchboxes","offer_id":40872355397702,"sku":"rza","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/products\/zodiacmatchboxsetwhite_450.jpg?v=1652467779"},{"product_id":"living-spare-me-dead-share-me-matchboxes-rza","title":"Memento Vitae Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003eI love the art of Memento Mori! I particularly appreciate the Mexican take on it which is warm and playful and infused with a joyful spirit of celebration for people that we have loved and lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAutumn is the time when we contemplate death because we start to see echoes of it in nature. This is why All Hallows’ Eve and Dia De Los Muertos happen when they do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis new set of matches features some old favorites like the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eExcess in Moderation\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSanta Muerte\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edesigns along with a few new ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach order comes with the entire set of 10 for $25.00 + shipping and handling. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese little functional matchboxes are great to\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ekeep, great to share and great to give as gifts! Light a candle, light a campfire, or light a cigarette. Choose your destiny, have fun! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePLEASE NOTE. Because we cannot ship flammable material across borders, international customers will not receive matchsticks in the boxes. The correct sized matchsticks for these boxes can be found at most ordinary grocery stores\/supermarkets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40362096099398,"sku":"rza","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/mementovitaematchboxes_450.jpg?v=1682708920"},{"product_id":"brendas-matches-rza","title":"Brenda's Matches","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNamed after our wonderful studio cat!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrenda is the cat that lives in the Ravi Zupa Arts studio. She has a very big personality so we’ve named this set of matches after her. The designs feature some of the old favorites including the Cash Rules cat, the Rage cat and the Flexible Tao Te Ching piece. There are also a few new friends including some emotionally complicated calicos. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrenda’s story is pretty great! She was a feral cat living in the backyard of the Commerce City studio. There are a lot of strays around these parts. As the only long haired tortie, we always referred to her as Brindle Fluff (which later became Brenda). She had a litter of kittens in 2018, of which only two survived. One was a funny looking long haired orange tabby that we called Amish Beard and the other was a short haired gray tabby that we called Gray Guy. The three of them lived in the backyard for a winter, and we saw Brenda catch squirrels to feed the kittens. Eventually we caught all three of them with the help of The Feline Fix, a non-profit  spay and neuter alley cat organization in Commerce City. The vet spayed\/neutered all of them and treated them with basic vet needs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe kittens had a lot of health problems and their growth had been severely stunted from malnutrition so even though they were fully grown they still looked like kittens. The two of them were young enough to eventually get comfortable with humans (one of the vet techs decided to adopt both),\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Brenda on the other hand was “far too feral” and “no amount of exposure to people would make her come around”, so they clipped her ear and instructed us to release her back where we had caught her. Over the next two years, Ravi continued to give her food and shelter in the winters and very slowly she started to trust him. Now they’re fast friends! Brenda loves to sleep on Ravi’s desk and on his lap while he’s on the computer or drawing. She’s not in any hurry to be pet by other people but sometimes… she’s definitely friends with all of us now! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe’s a real street cat and she looks the part, she has a clipped ear, one missing fang, a broken, crooked tail and by the end of the winter she has a mess of dreaded fur that falls off in clumps. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe love Brenda and her big personality! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40714529341510,"sku":"rza","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/brendasmatches_750.jpg?v=1744667357"},{"product_id":"big-personality-matches-rza","title":"Big Personality Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMany years ago, I lived with someone who ran a doggie day-care out of our house. Before that, I didn’t have much contact with dogs at all. I had always loved cats and always had them as pets growing up. But during that period it was not uncommon for us to have as many as 11 small dogs in the house at the same time. I learned a lot about many breeds and came to really love dogs. These new matches are inspired by the real personalities of actual dogs that I met during that time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca class=\"cursor-init\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pELu_4DsCM4\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick here to watch a music video that I created while living in that doggie day-care-house, It stars many of those same dogs.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40884092108870,"sku":"rza","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/bigpersonalities_750.jpg?v=1744667106"},{"product_id":"delightful-characters-rza","title":"Delightful Characters Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s so fun to see the world coming to life again in spring and to see all the delightful little characters coming out into the world after a cold winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was young I had a lot of art books that featured the children’s book illustrations from the turn of the last century or before. These little relief print illustrations feature 10 different small animals. They are inspired in part by the illustrations of Arthur Rackham, Earnest Shepard who illustrated the Wind In The Willows, and, of course, Beatrix Potter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Enjoy the Delightful Character Matches!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41511338377286,"sku":"rza","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/delightfulcharacters_750.jpg?v=1713418063"},{"product_id":"light-on-his-feet-matchbox-rza","title":"Light on His Feet Matchbox","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese new matchboxes are a whole new size for us. They are 2.5 x 4.25 inches. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThe style of these Champion Matchboxes \u0026amp; Prints was inspired by the old cigarette cards of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Cigarette cards were trading cards that were included in cigarette packages to advertise cigarettes as well as stiffen the paper packs. These little cards were usually printed using early lithography and they are often very sophisticated, beautiful little pieces of art.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThe subject matter of these old cards ran the full gamut and depicted all kinds of motifs. Animals, plants, actors, actresses, sports, celebrities, political humor, costumes, idioms, and just about anything else you can think of from popular culture was turned into a cigarette card.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42005749366854,"sku":"rza","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/lightonhisfeetmatchbox_750.jpg?v=1744667308"},{"product_id":"good-boy-matchbox-rza","title":"Good Boy Matchbox","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese new matchboxes are a whole new size for us. They are 2.5 x 4.25 inches. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThe style of these Champion Matchboxes \u0026amp; Prints was inspired by the old cigarette cards of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Cigarette cards were trading cards that were included in cigarette packages to advertise cigarettes as well as stiffen the paper packs. These little cards were usually printed using early lithography and they are often very sophisticated, beautiful little pieces of art.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThe subject matter of these old cards ran the full gamut and depicted all kinds of motifs. Animals, plants, actors, actresses, sports, celebrities, political humor, costumes, idioms, and just about anything else you can think of from popular culture was turned into a cigarette card.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42005755330630,"sku":"rza","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/goodboymatchbox_750.jpg?v=1744667051"},{"product_id":"cash-rules-matchbox","title":"Cash Rules Matchbox","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is my depiction of a maneki-neko which translates as “Beckoning Cat”. These cats are a popular piece of Japanese culture and act as good luck charms in many businesses and households. Many of us in the west are most familiar with seeing them in Japanese restaurants and other businesses but they have become popular among American households too. They were traditionally believed to bring a wide variety of good fortunes like health and good luck but here in the US we mostly know them as figures that beckon money. (In Japan , the beckoning “come here” gesture is made with the palm down).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve paired the image with lyrics from one of the most famous and influential rap songs ever created and one of my personal favorites from the 90s, C.R.E.A.M. by Wu-Tang Clan. In my opinion, Raekwon is one of the best rappers of that whole era. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PBwAxmrE194\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eListen to the song here!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44860079603782,"sku":"rza","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/Cash-Rules-Matchbox-Mock_750.jpg?v=1780700998"},{"product_id":"rage-matchbox","title":"Rage Matchbox","description":"\u003cp\u003eI love the poems of Dylan Thomas! Like most people it is this poem that lights me up the most and I’ve decided to share why I love it so much.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do Not Go Gentle” offers a compelling case that we should embrace the torture of anger and regret while we are dying. The piece starts by listing different types of people (written as different types of “men”, but obviously its for everyone). He lists wise men, good men, wild men, and grave men and describes their respective torments. The sad and frustrating regrets that they each might find when they reflect on their life. The piece ends with Dylan Thomas watching his own father dying in turmoil. He sees that, though his father loves him, Dylan Thomas is himself the frustrating regret that his father is tortured by.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis poem resonates with so many people because it is one of very few art masterpieces in our culture that sanctions “negative” emotions at death. It is a beautiful and undeniably wise piece that gives us and our dying loved ones, permission to be angry. We receive constant instructions to pass peacefully and gently with love and forgiveness. Ending your life with anger and turmoil in your heart seems vulgar even though we all recognize that a mind’s emotional experience at death is extremely textured to say the least. The idea of embracing rage at death is downright taboo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other wonderful thing about this poem for me is that it offers us insight on both a universal, macro scale and an individual one. From the pulled back vantage point of the first part we can all find ourselves and members of our families. At the end, it shifts and we are all invited into a deeply intimate room where a specific man is dying and his son is there with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs his father dies, Dylan Thomas is beginning to grieve, recognizing his father’s disappointment and love for him and his acceptance of his father’s rage is perhaps the most profound apology and forgiveness a son can offer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLove.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eListen to the whole poem, read with the beautiful vibrato voice of Dylan Thomas himself, here:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1mRec3VbH3w\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"cursor-init\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?\u003cwbr\u003ev=1mRec3VbH3w\u003c\/wbr\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44860103196742,"sku":"rza","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/Rage-Matchbox_Mock_750.jpg?v=1780700677"},{"product_id":"disappointed-matchbox","title":"Disappointed Matchbox","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eI think some are approval seeking and they are drawn to cats as a result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45148370567238,"sku":"rza","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/Disappointed-Matchbox_750.jpg?v=1780697348"},{"product_id":"alone-please-matchbox","title":"Alone Please Matchbox","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45148463890502,"sku":"rza","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/Alone-Please-Matchbox-Mock_750.jpg?v=1780697805"},{"product_id":"the-5th-one-matchbox","title":"The 5th One Matchbox","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eMy cat Brenda sometimes leaves gifts for me like this. One time she brought me a mouse that was wounded but not dead and I really think she was trying to help me learn to hunt. I wasn’t able to finish the job so I don’t think I made her proud.. but I think she still respects me.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45148463988806,"sku":"rza","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/The-5th-One-Matchbox-Mock_750.jpg?v=1780697781"},{"product_id":"im-fine-matchbox","title":"I'm Fine Matchbox","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEmotions are confusing for everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45148464119878,"sku":"rza","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/I_m-Fine-Matchbox_750.jpg?v=1780697756"},{"product_id":"horizontal-tao-matchboxes","title":"Horizontal Tao Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003ca data-encoded-attr-charset=\"dXRmLTg=\" data-encoded-tag-value=\"\" data-encoded-tag-name=\"meta\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca data-encoded-attr-charset=\"dXRmLTg=\" data-encoded-tag-value=\"\" data-encoded-tag-name=\"meta\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca data-encoded-attr-charset=\"dXRmLTg=\" data-encoded-tag-value=\"\" data-encoded-tag-name=\"meta\"\u003eChapter 76 of the Tao Te Ching describes how being rigid and uncompromising makes us behave the way dead things behave. Dry leaves, dead wood, corpses. These things are stiff and brittle. When we behave in a way that is flexible and yielding we behave like things that are living. Green leaves, living branches and stems, living bodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca data-encoded-attr-charset=\"dXRmLTg=\" data-encoded-tag-value=\"\" data-encoded-tag-name=\"meta\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45148464152646,"sku":"rza","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/Horizontal-Tao-Matchboxes-Mock_750.jpg?v=1780697712"},{"product_id":"vertical-tao-matchboxes","title":"Vertical Tao Matchboxes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003ca data-encoded-attr-charset=\"dXRmLTg=\" data-encoded-tag-value=\"\" data-encoded-tag-name=\"meta\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eChapter 76 of the Tao Te Ching describes how being rigid and uncompromising makes us behave the way dead things behave. Dry leaves, dead wood, corpses. These things are stiff and brittle. When we behave in a way that is flexible and yielding we behave like things that are living. Green leaves, living branches and stems, living bodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca data-encoded-attr-charset=\"dXRmLTg=\" data-encoded-tag-value=\"\" data-encoded-tag-name=\"meta\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eThis is \u003cb\u003eCertified Organic Intelligence Art!\u003c\/b\u003e Everything about this print celebrates human creativity. It begins with a real person using good old-fashioned paper and pencil to create the entire piece. It’s then locally printed by a skilled artisan and carefully packaged by our team before being delivered to you. We sincerely thank you for your support!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ravi Zupa Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45148464775238,"sku":"rza","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/files\/Vertical-Tao-Matchboxes-Mock_750.jpg?v=1780697629"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1776\/1781\/collections\/brendasmatches_750.jpg?v=1744844217","url":"https:\/\/ravizupa.com\/collections\/matchboxes.oembed?page=2","provider":"Ravi Zupa Arts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}