DM Stith

I made a bunch of drawings while working on music with . Drawings of whatever was around: candy wrappers, prescription bottles, my tai chi slippers, and this bottle of Nolet’s Dry Gin. I’d draw in blue and then write in black whatever lyric bit was floating around that day. This one struck me today — “a shadow created by lighting crew”.

I grew up second, happily, with a sense of protection and bigger footsteps to follow behind. I had permission to be quiet, to work at my own pace, whether at Lego or drawing mazes or reading books. I had this sense that I was a support figure for the one who came before me — a stage hand for someone designed for the spotlight.

At some point, I think due to puberty and the wisdom of my body finding its way to speak to me, I began to challenge my own perception, learned to believe in the goodness of my heart in success and failure and everything in between. I had the help of artists who came before me. I had the help of friends committed to their own actualization. I had the help of the mystics and the saints and a thousand people along the way.

Anyway, I’m struck by a Howard Thurman quote: “don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Did you know the album "Fata Morgana" was inspired by a request from filmmaker Grace Alwyn Ashworth to write a song about death? Well it was. Work on a single song turned into work on ten, all drawing energy from the same difficult proposition. The short film went to a slew of festivals, won a good deal of prizes, and is now free to stream on YouTube.

Stream the film at the link below or buy the album over at band camp : https://histficrecs.bandcamp.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn2LigYUZWo

Want to hear another version of "The Oracle" as well as a few other off-cuts from Fata Morgana? The EP "Flowers & Monks" is also available digitally: https://dmstith.bandcamp.com/album/flowers-monks

xoxo
David

'GRIM' A Dark Comedy Short Film Found Films Presents... 'GRIM' A Dark Comedy Short FilmLogline: A grieving man's plans to end his life are thwarted by the presence of a mysterious stranger ...

Grim is available to stream NOW. To this lovely little film about grief and isolation I contributed a song and some scoring, and to me this film contributed a boost of creative energy right when I needed it.

https://dmstith.substack.com/p/often-blindly

Often Blindly “I think it was Faulkner who once said that when you strike a match in a dark wilderness it is not in order to see anything better lighted, but just in order to see how much more darkness there is around.

I've started a Substack as a means to record daily thoughts/feelings/plans. Feel free to follow along :)

New Year's Day, 2026 On the first morning of 2026 I sipped coffee, read a few chapters of Alana Porter’s “Bad Habit,” and committed to writing before breakfast while the shade of the world outside brightened.

August has been wild. In reverse order: wrapped up with the flu, and photos from the Arthur Russel tribute invited me to be a part of with .wainwright and many more wonderful people. Photo of boyfriend by

Currently sweating it out in front of Britbox eating delicious food dropped at my doorstep by caring friends. I’m on the mend.

Buy me a Coffee!

DM Stith I want to take as much time as I need to make the things I need to make, which means I sort of disappear for months or years at a time. But if you want to help fuel my work, or just remind me that you

Cheeky update 2: (not too graphic but yeah it’s icky) most of you who have seen me in the last 5 or 6 years have seen me with a bandaid in my cheek — a persistent wound that wouldn’t properly heal. Well, the biopsy came back positive for Basal-cell carcinoma, and so a procedure was in order to remove the bit of skin around it. So Wednesday of this week I went in for the whole day for Mohs surgery. They remove a bit of the skin and immediately take it to a lab for onsite analysis, then take a little more etc until they are sure they’ve removed everything cancerous. Not gonna lie, I’m very thankful that they offered me an anti-anxiety concoction. When they drew that purple shape on my face, suddenly everything became very uncomfortably real. Seven hours later, my boyfriend drove me home (he was there with me the whole time, squeezing my hand, telling me I’m going to be fine — God I’m lucky!) and I’ve been here, at my house, chewing soft foods, trying not to smile or laugh too much, but feeling surprisingly normal.

That feeling has crept in steadily over the last year and a half. Normal. Sounds dull. Or sounds negative in a way. Must be a better word — contentment sounds too reactionary, like I’ve relinquished a fight. Safe. I feel safe. A crazy feeling in the face of everything going on in our world. But yeah - safe. Safe has taken root in me. Its fruits are strength and peace and even bravery. Things in myself I’ve been analyzing only from a distance I am now walking straight up and offering my hand.

I’ve been given some great advice in the last year. A fly-by conversation over tea and biscuits in ‘s family home reminded me to ask for what I wanted more directly. To ask from a place of safety, knowing that asking wont fail me. In American culture, the ability to stride up with that sort of confidence is a privilege. I have my safety net, but still I was afraid to ask the world for what I wanted.

I was telling Ismael (my bf) last night that even this surprise surgery, which on its face is scary and shocking, has felt like the universe promoting a sense of generosity in my life. So yes yes yes. Sometime progress leaves a scar.

Cheeky little update

From the introduction to “A Heart So White” by Javier Marías.

Pen and ink piece for Director Sarah Hanssen’s — go read about the project ❤️