That is... Art

Creative people really be looking at the most disgustingly raw materials you've ever seen in your entire freakin' life and be like, "Yup, I can make a masterpiece out of that." 😵

Dreamers will be Dreamers

Yeah, no, I'm definitely not deleting older stuff. 'Cause, omg, THE MEANING.

August 30th, 2018. Excerpt from a personal post. My sister might visit soon! Very much looking forward to it! Sometimes dreams are so big and so far away (not to mention adversity-ridden) that they may take longer. Don't let that be what discourages you...

January 31st, 2017. Excerpt from a 'Back to Artsying' post. Sometimes I forget I used to let myself enjoy what little bit of magic I still had left in me. I'm concerned I'm becoming an adult in the worst sense of the word. Must fix. (Also, I'm not sure why I found it necessary to add the precise date when I made that, as opposed to when I posted it, but I probably had a reason.)

Too Magical, Gotta Save It For Later

It can sound totally fake, but it is true. Sometimes I spend months or even years without seeing a movie, or immersing in some other piece of artwork, because I figure it will be full of so much that I’d cherish that it’s best if I wait until I can take it in with all of its splendor. It might look like disinterest, ‘cause who is even able to delay gratification that much if there isn’t indifference going along with it? But believe it: I can. It’s not so much indifference that keeps me away, but how much I’d detest wasting what could have been an extraordinarily memorable moment to forever keep in my heart on an afternoon when I’m pissed off, restless, and just wishing it’ll all be over asap.

This can be irrational, indeed, and a poor decision, because sometimes it is exactly then that I most need that amount of magic inserted back into my life. But I can’t always help it. And it is part of what drives me to get my life back to a ‘soft era’ and have everything nice and comfy to indulge as my spirit yearns for. Getting there, getting there…

The prime example of this is Wonka.

Are you kidding me?! I still haven’t seen it!! Do you realize how special and significant Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was for me growing up?! I was still such a wonder-filled kid when I first witnessed that world. I don’t think even I realize just how much it truly means to me. I definitely didn’t want to watch Wonka while in a rush. I still don’t. BUT I WANT TO WATCH IT SO BAD. OMG.

Soon. Soon. Not this month. Maybe not even the next. But soon. Might have to break my rule of going with the seasons and instead recreate winter in my bedroom. But this year for sure. I’M SO SORRY, INNER CHILD. YOU’VE BEEN SO DEPRIVED.

The Artist's RPG / Components: Ferris Wheel

FERRIS WHEEL

FORCE

PERSPECTIVE - MEASURE - INSULATION

And why should it always be so serious? Why should it be so bleak? Why shouldn’t you enjoy yourself? Why shouldn’t you smile and laugh as much as you can? If every day is all you have, then shouldn’t those days be full of wonder?

“Ups and downs are inevitable, but suffering is not.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Everything changes when you look at it from a different angle, a vantage point, or a safe location. When you have enough reference, appropriate context, and a sense of proportion. When you can tell that some things are permanent and some are temporary. 

And why should it always be so serious? Why should it be so bleak? Why shouldn’t you enjoy yourself? Why shouldn’t you smile and laugh as much as you can? If every day is all you have, then shouldn’t those days be full of wonder?

What is bad may not be so bad, and what is good may not be so good. Crushing disappointments may occur, but also brilliant realizations. And the more you see, the more you gauge, the more you can make your own piece of heaven, even amidst hell.

Can you call it escapism if you are not missing out on anything worthwhile? If you have the best view in town? If memorable moments abound? And it is intriguing, thrilling, and fascinating. You are deepening and broadening your understanding. You are getting inspired and motivated. Not to survive, but to thrive.

Maybe, just maybe, we aren’t supposed to eternally live in a land of confusion. Maybe, just maybe, avoiding cruelty isn’t the problem. Maybe, just maybe, continuing to manufacture it is. Trauma after trauma after trauma. Unexamined, untreated, unresolved. If that is character development, what kind of character are you becoming?

Live on your terms. And have a fantastic life instead!

Hustler Much?

It is as if, hustling, as a last resort, is being idealized and romanticized. To cope with it, to deny the harm it can do. When you overdo it. 

There will be people taking pride and bragging about how they wear themselves to the ground, over and over, and how you should, too. But if you ponder it, what is really in it? Is the work they do even truly helpful, all things considered, directly or indirectly, to merit that sort of sacrifice? Sadly, you will find that, quite often, it is not. On the contrary, rather than a net-positive, it is a net-negative.

There is going to be work that you don’t love, but still ought to do, and there is no denying that. Sometimes you must push yourself to meet a standard, a deadline, a quota, when you’d rather be resting. But if you are severely jeopardizing yourself in the process, continually overlooking your deterioration, who is that going to help? You could lose what made you qualify in the first place, becoming bitter, fried, numb, or even end up suffering from complications that fully disable you and disqualify you.

It is not about being a lazy bum, which won’t be that enjoyable after a while, either. It is about preserving yourself so that you can continue or start giving your best. And depending on your field and what it requires from you, this would be more or less imperative.

You can challenge yourself, improve your strengths, and develop past your weaknesses. But you can also be systematic and strategic enough to minimize strain and maximize return. Work with rather than against yourself. It shouldn’t be a race to be the most damaged, but to be capable, competent, and ultimately formidable. And for that, you OUGHT to stay in shape. Mentally, emotionally, physically…

Yet, part of staying in shape, in more than one aspect, is to go through the ‘tasks’ of rest, repair, and refill. Even machines do it, and you believe yourself above it? Book that as though it is part of your job, because, if you make art, it is. And save yourself from “mysterious” illnesses and injuries. Or just pathetically low or merely mediocre performance. If you have control over your schedule, there is no excuse.

Look at how much more you can accomplish when you bounce back from effective breaks. How your mood affects your mindset, how your mindset affects your outlook, how your outlook affects your approach, and how your approach affects your results. It is worth it.

Amy Macdonald's I'm Done

It took me quite a while to come back to Amy Macdonald, but I finally did. And whoa, it was immediately electrifying, all over again! I couldn’t get enough of the songs I loved in the past and would repeatedly replay them. Now I’m being blown away by all the power contained in more recent ones, such as I’m Done.

Believe it or not, I was just some kid when I first listened to Amy Macdonald. A young adult, if you’d rather I be precise. Lost as I could be. It was around the time I had just left the city for the town life and, in her music, not only did I find solace - it was as though it got rid of YEARS of baggage I was carrying. How is that sort of magic even possible? It is, it very much is! She is proof of it. And I’m ecstatic that she continues to be active, making art imbued with more of what her spirit brings.

It is wild for me to think about everything that’s happened all up to this point. From practically breaking under the pressure of a lifestyle that was never meant for me, having little to no mental or emotional fortitude, unclear about everything, to standing firm and unshakable in what is undeniable. The needlessly hurried, shallow, directionless, and basically rootless approach I was being urged to take was killing me. But, thankfully, now I know better, and such nonsense doesn’t stand a chance anymore. Maybe that’s for you. Me? Hard pass.

In I’m Done, I particularly love how playing games is a theme. Not only that, though. There are many key aspects touched on that relate to taking back your destiny. Not merely in a “What are this year’s resolutions?” kinda way, but in a more devastatingly profound and grand manner. Thoroughly resolute, no matter how long it takes (or what it takes). Calling it a reset would be the understatement of the century.

This one is resonating with me down to my core and further beyond...

It’s True, Though, It Shouldn’t Be Imposed

I just want to make it extra clear that I do believe that, if you are wounded, you should take your time and go at your own pace, in order to repair yourself. I would never want to be someone who rushes or even forces ‘recovery’ onto others. 

Some things are way more complex, profound, and delicate than they may appear on the surface. So, “just get over it” wouldn’t do. And I believe it is especially important to have a place and people with whom you can feel and be safe from careless or clumsy attempts at ‘fixing’ you. Or worse, demand that you “forgive and forget”, then open yourself to even more harm. But yes, indeed, being sheltered is ultimately not enough. Ideally, you’d eventually, likely gradually, get to the point where, if you haven’t already, things don’t bother you as much or at all anymore, where you are not triggered to relive trauma or sent into a state of fear and panic. That begins with security on the outside and is completed with security on the inside. Furthermore, even as a fully healed person, there are simply experiences that you’d rather steer clear of, as both your time and energy are precious (and for you to invest accordingly), and you should be free to do that too. 

Live your best life, not a life attempting to prove to anyone that you ‘matured’ and ‘evolved’ and can again and again endure and tolerate stuff that you’re better off without. I’m with you in that. And I'm wishing that the means for it never lack and are always within your reach. ✌

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures?

What are the odds that precisely the day when I’m, let’s just say… PMSing like hell, like I haven’t in who knows how long, this song, with no other than Chester Bennington, is playing so loud that I just can’t miss it? I don’t know, but amidst the pain and suffering, it was as comforting as it could possibly be. Though the irony of it got me chuckling through the tears, too.

It is extra odd because Linkin Park is not a band that’s usually blasted out around here. That alone, in itself, is a very rare event. And it, thankfully, happened to also coincide with my needing to be cheered up.

That is One More Light. I looked up the lyrics because, even if I’ve listened to a song countless times, I can’t always instantly recall all the words in it. “Should've stayed. Were there signs I ignored?” This line somehow hit me like a callout for not paying enough attention to my surroundings. I don’t know! Were there signs I ignored? Hm.

In any case, here’s another peek into my everyday life, since I figure many of you have no idea what happens behind the screen, whether it’s miserable or wonderful. (In this case, it was both.)

I’m not even going to say which one was on before it.

Just go have a great day today! And stay magical, magical beings. 🤍✨

Components in The Abstract Plane

It's been a while since I last posted The Conceptual Plane's Components and there have been various changes and additions since then. So here it is again! Updated. To be able to come back to as we go over each this year.

It looks 'complete' by now, but what do I even know? All I can be sure of is that these are the ones I'll be able to cover this year. If more are discovered later, they likely will have to be left for another round.

And you might ask, "But how are we supposed to know what our top components are if more keep appearing without notice?!" And that's a good question. We can't be 100% sure. HOWEVER, the worst that can happen is that you figure your Top 5 out of the visible ones here and, if another one appears that would make it into your Top 5, it would simply push one or more to the side and one out of the frame. They're all still very you, just that another highlightable one very much is. We live, we learn. 💁 

As for what's new: 

• I realized (as I worked on a spreadsheet to save dates) that the Complex Combo Components fit with the seasons. And was nudged to include that? And I mean, yes, indeed. The Seasons as Concepts are relevant here, too. So there you have them! Lots can happen in each season, of all sorts, but they come with a 'default' energy.

• To be safe, I also marked the Non-Recommendable Components with a Caution sign. And added a tiny yellow dot next to the ones that are a better option in their place. A concept to be addressed more thoroughly later on.

• There are also two peculiar components that I'm looking forward to but am keeping my mouth shut for now. They've been featured before, but it's only recently that I figured out enough of what they truly represent.

• Lots of Blue, as the Assembly that it is, but also more Yellow for Discovery. 🌞

I'm having a blast with this. I don't think I'll ever get bored with it. Haha.

Thank you for helping me spot and include so many of them!

And thank you for joining in this very nerdy venture. 

You know who you are. 🎨🤓💞 

Components? But…

When I queued the parts I’d be looking into each week, throughout the year, I was kinda mad at how I jumped straight into the components themselves before going over the different types of groups of components. It seemed backwards. Because I’m such a big-picture-first person and do a lot of it like that. But it’s turning out for the better because there’s still plenty I’ve yet to realize and I just realized more that I would have hated to leave out.

E.g. The Catalysts. I’d always perceived them as having plenty of Black (a.k.a. Dark) because they’re such rebels to the fabric of reality (and just to counterproductive or even regressive rigidity), but now I’m seeing more of how Black (a.k.a. Dark) manifests in them. And it’s blowing my mind! Turns out they can be ON while appearing OFF. And there’s a whole bunch of peculiarities in that.

But worry not, I’m getting to that by the end of this round, before going into what the different planes are, and then jumping into The Structured Plane and its components. Plus, I can still share bits here and there before and after wrapping up any description.

Furthermore! THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO DISCOVER. I’m trying to hit key aspects of things when I post about them weekly, but with the aim to trigger more of what it could imply and entail. It definitely doesn’t end there. And if this is my life’s work (it is), there are countless opportunities up ahead to keep expanding on and covering everything in numerous forms. I’M HYPED!

So, I present to you, my configuration - revised. Also, can’t wait til enough information is out so that more people can figure out what their configurations are. I’ll eventually make a sorting Quiz app, but you know how I feel about quizzes and accuracy. It is better if you get to know what’s out there and what’s within you to get your answers. But quizzes can be a fun jumpstart, too.

Yes. The order matters. Significantly so. 😮