10 Things that Make You Become or Remain Dumb

More likely than not, you don’t want to be or stay too dumb. At least not awfully so. Sure, ignorance is bliss and curiosity killed the cat, and we might spiral down if we go down too many rabbit holes to get to the bottom and leave no stone unturned, but you could do with being a bit smart or smarter than you are.

Especially nowadays, when information sharing, in various forms, has become what positions you among the rest. And it’s as if everyone is eager to have a stance on whatever the current topics are. And even when they aren’t, they might be pressured to (not that you always have to give in, but it can put you against the wall). Furthermore, though not new, too many people go around taking advantage of whoever they can by being “clever” and trying to outsmart them - employing tactics and maneuvering in ways that you could miss.

So what can you do to get out of your ignorance and proceed further toward awareness? Catch yourself whenever you’re doing or about to do any of the following and instead keep yourself from them.

• Never asking questions, too afraid to appear uninformed.

• Being too stubborn with what you believe or not stubborn enough.

• Indulging in wishful thinking or being consumed by fearful thinking.

• Overelying on whether or not the information comes from what are considered “reliable sources” rather than practicing discernment.

• Accepting views and opinions as facts based on whether they are popular or unpopular takes.

• Persisting in echo chambers or concentrating on devil advocates.

• Refusing to consider hypotheses and theories that haven’t been sufficiently proven (assuming that proven = true and unproven = false, or a complete dismissal of fiction).

• Alternatively, refusing to ever reach any firm conclusion because you do not know what you do not know.

• Blind faith in what has been already established, as if it is somehow not prone to any error or corruption. 

• Failing to take proper care of yourself (physically and psychologically) and letting your brain functions decline.

Now, which have you fallen into to an extent that has undoubtedly dumbed you down? What else has? How can you start turning it around?

CREDIT: AI-Generated Examples done on Leonardo.AI

PhantomShuffle is Active!

As promised, they're coming back! PhantomShuffle is what you could call the library of this whimsical Art School. It just happens to be haunted...

Go check it out!
www.phantomshuffle.com

Expansion Places are Coming Back!

You might remember PhantomShuffle, DarkSpectacle, and HorrorStumble. They were side sites being built along this main one. And as things became unexpectedly hectic, I had to pause their construction and put them behind curtains. Well, they will be back this month! So if you’re into and can handle the extra delving, regardless of how upsetting and unsettling it can be, you might like them and I’d suggest you check them out and keep up with them!

They are three (and you can find your way to them at the bottom of the left). They will be reactivated one by one instead of all at once. You can expect an opening each Saturday. They will contain much of the content they previously did plus more!

The Damage of Formal Education

Education starts early and takes up the most formative years of our lives. So there’s no denying how much it can make or break us.

You might have been fortunate enough to be put in a school that suits you and the paths you’re meant to take or choose from, promoting the acceptance and development of your unique gifts and talents while accommodating your learning styles. Or at least close enough so that it is still more beneficial than detrimental to your particular self. But quite often, this isn’t the case. You still get out of it with something. But at what cost?

If it was bad enough, you might have to spend more years unlearning and relearning to undo the damage and actually begin fostering your potential, falling “behind” your peers in reaching the established life milestones. But going “out of your way” and doing this “extra” work might not even be optional. It might be so essential to your growth that you would fail to function without it, as if constantly sabotaging any progress.

So what could have been impaired exactly? There are aspects of how we operate that are relevant to your abilities to make art and more that were possibly discouraged or even punished. If not just not incentivized enough. 

• Uniformity over individuality. How dare you be different? Even in the slightest.

• Interdependence vs. Independence. Either work with others or by yourself completely, no matter when and where it is or is not convenient.

• Approval & Validation. But only seek theirs. Only theirs matter. Your own? Pfft. A more qualified outsider’s? Offensive!

• Critical & Creative Thinking. Questioning and doing it your way? You’re not supposed to do that.

• Imagination & Sensitivity. Just trouble. You’re not paying enough attention or you’re paying too much of it.

• Manners over rightness. Who cares about what’s right? That’s rude. Be nice.

• Procedures over effectiveness. Who cares about what’s effective? That’s disruptive. Be compliant.

• Fighting. Not allowed. Regardless of who started it, why or how. It’s problematic.

Looking at these and further pondering them, you could see more of how you or (if you were spared) other students were held back. Granted, a school is merely a school and, no matter how prestigious, cannot always work perfect miracles for each and every attendee. But it’s still a fact that many barely take into account one’s best interests. And also leave out subjects that would help you more.

CREDIT: AI-Generated Examples done on Leonardo.AI

The Return of Linkin Park

As you may have already noticed, I’ve been into Linkin Park since back in the day, when they first broke into the mainstream. Not only were they exceptionally impressive to me as artists, but they also played a major role in my life as I struggled with issues that were, at the time, too confusing and heavy for me. Therefore, it is personal.

I genuinely care about them and their fate as a band. For irrational reasons, maybe, but how could I not? It is in great part thanks to their work that I was able to withstand and get through extremely painful situations, coming to the other side more enlightened.

With Linkin Park, there’s a peculiarity. Other artists I appreciate, I can be like, “Yeah, I get it if you don’t like them. Preferences and all. But I happen to like them plenty.” But if I ever stumbled upon anyone saying Linkin Park wasn’t good (and I didn’t), I would be like, “WHAT?! HAVE YOU NO TASTE?!?” I don’t know, but I’d seriously question what’s wrong with them.

I believe it has to do with what made them stand out to me the most in the first place. At a glance, you might see them as a dark band. And to a degree, they objectively are. But to me, they represent light the most. For it’s as if the direction in which they usually and ultimately go is upwards, toward the light, rather than downwards, toward the dark. Forging virtue as they elevate in consciousness. Maybe they’re aware of it and it was intentional, I don’t know (sorry, guys, I love you but I haven’t heard/read each and every single interview or piece about you out there). However, with Chester and the profoundly unfortunate circumstances he faced, I could take it as a fight to climb out of a hole you didn’t necessarily dig yourself into but ended up in anyway.

Now, as much as I can be concerned about it, I won’t be attempting background checks on the new members. But I do wonder if they’re trying to do something similar with the new vocalist. A character arc. And maybe we’ll learn more about it with the songs in the new album, From Zero. The Emptiness Machine already sounds like it’s depicting the realization that something isn’t what it promised, admitting naivete. So who knows? Obviously, not replacing Chester Bennington or minimizing his story (you can’t even if you tried), but doing more of what they do with a different story.

To illustrate more of what I mean, songs like Points of Authority, Breaking The Habit, and What I’ve Done especially come to mind.

I sincerely wish them the best. You know I root for a meaningful tale where there is significant character development. And if the new members prove not to be a good fit after all and have to leave the band, it is understandable too. I’ll still be a Linkin Park fan.

AI is Taking Over, Don’t Fall Behind

We made it to the era where AI is officially taking over. We saw it depicted in fiction. We saw it start off as some fuzzy and distant dream. We saw it show undeniable potential. And we saw it turn jobs obsolete. This is where we are now. And you will fall behind if you don’t adopt it too.

It is unfortunate, indeed, how it came to be. With no regard for others’ work in the name of technological advancement. And don’t get me wrong. I am aware and agree that certain sacrifices must be made for great changes to take place. But it doesn’t make it all alright. Not all means to an end are justified. And now, that it has become more and more normalized, there’s not much else to do but embrace it. Just like we went from traditional art to digital art, we’ll go to AI-generated art. And find ways to incorporate it too.

A mind-blowing amount of tools keep coming up, and quickly improving, that are based on AI or integrate AI. You can generate text, images, sounds, and videos - or even strategize and calculate data with it. And quite rapidly, it continues to cover more and more areas that once were a human’s domain. Some are still in denial and argue that its current mistakes and shortcomings are proof that it cannot replace us. But give it time. Soon anything done manually will be considered a luxury or a hobby, like crafts already are thanks to mass-production machines. There may be value in it because a person made it, but it will be competing with cheaper, quicker, and potentially more perfected productions that AI will be capable of delivering.

So are we doomed as artists? No, I wouldn’t say so. You can still make art for the love of art, because you crave doing so as someone with a soul and who withers without it. But certain processes in art making are now facilitated via AI, so it serves to look into them and see how they can accommodate you to finish bigger and better projects. Use AI here and there, but revise, adjust, and compile with your own artistry. And if there is anything you wish to be extra meticulous and precise with, or have it 100% be yours, do it yourself. Nevertheless, you should be transparent about what came from AI and what came from you. Taking credit for what you haven’t done is and looks all sorts of bad.

Will AI ever give back to the artists it took from? Maybe. Maybe not. But you could! Be sure to support (and feature) artists whenever you can. I will.

CREDIT: AI-Generated Examples done on Leonardo.AI

Lost in The Middle

You can essentially start over at any point. End old cycles and begin new ones. Choose to do things differently or put more work into them. But, granted, it’s not always so easy and the limbo in between can be quite disorienting.

So here’s what you can do if you find yourself lost:
- If you feel like everything is out of control, do something that you can control.
- If you feel like you’re too incompetent, practice more of what you are competent in.
- If you feel like a disappointment, look at all the ways in which you haven’t been or shouldn’t be.
- If you feel like you’ve been rejected or abandoned, spend time with the people who are always there for you (or do solitary hobbies if you happen to be alone).
- If you feel like there’s nothing left for you, put more that you can strive for and look forward to in your calendar.

You get the gist of it. It won’t immediately solve everything, but it is a start...

Back to School Month

September arrives again!

And with it, the back-to-school mood.

If it suits you, you can indulge it with me.

I celebrate it with academic and intellectual content and vibes here and there.

Another Autumn

Another autumn arrives…
Home, cozy sheets, muffins, and tea.
With cloudy and rainy days making the skies gray,
take a moment to look inward.
It may be scary but you can be safe.