Someone once told me to make a list of what I like to do and do it.
It took me a while, but I've started painting. Not regularly, though. I paint when I'm bored or just really feel like creating.
That's what I did today.
I used to think that painting (or creating) was therapeutic. Making things with my hands, watching things come together, art; I thought that it would make me feel better, and happier because I was making something out of stuff that are basically nothing on their own. That's the general idea, isn't it? When we say art therapy, we expect some sense of release and relief. We expect to be better off than when we started. I know now that I was wrong.
Today is my day off and I didn't want to read biopsych so I decided to paint instead.
I was relatively cheery these past 2 days. Everything seemed funnier and brighter. So when I picked up my paint brush and unscrewed the lids off my tiny paint bottles, I was expecting to feel even better at the end of the process; happier and a lot less bored.
The first page was nonsense. Just colours... not even nice colours. After that, I painted a cat silhouette. Then a ram. Then the TARDIS (which I ruined with a badly painted quote). I continued with a few other things.
Throughout the painting process, I suddenly felt lighter but darker. At first I didn't get it. I definitely didn't feel bored anymore, but I didn't know what else I felt.
Once I painted my last thing of the day, I laid back and started to think.
I wasn't bored anymore. I had worked that restless energy off. But I wasn't happier. In fact, I was less happy than when I started. I felt a little gloomier, sadder. And I didn't understand. Why did painting and creating make me feel so sad? It was supposed to do the opposite.
I kept thinking about it.
And then it hit me. Art didn't suddenly reverse it's effect. No. Art did exactly what it has always done. It stripped away my shell. With each brush stroke, I let my guard down. As I completed each painting, one more brick was removed.
Art revealed my core. It took everything away - the mask and the defense systems - and left me with the harsh reality of what I was really feeling. The sadness and the gloom. I was forced to face my waves. Apparently, I wasn't actually as happy as I thought I was. I mean, I know that I wasn't exactly chirpy and completely content. I guess I just didn't want to face the amount of 'sad' I have in me right now.
In hindsight, this is not all that surprising. I was putting on a mask and it worked well enough for me to ignore the tiny slivers of grey creeping through. I just laughed a littlelouder and smiled a little bigger to block it all out. Everything got ripped away when I started painting, though.
I won't say I feel better now but I know that I feel less fake. I suppose that's all that matters, really. Being real with myself.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Friday, February 21, 2014
Friday, July 5, 2013
Create
Once again, my brain is working faster than I can type. All these thoughts and emotions are bouncing around in my head at a speed that, I'm sure, is faster than either light or sound.
This coming Wednesday marks the end of my first year at uni. It's pretty exciting. One whole year of studying psychology. It's been great. I've made friends and I've learned so much. To think that I have so much more to learn! Human beings truly are remarkable creatures.
Sometimes, when I remember that I have to write a thesis in my 3rd year, I start to worry. I panic and even consider dropping everything. But then the next day, I go for class and I realise that when the time comes, I'll know what I need to know in order to write an A+ research manuscript. I don't feel so scared after that.
In the mean time, I'm oscillating between being annoying and being annoyed. Sometimes, I'm both. Interesting though humans may be, they're also extremely irritating. I find myself being frustrated by people so often, it's a wonder I don't explode. But then sometimes, I see people and I love talking to them and listening to their stories. To be honest, I prefer listening. I love stories. And I like being around people. They don't even have to speak; just being in the presence of another human being calms me down. And then again, there are moments when people are being people and I just want to be alone.
Anyway, while we're still on the subject of two extremes, I'm torn between being who I am and being who I want to be. I am opinionated, childish, and laid back (too laid back, according to my career counselor). I like who I am. I like being the opinionated, childish young lady who doesn't care about peoples perceptions of her. But then sometimes I feel like I want to be more mature and classy, more accessible, and have something to be passionate about. When I make an effort to be less childish, I feel like I'm living a lie. It's uncomfortable. Yet I want to be mature. That's a pickle if I've ever seen one.
For now, I'm going to keep to who I am and hope that maturity and wisdom comes with age. As for being more accessible; I will work on it on and off, when I feel like it. And passion, I've yet to discover one for myself. Some people have music, some love art, some can talk for hours about biology and politics. Then there's me. I feel very blank. I don't have a passion. Not really. There's not one thing I can talk about in detail, for hours on end (unless you count Harry Potter).
I don't have a clue as to what might interest me. I've never been naturally talented at one thing. My talent, I'd say, is being a quick learner. So I suppose what I need is to find one thing that I love doing and start doing it. But that's the whole problem. I like a lot of things. I like arts and crafts, I like making things with my hands, I like writing (but I know that I lack imagination), I like eating and I like baking. The thing is, I've never been able to just focus on one thing. I prefer doing it all in small amounts.
Also, since I'm more of a learner, I feel a little lost when I bake, paint or write without guidance. Kind of like I'm walking in the dark. I don't like not knowing what to do. So then, I just bake (write and paint) a little, once in a while, without trying too hard because I have no idea if I'm doing it right.
That reminds me of a quote. I cannot remember the exact words but the gist of it is this: once you let go of your fear of making mistakes, then your can create art. What I think it means is that I should not worry about mistakes, mistakes do not exist in art. Art is expression and expression is subjective. There are no mistakes in subjectivity. This reminds me of another quote; stop chasing perfection because it does not exist. I feel that applies to art as well, any kind of art. I just haven't been able to do that.
I suppose the moral is, I should just do what I enjoy without trying to be perfect. I should just create and create till my bones decay. I just need to find the right kind of art.
This coming Wednesday marks the end of my first year at uni. It's pretty exciting. One whole year of studying psychology. It's been great. I've made friends and I've learned so much. To think that I have so much more to learn! Human beings truly are remarkable creatures.
Sometimes, when I remember that I have to write a thesis in my 3rd year, I start to worry. I panic and even consider dropping everything. But then the next day, I go for class and I realise that when the time comes, I'll know what I need to know in order to write an A+ research manuscript. I don't feel so scared after that.
In the mean time, I'm oscillating between being annoying and being annoyed. Sometimes, I'm both. Interesting though humans may be, they're also extremely irritating. I find myself being frustrated by people so often, it's a wonder I don't explode. But then sometimes, I see people and I love talking to them and listening to their stories. To be honest, I prefer listening. I love stories. And I like being around people. They don't even have to speak; just being in the presence of another human being calms me down. And then again, there are moments when people are being people and I just want to be alone.
Anyway, while we're still on the subject of two extremes, I'm torn between being who I am and being who I want to be. I am opinionated, childish, and laid back (too laid back, according to my career counselor). I like who I am. I like being the opinionated, childish young lady who doesn't care about peoples perceptions of her. But then sometimes I feel like I want to be more mature and classy, more accessible, and have something to be passionate about. When I make an effort to be less childish, I feel like I'm living a lie. It's uncomfortable. Yet I want to be mature. That's a pickle if I've ever seen one.
For now, I'm going to keep to who I am and hope that maturity and wisdom comes with age. As for being more accessible; I will work on it on and off, when I feel like it. And passion, I've yet to discover one for myself. Some people have music, some love art, some can talk for hours about biology and politics. Then there's me. I feel very blank. I don't have a passion. Not really. There's not one thing I can talk about in detail, for hours on end (unless you count Harry Potter).
I don't have a clue as to what might interest me. I've never been naturally talented at one thing. My talent, I'd say, is being a quick learner. So I suppose what I need is to find one thing that I love doing and start doing it. But that's the whole problem. I like a lot of things. I like arts and crafts, I like making things with my hands, I like writing (but I know that I lack imagination), I like eating and I like baking. The thing is, I've never been able to just focus on one thing. I prefer doing it all in small amounts.
Also, since I'm more of a learner, I feel a little lost when I bake, paint or write without guidance. Kind of like I'm walking in the dark. I don't like not knowing what to do. So then, I just bake (write and paint) a little, once in a while, without trying too hard because I have no idea if I'm doing it right.
That reminds me of a quote. I cannot remember the exact words but the gist of it is this: once you let go of your fear of making mistakes, then your can create art. What I think it means is that I should not worry about mistakes, mistakes do not exist in art. Art is expression and expression is subjective. There are no mistakes in subjectivity. This reminds me of another quote; stop chasing perfection because it does not exist. I feel that applies to art as well, any kind of art. I just haven't been able to do that.
I suppose the moral is, I should just do what I enjoy without trying to be perfect. I should just create and create till my bones decay. I just need to find the right kind of art.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Tagging
Peter, Davina and I signed up for a Graffiti Class at Crib KL. I really wanted to go because I've always like graffiti. It's an art form that I really love looking at and can't help but admire the amount of talent and work that goes into each piece. So, this was a perfect opportunity to learn something about graffiti.
The two people we had teaching us was Ian and Mun (Ian a.k.a Turf and Mun a.k.a Kos [as in K-OS: as in Chaos]).
Anyways, they were both really nice and they taught us a lot about the history of graffiti. It's relatively new, starting back in the 1960's. It started off in the US and soon expanded to all over the world. One really great artist I've heard of is Banksy. He's done some really thought provoking stuff.
Anyways, they got us to start off by coming up with our own tag. Basically, it's a name/signature. For example, Mun's tag would be "Kos". So when paints, he'd tag his stuff with that, basically signing his piece. We had to first pick a name and then start off by writing it down. Then, we were suppose to develop it. Play around with the words, stretch them, tweak them, add stuff to them, and do whatever else to make them look unique. The best part is that your tag doesn't have to be legible to anyone but yourself.
Of course, Pete was in his element. All this sketching and creativity with a pencil thing. Dav and I were like fish out of water. We both started off just writing our names on the paper (because what else could we do, right!?). After a while, with Mun giving a few tips here and there, we both came up with tags that we were happy with:)
For the next part, they divided us into 4 groups and asked us to design a piece for Crib KL. They wanted us to come up with a piece for the word CRIB. We sat outside, in the garden; each of us working on one alphabet. My group wasn't too bad. Our words looked really good on their own but when it was put together, they still looked good but didn't necessarily flow well together. But still ok la.
Mun then showed us how to use the spray cans. He taught us about shadowing and outlining. Filling it and flaring. It was very exciting. After Mun was done teaching, we proceeded to paint our design onto their walls. It was really fun. Davina's group had this triangular house thing going on and Pete's group was inspired by PacMan. The other group was really good too. I think theirs looked like a really graffiti piece compared to all the others.
Anyways, I did the R. I think it looks really ugly but I am proud of it. I'm sure you can see that my groups piece is the worst. No flow, messy and no real idea. And I still like it!
I had tonnes of fun. It's pretty difficult to create art and even more so to do it on walls. My respect and awe for graffiti artists only deepened with this class.
Ok. Done :)
I'm gonna leave you with this piece right here. I have no idea who did it but I think it looks amazing. I can't even draw a face this well with a pencil but these folks can do it with spray cans. Respect.
If you want to go for something like this, check out the CultureRun website. They have tonnes of other classes and workshops you can go for. It's perfect.
The two people we had teaching us was Ian and Mun (Ian a.k.a Turf and Mun a.k.a Kos [as in K-OS: as in Chaos]).
Anyways, they were both really nice and they taught us a lot about the history of graffiti. It's relatively new, starting back in the 1960's. It started off in the US and soon expanded to all over the world. One really great artist I've heard of is Banksy. He's done some really thought provoking stuff.
Anyways, they got us to start off by coming up with our own tag. Basically, it's a name/signature. For example, Mun's tag would be "Kos". So when paints, he'd tag his stuff with that, basically signing his piece. We had to first pick a name and then start off by writing it down. Then, we were suppose to develop it. Play around with the words, stretch them, tweak them, add stuff to them, and do whatever else to make them look unique. The best part is that your tag doesn't have to be legible to anyone but yourself.
Of course, Pete was in his element. All this sketching and creativity with a pencil thing. Dav and I were like fish out of water. We both started off just writing our names on the paper (because what else could we do, right!?). After a while, with Mun giving a few tips here and there, we both came up with tags that we were happy with:)
For the next part, they divided us into 4 groups and asked us to design a piece for Crib KL. They wanted us to come up with a piece for the word CRIB. We sat outside, in the garden; each of us working on one alphabet. My group wasn't too bad. Our words looked really good on their own but when it was put together, they still looked good but didn't necessarily flow well together. But still ok la.
Mun then showed us how to use the spray cans. He taught us about shadowing and outlining. Filling it and flaring. It was very exciting. After Mun was done teaching, we proceeded to paint our design onto their walls. It was really fun. Davina's group had this triangular house thing going on and Pete's group was inspired by PacMan. The other group was really good too. I think theirs looked like a really graffiti piece compared to all the others.
 |
| Davina's group (left) and Pete's group. And next to Pete's group, Peter proceeded to add his tag (the one in purple) |
 |
| The really nice one (left) and my group. Mun did the 'Q' when he was teaching us. Also, if you look closely, you can see my tag in between my group's piece and Mun's Q, just above the tiny arch. |
I had tonnes of fun. It's pretty difficult to create art and even more so to do it on walls. My respect and awe for graffiti artists only deepened with this class.
Ok. Done :)
I'm gonna leave you with this piece right here. I have no idea who did it but I think it looks amazing. I can't even draw a face this well with a pencil but these folks can do it with spray cans. Respect.
If you want to go for something like this, check out the CultureRun website. They have tonnes of other classes and workshops you can go for. It's perfect.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Psychologically Artsy and Simply Chuck!
First thought, I understand now why artists come up with their best work when they're feeling their worst. Or very, very good. When you're upset, the emotion is so intense, and creativity flows easily when emotions are intense. Happiness, on the other hand, just general happiness, isn't intense enough to start the flow of creativity. Invoking creativity requires a totally unstoppable kinda happiness.
Anyways, I'm on happy mode. I like my life right now. I like the friends I've made, I like the course I'm doing, I like the people around me, I like my room, I like my laptop and I like my current schedule.
Oh, don't get me wrong. There are still things I need to work on. I feel like I've become a little selfish lately. It's partly the influence of these new friends who are either independent and have parents who like them to be teenagers/young adults, whereas I feel the need to be more involved in what's going on at home. Y'know? And of course, it's partly me undergoing my development stage of adulthood. I'm finding myself and I've been focusing on 'me' a lot.
I think it makes sense, what I'm doing. But at the same time, I feel like I need to find a balance between focusing on 'me' and focusing on every other aspect of my life. It's important that I find that balance now because I think it'll affect the person I'll be in the future. Balanced now means balanced later on as well. Right?
I've been thinking and I realised that me wanting to step down from LEYP as the head is really the wrong thing to do when it comes to the committee but it might be the right thing to do for me. I am a capable person. I can do good things. I just don't want to. I mean, I prefer not to lead a bunch of people. I can barely lead myself right now so I don't feel like I can contribute anything valuable to them.
Moving on, I like shopping. Maybe a little too much, but I really like finding the right blouse or dress, or shoes or socks. It's always fun to find something that makes you smile and want to use it every day. My style is really evolving now and I guess I'm just trying to make sure I get the right stuff; stuff that suits me. For instance, I love clothes that are flowy, sheer, made of chiffon, and are either short or ankle length (if it's a dress). This is more of an old fashioned kinda style. So, naturally, I gravitate towards second hand stuff.
But nowadays, the general fashion trend for women has started imitating that of the 20's-40's. Collared dressed, flowy skirts, fitting but not tight bodices, flats, polka dots. It's the kinda stuff that I like. Which is a problem because a lot of 'new' clothes look really good to me and I want to buy 'em! But they're just so expensive!
I do love second hand stuff, though, which helps. The only problem is that Malaysia doesn't have many second hand clothes stores. I haven't even seen one. If you know of any, please, please leave a comment! :) I really like buying things from thrift stores. There's always so much history attached to things which just adds value to them.
AND, if there's a piece of clothing I like that doesn't fit well, I can always adjust it. That's like an added bonus: getting to use the sewing machine and of course, occupy my free time!
Which reminds me, I have to start using my sewing machine :P I said before that I need to be proactive and this is a good place to start. I should hone my abysmal sewing skills. Practice makes perfect after all, no?
Speaking of art, I really want to go for some art classes. I want to paint. I want to learn about brush strokes, canvases, sculpting and working with wood or clay. I want to do all these things. I just need to find a place to do it. I feel like I have a pit of creative energy just bubbling away in me that wants to be released. Sure, it'll start of a little wonky, but I'm sure I'll get better at it once I learn to control and channel the creativity.
***
OMG!
Something awesome just happened!
CHUCK JUST REPLIED TO MY TWEET! OMG! OMG! OMG!
This is amazing! No, no. It's stupendous! No! It's SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!!
Not only did he reply me, he also had good news about the book; Simple Plan: The Official Story!
And of course, this was my reaction:
OH MY GOSH! So yea, this feeling I'm having right now, it's the same feeling I had when Rupert Grint replied to my fan mail and sent me an autographed photo. This, that; same thing. Oh, the intensity of this moment is just.. Ergh.
Wow! Ok. I've calmed down. Really. Wow.
So, where was I? Ah yes, art. I really like art and I want to hone my skills as much as possible. I also want to train my brain to think more creatively. The idea I have for my career is to incorporate art with psychology. So, a therapy centre perhaps. One that provides various types of therapy, including art, music, and drama. Which means I need to ace this psychology degree, get a Master's in counselling and start exploring and throwing myself into various art, music and drama stuff.
To be honest, I wrote this post without the intention of posting it. As I wrote, I realised that what I wrote in it is actually the kind of stuff I wanted to have on my blog but never seemed to be able to write on cue. I found the cure to that; write like no one will read it. (There's a quote that's related to this. I just spent the last hour trying to find it but failed dismally. Ergh).
Anyways, :D
Anyways, I'm on happy mode. I like my life right now. I like the friends I've made, I like the course I'm doing, I like the people around me, I like my room, I like my laptop and I like my current schedule.
Oh, don't get me wrong. There are still things I need to work on. I feel like I've become a little selfish lately. It's partly the influence of these new friends who are either independent and have parents who like them to be teenagers/young adults, whereas I feel the need to be more involved in what's going on at home. Y'know? And of course, it's partly me undergoing my development stage of adulthood. I'm finding myself and I've been focusing on 'me' a lot.
I think it makes sense, what I'm doing. But at the same time, I feel like I need to find a balance between focusing on 'me' and focusing on every other aspect of my life. It's important that I find that balance now because I think it'll affect the person I'll be in the future. Balanced now means balanced later on as well. Right?
I've been thinking and I realised that me wanting to step down from LEYP as the head is really the wrong thing to do when it comes to the committee but it might be the right thing to do for me. I am a capable person. I can do good things. I just don't want to. I mean, I prefer not to lead a bunch of people. I can barely lead myself right now so I don't feel like I can contribute anything valuable to them.
Moving on, I like shopping. Maybe a little too much, but I really like finding the right blouse or dress, or shoes or socks. It's always fun to find something that makes you smile and want to use it every day. My style is really evolving now and I guess I'm just trying to make sure I get the right stuff; stuff that suits me. For instance, I love clothes that are flowy, sheer, made of chiffon, and are either short or ankle length (if it's a dress). This is more of an old fashioned kinda style. So, naturally, I gravitate towards second hand stuff.
But nowadays, the general fashion trend for women has started imitating that of the 20's-40's. Collared dressed, flowy skirts, fitting but not tight bodices, flats, polka dots. It's the kinda stuff that I like. Which is a problem because a lot of 'new' clothes look really good to me and I want to buy 'em! But they're just so expensive!
I do love second hand stuff, though, which helps. The only problem is that Malaysia doesn't have many second hand clothes stores. I haven't even seen one. If you know of any, please, please leave a comment! :) I really like buying things from thrift stores. There's always so much history attached to things which just adds value to them.
AND, if there's a piece of clothing I like that doesn't fit well, I can always adjust it. That's like an added bonus: getting to use the sewing machine and of course, occupy my free time!
Which reminds me, I have to start using my sewing machine :P I said before that I need to be proactive and this is a good place to start. I should hone my abysmal sewing skills. Practice makes perfect after all, no?
Speaking of art, I really want to go for some art classes. I want to paint. I want to learn about brush strokes, canvases, sculpting and working with wood or clay. I want to do all these things. I just need to find a place to do it. I feel like I have a pit of creative energy just bubbling away in me that wants to be released. Sure, it'll start of a little wonky, but I'm sure I'll get better at it once I learn to control and channel the creativity.
***
OMG!
Something awesome just happened!
CHUCK JUST REPLIED TO MY TWEET! OMG! OMG! OMG!
This is amazing! No, no. It's stupendous! No! It's SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!!
Not only did he reply me, he also had good news about the book; Simple Plan: The Official Story!
 |
| I can't even |
 |
| Yes. That's me. |
Wow! Ok. I've calmed down. Really. Wow.
So, where was I? Ah yes, art. I really like art and I want to hone my skills as much as possible. I also want to train my brain to think more creatively. The idea I have for my career is to incorporate art with psychology. So, a therapy centre perhaps. One that provides various types of therapy, including art, music, and drama. Which means I need to ace this psychology degree, get a Master's in counselling and start exploring and throwing myself into various art, music and drama stuff.
To be honest, I wrote this post without the intention of posting it. As I wrote, I realised that what I wrote in it is actually the kind of stuff I wanted to have on my blog but never seemed to be able to write on cue. I found the cure to that; write like no one will read it. (There's a quote that's related to this. I just spent the last hour trying to find it but failed dismally. Ergh).
Anyways, :D
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Ink
On this issue of Kathy's Quips: INK!
Yes, I want to get a tattoo or two. I've always been fascinated with body art (piercings, tattoos, etc.) I used to watch Miami Ink faithfully each week. I loved watching the artist come up with custom designs and taking beautiful works of art from their clients minds, transferring it to paper and then onto skin. The details and effort put into one piece of art, no matter how small, that is what fascinates me.
Tattoos are beautiful. They are art. Whether it's redundant designs like tribal tattoos or custom, one of a kind designs, tattoos are the untold stories. To me, it's like graffiti; totally underrated.
There's always a story behind each tattoo. Sometimes it's a profound and lengthy story about someone's past, their struggles and loves. Sometimes it's just a joke or a bet. Either way, it's a part of life. Much like memories, permanently etched onto your body.
Ever since I saw my first few episodes of Miami Ink, I wanted a tattoo. Kat Von D looks awesome. Of course, I don't think I'll ever get as many tattoos as her, nor will I get them in totally unusual spots like the side of my temples or my knuckles, but I do want my own tattoo.
I've given it a lot of thought over the past few years and I've finally come up with tattoos that I want to get. Yes, I said, "tattoos"; plural. I won't get them all in one go, but I definitely want more than one.
First, I want to get a cross on my left wrist. Like this:
The next tattoo I want to get is this:
Yes, I want to get a tattoo or two. I've always been fascinated with body art (piercings, tattoos, etc.) I used to watch Miami Ink faithfully each week. I loved watching the artist come up with custom designs and taking beautiful works of art from their clients minds, transferring it to paper and then onto skin. The details and effort put into one piece of art, no matter how small, that is what fascinates me.
Tattoos are beautiful. They are art. Whether it's redundant designs like tribal tattoos or custom, one of a kind designs, tattoos are the untold stories. To me, it's like graffiti; totally underrated.
There's always a story behind each tattoo. Sometimes it's a profound and lengthy story about someone's past, their struggles and loves. Sometimes it's just a joke or a bet. Either way, it's a part of life. Much like memories, permanently etched onto your body.
Ever since I saw my first few episodes of Miami Ink, I wanted a tattoo. Kat Von D looks awesome. Of course, I don't think I'll ever get as many tattoos as her, nor will I get them in totally unusual spots like the side of my temples or my knuckles, but I do want my own tattoo.
I've given it a lot of thought over the past few years and I've finally come up with tattoos that I want to get. Yes, I said, "tattoos"; plural. I won't get them all in one go, but I definitely want more than one.
First, I want to get a cross on my left wrist. Like this:
Just a simple cross on my wrist. The cross means so much to me. Firstly, I'm a Catholic, born and bred. I love my faith and I love God. He's with me always. I have a cross pendant that I wear on my necklace everyday. It makes me feel safe. Whenever I'm sad or scared or happy, I can always hold that pendant in my hand and feel God with me.
There have been times when I've forgotten to put my necklace on (being the forgetful and absent-minded young lady that I am) and those days have never been all that good. Either I have a bad day or I end up being totally un-Christian. So, I want this tattoo so that I can have my cross with me at all times. Even if I do forget my necklace, I have my cross with me. It's a reminder for those times when I forget that God is with me, always.
The next tattoo I want to get is this:
I want to get this tattooed on my left arm as well. But, I want to get it as a mirror image. How I make this clear...? (So, in real time, I took some time off writing to come up with this poorly constructed picture to give you a clearer idea of what I'm talking about). Behold:
The resolution isn't too good but I think you'll get the gist of it. You see, I can't decide which way I want to place the tattoo. Should I place it so that others can see it the right way up (like the one above the crook of my elbow) or should I place it so that it's the right way up for when I look at it (like the one below the crook of my elbow)? In the end, I decided that I want to do both because art is for everyone to enjoy: Everyone, as in other people as well as ME:)
This is the Simple Plan icon from their first album. This tattoo will be my tribute to them. The past 7 years of my life have been filled with Simple Plan and I foresee my future to be filled with Simple Plan too.
The next tattoo idea I have is to get a phrase on my left ankle in white ink. I want to get:
I want it to spiral around my left leg, near my ankle. This also has meaning, probably the one that is related directly to my mental health! Hahaha:) When I was young, and even now, I've always had this group of imaginary friends in my head. They are the ones I run things by, have debates with, and talk to when I'm bored. Some might say it's my conscience, some might say it's just my over-active imagination. I say it's a little of both.
Ever since I was a small child, I used to talk to myself. My mind has always been one of my closest friends. I used to be very socially awkward. I never had many friends and I really didn't want to socialise. So, I'd always just fall back on my imaginary friends. I'm better with real social interactions nowadays but I still have a very active friendship with my inner mind.
Sometimes people think that I'm lonely (they don't say it but I know, because they try and make conversation with me with this really pitying look on their faces). Hence, the tattoo.
That's it, really. These are the ideas I've come up with after years of contemplation. I really want to get these etched on my skin forever because firstly, they all have a profound meaning to me and secondly, it's art that I want to share with the world. Also, on a side note, they'd make pretty good conversation starters. Not to mention that other Astronauts will be able to identify me as one of their own at one glance :)
So, recap:
- a cross on my left wrist done in black
- the Simple Plan old school icon (mirror imaged) above and below my left elbow done in full colour
- "I am not alone; I have my imaginary friends" (without the quote marks) spiralling my left leg near the ankle done in white.
Of course, I've researched tattoo studios and parlours around KL. I've found one or two reputable places and I'm talking to people who've gotten tattooed as well. I know the importance of finding a good tattoo place that makes hygiene it's number one priority and has professional tattoo artists.
Something that is permanent should be done properly and I'm taking all the precautions and checking everything I need to. It's like marriage, don't do it unless you're sure and you've found the right person.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Wreck this Journal
So, I came across this term today; 'Wreck This Journal'. I wanted to know more so, obviously, I Googled it. And here's what I found out. It's the bomb! Haha:) Ok, explanation coming right up.
A woman named Keri Smith came up with this idea of a journal to wreck, literally. Basically, it's just a journal which works like a normal journal, only with a little extra zip. Each page has an instruction which you have to follow such as 'scribble wildly', 'spill coffee' or 'tear out a page and do a one minute sculpture'.
"To create is to destroy"
That's what it's about. Here's Keri Smith's message to the world:
Oh and, don't forget to GET YOUR HEART ON!
A woman named Keri Smith came up with this idea of a journal to wreck, literally. Basically, it's just a journal which works like a normal journal, only with a little extra zip. Each page has an instruction which you have to follow such as 'scribble wildly', 'spill coffee' or 'tear out a page and do a one minute sculpture'.
"To create is to destroy"
That's what it's about. Here's Keri Smith's message to the world:
I think it's an awesome idea. The whole concept of living outside the box in a totally small way. Just learning about this makes me feel free-er (not a word right?).
Also, I think this is a pretty awesome way of breaking the monotony of everyday life. AND, it's something that'll really help us stop worrying about what other's might think of us. I mean, I'm sure you'd be a little worried about the image you'd be putting into the world when people see you 'use a page as a napkin'. People will think you're mad!
But that's the point isn't it? Stepping outside the confines of your comfort zone. Being totally free of judgement (people are going to judge you anyway, so why let it affect you?).
Someone on some website somewhere commented that this was a pointless idea, blah blah blah.. Well, firstly, to each their own. Secondly, I think you, sir/ma'am, are a boring person. Third; I won't let you stop me from getting outside the box. Society doesn't dictate my life.
:)
Anyway, I'm going to try and find this amazing journal. If I can't find it, no worries! I'll just get a regular journal and use the instructions of the website. There's a whole list of stuff to do! 27 to be exact. After I'm done with those, I'll just add on my own stuff to do :)
You might want to try it too. I know you want to ;)
Give it a shot!
HAVE FUN!
Oh and, don't forget to GET YOUR HEART ON!
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