quote
“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” - David Viscott
I held out for the real thing. It happened at precisely the right moment for us both. Rudy completely changed the game for me in the love department. It was as unexpected as it is wonderful. I've never felt so loved and at peace.
– Catherine
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the
things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~ Mark Twain ~
I was struck today by this quote. You may have seen it posted around the internets. I blame my lifelong idealism for having a particular connection to this. I realize now that I HAVE lived my adult/independent life (the most interesting parts) with this line of thinking — despite many strong opinions to do otherwise. Call it being ‘romantic,’ ‘passionate’ or even ‘crazy.’ I like to think of it as BRAVE. I've learned the following important lessons over the years:
1) Giving yourself permission to pursue what's in your heart can be hugely unpopular (even offensive) to those who only WISH that they had done the same.
2) Idealism: often NOT the easiest/safest/most traditional route to choose whether personally or professionally. This, I know well. Accept that you're taking risks and could fall flat on your face. Then appreciate all who help and encourage you along the way.
3) Considering/living someone else's ‘SHOULD DO’ list will never make YOU happy. Write (and rewrite) your own.
Lately, I've been wanting more. I'm excited again after an intensely difficult time. I've also been inspired by a few particular individuals (thanks, Nichole) who remind me that life is too short not to live your own *ideal.* Here's hoping 2013 will give power to more of my adventures — however I choose to define them!
This was a year of extremes. Sweet, joyous highs and blindsiding blows. 2012, I gave you my all and with plenty of COURAGE. The past year (or three) has taught me some hard lessons. I'm taking a moment to reflect today. Here's to tipping the balance, making better (personal + professional) choices, setting new tracks and to LETTING IN NEW LIGHT in 2013.
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"Travel isn't always pretty, it isn't comfortable, sometimes it hurts. It even breaks your heart. But that's ok. The journey changes you, it SHOULD change you... It leaves marks on your memory, your consciousness, your heart and on your body. You take something with you. And, hopefully, you leave something good behind."
– Anthony Bourdain, NO RESERVATIONS
(Collection 1: Episode 5, Malaysia)
I absolutely love this quote from an episode of Bourdain's show that I only recently watched. This really captures a unique but important point of view on travel. It struck a chord with me – particularly after my own recent (and incredible) trip to Cairo, Egypt. I have always felt that I'm undeniably transformed each time I travel anywhere, in a very good way. How could I not be? And to see it with fresh eyes but through someone very familair with a place is amazing. It also included moments where I feared for our safety, things that were painful to see and experiences that made me sad. But travel should teach you compassion and humility. It should redefine beauty for you many times over. It should shake you up. This trip certainly did all that and more.
View more photos on my Instagram feed or check here.
This was on my friends' wedding programme in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was so lovely and worth sharing. It's a good reminder for the days when you find reasons not to believe.
Have a great week!
A recent article's provocative title on PSFK recently caught my attention. After I read it, it unraveled something in me. Are We Becoming Inspiration Fetishists? was written in response to a blog post by Stephan Boubil at The Apartment. The original article talks about how the creative industry and the internet has in a sense has turned us into 'inspiration fetishists' that are more concerned about inspiration behind creative work rather than actually creating the work. I stumbled upon the quote above on The Mavenist and I felt it truly captured this whole line of thought.
As a creative person and a blogger, I feel that I'm always working. My blog does help me document my creative experience and my point of view. Although my blog started out purely as a documentation of my design and aesthetic preferences, I realized over the past couple of years that this isn't really what makes it interesting to read or follow in the long run. Considering the name of my blog, I was forced to question whether or not I have turned into an 'inspiration fetishist.' The answer is 'no.' Well, maybe a little. It's been great learning over the past couple of years through blogging – and discovery of other blogs – that what's most compelling is actually writing about and photographing my own life experience as a creative person. I have noticed that 'blogging' has become increasingly part of everyone's vocabulary. People are spending more and more time curating and maintaining their Tumblr or Pinterest accounts. Our Twitter streams feed us endless links to more inspiring visuals, topics and work. Sure, these sites can/do provide a great deal of inspiration (visual and otherwise) when needed. Some of it can be very seductive. But don't you get exhausted? I know I am. The point we're starting to miss through all of the bombardment is this: when are we/people actually CREATING when we spend so much time collecting and glorifying someone else's work? So much so that it's become so commonplace to appropriate someone else's images and/or text without the courtesy of crediting the author. Perhaps, to some, it has become a fetish. Consider this for a moment. It's something that has stuck with me this week. To rephrase Stephan Boubil's point about how he's tired of the word inspiration... what happened to action, awakening, motivation, ambition and influence? At the end of the day, what's more interesting to me is original content, real stories. As a blogger, it's certainly more interesting for me to share my own experience and my own work. It's about creating original content as opposed to only reposting someone else's. Good questions to ask might be: What's the ratio of time spent this week on collecting inspiration vs actual creation? At what point do you feel compelled to originate work? There isn't anything wrong with curating/collecting existing content and sharing it. I just believe that it shouldn't be taking away ALL our creative energy. What do you think?
On that note, have a great (and inspired) week.
...especially ALL days, not only today.
This quote accurately sums up my reaction to Urban Outfitters' joke of a logo redesign. Thank you, Steven Heller. Read the essay here.