Breaking Away

Some might have realised my absence in this space for several weeks. I've mentioned previously on my about page that I started this little space to fill up my three-month hiatus while waiting for my results. Last week, that day had finally come, and everything had returned to the busy state as it were three months ago. 

Admittedly, I was fearful and worried of what was to become of this space. Would readers stick around? I didn't want to lose the beat this was building. I do realise that letting this space sit idle for a month can be brutal on readers and traffic. It's bounce rate was already increasing slightly after two weeks, and while traffic mostly came from Pinterest, it was still losing it's momentum. Yet, it was time to step away from the screen, and set new priorities.

The more important realisation was that I needed a break (as much as everyone has to sometimes) to focus on crucial university applications and other administrative matters. I'm going to embark on a new phase in my life. There isn't time for everything, and I didn't want to abandon this space completely. A poet, Nayyirah Waheed, had mentioned this quote above, reminding us that sometimes we just need to take a breath, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start over when we're ready again.

I suppose it'd be courteous to explain my future disappearances or infrequencies in posting something as well. It'll probably be a month or so before I finally manage to get back up on my feet again. I'd just like to state the reason to this temporary pause concisely, and give a time frame for my expected return. I want to ensure that readers are informed and (hopefully) look forward for future posts. 

Apologies for the long wait and this short post. I may check in once in a while, and I'll be looking forward to your updates as well. Finally, a blog is nothing without its readers. I'm grateful for all. I'm so appreciative of all the support that has been given, and I'd like to thank God and everyone for having this creative part of my life. 

Until next time ♥

Lettering + Photo by me

Five Reasons Why Superheroes Are Superb (Guest Post)

This is a guest post written by 'Amira. She'll be writing about the reasons to why people love superheroes and despite the fact that they're fictional, they're still important to us. I've always admired superheroes and their fellow counterparts, whether it's from DC or Marvel, and 'Amira, who is also an avid Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) fan, will explore the reasons to the hype in this new, trending league of superheroes in the media today. This post can also be found on Medium.

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The stories of Superman, Batman and well, all those other people with extraordinary abilities in tight-suits have been told and retold through generations. So it’s no question that they were a part of our lives once (or still are, for that matter). But have we ever stopped to think why these heroes and their stories have resonated so much with us?

Just the other day I was watching a TEDxTeen talk by an editor of Marvel Entertainment, Sana Amanat, and she was sharing why she loved the X-Men. Growing up, she never felt like she could fit in. But soon she learned about the X-Men and how they had mutated and enhanced genes that gave them superpowers, which was “the coolest thing in the world.” She could relate to these mutants because they were different. They were just like her. And this brings me to the first reason why superheroes are superb:

1. They are human.

Okay, I know some superhero fans out there are going to start screaming, “What about Barrions? Asgardians (alien species in the DC and Marvel universe respectively)?” and so on, but what I’m referring to is their humanity – that altruism that never fails to shine through. That is the fundamental virtue about being human. We look out for one another. We form healthy relationships as the basis of social intelligence. We show love. We show kindness and all values in nature that make us human. What superheroes do encompasses all these acts of humanitarianism – they protect the innocent and they save the world. And as cliché as this sounds, they are our role models.

This is not to say they are perfect either. As the saying goes, “To err is human.” So there’s a second reason:

2. They make mistakes.

In the comics and their stories, I’ve noticed a necessary element in their characterization: flaws. And how is this superb, you may ask?

These little hiccups in their personality make them effortlessly human. And they embrace these imperfections and learn from their mistakes.

Even more so, these superheroes exist in an imperfect world. There is never a balance of war and peace. But when they do bring peace, they also present hope on the other side of the spectrum.

3. They represent hope.

A classic example of this is Captain America. He was created in a time where people had much to lose – their loved ones, their home. What Captain America did was give them a form escapism as well as unity and hope amidst the World War.

And it is difficult to recognize that when we were young and watched superheroes like Spiderman every Saturday morning. All we cared about was how good beats evil and how these extraordinary people save the day. But there is still so much about superheroes that we’ve missed as kids, including the fact that,

4. They have an alter ego.

An alter ego makes them more appealing to children because it is a primary need in one’s early development. In self-psychology, it is defined as ‘the desire to feel alikeness to other human beings.’ Of course, we couldn’t have pointed this out when we were kids. Psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan provides a common example of this desire to mirror: ‘The child who strikes another says that he has been struck; the child who sees another falls, cries.’

So it’s almost as if these double lives of our favourite superheroes have influenced us subconsciously, but positively. They succumbed to that primary narcissism we had as a child.

And the fact that we grew up with these characters makes them all the more superb. The same answer to this lies in: Why are decade-long franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars so successful?

5. They have a compelling journey.

American scholar Joseph Campbell defined the narrative pattern ‘Hero’s Journey’ as the backbone of modern literature. It is a recurring theme of ordinary people being called upon extraordinary circumstances. We subscribe to a character’s inspiring adventures on a personal level, but as superb as they are, these are not our stories.

One of my favourite poets, Rumi once said: 'Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.'

Have a great week everyone,

‘A.

Photo + Lettering + Illustration by Dian

 ____________________________________________________

'Amira is a contributor to Wattpad, where she publishes her books 'Storms and Other Short Poems', 'Speculum' and 'The Avocation' online, with over 10k reads since October 2014 and more than 1000 votes. She enjoys reading, writing and videography.

Wattpad is a world of free stories - a writing community which users are able to post articles, stories and poems about anything. The content includes work by undiscovered and published writers. 

Check out a snippet of 'A's second and third book 'Speculum' and 'The Avocation'. 

The Loopy Doodles Series: Creativity

"I'm not creative," a friend had said. Some classmates and I were in the midst of a school project, and this had happened a few years ago. We had been discussing how else to approach a particular problem in the project. "Sorry, I'm just not that good in these kind of things."

It was merely a claim disguised as an apology that she had put upon herself, and I paid no substantial attention to it. However, further down the road of experiencing relationships and interactions with others, patterns emerged and I began to recognise that more people had begun to say the same thing. "I'm just not creative."

Admittedly, it could be just an excuse for refusing to give a significant contribution, but it was also a confession of a destitute soul. These people were actually underestimating themselves. Being creative is the natural order of life. We are all born creative. You are. Everyone is.

We're never uncreative just because we don't come up with the best ideas. We look at things from different vantage points. We always have ideas to suffice, regardless how intricate or elaborate. The most important thing to realise about creativity though, is that it takes a lot of courage.

This image is an animation. Click to play; image will play in three loops before stopping. Reload page to repeat animation.

Don't we ever feel assuring to be in a place of stillness each time we take a familiar path? Don't we just love where we are, where our feet is planted steadily on the ground? But imagine the possibilities if we just took another step forward and think out of our deep, dim box. This isn't about risks. This isn't about being dauntless. It's just about having faith in ourselves.

I decided to commence digging for ideas beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone and explore new ways of this form of expression. It did take a little more audacity to decide on coming up with a new series, to change things a little bit from the usual.

With this, I'd like to introduce a new lettering collection, called The Loopy Doodles Series. It's a monthly series of moving drawings with lettering. They'll mostly be in the form of GIFs, and the drawings + lettering will be shown in an animated loop, just like the one above. I also appreciate the help from my twin for helping me in coming up with its catchy name. I'd love to hear thoughts about this series as well, so improvements can be made and I can learn along the way.

In hindsight, we all have the ability to generate potent innovations. Let's not let fears rob us of the most valuable entity that makes up who we are - our ideas.

Until next time ♥

Lettering by me, Photo by me
Find me on Pinterest for more lettering work.

Freebie: The Route to Imperfection

I took days to figure out what to write about. I wanted it to be perfect. Flawless. It'd be a staggering feat - one that can take this from teetering on the brink of mere steady progress to its breakout success. 

By the end of the week, stacks of drafts had filled my desk, and I haven't come to a resolution. It's just not perfect, I thought. Perfection. We'll be damned if we can't figure out its magic formula. 

I had sprawled out my brushes to hand letter various pieces over and over, only to make more mistakes, and setting me back in a fray. And after more unsuccessful attempts to create an impeccable piece, I reluctantly accepted the hard truth - perfection was clearly insurmountable. 

The reason to why the formula to perfection is so 'magical' is because it doesn't exist. We strive so hard for something that's clearly unattainable. I'd set out to create perfection, cracking my head before realising the only way to be perfect is to be imperfect. And the only way to be imperfect is, quite frankly, to be fearlessly authentic. 

After much thought, I made a wallpaper for myself that I'd like to share to remind all of us not to be afraid to just be ourselves. It's the yellow brick road to flawless imperfection. 

download in three colours

Version 1 // Baby Blue

Phone (Android/iPhone) 1080 x 1920

Laptop 2880 x 1800

Desktop 2560 x 1600 / 1280 x 1024

Version 2 // Navy

Phone (Android/iPhone) 1080 x 1920

Laptop 2880 x 1800

Desktop 2560 x 1600 / 1280 x 1024

Version 3 // Black

Phone (Android/iPhone) 1080 x 1920

Laptop 2880 x 1800

Desktop 2560 x 1600 / 1280 x 1024

Everyone is seemingly, shamelessly, attempting to appear perfect, especially in this digital era. In social media or even being around others - we swallow our sour concoction of pain, weakness and fear, peddled on the promise of appearing just completely defectless to the universe. However, it is these flaws that makes us unique. 

Authenticity is a human attribute. To be authentic is to accept our little flaws. Simon Sinek, a trained and inspiring ethnographer, mentions: 

"Great leaders are not the strongest, they are the ones who are honest about their weaknesses. Great leaders are not the smartest; they are the ones who admit how much they don't know. Great leaders can't do everything; they are the ones who look to others to help them. Great leaders don't see themselves as great; they see themselves as human.  

Great leaders don't try to be perfect, they try to be themselves. And that's what makes them great." 

I profess I'm not the best at creating lettering work, and regardless of any blows and criticisms, it's the best way to learn and try. People connect with humanness, authenticity, imperfection, and transparency. It's time we gather some courage to be authentic and show our imperfections. 

Until next time ♥  

Imperfect lettering by me 

Wallpapers created by Dian from The Happy Candle. For personal use only. Not for distribution or resale. Please link back to original post if shared. Thank you.

Check out more freebies here. 

Blackbirds

A few days ago, while I was in the train, I overheard a conversation of a man on his phone grumbling about how he despised this situation he was in. His thoughts were cold, and he saw the everything as raw and scorched. He kept talking about how worse it'd get in time to come. But before he hung up, he did say something interesting - "It's not going to get better. But I'll work on it."

From just that conversation, I discovered a few things. For one, he's clearly not an optimist. But he had an attribute that most people perceive they do - hope. I was adamant to find out more about this new understanding I was just grasping - there's a stark difference between optimism and hope. But what is it?

"Optimism is the way you think," my sister explained casually at the end of our ride. "It's thinking positive." She intended to explain more before I brought up the word 'hope', but she was busy responding to something important in her phone.

The notion occurred to me that perhaps optimism is an attitude. Hope on the other hand, is a belief, and it comes with a plan to do something about it. We think our future will be better than today. But hope is the belief in a better future and taking action towards achieving it.

We can be a pessimist and still be hopeful at the same time. We can be painfully annoying bleak thinkers, piqued by everything we see, but we can also take action to improve what's important to us, just like the man on the train.

Sir Paul McCartney wrote this beautiful song as a reaction to racial tensions escalating in the United States in the spring of 1968. Blackbirds were a symbol of hope and freedom meant for the black people's struggle in the southern states. 

The world has it's own new blackbirds, whether due to discrimination against another religion or mere refugees finding a place to flee. Many civil rights issues have been overcome last decade, but more have been cropping up, and all these people need is a little more than just optimistic onlookers for the world to have a sliver of hope.

Nothing's wrong with being optimistic. But when wishing on a star outweighs making a difference, when building pretty castles in the air surpasses making an effort towards our goals, and when "It'll get better" trumps "I'm doing something about it", we're simply not being true to ourselves at all.

I've been caught up a lot this week, chipping away at chores and being bombarded with an overwhelming quantity of to-do lists, having some slight issues with the scanner as well, but I'd like to continue writing one to two posts weekly about some observations and share some of my recent lettering work to inspire others. Sometimes, it's the littlest things that makes us realise the huge ones that we never really take to heart, and nothing is more liberating than to just write about it.  

The blackbird probably sees nothing but it's broken wings but she has hope, because she's well capable of flying. She should very well take her first plunge, because her ability to fly - the action of working towards her brighter future - comes when she least expects it.

Until next time ♥

Lettering by me, Photo by me
Find me on Pinterest for more lettering work.

Tagged: 'Sisterhood of The World Blogger' Award

I appreciate the nomination/tag for the Sisterhood of The World Blogger Award by Neal from Daily Diaries. I was given 10 questions to answer, mostly about books.

Attempting not to be a wet blanket, I used to believe awards nominations / tags like these with questions put up illusions. I don't suppose many will be interested in my answers, but it'll make one believe so. I never anticipated I'd ever get involved in it but it's definitely a beneficial method to connect with one another in the blogosphere. I'll probably just approach this as a compilation of mini book reviews and make this quick.☺

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(What is) your guilty pleasure? 

I feel completely rested when sleeping for long hours but it leads to such an unproductive day. I'm working towards obtaining a regular sleep cycle and having healthier sleep. 

(What is) one book you wish you could read all over again for the first time? 

I'd like to experience the thrill of reading Joyce Maynard's After Her again. It'll be fascinating to delve into the suspense of the book, while learning the identity of the murderer. Putting pieces of the crime and its suspects together as the protaganist approaches the answer she seeks all over again is indeed engaging. It will be more apt for one to feel exhausted after reading as if they've chased the perpetrator itself and followed the investigation. Having to read it once again to experience just the sudden excitement would be pleasant. 

(What is) the worst book you've ever read? The one which disappointed you the most. 

Ice Cream by Helen Dunmore is a book that consists of various plots and characters that I was confused with initially. First impressions are important when it comes to reading a book and Ice Cream had made the otherwise when it introduced it's mundane characters. Perhaps it depends on each reader. The reviews given on Goodreads were fairly acceptable, but I was disappointed when it wasn't as satisfying as expected. 

If books could talk, like actually talk, which book would you like to talk to? 

Some might have heard of this book. Scott Westerfield's Uglies is a science fiction novel set in a future dystopian world in which everyone is turned "Pretty" by extreme cosmetic surgery upon reaching age 16 (even males). Before they undergo the operation at 16, they are known as Uglies. It tells the story of teenager Tally Youngblood who rebels against the society's enforced conformity, after her newfound friends show her the downsides to becoming a "Pretty". They show her how being a "Pretty" can change not only your look but your personality. 

This book was up for the big screens but production was halted, so it's a shame, but it would be wonderful to be able to ask the characters about their feelings living in such a world that is in fact similar to ours, where beauty is venerated in our image-obsessed society. I'd like to hear the voices of those who remained an Ugly and escaped the operation and learn more about how they managed to navigate the challenges.

(What is) your favourite character from any book you've ever read? 

Najwa in Leila Aboulela's Minaret is one of my favourite characters in a book.

Minaret tells the story of the spiritual exploration of a young woman, Najwa when she is forced to leave her country, Sudan, with her family. Najwa is a determined girl whose family was initially privileged, but becomes exiled when her father is involved with the coup forces. Her family is taken into political exile in London, impoverished, where she finds herself in a quiet fortitude learning to improve on her faith. At the same time, she becomes a maid to a wealthy Sudanese family and meets Tamer, her employer's son. The two forge a friendship and a common bond in faith that will eventually blossom to something more. The book is also an insightful novel about a wink of the Islamic faith that the Western world are only beginning to understand. 

I find Najwa's experiences in learning more about her faith compelling. I admire her optimism despite the dishonour that had fallen upon her family, and look up to her strength and nobility after her father had passed. She is a great example of resilience in her spiritual beliefs in this multifaceted world. 

(What is) your favourite song, artist and band? 

We're Not Alone by Echosmith is the most played song on my playlist and my favourite song, Echosmith is my favourite band at the moment, but I get pretty interested in new bands quickly, so that might change.

Echosmith is an alternative + indie pop band composed of four siblings. Their album Talking Dreams brought a fresh, original vibe to the indie pop scene. We're Not Alone is an anthemic song that focuses on positivity and reminds us that we should always give a hand and support one another, finding strength through goodwill. It allows us to glean some morsel about life and reminds us to focus on our dreams regardless of any constant barrage that negates what we have done.

If you are writing a novel and you want to include someone you know, who would you choose? 

I would include two people I know - my twin and a good friend, who I've known since we were in secondary school when we were in Girl Guides. She has a unique personality that would make a rather likable character for the novel. 

What genre do you usually go for? Which is your favourite book outside that genre? 

Mystery and Crime has always been a genre I enjoy. A book that sits well with me in another genre, Fantasy, is perhaps J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. 

(What is) a book that made you cry after/while reading?

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is a perfect book to cry over, and although with much disgrace, I profess I didn't shed a tear while reading it, it did make me feel extremely sorry for the characters. However, I did tear up a little while watching the film. Hosseini is a brilliant writer who never fails to tug on the heartstrings of his readers. The Kite Runner is a beautiful novel exploring love and loss and its unfortunate turn of events is the most liberating feature of the novel.

(What are) your views on the Twilight movie or book? 

I believe every author has a different approach to writing their novel, and as much as a I'm not interested in books that are mainly based on romance, I respect Stephanie Meyer's decisions into making the book something that explores the desires, fears and frustrations of young adults, that in fact many can deeply relate to,  and eventually become a fan of.

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Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, photos by me.

I don't usually update my books here, but you can find me on Goodreads. 

Passengers

The truths in the world may be undermined because of me. Because of us. The world is so full of self-proclaimed professionals, yet here we are - bloggers or tiny voices in social media - giving away our most valuable 'insights'. Why do we intend to appear as experts? Who are we? 

After my apprehensive forays into this visual diary this holiday, I was attempting to figure out the reason to why I started it in the first place. It's the beginning of 2015, and before I step forward to continue this venture afresh, I wanted to contemplate on it's purpose and the repercussions I'm bound to inflict on others. Then, somehow by coincidence, I encountered a trigger that led to my explanation.

I was clearing up some of my old assignments and came across an excerpt of a book by Andrew Keen, an indie author. The book, The Cult of The Amateur, is about our liberal, user-generated, digital world. At risk of sounding like a mundane non-fiction psychological writer, this might actually resonate with everyone, bloggers or not.  I discovered a few points in the excerpt that was appropriate to ponder over about the consequences of blogging in the world.

"What the Web 2.0 revolution is really delivering is superficial observations of the world around us rather than deep analysis."  

"As former British Prime Minister James Callaghan said, 'A lie can make it's way around the world before the truth has the chance to put it's boots on.' That has never been more true than with speeding, freewheeling, unchecked culture of today's blogosphere."

In short, Keen was explaining how truths are being undermined and professional work are undervalued by user-generated information like blogs. In that assignment, I had to decide if I agreed with him, and at that point in time, I carelessly did. I was too narrow-minded to realise that there were people who were frustrated with Keen for mocking the human race and being a luddite. Keen assumes the entire world is foolish, when even the most shallow of us can judge the validity of the facts on '.org' and '.blogspot.com'.

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor who lived long before the birth of our virtual network, but he did mention a quote that seemingly describes this infinite cyberspace.

Perhaps truths are not entirely being undermined because of blogs. Perhaps as much as there are countless of user-generated information out there, people know what to trust. They are their own appointed arbiters of content and they make the decisions on what to believe. They decide whether they intend to shield themselves from the cacophonous media environment.  

It's really crowded and noisy in here, but let's think for ourselves and continue to keep an open mind. We have the ability to make our own decisions on what to trust.

Besides, the unmapped network of blogs or YouTube videos play a string of discordant voices. All gets lost in this virtual insanity. But it's vital for identity development. 

Sites with user-generated information like blogs, allow us to 'perform' for others and take us on a journey of self-discovery. This was explained by a psychologist, Danah Boyd. Facing a mirror to reflect on our own performance, we 'perform' to attain the reactions of others, while making an audacious move to expose ourselves shamelessly in the process. Maybe this answers the question to who we actually are. 

We're passengers of a plane to that distant island of Approval, clad with just a shifty passport. We're in an airport passing a series of counters, checkpoints after checkpoints, to garner that mere ticket of Acceptance. We're living in the digital age of egotism and the search for recognition, parading itself as mere socialisation. 

Some might agree, but you know, you can't trust me either. 

Lettering by me, Photo by me. 

This post is about the consequences of blogging and why we still do.

Mixtape 02: The Glow of Nostalgia (Guest Post)

This is a guest post written by my twin sister, 'Amira. She will be compiling a mixtape that features the best songs of 2014, ranging from indie, alternative to the amusingly fun bubble-gum pop.

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It doesn't hurt to look back. There's a funny thing about nostalgia - as much as we think it's a sense of longing for whatever's in the past, it ends off a strong note of gratification. And that's what makes it so...endearing.

This 2014 we have seen history being made time and again in music, with U2 releasing their latest cut Songs of Innocence to all iTunes users for free, Taylor Swift’s pop package 1989 selling more than a million in its opening week and the boys of One Direction making their fourth number one album on the Billboard. But these are just the headliners – we mustn't forget the some fresh faces in the industry as well as some gems in the trending indie music scene. After all, it’s the diversity that makes music a universal instrument. Let’s dive into our best 2014 list of songs.

25. The Hanging Tree – James Newton Howard ft. Jennifer Lawrence

24. News – Freddie Dickson

23. Let It Go – James Bay

22. The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES

21. The Heart Wants What It Wants – Selena Gomez

20. Fool’s Gold – One Direction

19. Yours – Ella Henderson

18. King of the World – Young Rising Sons

17. All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

16. I Won’t Let You Down – OK Go

15. Compass – Zella Day

14. You Are In Love – Taylor Swift

13. Medicine – The 1975

12. We’re Not Alone – Echosmith

11. In Time – Kris Allen

10. Broken Frame – Alex & Sierra 

09. Budapest – George Ezra 

08. The People – Nina Nesbitt 

07. Rollercoaster – Bleachers 

06. Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

05. Bridges – Broods 

04. Geronimo – Sheppard

03. Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde

02. Iris (Hold Me Close) – U2

01. Ink – Coldplay

♪ Spotify  ♪ YT

So there you have it - the best of 2014. We seem to be engineered to move forward all the time. Now hopefully some music will change that because in the blur of everything, we can't deny that there'll always be that looming glow of nostalgia. Just embrace it, before it evansces with the climb of the sun.

Peace out,
'A

Photo by 'A

____________________________________________________

'A is a contributor to Wattpad, where she publishes her books 'Storms and Other Short Poems' and 'Speculum' online, with over 4000 reads since October 2014 and more than 500 votes. She enjoys reading, writing and videography.

Wattpad is a world of free stories - a writing community which users are able to post articles, stories and poems about anything. The content includes work by undiscovered and published writers.

Check out a snippet of her first book 'Storms and Other Short Poems' here.  

Freebie: Collecting Moments

Our hurried lives in the competitive world has painted what seems to be a mundane portrait of the universe. It appears to be an unpleasant piece, but in fact it's beauty lies in the acknowledgement that it is exquisitely abstract. Some see graceful light rays on the little corners of the canvas, carefully splayed, others see a mere stroke of paint. It's just like the little details in our lives.

People tend to think of life as nothing more than calendars after calendars - days, months, years. We fail to see that life is pleasantly punctuated with instances of joy. It's liberating to be in the realm of the setting sun, chirping birds in the morning or just being around smiles of loved ones. These are the little things in life meant to be relished. Let's appreciate that life consists of moments. For if we fail to see them, the daily struggles is what's left in our eyes. Perhaps this should be a mental note for writing the upcoming new year's resolutions. 

I wanted to make something special to motivate myself to commit more resiliently to any new resolutions. Since I had my eyes plastered to the computer screen more frequently to edit photographs and lettering this holiday, I decided to make a personal wallpaper with a reminder. I scrawled up some water colours and pens to the drawing board and set my mind to inspired-mode.

So, here's a little gift I'd like to share - a wallpaper for our gadgets to remind ourselves to enjoy the little things in life. I profess that my work may not be completely pleasant-looking because I'm really still learning lettering, but I'd just like to share it with others so that we can improve on ourselves together.

Phone (Android/iPhone) 1080 x 1920

Laptop 2880 x 1800

Desktop 2560 x 1600 / 1280 x 1024

Let's also note that enjoying the little things doesn't mean to sweep our slip ups under the rug either. We remember the good things that matter but that doesn't excuse us from forgetting our trying times, because it is these disasters and disappointments that admonish the pessimistic thoughts that lurk at the back of our minds and allow us to think - if we can make it through then, we can make it through now.

Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, Watercolour Illustration by me

Wallpapers created by Dian from The Happy Candle. For personal use only. Not for distribution or resale. Please link back to original post if shared. Thank you.

Awaiting The Aftertaste

Have you ever tasted the best candy ever, or maybe just any of your favourite foods, and you love it so much that you chew it, so slowly, sucking the little bits of it, so that it takes just a little longer to be digested in your mouth - just because you want the taste to last forever? And it just gives you such sorrow that regardless of how slow you intend to digest it to let the moment last, that tasty treat will inevitably dissolve into millions of tiny bits that enter your digestive tract, gone. Just after a few seconds, the zest dissipated almost delibrately, and what's left is just your empty mouth. It was merely a temporary sapidity.

Nothing lasts forever, not even the strongest taste, and this December seems to be just like that. Perhaps a little like the ampersand - "&".

After my unproductive post-prandial lament with my twin about finishing the last spoonful of ice cream, I scoured The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to identify the perfect description of this feeling - the feeling of enjoying the last essence of a taste, something like savouring the small bit of ice cream but finally losing it again.

So after scrolling and browsing through countless of words and descriptions of irrelevant desires and moments, I finally found the perfect word.

kairosclerosis n. the moment you realise that you're currently happy - consciously trying to savour the feeling - which prompts your intellect to identify it, pick it apart and put it in context, where it will slowly dissolve until it's a little more than an after taste.

I was doubtful that I could ever find a word, and in fact the word I found puts my situation in a more complex manner than I initially thought. It's not just about savouring the last bit of food/drink - it's about the savouring the satisfaction/happiness that comes with it.

December is a month celebration, whether it is due to the ever-so comforting abatement of examinations or just looking forward to the year-end holidays to spend with loved ones. It's a month of reflection and deliberate self-blandishment - to comfort the soul that what you did this year was right and that everything happened for a reason. We look past regrets because we accept that it is too late to return and we move on to celebrate the good times left.

Apologies for this lengthy post.  I just wanted to say that the mixtape was actually about savouring the last (hundred) hours of the year.

Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, Photo by me 

Mixtape 01: Savour The Hour

I finally decided to come up with a mixtape just for fun for the last few days of December. It's just a compilation of hearty songs, because the mix is all about taking the time to enjoy the remnants and the last sweet delights of the year. It consists of upbeat tunes and pleasant warbles to take a journey through the festive month that will come to an end swiftly. Ranging from happy tunes to solemn vibes, this mixtape is perfect for a ruminative + festive December. 

01. Must Land Running - Stepdad
02. A New Feeling - Alphabet Botanical
03. All of the People - Panama Wedding
04. Say It Just Say It - The Mowgli's
05. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
06. Last Forever - Fenech-Soner
07. Paris - Magic Man
08. O - Coldplay
09. To Build A Home - The Cinematic Orchestra
10. Every Breaking Wave - U2

♪ Spotify  ♪ YT

And before each petal finds its way floating to the ground, let's enjoy the beauty of this rose while it lasts. 15 days of 2014 left, 16 more to go. I'll probably keep more of the mixtape details in the next post to keep this more concise.

Until next time! ♥

Photo by me

Every Breaking Wave

“Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.” 

― Walt Whitman

It's been two weeks since the major examinations are over, and all the leisure time I spent watching television and lazing around seemed to have blurred the dusty image of the nearing future. I have three months until the return of the results from Cambridge, and as far as it appears, that fateful day will inevitably come. I hope to embrace this fleeting life to the best I can.

Recently I decided to take up hand lettering as a hobby. I'm probably an amateur, but my attempts at it also serve as an encouragement for myself. The lettering of quotes or short phrases now fill up my time, and it dawned on me that this hobby somehow allows me to contemplate about life and understand how blessed mine is. I'm planning to update blog more seriously, and maybe attempting some other part-time jobs at the same time during this hiatus. I hope to share my lettering work with others. Perhaps I'll share book reviews and design ideas in this little space as well.  

At risk of sounding like a prissy 18-year-old after having a ruminative period, I do realise that now that we have all the time in the world, it's not about what we can do. We can do whatever we want. It is the decisions that we will make - the countless choices we have - that are most vital. We are our choices. There are innumerable opportunities and setbacks we've yet to face. It's going to be a thrilling adventure - wave after wave.

"Every breaking wave on the shore, tells the next one there'll be one more."

Though every wave will meet its end when it breaks on shore, there'll always be another wave following it.  As much as I'd like to think it's over, it's not. Our school days might end for the rest of our lives, but there's just so much more things to face - and these opportunities or challenges will reach all of us just as quickly and repeatedly as these waves reach the shore. Maybe all we have to do is embrace it and prepare ourselves for any possibilities of a tsunami.

As much as I enjoy lettering, I'd like to keep it as a form of 'play', and leave other things I enjoy for my daily grind (whatever it is, I haven't actually figured it out yet). Embarking on lettering and design has helped me understand what I intend to do for leisure and work. And like most people, I still worry about the future - where will I go, what will I be, how will I get there - but I'd like to stay positive and believe that regardless of any difficult times, we'll find strength in one another together through mere goodwill. After all, it's up to us whether we want to chase every breaking wave indefinitely.

Until next time! ♥

Lettering by me, Photo taken by me