The Journey for a Journey

I find myself at a crossroads. An intersection of various paths, each leading down different roads on diverse vehicles. I ask myself the cliche question: where do I go?

I've always loved projects. The process of generating ideas, filling them out, making a plan, setting deadlines, putting my mind to work, and building. Various projects have come and gone from my life, from novel-writing to painting to woodworking to fitness goals and self-improvement. All of these were journeys, but they were treks to the peak of a mountain, singular and finite. Although the path to the top was often grueling, with many setbacks and trials, I knew there was a goal at the end. There was something to work toward, be that a finished manuscript, a pair of workable stilts, or a new sense of self-confidence. Mountain peaks are an end. Rather than only climbing to a summit, I want to travel through a mountain range. I am searching for a journey without an end.

In the past month, I have finished writing the second draft of my novel. As the result of an impassioned month of word-vomiting in November, I created a sloppy first draft that I was relatively proud of and a piece worthy of the dispassionate editing that would follow during December and January. Being a traditional-medium book, it was the product of my longstanding commitment to writing. While this book offers many outlets for me to improve upon as a project (as I will have several more drafts to come), it is a mountain-peak project. It has an end. A bound and printed, sitting on a bookshelf, end. It is an end I plan to pursue, but nonetheless, an end.

I have had several ideas cross my mind for future projects, such as board games, films, pieces of sculpture, etc, and I am trying to sort through which of these will be bound or unbound, finite or infinite. For several years I have wanted to program a highly complex variant of chess. As a result, I have been learning computer programming to one-day fulfill this. In satisfying this, no matter how long the process to complete, it will have an end. I have drawn out loose drafts of scripts and screenplays, and have played with video-editing software in the hopes of eventually creating a masterful piece of film. While this goal may not be as reachable today as I had originally envisioned, the final destination for this work will be death--the end of a project. I have practiced painting and drawn out designs for furniture or ideas for sculpture, and even after pursuing and completing a handful of these, I know that any pursuit of them will terminate in a finished product, an end. Yet again.

Therefore, I am on a journey for a journey. A quest to find an ongoing project. Something that savors the trek and envisions no end. Perhaps I wish to grow and foster a relationship, be it emotional or mental, for the sake of ongoing growth and development? Construct a passionate courtship with an idea and strive for continual movement. I want something that replicates life. I want to enjoy my quest, as I strive forward with no predetermined end, as that is death. Ergo, what can I continue to build throughout my life? A journal? A photo album? A daily video recording?

I keep a journal of ideas, and plan to write at least 15 minutes everyday, but this is a practice akin to brushing my teeth or eating. I am inconsistent with taking photos and find this process to be meaningless and unrepresentative of life. Things like Instagram have created a universal portfolio for the world to share these similar snippets of instances. It won't do. How about videos? I have seen an ingenious work created by taking a one-second video daily and compiling the quick flashes over time to create a film of one's life. This is simple and brilliant, and something that should be surely spread to others as a form of self-preservation. I plan to try this general idea out, but I am not sure if it is what I am looking for. The relationship I seek with a project is something that can fully engage me over time, something that will require more than a second a day.

It is difficult journey to find. The process of seeking this journey will result in an end, an end to a new beginning of a never-ending journey. But where will I find this path? It is hidden and I have much ground to cover.

So I seek.

Average is Dangerous

Is it possible too think to big? I didn't think it was. You three didn't think it was.

Why do you tell me that sir, that I think too big? What is too big?

Does it mean that you do not understand it? Does it mean that you do not believe in it? Does it mean that you are confused by it?

It hurts that you think I think too big. Isn't that what you want of this generation, to think big? If I was to think too small, I would be lazy and incompetent.  But when I think too big I am overly ambitious and crazy. What do you want of me then? To be somewhere in the middle?.....To be the average?

Well sir, I will tell you right now that average is not good enough. Average is dangerous.  Average is old fashion. Average is not fun, creative, determined, excitable, extravagant, innovative, unique, alert, diligent, or purposeful.  Average is boring.

I will not waste my time with you telling me to be boring. Leave me to my crazy thoughts and ridiculous determination, and maybe one day, one day, you will see that I am right and you are wrong.

I wish you luck sir, as you travel through life. I hope you have an average one.

Wunderkammer as a Book

Thylias, if you haven't explored this website already, I really think you should take a look at it! (Not that everyone else wouldn't enjoy it too, I just thought Thylias would really appreciate it.)

http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/13.2/topoi/delagrange/index.html

It explores how new media and digital media can be created and advance various rhetorical techniques, while also comparing them to the Wunderkammer, or the curiosity cabinets used long ago.

Thinking out loud...

I want my book to change the way people think. 

I want my book to change the expectations of my audience.

I want my book to touch at least one small part of their soul.

I want my book to engulf them, not just be something to look at.

I want my book to tickle their 5 senses. 

I want my book to translate a strong message.

But I am struggling with the idea of the actual execution!... 



...Wait. Epiphany moment. When we read books, if we get into it enough we feel as though we are inside the story, living through it in a sense through our imagination. So what if I take out the middle man. What if I create a space where the audience IS inside the book. The space is filled with words all over the walls the furniture the floor, the puzzle pieces of the story all around them. They are literally inside the book. But not only that, I use subtle sounds to make those inside the book believe that they are hearing the sounds from this book, this world. I use subtle images projected on the words to make those inside the book believe that they are seeing the images from the story.

Manipulating psychology is one of the best forms of using art to change perspectives. Once, my family was at an art museum in Boston and we were walking around. We got to a certain exhibit and my mom sat down for a moment on a bench that had a pot with a flower on it. After a few minutes, my mom came up to me and asked "did you hear that?!" "What? Hear what?" I said. "Something just said 'HELP ME'" she said. "...What?" I said. I thought she was crazy. It was after a few minutes of her saying that she kept hearing it, and doing a bit of investigation work that we discovered that the flower she was sitting next to had a hidden microphone and was saying "HELP ME" in a very quiet high pitched voice.

This piece of art totally tricked all of us into thinking that my mom was crazy and was hearing things, and made her question if she really was crazy and hearing things. I think I can use the sounds and projections in the same way...make the audience believe that the "book" they are "inside of" is giving them images and making them hear things, making them believe they are really inside this story.

Just ideas...floating around my head...never ending...still not sure of what I want the content of this "book" to be...those thoughts haven't made their way into words yet...

Love, The One, Soul Mates.....

Soul Mates, The One, Love, Being in Love, Falling in Love.....with these words what do we think of?  Most of us would probably think of a significant other or person in the world we can be physically and emotionally connected to and have a relationship with.  For me I would automatically think of being swept off my feet by a man and being able to share myself emotionally and physically.  But are there other types of The One? Do we only think of it as someone we have a physical and emotional relationship with, or we want to marry and have kids with? Does it only have to be that?

What if The One or our Soul Mate is not what our society has programed us to think of.  What if The One or Soul Mate is your mother or father, your child, a brother, a grandmother, a sister, or a best friend? What if being in love is the relationship between a brother and a sister, a mother and child, or two best friends?  Sometimes there are people who never find what we typically think of as The One,  a person who you fall madly in love with and share your life with in a relationship.  It's sad to think of, but some people don't, but that doesn't mean they didn't have The One.  That person could still be right beside them, they just don't think of them in that way. It could be their mom, father, brother, sister, aunt, cousin, or friend.

If you think about the criteria for ASoul Mate or The One it would be they love and understand you no matter what, they don't judge, they support you, they make you happy when you are around them, they push you and believe in you, there is complete trust and honesty, they understand you better than you understand yourself at times, they would die for you.  What out of all that criteria is something you would not have with a mother or father or brother or a best friend?  The only thing that is not present is the physical part, but thats different form the emotional part.

I guess what I am getting at is we shouldn't limit how we think of love or our soul mate.  We should take a  look around, and we might actually see how lucky we are,  we might realize we do have a Soul Mate and The One in our lives, and is that awesome to have that person with us.

One of the scenes and lines I love from one of my favorite shows and I think its completely true :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ-PzM4WnAI

I was HERE.

"I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that, meant something that I left behind
When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember, so they won't forget"-B. 

Dean Mitchell

Here is a painting done by Dean Mitchell.
He is an african-American figurative artist who works with oil and water color, and
became very well-known for his work in the late 1950's.

I came across his work today and was truly touched by his words.

I am documenting him throughout this journey because of his story.
He grew up in a poor neighborhood as well and was very concerned with
the spirituality of human beings (currently my concern). He did not see skin color,
nor class, or stature. He saw people through his heart. With an unfailing love,
he was able to touch the masses not only through his art, but through
his love and by that he had drawn so many from all different races.

He is one of the few artist that I admire.