shadowysharktidalwave

[shadowysharktidalwave]

"Manifest"-ing Growth.

"If you don't know What port your sailing to, How do you know the wind that will take you there?"

After ruminating the past few days as to how I would not only like to structure this send off but also what sort of picture I have painted on this page, I came to find that I had laid out something different than what I had expected. I had initially planned on writing about how important it is to analyze art to analyze the human mind not only as a collective, but as form of looking inward and self reflecting. And while I stand by that and I feel like I could go with that prompt considering blog posts like "No color Needed" and "Change" which explored my experience with art, more specifically abstract art, helping, almost forcing me to think deeper to not only understand the piece, but myself better, I believe that I accidentally wove something with a bit more personal meaning that I feel needs to be summarized a bit more eloquently. From my very first post "Taking Flight" on my blog I have discussed growth and I continued to discuss those themes throughout this page in post such as "Feng Sui" and "Workin' on a Good Time". What I found looking back on these post was me describing my self improvement efforts and their successes such as learn how to keep my space clear such to keep my mind clear as discussed in "Feng Sui", however this was not the only thing I found. I didn't realize this at the time of writing the post, but "Wrokin' on a Good Time" seemed to almost be a warning signal to myself that I was slipping again.

Growth and self improvement is an extremely slippery slope and not enough people discuss the pit falls of this journey. I Am guilty of this too, even on this blog in fact. In my "Photo Album: Inspiration" (Which was ironically the inspiration for this manifesto funny enough) I detail my journey through the different inspirations through my life as I discovered that I had to grow from the trials i was faced with, or else the consequences would truly become insurmountable. And by doing so I Painted growth as an all saving, all be it difficult, fix all.

How ever, when looking back at "Workin' on a Good Time" I noticed something. I was getting absorbed in this go go go mentality. It's great to work and improve, but just like training a muscle, you need to rest to grow and improve efficiently, otherwise you'll just burn out.

Ironically I talked about this very concept in the post "Serenity" when analyzing a statue right out my biggest inspiration's office, my mom. She is the hardest working person I know and I strive to not only be like her, but to one day surpass the bar she has set. The post "Serenity" was sort of a collaborative effort in a way, we had discussed that statue in the past and how meaningful it is not only to the doctors and patients, but to her specially. The statue serves as a reminder of better days to come, and despite all of the chaos that may be going on around you, it's not only ok to stop and take a break to recover, but it is necessary.

"Workin' on a Good Time" reminded me of my unhealthy obsession with improvement and work. I cling to it like a drug, or a child how has long out grown there pacifier but refuses to move on because they don't know life without it. I talked about how improvement and working all but saved my life when I became homebound from seizures and offered me a away out and to gain control over my life again in my "Photo Album: Inspiration" post. But I've noticed over the years that work has because my pacifier. When things get hard, I can run away and hide in work. I'm being productive after all, work is getting done and grades/ my bank account is improving. But this in reality often results in being not more than purposeful procrastination.

Though it may sound silly, sometimes it's harder to just rest. And Serenity helps serve as a reminder of that. To rest is to stop. To stop is scary. But as discussed at both the end of "Photo Album: Inspirations" and ironically "Workin' on a Good Time", we have to face those challenges. That where we get to grow, not have to grow. And I feel that's important to point out.

You are going to be faced with these challenges either way, the only thing that we can control is how we handle it. And most times, we handle it poorly, especially if it's a really difficult challenge or something we've never prepared for. This is where pulling back and reflecting on what we did well and what we did poorly comes into play. This way you can identify your weak points, set a goal on as to what to improve next time, and most importantly, rest.

You have to take yourself out of the challenge to see the whole picture, and if your still in the thick of it, it's near impossible not to become tunnel visioned. But staying in the thick of it feels good funny enough. "I don't want to run away anymore", I've done that and it only makes things worse, so of course I'm gonna stay here until the job is done, right? Well, if you don't know which port you're sailing to, how do you know the wind that'll take you there?

You have to be able to have a finish line. A finish line is the goal at the end of the race, but it's just that. The end. That doesn't mean keep going, that means stop, rest up, and while you rest thank so time to ruminate on your performance. Did you get the task done, how well did I do, and what could I have done better. And more importantly than anything else, acknowledge that you you overcame a challenge and be proud of that. It most certainly was difficult to some degree, and you over came that instead of running, well done.

That last part is what I am most scarred of when I think about it. It becomes hard to accept that you did a good job when you are scarred of failure, but that is just another challenge you get to climb.

But to tie it all back to my first, and possibly favourite post this semester, "Taking Flight", we have to face those hard and scary challenges. If we want to fly, we have to jump off of that proverbial cliff and get back up and do it again, adapting each time to fall again yes, but fall better this time. Because after learning to fall well enough, you no longer will be falling at all, you will fly. And just like Bagon, You are just a baby flightless lizard, but with time and endurance, You to will become a dragon soaring amoung the stars.

So rest up, go fall, and take the time to rest up and ruminate, I know you too will be able to to fly. :)

[shadowysharktidalwave]

A Starry Night

I know that his isn't really the most niche peice to choose for theis interpretation, and that this has been done and said before. So I want to make this Ekphrasis a bit more personal.

I was drawn to this piece at first due to it colors. I live in a heavily light polluted area nowadays, however that wasn't always the case. Back when I was growing up (I still and growing up) and was very easily engaged, we lived far out in the country where there not only wasn't much to do, but there wasn't much light pollution. This coupled with what I now know to be insomnia, led to me often looking up above at the great beyond, getting lost not only in my own thoughts, but also getting lost among the stars.

I found comfort up there, not only in our own physical world, but the virtual one as well. Some of the most influential games that i grew up playing also took place here. The notable difference despite conveying a similar atmosphere was the color palette. These piece's often used a wide array of colors not typically found in the night sky to really make it feel like something special was out there.

And the Piece 'A Starry Night" By Van Goh uses a similar strategy .By using a sharp combinations of warm and cool colors, he creates a sense of warming intrigue within the night sky that he has created. The city below ends up feeling small dark, and quite frankly, cold. By actually being small compared to the symphony of stars above, as well as being cast in dark cool colors near exclusively, the city gets to convey a sort of stillness as if though everyone is asleep. This makes the sky full of bright elegant stars above feeling like something special, like something you're not really supposed to see.

You are not supposed to be here. And yet, it calls to you and welcomes you. You know that you should be asleep. You know you have to wake up early tomorrows and deal with your responsibilities. And yet, the sky continues to draw you in with it's warm safe colors. It's as if though it's saying, It's ok, you can rest now. Nothing else matters in this moment but enjoying the perfectly orchestrated symphony above. The city is still and quiet. There are no responsibilities right now but to reflect.

This piece made me feel just as i did all those years ago looking up at the sky, and I thank it for reminding me to stop, and enjoy the stars again.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Ascension

We live in a fast paced world. From 10 second tik toks to Instagram's meme flashes, most of our entertainment has devolved to become as face pace and attention grabby as possible. Often this comes at a detrimental cost considering that most of this content doesn't give itself enough time or room to further expand on it's premises ad flesh out it's world.

Ascension Bill Viola takes some of these attention grabbing concepts but actually fleshes out it's concepts, but not in a traditional way. The video starts off with a man jumping into a pool and making a big splash, making a lot of noise, almost startling the viewers. But from here on out the video only consists of noise from the echo of the initial splash.

From here on out it is extremely slowed as we watch the man continue to sink further and further until finally Slowly beginning to rise back towards the surface. Another point to touch upon is the point of contrast between the surface from which the man jumped down from and the day abyss below. The water beneath that the man plunge into is pitch black, creating a sort of "sinking" (haha) feeling in the viewer. This lack of both visual and audio context adds to a sort of eeriness carried out through the video.

I fond this interesting especially considering the lack of context, as that was the primary attention holder, which is very impressive considering the lack of stimulus on paper. On paper, there is very little sound on visual flair after the initial plunge. on paper i should scroll away after a few seconds on no change. But I didn't. The composer did a great job of grabbing my attention and making me ask what is going on here with said initial plunge, but even more importantly, the more you look into it, the less answers and more questions you begin to ask. Why is this guy jumping in the water? Is he even jumping at all? He is tied up after all. And why is it so dark if above is so light? Is this water? Or is this a highly elaborate metaphor for Satan(man) being kicked out of heaven(light above) into hell(dark water) now shackled to his new found duty(shackles/tied up) of be the punisher of all sinners for the rest of eternity. I may have taken a bit of liberation with the last one, but it is entirely possible given the lack of knowledge, allowing for the viewer to pounder and formulate their own ideas and stories tailored to them, almost like a certain abstract art piece I've discussed earlier on this page. They use a lot of the same light dark contrast and lack of context after all.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

To Be or Not To Be

No, I am not discussing this scene. That would be far to easily and quite frankly, Cliché. Instead, I would like to look at the end of the play. More specifically, the final hours of the play, Act Five, Scene 2: A Hall in the Castle.

In this scene we witness the duel in which Hamlet faces of against Laertes, and both are stabbed and subsequently poisoned, killing them both. As Hamlet is beginning to fade away, He askes Horatio to carry on his story, both subsequently immortalizing the story, and acting as dramatic irony for the audience, because the play they just watch was the story that Horatio carried on for Hamlet.

PRINCE FORTINBRAS And call the noblest to the audience.  For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune:  I have some rights of memory in this kingdom,  Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me. 

HORATIO Of that I shall have also cause to speak, And from his mouth whose voice will draw on more;  But let this same be presently perform'd,  Even while men's minds are wild; lest more mischance  On plots and errors, happen. 

PRINCE FORTINBRAS Let four captains 380 Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage;  For he was likely, had he been put on,  To have proved most royally: and, for his passage,  The soldiers' music and the rites of war  Speak loudly for him. Take up the bodies: such a sight as this  Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.  Go, bid the soldiers shoot.

  A dead march. Exeunt, bearing off the dead bodies; after which a peal of ordnance is shot off.

This is toward the end of the play, in which we see Horatio relay the message to Prince Fortinbras, as they both begin to set up and plan how to relay Hamlet's story on the stage, while both mourn over the death of their friend.

I specifically like the line,  "Even while men's minds are wild; lest more mischance  On plots and errors, happen", as it shows that while both are obviously distraught with the death of their friend, they want to make sure that they tell their friends story accurately as to honor him by telling them the truth. So they act swiftly and thoroughly, thus beginning to plan the story and quickly prepare as to avoid plot errors in the words of Horatio, as is the propose of the line :"On plots and errors, happen", in the sentence above, essentially meaning that the emotions of of those responsible for recalling the tale will muddle the truth f what had happened, and with further muddle the truth with time, Ergo the haste that Horatio is calling for being necessary to accurately recall the tale of his friend for the sake of persevering Hamlet's due honor.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

The Serenity of Scenery

Note* I couldn't find the movies so I chose Dragonball Super Super Hero's and the Five nights at Freddy's movie. I choose these wo as one, I have seen them both relatively recently, and more importantly two, they are excellent examples of scene structure in every category. The first film I would like to discuss is that Five Night's at Freddy's film.

The five Night's at Freddy's film follows Michael Schmidt as he gets a new job as a night time security officer to look better in court as to maintain custody over his little sister. Things quickly go array as the repeating nightmare of Michael's little brother begins to change once entering the pizzeria and the mystery of the animatronics is revealed. (spoilers) The animatronics are also dead kids like Michael's little brother and hijinks insue. Michaels little sister comes to work with Michael and this ceases any further assault on Michael for the time being as the animatronics are reminded of both themselves and Michael's dead little brother when seeing Michael's sister.

And this is where the scene I would like to discuss comes in to play. The "fort scene" as it has been dubbed online is is rather controversial with fans of the series. Most people make jokes along the lines of " FNAF was the friends that we made along the way" in a mocking tone to the film, and use this scene to exemplify this fact. And this distain is often rooted in wanting the film to have taken a route more akin to a retailing of the narrative of this scource material.

But I feel as if that was the entire point of the scene, to show that this is different. A different narrative, different style, and a different feel. See, up until this point the movie felt like a typical horror film. A quick intro showing the dangers a ahead, and a slow climb for our protagonists to encounter these horrors, even with another example of what these monsters were capable of.

And yet the fort scene comes right when the audience would expect that horror to occur, Michael's sister has wondered off and Michael chases around the dim abandoned building, only to find her surrounded by these monsters. And Michaels sister says to Michael that they are her friends, and Michael is hesitant. The Monster's do not like Michael, but are tolerant of him as they like his sister.

And this fort scene's purpose is to build these character relationships whilst also giving more depth to these monsters as not just monsters, but to remind us that these are just kids at the end of the day. Kids that lost their childhood because they were killed. They like Abby, just wanted to have fun and build a fort wit their friends.

And this de-escalation is done amazingly through lighting, perspective and camera angles. The lighting has only been getting darker through out the film up until this point. And Trough out the scene these screen slowly begins to get more and more illuminated by the string lights until the end where there are all together with a warm comforting glow enveloping everyone in a circle.

The perspective and cameras angles are also a huge factor in portraying this change in relationship dynamics. Up until now we have only ever looked up at the animatronics, viewing them as bigger and more powerful than us. And over the course of the scene the angle progressively gets higher, with the middle of the scene we are at eye level with them, and this is also conveniently the time that we begin to see their expressions soften as the accept Michael as no longer a threat, but a a friend. At the end of the scene when they are all laying the floor in a circle looking up from the floor at the ceiling of the fort, we the viewers are now looking down at this group, and are "above them" giving us a sense of control, and helping drive home that they are small children, and that viewing angle helps us no longer see them as towering monsters, but as these small children.

Now a much more lighthearted film is dragon ball super super hero's, and I wanted to pick this film because of how similar the principles that were used from a lighting an perspecscitve were, as the same ideas were used, but into achieve nearly the exact opposite feeling in the viewer.

Dragon ball Super Superhero's follows Piccolo and Gohan trying to stop the Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 Androids, and then these two unlikey groups come together to stop a force far greater than themselves, Cell Max.

Now, This is another property that relies on some prior knowledge of the franchise top properly appreciate. But Piccolo has been essentially sidelined from the fights due to power scaling over the years. This is made painfully apparent as Goku and Vegeta, the only to people strong enough to deal with the androids are off on another planet and are unable to be contacted. So after barley fleeing an encounter with Gamma 2 due to Gamma 2's arrogance, Piccolo goes off to find Gohan, who while having the most potential out of anybody else in the universe, has been supposedly slacking on his training.

Piccolo seeks out to find Shenron to fully waken his power, and since Piccolo made Shenron many lives ago, shenron's soft spot grant Piccolo a little extra power

Cut forwards to our hero's facing off with the Gamma's and they are kicking their buts kicked. The sun is shining and it almost would seem that we are to be rooting for the Gamma android based of of composition, with the bright and colorful atmosphere and the choreography always having us look down on our hero's. But has Piccolo get knocked down a dark cliff and we watch him fall down the abyss, we watch his power get awakened. Piccolo jumps from the cliff, landing in front of Gamma 1. Piccolo Towers over Gamma 1 in his new form, as we the viewer look up from essentially Gamma ones knee height, with Piccolo taking up nearly the Wole frame, looking down on Gamma 1. This shot perfectly encompasses and prepares both us the viewer and Gamma 1 for how powerful Piccolo has become, and the beat down that is about to go down.

After said beat down occurs, Cell Maxi a waken. Cell max Kills Piccilo, and we once again looking down on him, to show that even in his newly powered up state, it's over. We lost. Hard cut to a distraught Gohan, us looking down on him. With the realization of what has become of his master, an enraged and vengeful Gohan reaches powers of unseen heights. The camera quickly pans down and around Gohan, ending around foot height looking up at him, to give the viewers a sense of that we are merely at Gohan's feet given his power, and that he is above us in every way.

Another note is that with this transformation, He was so powerful that his power alone conjured up a storm. This changed the atmosphere from the sunny light heart sparring match essentially, to that of one where It was time for the business. Some one is going to die, and it's not going to be Gohan.

It's interesting How the same film strategies can be used to conjure up completely different feelings in the viewer, even if used almost in the same way, only with a few minor changes.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Photo Album: Inspiration

I initially was hesitant to begin this project. I have been debating all week as to what I should choose as a unifying idea for this album. Most of the pictures on my phone are just physique update pictures to analyze and better tweak my training. And eventually I looked at that silly little Bagon figure on my desk and felt a little spark of inspiration.

I want this album to be a collection of items that I hold dearly and represent stories that have helped shape me and more importantly who I aim to be. I've gone on this ramble in regards to my little Bagon before. Bagon can not fly. It if not in his genes. But Bagon, similarly to one of my favorite bodybuilders Tom Platz, refuses to be a victim to it's genetics. Bagon threw itself off a cliff day after day, until he willed his genes to change, and he grew into this powerful flying dragon. It may be a simple metamorphosis story told over and over again, but the time in my life that I really needed to here this. I played with my Salamence(Bagon's evolved dragon form) and would retreat to him as everything in my life changed. And for a five year old kids whos whole world was ever changing, having that pillar of strength gave me hope. I want to go through that metamorphosis as well and hopefully become that strong person who can over come the impossible.

These two games were the vessels I used to get through this time of change. I would run away and hide in these worlds. I had no control over the outside, but here I was a hero. I was challenged and I had to get better. I got to learn, I got to over come the challenges, I got to be the hero. These games were all I thought about and all I wanted to do. Not as much because they were fun, but more so because they made me feel safe.

Broly on the other hand is almost the opposite of Bagon. Brolly was born a fighter, a monster even. His strength is incomprehensible and was a danger, so he was outcast. Even when he was found he was forced to fight and was seen as nothing but a sort of Neanderthal, a tool to help those around him. But if you look under the hood Broly is a soft and gentle giant, another typical architype. But he snaps when others force him to, less out of rage, but more so out of lack of control. I have non epileptic seizures that are caused by a glitch in which an over abundance of stress. I remember being told I wouldn't be able to do anything because of this condition due to the fear of those around my that I would "snap". But I got through it, and like Broly, I found my way of control over this through training, both physical and mental.

This was my first protein tub I bought on my training journey. I am in pretty dang good shape now, but back then I remember being that fat kid with seizures who couldn't go outside because of that disease. I shut off from the world. I thought. I analyzed. I learned. And I trained. I did this on repeat. I had nowhere else to go. No one else to go to. But I could train. Training was the only thing that I could do to feel anything. I cherish this tub because it reminds me of that kid. What he went through and what he did for me so I could be ok. I'm proud of him, and this tub is just a nice reminder of him.

This pen's story is not yet finished. I have created several pieces of animation that I am proud of yes, but I feel that it is only the beginning. I want to keep learning and improving everything behind my animation projects, especially the science and scripting. I love it, it feels like when I first began training, I have a new challenge with limitless opportunities to learn and improve, and I am excited, inspired even, to create more and finish this story.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Workin' on a Good Time

Everybody's gotta work on something. Whether that's your actual occupation, studying, or even yourself, it's usually made easier or dare I say even more enjoyable if you can listen to some music and take yourself to different and often times better place. But you can only dream about your get away to Margaritaville for so long before that fantasy almost makes it worse, almost like a metaphorical carrot on a stick you keep chasing but know deep down you aren't actually going to get, or at least not any time soon. Sometimes you wanna feel like your not alone and other people are going through what your going through. And that what this playlists centers around, people working and the work life in general. Starting off with the inspiration for this playlist,

Country song -"Dirt on my boots" by Jon Pardi. This is a song at a medium paced tempo that follows the narrator just about to get of work and reap the rewards of his labor with a much needed night on the town with his lady. This song is a nice and positive song, mostly focusing on a fun upbeat vibe, perhaps even hopefully, as if though all of that working was worth it now that he can have some much needed fun and relaxation.

For the pop selection, I opted to go for "Working for the Weekend (feat. bbno$)" by MAX and bbno$. Despite being the pop selection, which you may think to be inherently positive and fun, this song has a bit of a slower tempo and a sort of melancholy surrounding its message. The song follows the two musicians talking about how they keep "working for the weekend" but never actually take the time to enjoy the fruits of their labor like Mr. Pardi from the previous song, instead asking if they keep on working, will somebody "scratch their back"

For the Rock/ Metal pick, I opted to choose the song, "Looking Dow the Barrel of Today" by HateBreed. This is song has a fast paced tempo and has a similar sort of theme to the previous song. This song focuses on never being able to sleep in metaphorical concept as "that's what it takes to be the best". This is a common theme through out HateBreed's music, with this being on of the more on the nose examples of having to all but exclusively work in order to achieve your dreams, even at the detriment of everything else, including sleep.

As for jazz, this was a more difficult choice on account of not having lyrics. So in the spirit of the free nature that jazz is often associated with, I opted to go of of the "feeling" of the song, and ended up electing to chose a classic jazz song. "So What" by Miles Davis is a long song, with a very slow and relaxing tempo through out. The tempo does change through out the song, but never really breaks out of that slow tempo motif. The reason I elected to choose this song in particular is I feel it perfectly encompasses the work day. The slow start feels like getting that first morning cup of coffee and driving into the office. And then once more of those brass instruments, specifically the saxophone pick up it feels as if though you have clocking and the work day has started. But once the instruments start to fade away and it goes back to that initial much softer and slower saxophone present at the beginning, it feels as if the day is ending and you are winding down. I really like the way the piece feels like it is telling a story through both it's tempo, as well as different uses of instruments. (This was actually the song I ended up listening to while writing this post)

As for the blues, I opted to select "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer" by Johnny Cash. I was bit hesitant to pick a song because I didn't think that I listened to the blues, but after researching I found out that I did here and there, and that Johnny Cash's music fell into that category. I had lumped his music into country, but it makes since that it would also be considered to be blues now that I think about it. This specific song I had never listened to, but it generally fast tempo, (though it slows here and there fore the sake of storytelling) had my tapping my foot the whole song. I really liked this rendition of American classic folk tale. I like the message of human heart and hard work. But if I'm being completely honest, the song just reminds me of my grandpa. He always listened to Elvis and was the hardest worker I've ever seen. The sound of the fifties blues style reminded my of Elvis, and John Henry reminds my of my hard working grandpa.

For my electronic pick, I'm going to be a bit selfish and choose a song that on it's own doesn't fit this playlist, however I hope you can here me out. "FIGHT!-Flyday Chinatown by Aests, Is a remix of a song "Flyday Chinatown", and follows a girl and a foreigner on a night out on the town. This Song has no inherit value to work, But to me I get the urge to go and be productive. The remix has a nice medium tempo and just a fun vibe, but given it was in another language, it made perfect background and study music. So I through it into my upbeat study playlist. This was also around the time I had to learn the entire pre-calculus course in a matter of four days in order to take all four midterms and final as to not fail the class and lose my seat in dual enrollment. And thus I had that playlist on the entire time, and though this may sound odd, I look back on that whole situation super fondly, as it was one of the only times I remember feeling like I had overcome in surmountable odds, and this song reminds me of that time of hard work and triumph.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Plotting: The Need for Mead

It's Friday after school, and I am walking home from class. The autumn breeze as begun to flow through the air and the year has begun to come to a close. With the holidays coming around the corner and wanting to celebrate the season of warmth and goodness, I want to try my hand at a new hobby, Mead making. Making mead seems like a relatively easy hobby, but I feel like approachable is a far better descriptor.

I first became interested in Mead when learning about anaerobic respiration in my biology class and found out that that was how alcohol was made. Mead uses this same process, and I thought that it would be not only an interesting little science experiment, but I would have some good gift for my parents for the holidays.

Mead is a traditional honey wine made by fermenting honey instead of grapes as the sugar, but some folk use syrup instead, it's all up to personal preference. And then once you mix your honey water and yeast, slap on that airlock and wait! Given a few weeks you can bottle up your newly crafted elixir and let it age as long as you desire.

By starting at the beginning of fall, I figured this would align perfectly to serve as homemade honey wine for Christmas. It's important to get high quality honey, as the flavors of the flowers the honey is harvested from bleeds into your mead flavor, so I grabbed a flannel, ( that fall breeze is starting to make things a bit chilly out there), and headed to a farmers market to get some of the best honey money can buy.

So I grabbed a few jars of wildflower honey from the local farmer's market and started heading home. The farmers market isn't all to far from home, so I opted to walk and enjoy some of the fall breeze, that isn't much of a breeze anymore. In fact, It's getting quite windy. Good thing I brought my flannel.

As I got to the gate of my house, I opened that gat door and- Crash!

The wind blew my flannel onto the gate and pulled my arms knocking the honey on the floor! I can't afford to buy anymore honey, it wasn't just the best honey money could buy, it was all the honey I could buy!

Luckily there was a coffee shop near by and given that it was really chilly out because of this wind, I opted to go get a warm cup of joe to not only warm up, but to recuperate from this mess.

As I was filling in the barista on my situation, I asked if he could put in some of the maple syrup into my coffee (I deserve it). After I asked him for the syrup, he turned around and handed me a half full crate of four bottles of the stuff.

I asked him if he was expecting me to put that all in my coffee, but he responded by saying that the owner knows I love the stuff, and since I was the only one that really buys it, they were going to switch it out for the seasons new pumpkin spice and give the rest to me! besides, you could you it after you lost all of that honey. :)

I couldn't believe it! I thanked him, left a huge tip, and took my coffee and newly acquired maple syrup home (flannel in the box with the syrup to prevent the same accident from occurring) and went to start making the mead right away before any more accidents could occur.

3 months later-

Its harvesting day, and the mead tastes great! I much prefer the maple flavors as to honey in general, and my parents love it too! It turns out that my mom is allergic to honey, so good thing she got maple mead instead of a trip to the hospital for Christmas!

Here's a picture of the bottle of maple syrup and flannel this story is based off of:

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Serenity

"Serenity" at Naples Community Hospital showcases a woman sitting down and enjoying the scenery. While there is no explicit purpose of the sculpture, I believe the sculpture's purpose is to slow down. The location is at the garden of hope and courage located at the downtown Naples Community Hospital. A lot of people come to this garden either before or after appointments, and given they are at a hospital, these people are often going through a very difficult situation, whether they themselves are sick, or if they are assisting a loved one in their time of need. That is where the Serenity sculpture comes in. It serves as a reminder to slow down and enjoy the scenery. The garden is there to give life and remind you that there are better days to come, and the sculpture helps direct folks towards that. The sculpture represents the community of nurses and doctors as a sort of pillar of stability for the patients. The patients rightfully are concerned and are easily able to spiral into a thought process of what if, and the sculpture just like the doctors and nurses reminds them that everything will be ok. The Sculptures triangle shape with the stabile base further emphasizes this point, as shape theory shows this shape helps represent stability and puts the viewer at ease. This is especially important as we have only been looking at this sculpture through the view of the patients. The perception of the doctors and nurses is arguably just as if not more important, as these folks often have to see this multiple times a day, and there way to and from work. The hospital and all of medical care is extremely hectic and stressful. So having this stable reminder to smell the roses can help the doctors and nurses to slow down and improve the mental health of the doctors and nurses. This is really important because as mentioned above, the doctors and nurses are a symbol of stability and hope. So by making sure that the nurses and doctors are stabile internally, it will help them be a stable figure for the struggling patients.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Change

"Strength of an Autumn's end" By Walter Van Tilburg Clark was a poem I found that caught my attention because I have missed the fall. I miss the colors of the leaves, the cool air, and the warmth of the holidays. So as a read it and was slowly greeted by the cold embrace of winter I was disappointed. I wanted to feel the warmth of autumn, but was left with the cold emptiness of winter.

And I think that's the point. Not everything can last forever, and the world is going to keep moving on, whether you like it or not.

The narrator does a great job setting this up using this metaphor, "Going down through the fire storm of trees burned now passing". This is the narrator noting just how fast autumn comes and goes. Just like a flame, the warmth of autumn burns bright, but just as quickly as it came it goes, leaving a cold memory of the fire that once burned, just like the bright leaves of autumn.

Throughout h poem he notes the burden of winter. The winter is the change. Our narrator does not want change, He wishes to be in autumns warm embrace. Yet, winter, aka change, happens whether he likes it or not.

And the final line is another metaphor, in which the narrator accepts the change. "I, remaining under the chatter of leaves, must die with the year." This lines symbolizes the narrators acceptance of change. The old him must die in order for him to adapt to the change.

I also want to point out how the author pointed out that the narrator must die with the year. I can't help but feel as if though this was placed here as if to symbolize that this isn't a one and done deal. This line seems to indicate that the narrator must die every year with autumn, therefore he must adapt every time there is change.

I feel this is a powerful message. We as people often don't want to leave the comfort of warmth or what we are used to. But just like winter, things change, and we change because of this. And I think that's the purpose of "Strength of an Autumn's end".

Change happens, and that ok. WE change, and that's not only ok but necessary. The poem is tying to not only encourage change, but give comfort to those that have changed, and I think that's beautiful in a way.

Link- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=43&issue=2&page=12

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Feng Shui

Composition is a term that we typically reserve for pieces of art. How did an another structure the pacing of a story, or how did a painter place the characters in and environment?

But rarely do we think of how our living quarters are composed. The composition of the room can greatly effect our mood and perception of the room.

Growing u I moved around a lot due to my parent's jobs. During the moving process my parents, more specifically my mom had to go house hunting. And since my dad was always gone working, I was invited to come along as a second opinion.

During these house hunting tours and the decorating process of our many different homes, I got to learn a lot about room and house composition.

One of the most memorable things i learn about was the importance of perceived space. We once lived in a house that was approximately double the size of the current place we live in. However, our current residence feels bigger due to the layout being designed around openness.

The house with double the size felt closed and cramped due to all of the walls separating the rooms, even when they weren't necessary. There was a renovation that we had considered that would remove the wall separating the kitchen and dining room so that way we could actually achieve that openness we craved.

Unfortunately we moved before we could pursue that renovation, but the future homeowners actually had the same idea and removed the wall. This completely transformed the house and how it felt. There was more natural light available, making the room feel more alive, and everything flowed seamlessly from one room to the next.

Our current house was built in a similar fashion to the modified previous house, with the kitchen dining room and living room all being connected.

All of this talk about openness and space could seem like the more open and connected the better, so why not have one big connected room? And that was a question a had asked myself for a few years until I found out about Feng Shui and learn more about space.

Growing up was fortunate enough to have my own room, but it took me a long time to properly utilize the space. I use this room as a bedroom and home office. There's not much room if you look at it on the surface, but by employing some of the technique form Feng Shui I have achieved a space that feels open while still providing mental separation from work sleep and relaxation.

And I believe that this separation was the intent of the walls in the big house, they wanted to hide the stress of the kitchen from the relaxation meant for the dining room. And while I agree that that is important, there was to much sacrificed on the space to achieve the relaxed dining room and kitchen, causing the house to feel more cramped in the end. And on top of that the separation led to us moving the table to the living room area, as it was connected to the kitchen, leaving the dining room to not even e utilized.

What I'm trying to say is there is a balance between spaciousness and separation. To closed off and now the house is cramped. To open and now there is no way to distinguish what each room purpose, and therefore feeling is. And Feng Shui is named after this focus, translating to wind water, meaning the flow from one room to the next. Things have to flow seamlessly without compromising the integrity of the other.

I was able to achieve this in my room by relegating spaces visually. My bed is raised and has a rug underneath, creating a commanding position and visually separating it from the rest of the room. I also changed it so that it is no longer directly looking at my desk, as now I am facing the window, helping signify the bed is for rest, as well as helping have natural light to wake me up.

The desk is facing toward a wall, with organized open shelves on either side, so that way it directs my vision away from the rest of the room and onto my computer when in my chair, making me feel like I'm in my own little work only pocket room.

I have also made the room as open as possible to avoid that dreaded cramped feeling. I used to have the bed in the center, but I lost almost have of the room because the room on the far side of the bed wasn't being utilized, and visually the room look stuffy since the bed was now essentially taking up 3/4 of the room, rather than its 1/4 it realistically needs.

By altering the location of these items, I have effetely created two room in one, while maintaining the open feeling nessacary for a clear metal state.

[shadowysharktidalwave]

No Color needed

I am not particularly found of abstract art. I don't have anything against the medium or anyone who enjoys it, I simply recognize that it typically is not for me. I enjoy something that feels like it holds more structure, typically in the form of a story or a structure.

Abstract art seems to be more provocative of raw emotion rather than an idea or train of thought, and I can appreciate that. I like of how pieces like "Black Untitled" by Willem de Kooning unitize sensa to create a feeling in the participant.

What I found myself appreciating more was how that emotion was created. I specifically choose a monochromatic piece as I felt I could best understand the piece. Most abstract art often feel to overwhelming, and not in way way that feels like it was intended by the artist. "Black Untitled" on the other hand made me feel overwhelmed, but it felt intentional. And far more important than that, I still felt like I had room to breath.

Whether you focus on the white or the black you can receive a completely different message. And I think this speaks to how well the painting utilized space and shapes. If I focused on the white and brought it to the foreground, as I did with my initial perception, I get a sense of over whelming dread, like the world (black) Is almost consuming me and the my chaotic thoughts (white).

On the inverse If you focus on the black I felt like I was looking at the beginning of that swallowing, with the black dread tying to overcome the white in the bottom left like a title wave.

And if I stich between the two, focusing on the black in the foreground then switching the white to the fore ground, I create a story in which I can witness two perspectives, one from a spectators point of view in which the outside world is overwhelming and consuming a person, and another in which I can gain an integral perspective by bringing the white to the foreground, thus understanding of the persons view in which the outside world has consumed them and They are struggling to hold on.

This capacity for story telling allowed for someone who typically is not fond of the medium to enjoy an exceptional piece of art. However, I have understated the role balance and proportions played in the storytelling of this piece.

The overwhelming capabilities of this black color would not have been possible is the painting hadn't utilized it's proportions so well. By relegating the majority of the white to the bottom left portion of the canvas, Willem de Kooning creates a since of unbalance. This may sound bad on paper, but the lack of balance in the traditional sense is integral for creating that sense of uneasiness.

We naturally like symmetry, and is something is of, it's going to beg us to investigate further, just as it did for me. The sense of unbalance made me ask why, and then I began to find a story in which chaos drove someone mad.

I really do appreciate this piece. I like how it made ask why. Most of the time when I look at abstract art I think "what?", confused why this is considered art. However, "Black Untitled" by Willem de Kooning made me want to dig further until I figured out what was going on. I have never had that with a piece of abstract art. While I still stand by my sentiment that abstract art isn't for me, I can most certainly understand why people enjoy it. It is fun to ask why and feel like you are uncovering a story.

Link to the art- https://www.tumblr.com/shadowysharktidalwave/726207684092755968/no-color-needed?source=share

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Taking Flight.

Today I would like to touch upon a piece of art that I hold very dear to me. While rather unconventional, and most folks may not even consider it a piece of art upon their first examination of the piece, I find it to perfectly encapsulate a lesson that has guided my philosophy and drive throughout my past few years.

Bagon is the first Pokémon out of the Salamence evolutionary line. Bagon's only dream is to fly. The pokedex notes that All he does every day is is jump off cliffs to try and fly, no matter the fact that he lacks wings. Bagon cannot fly, and yet he try's any way.

It almost reminds my of the Greek myth of Sisyphus that has gain notoriety in recent months in the form of memes. Sisyphus is a man trapped in in eternal torment, forced to push a boulder up a cliff that inevitably in moved back to the bottom at the end on each day. Sisyphus knows that he cannot ever reach the top, and he will be stuck for ever pushing this boulder. Bagon knows he cannot fly. And yet they push forward, and keep trying.

the tale of "the indomitable human spirit" is as old as time. We don't give up. We will do the impossible no matter what it takes. And Bagon's story was the rendition I grew up with.

Bagon unlike Sisyphus, actually over comes his odds. Bagon's will was so strong that through his efforts he overcomes his genetics and evolves into Shelgon, a cocoon preparing for his true final form, Salamece, the dragon flying type with big red wings, who is the only Pokémon that can naturally learn fly. Despite not having the genetics and all of the odds being stacked up against him, Bagon can now fly.

I was gifted a Salamence by my cousin. I clang to that Pokémon through many early years, and when life got tough I found shelter in those games. And as I grew older and found out about the story behind my favorite Pokémon, I loved him even more.

So much so that my room and computer is now littered with little Salamence memorabilia, my favorite being my recently acquired Pokémon Moods: Bagon Hopeful Figure.

This Figure shows Bagon at the aforementioned cliff preparing to jump. Knowing he is not able to fly naturally, He does everything in his power to fly by tying balloons around his waist. (the same balloons that allowed no other previously flightless Pokémon, Pikachu, to fly) And we see Bagon raising his arms and gaze raising towards the sky, ready to embrace the sky.

I keep Bagon at my desk. Being the only thing not work related at my desk, I have him there as a constant reminder that despite the odds, I too can one day fly.

-My Bagon figure

[shadowysharktidalwave]

Shark of the Arts, (First Post)

I chose this name because the @shadowysharktidalwave was my randomly generated user handle, and I figured the of the arts aspect was relevant to the discussion of the different types of art discussed here. Also it rhymes:)