#The Art of the Everyday: Finding Beauty in the Ordinary

[thetcdptimes]

The Language of Connection and Laughter with Friends

Friendship, a cornerstone of human connection, often thrives on grand gestures and shared adventures. But today, on "The Art of the Everyday," we'll turn our attention to the quieter and loud moments with friends, the seemingly mundane interactions that create a beautiful symphony of connection.

You know those Sundays that bleed into Monday morning? The ones where you lose track of time because you're just having the best day with your crew? We're lost in our own little world, bathed in sunlight. Magazines and empty chip bags litter the couch like confetti, a testament to our afternoon feast. Half-finished knitting needles poke out from a forgotten project, a silent promise to pick it up "later." The only sound that matters is the low hum of conversation punctuated by explosions of laughter. Every few minutes, a story gets embellished, sending fresh waves of giggles rippling through the room. This, right here, this warm fuzzy feeling? This is the kind of friendship that makes even Mondays feel a little brighter. It's not the polished kind, but a symphony of snorts, guffaws, and maybe even the occasional tear rolling down a cheek.

This seemingly ordinary scene holds a captivating beauty. The comfortable silences between words speak volumes about the depth of your connection. The shared laughter, triggered by an inside joke or a silly observation, is a melody that resonates with joy and understanding. There's an undeniable beauty in this shared laughter. It transcends words, creating a sense of belonging and understanding that goes deeper than any formal language. It's a universal language, understood by friends regardless of background or culture.

The symphony extends beyond words. Forget fancy speeches, the real magic of friendship happens in the quiet winks and nudges across the room. It's a secret language only you and your crew understand. Sometimes, just being there, without a word spoken, says everything. You know what I mean? Like that time we all huddled together, wordlessly devouring pizza after a brutal exam week? Or that impromptu living room concert fueled by questionable dance moves and even worse singing? Those everyday moments, the ones that might seem ordinary to outsiders, are the threads that weave the beautiful tapestry of friendship.

Even the most mundane things can spark epic laughter with friends. Remember that time we got the giggles over a spilled drink during a movie night? Or was that inside joke born from a nonsensical comment during a study session? Those little moments, they erupt into laughter that binds us closer than any fancy vows.

Friends are the alchemists who turn the ordinary into gold. They can make the most boring tasks feel like an adventure. And that laughter, man, it's the secret sauce that keeps the friendship strong. It builds bridges, stores memories in the vault of our hearts, and reminds us to cherish life's simple joys. So next time you find yourself howling with laughter with your best buds, take a beat. That, right there, is the magic of friendship in its purest form.

Blog post by Philline Ann Grace R. Lacaron | BSMA - 2

[thelifeofchuckmovie]

The Life of Chuck: Mike Flanagan's Masterpiece

Mike Flanagan leaves horror behind to make his most moving film yet. A reflection on ordinary life that turns out to be extraordinary, driven by an unrecognizable Tom Hiddleston.

Chuck Krantz dances on a suburban American sidewalk. Around him, the world is crumbling—California has no power, the roads are cracking, the internet is dying. But Chuck dances, and suddenly everything lights up. This is typical Mike Flanagan : transforming apocalypse into epiphany, turning despair into a springboard to grace.

With  Life of Chuck , the master of contemporary horror ( Haunting of Hill House , Doctor Sleep ) makes a radical shift that isn't really one. Because behind the jumpscares of his previous films already lurked this obsession: how to survive the awareness of our death? Stephen King explored this theme by writing this short story a few years ago, Flanagan has translated it magnificently to the screen.

The film lays its cards on the table from the start. Mystical, strange, fantastical, it is structured in three acts, in reverse chronological order, which only make sense at the end. Act one: Marty Anderson ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ), a teacher, imperturbably awaits the end of the world, which is likely imminent. He notices advertisements on TV or on buildings featuring a mysterious Chuck... Who is he? And what does this have to do with the Apocalypse that is unfolding there? Act two: A few months earlier, the Chuck in question, a very serious accountant, starts dancing in the street. A young stranger decides to join him... Act three: Chuck is a child. He lives with his grandparents. His depressed grandmother finds joy only in dancing, a passion she will pass on to her grandson... But what is hidden in the strange attic room? And why is his grandfather so obsessed with math? We won't reveal any more. Suffice it to say that Tom Hiddleston embodies Chuck with stunning accuracy – far from the mischievous Loki, he confirms that he also knows how to be an actor of incredible delicacy. His improvised dance sequence, filmed like an everyday miracle, rivals the finest moments of La La Land . But if Hiddleston is magnetic, we know that Flanagan has mastered the art of choral casting to perfection. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan perfectly portray a divorced couple facing collapse, Mark Hamill surprises as a New York Jewish patriarch, and each appearance of the director's loyalists (Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli) rings true, this cinematic family that he has built for years finding here an ideal setting.

But it's in his direction that Flanagan strikes hardest. Each shot exudes a luminous melancholy, each cut weaves a web of striking temporal echoes. Eben Bolter's photography caresses as much as it disturbs, the Brothers Newton compose a score that grabs the guts. And the director captures nostalgia with visceral urgency. For The Life of Chuck speaks of the passing of time and memories that haunt us. Flanagan could have fallen into sentimentality, but he avoids the trap thanks to a clever narrative construction and disarming sincerity. When Chuck, as a child, discovers musicals with his grandmother, we sense the hint of facile emotion. And that Whitman quote—"Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself. I am vast, I contain multitudes"—which had left us speechless suddenly takes on its full meaning.

With wild grace and ambition, Flanagan delivers a mainstream version of Charlie Kaufman's mental delusions; a It 's a Wonderful Life for apocalyptic times. And in a period when mainstream cinema seems to have given up on truly moving us, Life of Chuck stands out as a salutary UFO. A film that dares to say that dancing in the street can save the world and, better still, succeeds in convincing us. Chuck is dead, we all die. But above all, the film reminds us that it's beautiful to be alive. Life of Chuck will be released in theaters on June 11.

[elilelibeli]

slight nsfw: Reg just has some filthy realizations about James

Sirius nagged and nagged “Regulus you have to hang out with my friends” and “Reggie come out with us” and “go with us to the party” and the answer was always an eye roll and a firm no, until Sirius put his foot down (he literally physically thumped his foot like a toddler) and forced Regulus to go with him to the lake.

This is how Regulus found himself on a big rock, under the sun surrounded by trees on a warm Saturday afternoon. It started with fishing, he obviously did not participate (he would rather die than touch those sluggy bait warms thank you very much) but Sirius and his usually very, very loud friends kept quiet to not scare the fish away so at least that was a nice start of the day.

Fishing lasted all morning until it was unbearable to stay under the sun without evaporating, so James declared that section of the day done and quickly jumped into the lake. Soon enough boys all joined James in the water and the quiet portion of the day was unfortunately done. There was lots of splashing, lots of yelling, jumping and water wrestling after that.

Regulus continued to bask under the sun, switching from listening to music, reading or sketching in his notebook. He only went under water when boys went to try jumping from the further away cliff. The nap after cooling down at the lake was one of the more incredible ones Regulus had taken, so he wasn’t too happy with being woken up.

The boys had returned and brought all the buzzing noise with them, laughing while rustling through the picnic baskets and bags.

When Regulus opened his eyes he saw James with a plate full of fruit between his legs. James was laughing at Peter and Sirius trying to find something in the bag, until he grabbed a peach and took a bite.

Now Regulus had seen art, he had visited world’s best museums, he had been to galleries, exhibitions. He had seen ballets, operas, performances. He had seen them all but what he was seeing now was beyond any artistic ability to express.

Biting of a fruit shouldn’t have been as beautiful, it was something so ordinary something everyone did, however the way James’s fingers curved around that peach or how his lips plumped around the fruit was so far from the ordinary it would be a disrespect to hang it even in the Louvre.

Regulus had also seen porn, he had read it too. Obscene descriptions, filthy scenes. He thought he had encountered the most lustfully attractive moments before, but the way the sweet, sticky drop of the perfectly ripe peach rolled down from James’s lips to his jaw was the most profane and knee buckling thing he had ever seen.

His eyes stuck on that drop, transfixed as he watched it slowly, oh so slowly travel down on James’s neck, slide from his collarbone to his nipple. Oh what wouldn’t Regulus give if he could just follow that drop with his tongue. Now, that was the path he would happily follow everyday. The drop was almost mocking him now, touching James everywhere Regulus realized he wanted to touch, his toned, beautifully, beautifully sun kissed stomach. And when the drop neared the line of James’s hips, at that divine curve Regulus’s stares became so intense James’s probably felt them burn holes through him and looked at Regulus.

“Hey Reggie want some?” He asked waving a peach with a big chunk bitten out of it and smiling that big shiny smile of his.

And Regulus did, oh how he wanted not just some but everything. The droplet of peach now forgotten but forever highlighting the desires of poor, breathtaken Regulus.

[adorablediscoveries]

Artist Reimagines Everyday Objects in Unexpected Ways

Rediscovering the magic in everyday life, Italian artist Diego Cusano—also known as the "Fantasy Researcher"—transforms ordinary objects into imaginative illustrations with a playful twist. Whether turning a snail shell into a helmet or reinterpreting a chicken as Maleficent’s horns, he continually finds unexpected ways to reimagine the world around him.

A lifelong fan of surrealism, Diego's passion for fantasy began in childhood and evolved over the years. "Since I was little, I enjoyed drawing imaginary settings. While studying at the Academy of Fine Arts, I created a fantastical city, and over time, my concept of fantasy deepened. I realized that seeing reality through a dreamer’s eyes allowed me to uncover different perspectives. That’s how my artistic style was born, and it's been an incredible journey for over 12 years," he shared.

His unique approach has attracted major brands like LEGO and Barilla. When asked about his creative process, Diego explained: 'Every object has its own uniqueness. I observe it, turn it over in my hands, and analyze it from every angle. Through imagination, I decontextualize it and transform it into something new. By now, it’s second nature—just like drinking a cup of coffee.

Beyond their visual appeal, his works evoke joy and wonder. When asked what he hopes people take away from his art, Diego said, "I want to bring a sense of serenity and happiness, especially in today's world. I also hope to inspire people to pause, observe, and realize that shifting perspective can reveal unexpected beauty in life’s challenges."

His creativity thrives on curiosity and exploration. "I travel frequently and love discovering new places and cultures. Music, films, and books also influence my ideas. Nature and animals play a huge role in my creative process as well. Maintaining a balanced lifestyle through good nutrition and physical activity helps me stay mentally and creatively sharp," he shared.

"Never stop learning, dreaming, and nurturing your talent. It’s your power, your unique gift in life—so take care of it."

[seokizaten]

Ink and His Visage [Kamisato Ayato] —⋆｡°✩

Chapter 8 — [previous] [next]

Series Introduction: Inazuma shines eternal, does that include the ordinary villager’s years of push and pull with the Yashiro commissioner?

Author’s Note: Thanks for taking an interest with my work! This is my first ever post in this platform and I’d like to spread my special appreciation with the man mentioned. I also am going to apply my love to my readers (although, excuse the angst) Love yourself always, queens! Hope you enjoy!

“Zhongli!” Y/N shouts as she waves while jumping, meeting the man whose ship from Liyue just arrived by the deck. “Zhongli! Here!” She calls, seeing the man get off the ship.

Zhongli then spotted her, walking towards her with a smile on his face. “Hello, friend.” He greeted. Y/N then excitedly gave him a friendly embrace. “It isn’t that much of a time since we last met, and you eagerly act like it’s been a lifetime.” He said, returning the hug.

Y/N then chuckled, pulling away. “I’m sorry, I am not the kind to be as busy as you so my time doesn’t fly that quickly. It is nice to see you again, then.” She said, noticing Zhongli’s eyes on her hands. “O-Oh, these are wounds from uhh… sword training. They’re not serious if you’re concerned.”

Despite wearing a long and elegant Kimono for the event, her bandages are still obvious. 

Zhongli hummed.  “I did not expect you to be in such activity, no offense, Y/N. I imagined you as a busy writer.” 

“It’s alright. Let’s go get headed! I’m glad that you took many lanterns with you, the ones Ayaka purchased from Liyue.” Y/N said, and they began walking.

“That is no problem. Transportation isn’t very affordable so I came up with a practical plan.” He responded. “So, you got lucky on the contract’s tour because of this festival, huh? I unfortunately only have a day, unlike yours, a week.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s luck, I’d say it’s fate.” Y/N proudly said. “But if you think one day of fun in Inazuma is not enough, you can always come back and find me.”

“Alright, I will.” He said.

It is the afternoon in Inazuma and the event is just getting started, everyone has been participating in stalls. Some are playing games, purchasing arts, and some are just walking around admiring the island’s decorations. 

Just like how they planned, the day is going very smoothly. There’ll also be a dance performance later by the evening, along with the Inazuman musicians. Thanks to the Raiden Shogun for approving everything, she is probably watching all of them from her temple.

Y/N wore a long and elegant purple kimono for the festival, putting her long hair up in a beautiful bun with a very heavy pin. Her fringe stays the same way as every time. It is actually obvious what colour she fancies the most, making it her remarkable colour most of the time.

She really made herself look beautiful today, not that she isn’t naturally beautiful everyday, but she put up so much effort this day to celebrate the very first festival she participated in. 

“So, Tanabata is the star festival as you would know. It came from the two lovers named Orihime and Hikoboshi, who were separated by the universe, and are only allowed to meet once a year.” Y/N introduced the festival as they walked through the streets of Inazuma City. “What we usually do is we wrap our wishes on bamboo, hoping by faith that they’d come true. Ayaka seemed to put a lot of effort on turning Inazuma’s interests in, which is why it is even more lively than when it was handled by someone else. She values the importance of the festival after all.”

Zhongli’s eyes wandered around the beautiful decorations of the island. He saw kids running with paper arts with them, people with different kinds of food, and performers in every corner of the island. It really is very lively today at Narukami Island. 

“Inazuma is a lot different than it was back then.” Zhongli said to himself.

“What do you mean? Inazuma has been the same for the past twenty years I’ve been here. The only difference is that Raiden Shogun no longer takes the visions of those who have them.” Y/N explained. “Why, Zhongli. How old are you?”

Zhongli then chuckles. “Older than your friend, Yae Miko.” He simply said and her eyes widened. “Why are you surprised?”

“Nothing, I thought you’re a human with a vision like others.” Y/N said and Zhongli chuckled. “So that’s why you know Rex Lapis, huh? Have you met him before?”

“I did, I know Rex Lapis more than anyone.” Zhongli states.

Upon reaching the bridge of Inazuma City, Y/N handed him a colourful piece of paper. “You can have as much as you want. Just write your wish and then hang it among the rest.” She said, pointing at the many colourful letters that hung on the bamboo branches. She then handed him a pen, and they both began writing. 

Hmm, what should I wish for? She thought.

She then smiled in an instant, writing on the paper as fast as she could. “There it goes!” 

I wish,

For Ayato to experience life.

It is the same wish she had on the xiao lantern given by Zhongli last time at Liyue, so it should be double strong now, huh? Growing up, she knew that the Yashiro Commissioner handled a very heavy job at an early age, preventing him from doing most of his desires.

So that’s her wish. Even though he won’t be hers, at least he is happy.

“What did you write, Zhongli?” She asked and peeked on his paper. “Uhh… I can’t read that. Is that your language at Liyue?”

He nodded. “Indeed, it is mandarin.” He said and showed the paper even more. 

希望吉田長大後能像她���祖母一樣

“Can you tell me what it read?” Y/N asked but he shook his head. “Aww, fair. You also can’t read mine anyways.”

“I can fairly read that you’re wishing for Kamisato Ayato.” He said and her eyes widened. Zhongli just chuckled. “It’s alright, Y/N. Come on, let’s hang our wishes.” With that being said, they both tied their wishes together by one of the branches. 

“There we go, let’s hope they'll come true.” Y/N said. 

“Mine would surely come true, I can see it from now.” Zhongli said with a smile.

Y/N then began examining the wishes of others. Some of them are wishing for good fortune, good health, longer life, and education. It seems like everyone’s wishes are actually bright, making her smile. “I hope they all come true.”

Although, her smile dropped when her eyes laid on one of the papers.

I wish for Yoshida Y/N to find love.

Her eyebrows knotted. “Zhongli, look. Someone wrote my name in their wish.” She called her friend who’s also reading other wishes. He then turned to look at the paper. “Why would someone wish for that? And who?”

Zhongli raised his eyebrows. “Why? Is your reputation here at Inazuma a lonely woman?” He asked and Y/N immediately glared at him. 

“Hey! I am not lonely. I am just waiting for a certain man.” She said and looked at the paper again. “Maybe it’s from one of my elder sister friends who’s been telling me that. But that’s odd, to write it in Tanabata. It’s like someone really adores me to that extent.”

She just shrugged and they started walking again. They reached a stall with foods and beverages, she then saw her invented drink not long after and excitedly pulled her friend. “Look, Zhongli! I made this drink recently, and re-invented it yesterday. It was approved by Lord Kamisato, I accidentally made it in front of him though, it was pretty embarrassing but it ended up well. So far, everyone seemed to like it.”

She picked one cup and handed it to him, while getting one for herself as well. It seems like Zhongli is intelligent enough to understand the sipping stick, leaving Y/N impressed. “Hmm, it’s fantastic. No wonder your… lover approved of it.” 

Y/N immediately made a face. “Kamisato Ayato is not my lover, Zhongli. I can get killed with that misinformation of yours.” She said.

“Oh, Y/N! I see, this is Zhongli perhaps, if I’m not mistaken?” A cheerful voice asked and Y/N immediately smiled.

“Yes, Thoma. How are you doing?” She greeted, “Zhongli, this is Thoma. He is Lord Kamisato’s dearest friend.” Thoma then bowed with a smile, waving as well. “And Thoma, this is Zhongli. He is my friend from Liyue, the dearest friend of the geo archon… like he said.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Zhongli said and nodded. 

A familiar face then approached Thoma, “Oh,” He said, with his eyes landing on the two. 

Y/N immediately bowed and greeted him. “Lord Kamisato, good afternoon!” Y/N said and Ayato nodded in return. “U-Uh, Zhongli, this is Lord Kamisato Ayato. He is the Yashiro Commissioner. And Lord Kamisato, this is Zhongli. He is my Friend from Liyue.” Y/N introduced the men to each other. 

They then nodded to each other. “So, you are Zhongli.” Ayato parted his lips to speak, and Thoma eyed Y/N who is fairly focused on their conversation. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, and Yoshida spoke a lot of good things about you.” He said, grabbing a cup of milk tea on the table.

Zhongli politely smiled. “I am glad. I also heard a lot about you, mostly from Y/N as well.” He said.

“Oh?” Ayato said with a smirk, looking at the nervous Y/N after. “Good or bad?”

Why would he ask that? He knows for sure that Y/N is head over heels for him, but there could be times that she’d be pissed on him for sure. But knowing Y/N, it’s all pure positivity. How could she speak so negatively about the man she admires?

“All good things, of course.” Zhongli said, with Ayato’s eyes still on the nervous Y/N.

Why is he looking at her? Is he applying that weird habit of his again, the one where he loves to put people in an awkward situation? Really witty bu she hopes not, she isn’t doing anything wrong anyways. 

“Well then. I hope you'll have a good stay at Inazuma.” Ayato said before walking away with his drink. 

Y/N awkwardly looked at Zhongli. “I don’t know what kind of hint he was dropping.” Y/N said. “He made fun of me yesterday as well, I was so utterly confused.”

Zhongli chuckled. “I see. It is the intimidation that made you feel that way. Worry not, the man just teased you earlier.”

Evening arrived and the whole afternoon was spent together by Zhongli and Y/N alone, meeting their friends on the way, and talking a lot about many things. Surely, these two do get along like Yae Miko said. 

However, Zhongli currently is with Lumine and Paimon by one of the benches, eating Inazuman food they bought from the stalls. 

“Hmm! Paimon is so stuffed! Paimon could never resist the food here at Inazuma.” Paimon said, doing a little dance. “I am glad that the plan for the event went successfully.”

“And speaking of plans, I chose this seat for us because we can clearly see the stadium.” Lumine said.

“Oh yeah! Ayaka is going to perform a dance later along with the musicians. I can’t wait to see her performance, I can’t forget the first time she showed us her talent.” Paimon said excitedly. 

“Oh, is she the one Y/N’s currently assisting?” Zhongli asked.

“Uh-huh! Y/N is also the one who convinced Ayaka to show her appreciation for the festival, so it is the last event for tonight. Speaking of, it is going to start in a minute now. Everyone’s already preparing to watch.” Paimon said.

Thoma and Ayato on the other side are by one of the higher walls not far in front of the bench where the three are seated, sitting while watching the people prepare the stadium. 

“Zhongli seems to be quite an intelligent man, my lord.” Thoma said with a smile. “And it appears like he knows a lot about Yoshida Y/N.”

Ayato hums, drinking some milk tea. “We shouldn’t talk about people that don't concern us, Thoma.” Ayato said, making Thoma chuckle.

“Pardon me,  my lord. I just find Zhongli really impressive.” Thoma continues. “Throughout my observance this afternoon, they seem closer than I thought. Do you think… they’re romantically starting a spark?” 

Ayato then sighed. “I have no interest in my own romantic things, so I do not mind other people’s business as well. Again, Thoma, neither Yoshida or Zhongli concerns me.” He said and Thoma just laughed.

“Y/N didn’t send you a letter this week, that is beyond your concern?” Thoma asked and Ayato paused for a moment.

“That is because she is in the Estate for three days, including Sunday which is yesterday.” He briefly explained.

“So, you paid her some mind huh.” Thoma teased, making his master sigh. “You can say it, Y/N crossed your mind at least once. She is not bad, after all.”

Ayato did not respond on that. Yoshida Y/N, crossing his mind? The only times she’d ever cross his mind is whenever her letter arrives at the Kamisato Estate, and whenever Thoma or Ayaka mentions her. Beyond that, he is confident that she never crossed his mind.

Ever. 

But oh, Archons. 

“You have such a beautiful face, Ayato. And behind that is a very talented man, your future wife is so lucky to have you.” 

Her voice and her touch echoed into his mind ever since that day she took care of him. The mint water that was spread using a towel she prepared, her warm touch on his skin, her gentle voice. Even the taste of the tea she made for him, everything from that moment is what crosses his mind. 

Whenever that memory is getting replayed in his mind, he can’t help but freeze, whatever he is doing. One of those moments is the current time. That left Thoma wondering what’s going on in his master’s mind that he suddenly went quiet.

But that isn’t the case in Ayato’s mind. Up until now, he has no answer as to why he is experiencing that. He doesn’t even see Yoshida Y/N in such relevance or anything. 

Archons, why? 

Why does it make him jump off his consciousness? 

“Uhm, my lord? Are you alright?” Thoma spoke, awakening him from his thoughts. “It must be the milk tea, you’ve had a lot already.”

Ayato just looked at his friend with no expression on his face. “Thoma, I have a question, if that’s okay.” He said.

“What is it, my lord?”

He paused for a moment. “Am I… Am I being unfair to Yoshida?” He asked. “I mean, I’ve been inconsiderate for years and lately, I just realized that I have been neglecting someone gentle’s piece of heart.” 

That left Thoma confused. “What?” Ayato just sighed and shook his head. “No.. I uhh, understand. What I’m confused with is why are you asking that? You never paid any mind to whatever she’d think”

That sent a hint of realization to Ayato, but he kept his composure. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been meeting her a lot lately, not just the letters. It must’ve triggered my empathy.”

Thoma nodded. “Makes perfect sense.” Thoma said. “But as you always say, it is her consequence if she is to ever get hurt, right? So if you think you’re being unfair, then that is not your responsibility like you described, my lord.” 

Ayato just hummed in response. “Maybe it’s just my empathy.”

They went silent for a little while, not knowing what else they should talk about. For some reason, Thoma is curious about what’s going on in Ayato’s mind but he chose not to stick his nose in. He is sensing something but he chose not to question it.

Maybe there’ll be the day his master would talk it out even more. 

“Look! It’s Lady Ayaka!” A civilian said enthusiastically and they both looked at the stage.

There she is, Kamisato Ayaka in the most formal yet elegant attire. A fan on her face as she walked on the stage. Everyone started cheering and clapping. 

Ayato and Thoma began clapping, with smiles on their faces. “I, Kamisato Ayaka, would like to welcome you for tonight’s show.” She spoke, bowing and waving her fan. Everyone started cheering even more. 

“Ooohh! Go Go, Ayaka!” Paimon on the other side cheered, as Lumine and Zhongli clapped. 

Everyone started waving their handmade fans in the air, the lovely evening is filled with colours and everyone is celebrating it with their loved ones. 

The music began playing, making everyone stay quiet. The sound of koto mixed with lyre started harmonizing, with Ayaka in the spotlight, preparing for her dance. The rhythm sounds like typical Inazuma music, singing along with the wind.

However, a humming voice began singing along the instruments, where Ayaka bega her dance performance. 

Ayato froze upon hearing that voice. 

The door slid open, and he started hearing a female’s humming voice.

Ayato was once locked inside his thoughts, forgetting about his younger sister’s wonderful performance. Just what is happening to him?

“Oh, you haven’t touched your tea. That means you haven’t been awake since… two hours ago.”

Her voice started echoing in his mind. He immediately placed a hand on his head, closing his eyes before sighing. He must be just feeling unwell, not everyone’s humming voice is hers. 

“That is Y/N’s voice, isn’t it?” Ayato heard Paimon’s loud voice from far behind, “Oops, sorry!” She whispered, thinking she is ruining the performance with her reaction. 

So it is her, he thought. He wasn’t mistaken, because he knows that voice. He knows that voice personally. 

Opening his eyes once again, he watched his younger sister perform with all her gracefulness like usual. He started calming down, paying more attention towards the show. Ayaka’s movement matches the rhythm, her hair flying smoothly in every turn.

Everyone seems to be in awe, watching the performance of their lovely lady.

However, Ayato was awakened by the music’s changes. The humming voice disappeared, and it’s just the instruments. 

At last, he is no longer thinking about someone.

Until everyone started cheering loudly, more people joined Ayaka in the stadium to present their majestic performance. “Is that— Is that Yoshida Y/N among them?” One of the citizens asked in disbelief. 

“It is!” 

Ayato, whose hand is still on his head, looked in disbelief. Yoshida Y/N can dance as well?

Among the five women on the stage excluding Ayaka, his eyes were set on one. Y/N’s right hand is holding a purple fan, on the left hand is a purple silk that dances with her. 

“Oh, she is so elegant. She’s grown so much.” An old lady said.

“She is.”

Y/N smiled at Ayaka, who’s dancing with her on the stage with many small flying lights around them, and sakura petals flying around. There she is, Yoshida Y/N, performing gracefully in her favourite kimono, alongside her dearest Inazuman friends. 

Ayato just looked at her with an expressionless face, he doesn’t know why it is so relevant. The music is perfect, the atmosphere is perfect, everything is just perfect. Thoma on the other side looked at his master, and chuckled right after. “I assume you find their performance amusing, my lord.”

Ayato then smiled. “Indeed.”

Whilst performing, there’s people walking around to hand something to everyone. One of them approached Thoma and Ayato, “Hello, my lord and Thoma! These are your xiao lanterns. Lady Ayaka instructed that it must be lit after the performance.” The lady said before proceeding to the next people.

“Oh, these are the lanterns from Liyue that Y/N was talking about.” Thoma said with a smile. “I can’t wait to see the famous lantern rite at last.”

Time seemed like a very fast running creature to everyone, as they were very entertained by the beautiful performance of the women in the stadium. They ended the performance with a bow, and everyone’s cheers. “Thank you, thank you so much!” Ayaka said, being left on the stage by herself. “As Tanabata originated from Liyue, we’ve brought xiao lanterns with us tonight.”

While Ayaka was instructing everyone about the distributed lanterns, Y/N ran towards the crowd of people. She eyed her foreign friend along with Lumine and Paimon, smiling before running towards them. 

Ayato and Thoma being near in front of the three mentioned, they noticed that she is headed their way. “Thoma, why is she headed here?”

Thoma then smiled. “Maybe to go to you for the closing ceremony, my lord?” Thoma said. 

Ayato’s getting more and more nervous, she’s heading his way right after that graceful performance? He believes that their eyes met, with a smile on her face. Why is she heading their way?

But that thought was broken by, “Zhongli!” She cheerfully said, running past the both of them without even looking at them. It’s as if they don’t exist, she didn’t even notice them. “Zhongli, come!”

For a moment of time, everything went slow and confusing to him. Was he wrong for expecting something? What was that all about?

Thoma was left in shock, eyeing his master. He knows that Y/N isn’t the type to ignore her acquaintances, maybe she’s just in a hurry to go there? But this is different, she isn’t heading that way to go to them. “Uhm… she might’ve not noticed you, my lord.” He said, but the Yashiro Commissioner showed no expression and just looked away. That left Thoma in a rather… awkward situation.

Y/N ran past them again, returning to the stage. But this time, her hand is pulling another man.

Right in front of him.

“Well, that—” Thoma paused, sighing right after. “She is going to Zhongli after all.” Ayato just sat there in silence, not knowing the strange feeling boiling inside of him. He feels angry, or rather, disappointed. He feels betrayed, or some sort. But why? Is it because he was expecting her to go and greet him? “I’m sorry, my lord.”

Y/N then reached the stadium and stood right in front of it, just underneath but in front of everyone. “Zhongli, you introduced me to these beautiful lanterns and I celebrated that night wonderfully with you. Now, I want to replay that in Inazuma, a golden memory to remember.”

Zhongli smiled in return. “I am more than honoured.” 

Everyone then lit up their lanterns, and Ayaka spoke. “By the culture of Liyue, you are to state your wish before letting it go.” Everyone then closed their eyes, and silence occupied Narukami Island.

Y/N, with her eyes closed, smiled.

I wish…

I wish to the star lovers, for me to experience love.

To her own mind’s surprise, it isn’t anything related to Ayato at all. Her previous wish on the lantern is about him. 

“Okay, let’s let go together. In 3, 2, 1!” And with those words of Ayaka, the lanterns lit up the night sky of Narukami Island. Everyone’s eyes on the lanterns,

“Woah!” The children enthusiastically said.

“Don’t fly with it, Paimon.” Lumine jokes.

“Hey!”

Y/N looks up in awe, her eyes recalling how they looked when they were in Liyue. “Thank you, Zhongli.” She said and gave him an embrace while everyone’s eyes were watching the lanterns. Zhongli then smiled, returning the embrace.

However, not all eyes are on the lanterns. Two of those are burning on those in front. 

Kamisato Ayato then started walking away, and Thoma noticed it in an instant. “M-My lord? Hold on.” He followed his master. 

Y/N pulled away and smiled gracefully.

"It's such a shame that you have to leave early, Zhongli. You are such a busy man." Y/N said, standing in front of the said man by the pier after the festival. “I’m sorry for not fulfilling the contract, I wasn’t able to show you around that much. Worry not, I will surely tour you around next time.”

Zhongli chuckled. “It is alright. I will always come back again.” He said. “I really had a joyous day, Y/N. Thank you so much.”

Y/N giggles. “I am glad you enjoyed the day.” She said and pulled something out of her pocket. “And oh! You gave me a gift from my visit last time in Liyue, I have something for you too.”

She then tied it on Zhongli’s coat. “It is an engimono, I made it myself last day.” She said, “I have no idea what you wished for earlier, but I am giving you this lucky charm to boost that wish of yours.”

Zhongli admired the purple coloured charm, it is sewn well and neatly. He then smiled. “Thank you, Y/N. I however have something for you too.”

“What?” Y/N asked in shock. 

Zhongli handed her a piece of paper, “Open that once I have departed.” He said and Y/N immediately nodded. 

“Oh, alright! I will.” She said with a smile. The ship was about to leave so Zhongli brought her into a last embrace before pulling away.

“Until then, friend.” He said and Y/N smiled, almost crying with her teary eyes.

“Until then, friend.” She responded, watching him get on the ship. Just like what she did when she was about to leave Liyue, Zhongli stood by the edge to wave. She then looked up with a smile. 

The ship is already leaving, so she shouted for the last time. “Zhongli!” Making him look at her. “Zhongli! Write me a letter, will you?” He smiled upon hearing that, and responded with a nod. 

Later, she arrived at her home after staying at the Kamisato Estate for three days. She then opened the paper Zhongli gave her.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yoshida Y/N, I felt a connection with you upon seeing you for the first time at Liyue, hence I offered a tour to figure it out. Your aura resembles something in my memory. Your hair looked like someone else’s, your eyes are as bright as someone I used to know from years ago. And that’s when I recalled, I met someone in Inazuma way back then, an old friend from 500 years ago. She is Nakamura Mai. You look a lot like her, you are as elegant as her, and everything you do is just like her habits. Her bright and welcoming personality, you have it. I admire you as much as I admire Mai, maybe even more. And it is such a good feeling to feel deja vu, at the same time experiencing a new scenery.  It is nice to meet you, Yoshida Y/N. In this lifetime, I’d be right next to you like I was with Mai. Yours Truly, Zhongli

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

She smiled, with tears in her eyes. How can she cry over her friend, coming home? And right now, she’s crying even more while reading his letter. She doesn’t even know what the letter meant.

However, she noticed that underneath his signature, there is an additional written message;

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You said you cannot read my wish, I’d be deciphering it for you.

希望吉田長大後能像她的祖母一樣 translates to:I hope Yoshida Y/N will grow up to be like her grandmother.

Nakamura Mai is your grandmother from 500 years ago. It’s nice to meet an old friend’s descendant. It’s nice to meet you, friend.  Until then, friend.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Y/N’s tears flowed even more, before hugging the letter. “That’s why, that’s why I feel so connected with you…” She smiled. “Until then, friend.”

[previous] [next]

[main]

This is a fanfiction based on Genshin Impact’s Kamisato Ayato, all made with my imagination. Please do not copy, translate, or repost to another platform without my permission!! —⋆｡°✩ Thank you so much!!

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Zen

The philosophy of Zen is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes direct experience, mindfulness, and the attainment of enlightenment through meditation and intuitive insight rather than through doctrinal study or ritualistic practices. Originating in China as Chan Buddhism and later flourishing in Japan as Zen, this philosophy seeks to transcend the dualities of ordinary thought and to awaken to the true nature of reality, which is seen as beyond conceptual understanding.

Key Concepts in the Philosophy of Zen:

Direct Experience and Enlightenment (Satori):

Immediate Awareness: Zen emphasizes direct, immediate experience as the path to enlightenment (satori). This means engaging with reality without the interference of conceptual thought or the ego, often through practices such as meditation (zazen) and mindful awareness.

Satori: Enlightenment in Zen, known as satori, is often described as a sudden, profound realization of the interconnectedness of all things and the emptiness (śūnyatā) that underlies reality. This insight transcends ordinary understanding and reveals the true nature of existence.

Meditation (Zazen):

Seated Meditation: Zazen, or seated meditation, is the core practice of Zen. It involves sitting in a specific posture, focusing on the breath, and observing thoughts without attachment. The aim is to quiet the mind, develop concentration, and eventually experience deep states of awareness and insight.

Beyond Techniques: While zazen is a formal practice, Zen teaches that meditation can extend into all aspects of life, encouraging practitioners to bring the same mindfulness and presence into everyday activities.

Koans and Paradoxes:

Koans: Koans are paradoxical statements or questions used in Zen practice to transcend logical thinking and provoke direct insight. A well-known example is, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" The purpose of a koan is not to find a logical answer but to break down the barriers of conventional thought and open the mind to a more profound reality.

Beyond Rationality: Zen often challenges the limits of rationality, using paradox and contradiction to point out that true understanding is beyond intellectual comprehension.

Non-Dualism and Emptiness (Śūnyatā):

Transcending Duality: Zen philosophy rejects the dualistic thinking that separates the self from the world, subject from object, and good from bad. Instead, it teaches that all distinctions are illusory and that true reality is non-dual.

Emptiness: The concept of emptiness (śūnyatā) is central to Zen. It refers to the idea that all things are interconnected and lack an independent, permanent essence. Understanding this emptiness is key to realizing the impermanent and interdependent nature of reality.

Mindfulness and Present-Moment Awareness:

Living in the Present: Zen encourages practitioners to live fully in the present moment, without attachment to the past or anxiety about the future. This mindfulness is cultivated in both formal meditation and daily activities.

Mindful Action: Zen teaches that any action, no matter how mundane, can be an opportunity for mindfulness and awareness. The concept of "being one with the task" is emphasized, where the distinction between the doer and the deed dissolves.

Simplicity and Naturalness:

Simplicity: Zen values simplicity in both thought and lifestyle. This is reflected in Zen art, architecture, and daily practices, which emphasize naturalness, austerity, and the beauty of the unadorned.

Natural Flow: Zen encourages a natural way of being, in harmony with the flow of life. This idea is often illustrated by metaphors of nature, such as the effortless way a tree grows or a river flows.

Compassion and Ethical Living:

Bodhisattva Ideal: Although Zen emphasizes direct personal experience, it also upholds the Mahayana Buddhist ideal of the bodhisattva—someone who seeks enlightenment not just for themselves but for the benefit of all beings. Compassion and ethical conduct are integral to this path.

Engaged Buddhism: In modern times, Zen has also inspired forms of engaged Buddhism, where mindfulness and ethical living are applied to social, environmental, and political issues.

Art, Aesthetics, and Expression:

Zen Arts: Zen has profoundly influenced Japanese arts, including tea ceremony, calligraphy, poetry (such as haiku), and gardening. These arts embody the principles of simplicity, mindfulness, and the transient nature of existence.

Expression of Enlightenment: In Zen, artistic expression is often seen as an extension of the meditative mind. The spontaneity and directness found in Zen arts reflect the same qualities valued in Zen practice.

Non-Attachment and Letting Go:

Letting Go of Ego: Zen teaches the importance of letting go of the ego, desires, and attachments that create suffering. By relinquishing these attachments, one can experience a deeper, more peaceful state of being.

Non-Striving: Paradoxically, Zen teaches that enlightenment cannot be attained through effort alone; it requires a state of non-striving, where one lets go of the desire for enlightenment and simply allows it to arise naturally.

Silence and the Ineffable:

Beyond Words: Zen often emphasizes the limitations of language in capturing the essence of reality. Many Zen teachings are conveyed through silence or direct, non-verbal actions, highlighting that the deepest truths cannot be fully expressed in words.

Ineffability of Truth: Zen suggests that true understanding comes from direct experience, not from intellectual discussion or analysis. This is reflected in the Zen saying, "The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon," indicating that teachings are merely pointers to the truth, not the truth itself.

The philosophy of Zen offers a unique approach to understanding the nature of reality and the self, emphasizing direct experience, mindfulness, and the transcendence of dualistic thinking. By cultivating a deep awareness of the present moment and embracing the simplicity and natural flow of life, Zen practitioners seek to realize the interconnectedness of all things and attain enlightenment. This philosophy has had a profound influence on both Eastern and Western thought, inspiring not only spiritual practice but also art, literature, and approaches to everyday living.

[bxttxrflybxddie]

|Dating Mime Bomb|

a/n: GOD i love this mime skdjlsbdksbdks pls let me be self-indulgent lmao please enjoy

pairing: mime bomb x gn!reader

post type: headcannons

requested: yes!

word count: 750+

warnings: thieving, major fluff, brief mentions of past bullying, possibly brief mention of monogamy? (mentioned how you're his fav person), might make a pt. 2, or a drabble, or a continuation that isn't safe for minors lmao idk it's 4am!

Mime Bomb adores you! There’s no use hiding how you’re running through his mind all day. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t, since anybody could guess from the lovestruck expression on his painted features. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

He’s your biggest supporter, for better or for worse. He’s always up for tagging along on any mischief (preferably criminal) you’re up to. He keeps an eye on you since you’re his favorite person, but invite him anyway! It's the thought that counts!!

Working together on missions is a blast. (Both of you working for VILE or not.)  Between romantic gestures and getting some needed alone time, the beautiful scenery changes the setting from an expedition to a date. Even if VILE doesn’t land their sticky fingers on a prized artifact, you and Mime Bomb never leave the area empty-handed. (You’re holding each others! And perhaps stolen property.)

Indulging in his interests is one of the best ways to make him feel appreciated. Get him some merchandise from a musical and he’ll reward you with either mimed kisses or a gift in return! You don’t need to tell him what you’re interested in, he knows from his pining before you two got together. (Tell him anyway, he’ll love that you want him to know your passions.)

Downtime is the best time. As much as he likes his mime getup, and how loveable you may find it too, Mime Bomb bare-faced in ordinary clothing is a beautiful sight. He can rub his face on your chest/lap/head/shoulder/etc. without worrying about redoing or transferring his foundation, you get a peek into his everyday style, and you can finally see how red he gets after flustering him.

Tease him, be relentless. He’s been bullied, picked on, and made fun of his whole life. He can take just about anything you give him out of pure experience. Lovingly satirize him but give him the space to do it back to you. Not only is this great for inside jokes between the two of you, but it’s almost healing for him. To laugh with someone instead of being laughed at is something he never processed since he was always the butt of the joke. It’s like rough-housing but with words and actions instead of physical contact. Physically tease him too, lingering touches and featherlight kisses make him swoon.

Kissing him, lipstick on or not, is an art form between you both. It’s sacred and cherished, with the everlasting fear that each lock of lips might be the last. Holding hands is also attached to sweet moments. Since he normally wears gloves, it’s not often you’re allowed to feel the skin of his palms or the bones of his knuckles. He’ll allow you to paint his nails, but he normally chooses black so prepare to stock up.

He does daydream about a future with you. Either by a continuation of your relationship now or maybe something big and new. He wants you by his side and him by yours through thick and thin. You’re his person; his rock, and he tries to let you know in every little shared moment. 

Mime Bomb is arguably the stealthiest operative that VILE has had, which means that he’ll be completely silent without always meaning to. You’re jumpscared constantly, but you learn to get used to it since it’s an accident. Little do you know that he purposefully shocks you sometimes, he thinks it’s cute. He also lets you get away with a lot more than he should just because he thinks you’re adorable. Stolen items, deceiving others (not himself, to make that crystal clear), even possibly joining Team Red, He’s turning a blind eye. If your actions carry a heavy burden to conceal, he’ll expect a prize. (Date Night is now THRICE a week!!)

Unsurprisingly, not a bad significant other. What he lacks in experience is made up in enthusiasm. Your dear mime is a theater kid and a hopeless romantic, so he’ll sometimes pull actions or lines (nonverbally) from scenes of movies, musicals, and even a few shows. If you know what he’s referencing, act out the corresponding part to see him stumble before regaining his confidence. 

He feels incredibly special that you’re in his life and your presence is doing wonders for his mental health. Knowing that someone is in his corner after so many years is a comfort he’s never known before. However, he’d like to learn and repay it if it’s with you.

© BXTTXRFLYBXDDIE

[theunsinkableship1]

Being a Lukola Shipper When You’re Prone to Seasickness

Dear Lukola Shippers,

This journey isn’t always smooth sailing, but here we are, navigating the high seas together. So, I have a question for you: do you want to jump overboard, reach for a life jacket, or stay the course with us? Personally, I’m committed to this ship, and I’m here to tell you why.

First, I should clarify that I’m not usually one to get attached to celebrity relationships. For me, it’s always been about the work, the art, the characters, the stories actors bring to life. I believe that celebrities are people, flawed like the rest of us, and I generally avoid placing expectations on people I don’t personally know. They are humans and not idols. And yet, here I am, invested in this one connection. This is the first time I’ve actively rooted for a real-life relationship between public figures, and it’s certainly unexpected. But the connection between Nicola and Luke feels unique, something so rare and beautiful. I may be wrong in the end, but I feel so strongly about it that I’d be willing to stay on this ship even if I’m the last one standing.

There may or may not be other connections in their lives, other relationships that we as fans don’t see or fully understand. But that doesn’t diminish the genuine bond we’ve seen between them, them being in other relationships now is inconsequential in the belief that they should be together but in the end it’s their choice. It’s a bond that’s been visible over years, from interviews and behind-the-scenes moments to mutual praise that speaks to a deep friendship and mutual admiration. Sure, there could be reasons they’re not a couple right now, timing, career priorities, personal choices. And if they never become more than friends, that’s their decision. But what we’ve seen and felt over the years is hard to ignore. It’s as if we’ve been on this journey with them, waiting for their story to unfold. And it feels like we’ve been waiting for years for it, in fact we’ve been “wainting” for years and their journey might take even more years. It’s frustrating because we know that life is short, and they should just go for it We don’t know why they’re not a couple yet, at least officially If they don’t end up together, it will feel like a missed opportunity, like letting go of something too rare to find again.

The discourse surrounding their relationship is seemingly endless and exhausting. Some people dismiss or belittle their bond, saying it’s “just friendship” or a simple work connection. But if you look beyond the surface, there’s a history of moments and words exchanged that show a depth not common in everyday friendships. To dismiss this as “ordinary” feels shortsighted. If you are here, you can at least believe what they’ve said and continue to say about each other. They are coworkers but also friends.  Some of us believe that they are more than friendly. Sure, we don’t have to agree, but at the very least, we can acknowledge the special quality of what they have. I sometimes envy future generations who may read about this in biographies, finally able to understand the whole picture that’s unfolding now, without the guesswork. The feelings are real, but the reality of the situation feels surreal, and that’s not insignificant. The “roller-coaster” dynamic filled with highs and lows, ambiguous moments, and mixed signals points towards deeper emotional entanglements than simple friendship. It mirrors dynamics more commonly associated with romantic connections that are still evolving or are unacknowledged publicly, where feelings may remain under the surface.

What makes this journey frustrating is the unkindness and judgment that sometimes comes with fandom. People criticize or leave negative comments not only about Nicola and Luke but also about those close to them. This negativity is hurtful and unnecessary, and I don’t condone it. True fans can root for a relationship without crossing boundaries or resorting to hate. And in the end, Nicola and Luke don’t owe us any explanations. They didn’t sign up to give away their private lives, but it might be helpful for them to consider how they interact with their fans. An unambiguous stance might spare us all some drama in the future, perhaps choosing to keep more personal moments off social media and I’m not talking about what they’re not putting out themselves, or maybe clarifying the boundaries between personal and professional interactions. This isn’t about blaming them but rather acknowledging that parasocial relationships are complicated, and even one-sided relationships come with a kind of social contract. Considerate is the word for both sides.

So, where do I stand? I’m here on this ship. Their story may or may not unfold the way we hope, but as long as there’s a glimmer of possibility, I’ll keep cheering them on. They are, after all, just people with lives, choices, and relationships outside of what we see. But for me, this journey is worth it, because in a world often filled with shallow connections, what Nicola and Luke share feels like a breath of fresh air, something real, rare, and worth rooting for. I’m on this ship and I will go down with it.

[pastel-charm-14]

how to romanticize your life - a series - post 1 - intro to romanticizing

hello lovelies! this is a lil series that i'm putting together on how to romanticize lots of different aspects of your life. i hope you like it! <3

the art of romanticizing your life.

it's about finding beauty and magic in the ordinary, turning everyday moments into something extraordinary, and infusing your life with a sense of wonder and delight.

whether it's savoring a cup of tea in the morning, taking a leisurely stroll through the park, or simply enjoying the company of loved ones, romanticizing allows you to appreciate the little things and cultivate a deeper sense of joy and gratitude.

so in this daily series we're going to dive into the concept of romanticizing and how it can add an extra special touch to all facets of your life!

stay tuned...

[mlleclaudine]

Photographer Kai Ziehl Captures Urban Solitude Through Black-and-White Photography

121Clicks - November 22, 2024

Kai Ziehl, a talented photographer based in Hamburg, Germany, is renowned for his stunning black-and-white urban photography. His work transforms everyday architecture—bridges, train stations, skyscrapers, and more—into captivating compositions that blend solitude and elegance.

By emphasizing geometric patterns and minimalism, Ziehl offers a unique perspective on the urban landscape, evoking a sense of quiet reflection amid the bustling cityscape. Through his distinctive monochromatic palette, Ziehl captures the beauty of urban solitude, drawing viewers into a world of stillness and simplicity.

Scroll down and inspire yourself. You can check Kai’s Instagram account for more amazing photos.

You can find Kai Ziehl on the Web:

Instagram

An Artist Rooted in Hamburg

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Kai Ziehl has earned a reputation for his captivating black-and-white architectural photography. His work transforms everyday urban structures into mesmerizing cityscapes, providing viewers with a new perspective on familiar settings.

Finding Beauty in the Mundane

Ziehl’s lens reveals the hidden allure of buildings, bridges, train stations, and skyscrapers. His ability to turn ordinary architecture into striking compositions allows viewers to immerse themselves in the serene solitude of his imagery.

The Language of Solitude

Despite the bustling crowds that typically fill urban environments, Ziehl’s photographs evoke a sense of quiet isolation. The monochromatic palette he chooses amplifies the serenity and timelessness of the scenes, creating a meditative experience for the audience.

Geometry in Focus

Ziehl has a remarkable talent for highlighting the geometry of urban structures. By emphasizing lines, shapes, and contrasts, he offers a fresh perspective on architecture, showcasing its artistry in an extraordinary way.

A Unique Approach to Composition

Ziehl’s compositions often feature expansive spaces with a minimalist aesthetic. His work is characterized by a single moving figure or empty spaces, which adds depth and a sense of scale to his urban landscapes.

Inspiration from Simplicity

In an interview, Ziehl shared his inspiration, explaining, “I am searching for locations which have to offer a prosaic, demure, and straight-lined structure. They have to be spacious and preferably only one moving person is visible.” This approach ensures his work is both powerful and contemplative.

The Allure of Urban Landscapes

Kai Ziehl’s black-and-white photography invites viewers to appreciate the quiet beauty of urban environments. His striking urban landscapes blend solitude with elegance, offering a moment of peace amidst the chaos of modern city life.

Conclusion

Kai Ziehl’s black-and-white photography masterfully captures the quiet elegance of urban solitude. By focusing on geometric lines, minimalist compositions, and the interplay of light and shadow, he transforms ordinary cityscapes into works of art that evoke peace and introspection. His ability to find beauty in simplicity and stillness resonates deeply, offering viewers a fresh perspective on the urban environment. Ziehl’s work stands as a testament to the power of photography to uncover the extraordinary in the everyday, leaving a lasting impression of calm and timelessness.

[thetcdptimes]

Beauty, in the eyes of the beholder

Taken from 2023 to 2024, all around Cebu. These shots from my phone have perfectly captured the art of everyday life, and beauty in the ordinary.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the way inanimate objects simply stood in their places–imperfect, and maybe even untouched–yet picturesque. After all, I am a firm believer that everything has a beauty and charm of its own, even in things other people perceive to be ugly.

It seems universally acknowledged across cultures, places and periods that beauty holds significance in every aspect of existence, yet the understanding of its essence is subjective. I thought, if beauty and ugliness are believed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, why do we still find ourselves being drawn to what isn’t conventionally pleasant, tidy, useful, and perfect? In the first place, why should it be a basis for moral evaluation? This thought led me to the conclusion that it does not have to be the opposite, but rather a feature of it.

Growing up, shelves, coffee tables, and cabinets were filled with photo frames, trinkets, souvenirs, books and magazines, in places I have called my home. Being surrounded by the novelties that held pieces of my family’s history and personalities has given me the privilege of keeping those memories alive, despite how impractical, corny and messy these may seem to others. After all, this is where I first learned how to find beauty in the ordinary.

“The common Filipino is a maximalist, filling up every available space with forms and things. It springs from an expressive exuberance deeply rooted in emotional sensitivity and the strong urge to connect.” - Prof Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., “In Focus: Life as Art – The Creative, Healing Power in Philippine Culture”

I once read a quote from Nate Berkus saying that a home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love. From then, I understood why our family puts so much value and sentimentality in possessions so deeply rooted in us, that we find it difficult to let go.

Every magnet on the fridge speaks of my dad’s travels, he would tell us about his experiences when he came back.

Every figurine, crucifix, and rosary on the altar serves to remind us of our faith.

Photographs old and new on display to remember each other’s presence.

Plants our family members have taken care of so much have ended up having a name.

Old toys that bring back childhood memories are still kept to remind us of our innocence.

Souvenirs tell of the fun times spent together, wondering when the next one will happen.

This was the soul that has made our space not just a house, but a home.

Everywhere I go, I unconsciously have a special love for places that look and feel cozy. My favorite cafes, hostels, stores, and even small eateries all embody these common denominators: being unassuming, homey, and lived-in. Later on, I realized that I'm drawn to these places because they feel like an extension—a home away from home. In a place where time stands still, people are welcomed, novelties add beauty, and stories are told whenever surrounded by those walls.

Just like my home, even the places we often pass by are adorned with the most arbitrary decorations, not necessarily the most grand and aesthetically pleasing, but blending quite beautifully throughout the space. After all, being around such novelties reminds me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It may often be overlooked but it is everywhere, you just have to look closely.

Where and how do you find beauty in the ordinary?

Blog post by Gavyn Rain R. Erediano | BA COMM MED-2

[yvetteheiser]

Yvette Heiser - From Amateur to Pro: Essential Tips for Taking the Perfect Picture

Photography is an art form that captures moments, emotions, and stories in a single frame. For many aspiring photographers, the journey from amateur to pro can be daunting. However, with the right guidance and practice, anyone can elevate their photography skills. Renowned photographer and Yvette Heiser – tips for taking perfect pictures, known for her stunning visuals and expert techniques, shares her essential tips for taking the perfect picture. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, Heiser's advice will help you achieve picture-perfect shots.

Understanding Your Equipment

One of the first steps to becoming a proficient photographer is to understand your equipment. Heiser emphasizes the importance of getting to know your camera inside and out. This includes understanding the functions of different settings, such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Experiment with these settings to see how they affect your images. Heiser suggests spending time reading the camera manual and watching tutorials to fully grasp the capabilities of your gear.

Mastering Composition

Composition is the backbone of a great photograph. Heiser believes that understanding the principles of composition can transform an ordinary snapshot into a work of art. The rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing are some of the fundamental techniques every photographer should master. Heiser encourages photographers to practice these techniques and develop an eye for creating balanced and visually appealing images.

Lighting is Key

Lighting plays a crucial role in photography. Heiser advises paying close attention to natural light and learning how to manipulate it to enhance your photos. Golden hour, the time shortly after sunrise or before sunset, is ideal for capturing soft, warm light that adds depth and dimension to your images. Heiser also recommends experimenting with artificial lighting, such as using reflectors or off-camera flash, to achieve the desired effect.

Focus on the Subject

A compelling photograph often has a clear and well-defined subject. Heiser stresses the importance of identifying your subject and making it the focal point of your composition. Use techniques such as depth of field to isolate your subject from the background, creating a sense of importance and drawing the viewer's attention. Heiser suggests practicing portrait photography to hone your skills in capturing the essence of your subject.

Embarking on the journey of photography can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially for beginners. With so many styles and techniques to explore, it's essential to find the ones that resonate with your passion and creativity and Yvette Heiser Texas – 5 Interesting Photography Types for Beginners, a Texas-based photography enthusiast, shares her insights on five interesting photography types that are perfect for beginners. These styles not only help you hone your skills but also allow you to discover your unique artistic voice.

Landscape Photography

Capturing the beauty of nature is a timeless pursuit that appeals to many beginner photographers. Landscape photography involves taking pictures of natural scenes such as mountains, forests, rivers, and beaches. Yvette Heiser suggests starting with landscape photography as it allows you to experiment with composition, lighting, and perspective.

Portrait Photography

Portrait photography focuses on capturing the essence of a person, often highlighting their emotions, expressions, and personality. Heiser believes that portrait photography is an excellent way for beginners to practice working with different lighting setups and learn how to connect with their subjects. Start by taking pictures of family and friends to build your confidence.

Macro Photography

Macro photography involves taking close-up shots of small subjects, such as flowers, insects, and everyday objects, revealing intricate details that are often overlooked. This type of photography allows beginners to explore the world from a different perspective and develop an eye for detail. Yvette Heiser encourages beginners to use a macro lens or extension tubes to achieve the desired magnification.

Street Photography

Street photography is all about capturing candid moments and scenes from everyday life in public places. It offers a unique opportunity for beginners to develop their observational skills and learn how to anticipate and capture fleeting moments. Heiser suggests starting with a simple camera setup, such as a compact or mirrorless camera, to remain inconspicuous.

Still Life Photography

Still life photography involves arranging and photographing inanimate objects, often with a focus on composition, lighting, and texture. This type of photography is ideal for beginners as it allows you to experiment with different setups and practice your technical skills in a controlled environment. Yvette Heiser recommends starting with everyday objects like fruits, flowers, or household items. Pay attention to the lighting, and use natural light or artificial sources to create shadows and highlights that enhance the visual appeal of your subjects.

Conclusion

Transitioning from an amateur to a professional photographer is a journey that requires dedication, practice, and a passion for the craft. By following Yvette Heiser's essential tips, you can hone your skills and capture perfect pictures that tell captivating stories. Remember, the key to success lies in continuous learning, experimentation, and staying true to your unique vision as a photographer.

[yamcha-thelonewolf]

🫂Toriyama forgets, Yamcha doesn't!

This time I want us to relax a little bit. My last analysis, The Heart's Savior, was very challenging both for me who wrote it and for you who read it, so now it is only fair to lighten the load.

In a poll, I asked you whether you would prefer to know more about Yamcha's life as a fighter or as an ordinary earthling, and if you remember, the second choice won. So here I am analyzing a little trivia that has nothing to do with battles. Well... Sort of! Martial arts still has something to do with it, but it only serves as a background. In fact, I will tell you about an extremely strong friendship, not because the bond is actually intense but because it goes against the narrative choices of Toriyama and Toei Animation. Believe me, guys, this analysis could maintain the connection with a character we hear little about now. Lastly, just because I know it's a kind of topic that many people like, I'm going to talk somewhat about one of Yamcha's many looks.

Let's be clear, this is just my theory, it's quite silly, but at least it might make you smile a little... Well, I hope so!

Before we begin, it seems only fair to warn that the following is likely to be coincidental. Dragon Ball has never dwelled on details, at least not the ones I care about, so it is highly likely that this topic is meaningless. But... What if it doesn't? Assuming Yamcha has a life of his own in this show, talking about it might be worthwhile... Because it would once again show what a beautiful person he is in everyday life.

So... Let's get started!

Don't worry, I told you. I am not going to talk about Yamcha as a fighter, but as I had anticipated it is necessary to understand how incredible he is as a normal earthling.

We are at the end of the Fortuneteller Baba Arc. Goku has finally found out where the last dragon ball is and so sets off with Upa to resurrect his father Bora. Meanwhile, Yamcha and the others await their friend's return at Baba's palace. It is during this wait that Yamcha reflects at length on his own life and he finally decides to ask Muten to make him his pupil.

A new orange Gi is definitely needed!

Freeze! It is not the Turtle School uniform that I want to talk about. Let's go back for a moment... A few hours before the 22nd Tournament begins.

Alright! We've got it!

We are on the plane bound for Papaya Island. Bruce Lee Yamcha has completed his training under Muten, and with this proud pretty face he lets us know that we are going to see some good things. He also seems more mature. He is in his 20s. Guys, many things could be said about this drawing, but in this case I will simply dwell on his outfit. This is the first time we have seen Yamcha in such an elegant look. We were used to seeing him in martial artist outfits or otherwise with looks more suited to his wild nature, so this is a very nice surprise. For a change, he looks great. I mean, you can dress and style him any way you like: Yamcha has the incredible power to be charming in any way. Yes, even with that bowl hair from DBZ...

Jeez, I love him. Let's go back to our outfit now.

Some will remember it for sure, but for those who do not know I want to let you show that this dress has its own origin.

One more step back now.

We are in the 21st Tournament Arc. Yamcha is in town with Bulma and he's training on his own. Muten's only pupils are Goku and Krillin. Many people do not pay attention to it, but if these two boys managed to get into the Turtle School it is because of a character who unfortunately met a brutal end in the show: Lunch.

The deal is clear: If Goku and Krillin can find a nice girl to stay at the Kame House, then Muten can train them. It is the only way to access. So we can safely say that if Goku has become so strong, it is also thanks to Lunch. Fortunately, she is found in her quiet form, but soon her secret would come out...

...Whatever! Goku and Krillin can finally train under Muten. Well, there really would be so much to say about Lunch. She is a character who deserves a lot. She should not have disappeared at all after the great contribution she made to Goku and Krillin. Not only that. She even defeated some Red Ribbon soldiers, she helped Yamcha defeat some criminals because he had a broken leg, in a filler she saves Goku from an attempted "kidnapping," and among many other things she allowed to find front row seats during tournaments! Seriously, she would deserve a separate post.

If we look at Lunch as a function of the protagonist, it is undeniable that she was the mother Goku never had. At least in her good personality.

The same of course applies to Krillin. Let's think it through. She cooked for them, cuddled them before bed, and who knows how many other mother hen things she did. Goku definitely lacked such a figure, so this is also why I consider Lunch an important character in his growth. If Bulma is more like an older sister, Lunch is definitely his mommy. Have you noticed that? Every person Goku meets represents a family member. It's extremely cute.

Be that as it may, as proof that Lunch is a real mom to the two pupils, she decides to give them a nice gift at the end of their training.

Tadaaan! Okay, I admit that Goku and Krillin are really funny dressed like this. They look like two little gangsters, something like Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro as kids, but that's okay. Lunch sewed these outfits for them, and that's what matters. It was done with love.

Seeing her satisfied like a loving mommy getting excited for her kids going to school for the first time always moved me. Although in this case the destination is the tournament, the meaning is the same: Lunch gave importance to their big day by honoring it with this outfit as awkward as adorable.

Well, friends. Now that the puzzle is almost complete, we can go back to our boy! As I said at the beginning, Yamcha begs Muten to make him his third pupil. Once inside the school, it doesn't take long to realize that for all of his three years of training he has been dealing with Lunch as well.

It should be mentioned, however, that the two had actually met for the first time during the Red Ribbon Arc, when everyone leaves to help Goku.

This is the first real moment when they meet. Lunch is in her "evil" form, but a little later Yamcha will also make the acquaintance of her good side.

This meant that during these three years he also cohabited with Lunch, who must surely have cooked for him as well. I think it's a really interesting detail. Unfortunately, we don't know what has happened during these three years, but I would like to point out that this is the first time Yamcha has dealt so closely with a girl other than Bulma. Imagining that he is still very shy with girls, I have no doubt that he has been embarrassed many times in being so near to her. Stop!, I'm not saying he had feelings for her, but she is still a pretty girl, most of the time very naive as well as sensual, so I wouldn't be surprised if Lunch made Yamcha blush without even meaning to. By the way, it would be interesting to analyze Bulma's feelings in this situation, since she has visited Yamcha several times. I don't think she was ever jealous of Lunch, but she may have punched her boyfriend in the head a few times anyway just because.

...They were so cute...

Okay, now the topic is clear, isn't it? The bond between Yamcha and Lunch is one of the least explored things in Dragon Ball. There is no point in talking about it because it leads nowhere, but believe me, for an earthlings fan it is worth discussing.

First, let's start by saying that this is a different relationship from that she had with the other two pupils. If with Goku and Krillin Lunch was able to act like a caring mother, the same cannot be said for Yamcha. Yamcha is not a child like them. He is almost the same age as Lunch, so the relationship must be absolutely equal: they are two friends. Nothing more, nothing less. This does not mean that Lunch took less care of Yamcha. Surely she must have avoided giving him a good-night kiss and things like that, that is.

As for her second personality, it becomes more complicated. We will never know whether "Bad" Lunch felt attracted to Yamcha. We know she loves wild guys and Yamcha certainly is, but I don't think she was that disloyal to her friend Bulma. In short: I am convinced that there was never any sexual attraction between Lunch and Yamcha. They have always been two great friends, proving that friendship between boys and girls can exist.

So... Maternal or not, one thing is certain: when the big day comes again, Lunch gives her gift to Yamcha too.

I don't know how many of you have thought about this. I'm sure I'm not the first one who has thought about it, but geez... It's a detail that has always excited me for no real reason. Perhaps because it is one of those details that indirectly deepens the relationships between Dragon Ball characters, which are unfortunately poorly told.

I mean, try to think of the scene!

Yamcha at that time was not really the type of guy to wear stuff like that. He has lived for many years in the desert, where it is not necessary to wear fancy clothes because the only priority is to survive. Yet in the desert, we don't know how, he also learned good manners, especially with girls. I'm sure he did everything possible not to disappoint Lunch's expectations. Yamcha has always been like that. In order to please others he has often sacrificed himself, so I think something like that happened in this case as well. Let's try to put ourselves in his shoes. He may be gentle and all, he surely must have thanked Lunch for this, but how much he must have cringed wearing this?

It is a bit like putting a bow tie on a wild wolf...

This is precisely how I imagine him: deeply embarrassed and on the verge of sinking underground. "Boy, I feel so ridiculous!"

Don't worry, silly, it actually fits you much better than you think. I don't believe anyone found him as funny as Goku and Krillin were the first time they wore that thing. Anyway, I assume that this is why we don't see himwith that Al Capone hat. "Hell, I can accept the dress... but spare me that thing!!"

Here you can see Yamcha now comfortable in his elegant look and Lunch by his side totally unaware that she was the one who sewed it for him. By the way, I think it's superficial to say this but... It's really nice that she handmade this dress for Yamcha. I mean, his body is much bigger than Goku and Krillin's. She must have struggled a lot! It's a proof to how much she loved Yamcha, too.

Come on, look at her! Here Lunch is as worried as everyone about Yamcha's condition after Tenshinhan broke his leg. The way she addresses him does indeed have something maternal about it, but it mainly shows that she has become attached to him over those three years.

She is so precious...

...even when she is about to kill Yamcha and Bulma in one shot.

Gosh, I love her! It is so nice that everyone has learned to accept Lunch as she is. Yamcha is like that. He always accepted his friends, no matter how they are, he is always there for them and always took care of them. I am convinced that he loved Lunch as he loves everyone else.

So... the topic could end here, but it is not like me to conclude so trivially. I like to go beyond the impossible, in fact even this time I want to extend the whole situation.

The real point of the topic is another.

Unfortunately, Lunch's fate is the most horrible of all. In truth, I don't know which is worse between being forgotten and being ridiculed throughout the show. Let's just say that neither Lunch nor Yamcha were lucky. They also have that in common, besides the fact that both are very close to Tien. I would call it the trio of outcasts. However, if we at least know what happens to Yamcha during DBZ, we know nothing about Lunch. The last time we see her is in a bar, completely drunk because Tien is dead. Another appearance, which is really brief, is during the Buu Saga, when she gives her energy to Goku. I consider these two scenes to be frighteningly sad because in both cases we see her alone and that hurts me a lot. It is as if she has lost contact with her friends. After all, she could not even return to the Kame House because it was now inhabited by Krillin, Android 18 and their daughter. There was no place for her anymore. This hurt even more, because we really don't know what happened to her. Finally, she appears without ever saying anything in the OVA Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!

This is quite consoling, but it is not enough. Her presence is highly unnecessary. I think she was thrown into the rabble just to actually pay homage to those who were Goku's friends, but what's the point if she doesn't even say a word? She certainly deserved more since she had been forgotten for almost two decades.

Whatever... Thank goodness Yamcha exists!

He is seriously the hero we do not deserve.

Well yes, Yamcha may be the one who partly solves this great riddle:

...What ever happened to Lunch all this time?

The truth is that there are no answers. Everyone can imagine what they want. One can think that she stayed with Tien (although DBS has ruled out this possibility for the umpteenth time), one can think that she opened a food truck or that she came to visit Muten sometimes. I personally believe that she has not completely lost contact with her friends. At least, not with Yamcha. I mean, we've seen how Yamcha is not the type to quit. When it comes to loving someone, Yamcha is always in the front row. This makes me believe that he has not stopped seeing Lunch. He is too loyal to forget a person who has done so much for him. Plus, if we add that Yamcha was left alone at one point in the story, it makes even more sense that he spends his time with an equally "lonely" friend. I imagine Yamcha as a very nostalgic guy. It would be unthinkable for him to exclude such an important memory as Lunch from his life.

At least, that's how it is for me. Until now I didn't know it for sure, but a few days ago I had an epiphany. That's when I realized that maybe Lunch is still there, we just don't see her.

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, 1990.

Did you notice anything?

Oh god yes, it's that damn gangster outfit again. I mean, the dress sewn by Lunch. Although it is difficult to identify the timeline of this film, it is still clear that we are in a context far away from OG Dragon Ball. At first I anticipated that all this might just be a coincidence, but personally I like to believe that there is much more behind it. Assuming that indeed it is the dress made by Lunch, we need to consider one thing: it can never be that one she gave him for the 22nd Tournament. It would be really old, plus I don't think it would be able to hold up Yamcha's new body. He's now in his 30s, he has not only grown taller but also added a lot of muscle mass. It is practically impossible for him to have been able to wear it. So... Maybe Yamcha asked Lunch to renew that old dress? Think about it, it makes sense to me. Yamcha is also very cheap. Being a former thief, he knows the value of money well and knows that it is easier to lose it than to find it. He is really funny, but also very cute.

The money accumulated through baseball certainly does not change his stingy nature, that's why it is not strange to think that he turned to Lunch. Of course, also as a matter of affection. I think Yamcha is a guy who is very attached to things, especially if there are a lot of good memories behind them.

I mean, something could have happened like, "Hi Lunchie, how are you? Long time no see, it took me so long to find you! Let me guess, you're hiding from the cops, right?" and then... "Anyway, I wanted to ask you a favor. Going through my closet, I found that fancy dress you had sewn for me for the Tournament. Do you remember? Here it is. I tried to wear it but I only gained a hole in my pants. I'll let you guess where. So... Could you fix it for your bestie?"... So she would say: "Are you kidding, Yamcha? There's no way I'm going to fix that! I'll definitely sew you a new one!"

If so, we could assume that they are still in contact! It would really comfort me to know that Lunch is still part of the gang, even if we don't see her. Yamcha in this case could seriously be the link, simply because he is brought up to be.

That would be great.

I want to believe it.

After all...

...Toriyama may forget his characters, but Yamcha will never forget his friends.

Thank you!!

[soapver4]

Many-Worlds Liminal Yoga

Physical Experience Bubble: A breathtaking network of yoga complexes and outdoor yoga locations in which thematically attired participants practice the exercise in immersive and spacious environments of transcendental aesthetic beauty that brings them leaps closer to mind-liberating alternate realities. This collaboration is fertile on multiple dimensions:

Synergy and symbiosis can generate more income opportunities for artists and storytellers who are currently precariously employed and for yoga gurus.

The breathing in, rather than mere sightseeing or browsing, of art in any form potentially sculpts artistic experiences which relatively kinesthetic elements leave culture enthusiasts and content consumers with more enduring mindset resets. Otherwise, we may speak of creations that offer food for thought, but the truth may well be that our grounded, generally sensible instincts switch us back to reality mode soon after we turn our eyes away even though breaking out of bad habits and prejudices can do everyone a world of good.

Performing yoga in fantastical settings even further removed from everyday life than studios with Zen-inspired designs is likely the strongest proposition for yoga holdouts. Some people have the perception that activities elevating mindfulness compel acceptance and hyperawareness of a wretched environment that is already causing them sensory overload, sleeplessness and general pain and frustration. It does not help them that ordinary yoga studios are often small outlets nestled right next to the detested hustle and bustle of the surroundings. They are not convinced either that soundproofing, minimalist aesthetics and meditation are sufficient to remove the acuity of location awareness. Although the ideal way of being is to be able to find peace in even the most chaotic surroundings, picking up yoga in immersive art can be a stepping stone towards greater mental capacity building.

Settings can be three-dimensional assemblages of either pure art or scenes from various types of fiction: literature, cinema, television, stage productions, etc. Behold the following examples. [Spoiler caution w.r.t. various source materials]

Monet's Spa: Participants in 19th-century gym suits, updated as necessary for yoga functionality, perform the exercise on synthetic, pavilion-sized lily pads connected by inconspicuous glass walkways atop an expansive, blooming pond as branches of towering, lush greenery sway around them. Calming floral scents, leaves' swishing sounds and trickling water, absent in typical digital art projections, can accompany yoga moves. For the safety of the participants, the pond is kept shallow while the lily pads feature the raised edges of natural lily pads. The yoga instructor is positioned on Claude Monet's Japanese footbridge. Note however that, for photos and real-life constructions alike, it is difficult to reproduce the shimmeringly lively, moving aesthetics of the Giverny pond scenery the way Monet conjured through his genius brush strokes. All the same, we should strive to approximate the mood of the art.

Parallel Piranesis: Participants in loose sportswear printed with varying quotes from Susanna Clarke's philosophical fantasy novel Piranesi are divided into two stately rooms, where they engage in yoga under the warm gazes of statues of royalty whose faces are modeled after participants in the other room and whose palms hold dioramas of places from various works of fiction (Library of Babel, The Shire, folding cities, bulk beings' tesseract, etc.). The colors of the writings and clothes are reversed on the instructor. Statue faces are based on submitted photographs, modeled using non-drying and thus reusable clay with the ideal assistance of artificial intelligence and 3D printing, and affixed to figures of corresponding gender identities and life stages. Mismatches between participant numbers and statue numbers owing to limitations (e.g. space, portability and economics) can be smoothed over with the help of backup clay faces of underappreciated customer service staff in the event of statue surplus and a participant-face lottery system in the event of statue shortfall. On exiting their rooms and meeting each other, the two groups of yoga participants find themselves in the kind of situation Clarke's eponymous protagonist enters near the end of the novel, except that their mutual consciousness put to rest his regret of not sharing the tenderness of arts with the world-weary:

People were walking up and down on the path. An old man passed me. He looked sad and tired. He had broken veins on his cheeks and a bristly white beard. As he screwed up his eyes against the falling snow, I realised I knew him. He is depicted on the northern wall of the forty-eighth western hall. He is shown as a king with a little model of a walled city in one hand while the other hand he raises in blessing. I wanted to seize hold of him and say to him: In another world you are a king, noble and good! I have seen it! But I hesitated a moment too long and he disappeared into the crowd.

Moon Binary: Participants donning flowery, touristy garments designed for yoga purposes do the exercise in an indoor space underneath, no surprise here, a pair of shining moon structures. The moons' appearances and other elements of the setting and instructor garb change across the sessions, immersing everybody in a diverse range of contemporary art and narratives where moongazers would see double in the sky: Alexander Calder's kinetic sculpture Two Moons (see-sawing crescents, wall panels covered by his influencing peer Piet Mondrian's clean grids and primary colors, instructor in red full-body suit), Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's magic realist opus 1Q84 (a typical moon and a smaller green moon, butterfly glass house decor, instructor wearing white gloves of Japanese cab drivers and tie sewn onto white top), autistic professor Dora M. Raymaker's disability allegory sci-fi novel Hoshi And The Red City Circuit (silver and red moons, backdrop of jagged ultra-modern skyline with crimson clouds, instructor in bolero jacket and steel-toed boots like the neurodivergent heroine), Korean universe-crossing drama series W – Two Worlds Apart and one of its posters (one full moon against pastel blue sky and another against pastel pink sky, carpeted grand stair structures and backdrop of fairytale-like cathedral, instructor in manhwa-style makeup), Korean time-travel drama series Twinkling Watermelon (moon becoming two, glowing guitar decorations, instructor in 1990s Korean streetwear), German-British-American sci-fi epic film Cloud Atlas (full moon and crescent against dark purple sky, rocks and tents on sand-color carpet and backdrop of sea, instructor in its islander garb), etc. Participants will not be informed beforehand the title, genre or cultural background of the work referenced in any session, or whether it belongs to "high" culture or to "pop" culture. The point is to encourage exploration of unfamiliar works and reflect on the extent to which preconceptions and summary characterizations are valid.

Moon Supreme's Heart: In an unmistakable callback to the anti-bigotry theme in ancient fantasy drama series Cang Lan Jue (some possible interpretations and layers of meaning: parting of the orchid from the grayish greeness, parting of fairy heroine Xiaolanhua from devil hero Dongfang Qingcang) / Love Between Fairy and Devil, participants dress up as members of the fairy and devil tribes of the show before working out on a contemplative grass island atop a vast mirror-like lake. To ensure a good mix of fairy participants and devil participants, there is to be random assignment of unisize costumes. The instructor naturally dresses up as the devil lord Moon Supreme and positions herself under a sprawling tree, lit with yoga music-responsive, vein-like green string lights during winter and bursting into pink blossoms during flowering seasons. The entire setup, sans the participants, is the show's portrayal of contemplative sessions and psychological growth stages in his heart. Yoga sessions can be held outdoors if location scouting is successful and/or indoors all year round on props and reflective, water-like epoxy flooring.

Jedi Temple: Why should people from victimized societal groups always be under the loving protection and guidance of dominant groups whenever the two encounter and never the other way round? Yet those from the latter group have felt humiliated and resentful when they are at the receiving end of that reversal. Wookiees may have been an enslaved species capable of communicating only in growls and roars but they are simultaneously clever makers of flying vehicles and self-sacrificing heroes who save some Lasats from genocide in the Star Wars franchise. Following the steps of a Jedi yoga instructor in a suitable Wookiee fursuit, participants in Padawan robes cultivate inner peace through the exercise in a tranquil Jedi temple chamber. To stay in character yet overcome the language barrier, the Jedi Wookiee instructor shall have teaching assistants in the forms of Jedi from more human-like alien races like Mirialan and Theelin.

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. (Ernest Hemingway) There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. (Leonard Cohen)

Luminescent Scars: As light pours into a cavernous space, participants in ballet tights practice their yoga poses within its ceramic-like, curved walls crisscrossed with fracture lines. Powdered gold, copper, brass, silver or platinum fill the lines. The instructor, in shimmering tights, is one of the bundles of rays that have descended to the weary and wounded. Shadows of other scar lines flit across participants' bodies from time to time in acknowledgment of feelings all around, before transforming into waves of light. The above quotes reproduced by Critical Dance from program notes of Aurum, a ballet set in motion before such patterned backdrops, have told us the art form kintsugi's ideal of embracing and growing more beautiful through broken parts. Ceramic surfaces portrayed across the sessions hail from a number of masterful or storied wares.

Sun Underfoot: The Sun feels like a villain in increasingly brutal summers over the globe. Let global warming work to our collective advantage for a change by giving us a physical practice target as we learn to mentally rise over our adversaries, be they oppressive bosses or personal paranoias. Participants styled as early Mesopotamian miners and an instructor styled as a farmer from that era work out on wide cypress planks of a platform tied with ropes of flax and enclosed like a balcony. Alternating among these workout planks are soil-coated planks from which artificial vegetables bend sideways and downwards in the direction of a glowing sun underneath the platform. The soft, golden orange hues of the orb's rays peeking through the planks accentuate spirited stretched limbs in this location pictured in Ted Chiang's short story Tower Of Babylon.

Hidden Tibetan Sea Flower Field: Among thin, translucent red synthetic plants known as Tibetan sea flowers atop a surface mimicking a frozen body of water in the middle of a quiet, snowy landscape, participants in Central Asian ethnic garb practice yoga under the directions of instructors dressed up as sci-fi action drama series Tibetan Sea Flower / Adventure Behind The Bronze Door's enigmatic, unemotional orphaned youth Zhang Qiling and his self-sacrificing mother Baima. Baima was a terminally ill young non-Han woman forcibly separated from Qiling by his father's formidable Han Chinese family. Believing he would not grow up well-adjusted in the demanding, cruel household, Baima begged lamas in a Central Asian temple (though a Sichuan temple in real life) to put her in suspended animation using the rare plants so that mother and son could reunite someday. Despite knowing she might not wake up, she pushed through with the plan to give Qiling the chance to see her alive, from which she wanted him to feel however little love that lingered on in the world. In the end, their long-awaited reunion was a literally muted affair lasting only three days, with Baima unable to hear a word or move a muscle, not even her tight-shut eyelids or lips. We are informed through the narration and the short story the sequence has been based on, however, that she knew from the follow-through of the promise his presence. Qiling held her stiff hand until she expired at long last at the end of the three days. A crushing masterpiece of storytelling that understands less can be more. Stretch out among the Tibetan sea flowers with the hope that warmth can transcend staggering time and communication barriers. What the yoga itself is less likely to do for you but is helpful to pack along wherever you adventure is a reminder that small acts of love and kindness can be worthwhile even if the other party does not seem to reciprocate.

Proto: Make way for aerial yoga. Participants perform the yoga in flowy, visually busy, ombré battle apparel, donned by the soul-transmigrating, demon-fighting couple in ancient fantasy drama series Eternal Night Star River / What Do We Mean The Official English Title Exists, in a bright, seemingly boundless white space indoors with flowing calligraphic proto-writings on the floor. The silk harnesses are similarly ombré. Hanging securely at a safe margin above the airborne participants are more of the writings. The instructor? An immobile, mossy yet modern-style stone panda embedded with a loudspeaker. It's another occasion that calls for teaching assistants, so staff dolled up as magnified versions of the show's cheering, mushroom-like white dust demons step up to the role. So what if fate were written in the stars? Anyone is free to sculpt and inspire streams of stars. The story of being summoned into a wondrous fictional universe as the secret muse of a mega-popular author trapped in his novel may sound like an office rat's self-aggrandizing fantasy, but it is true that we can motivate change on some scale through our own courage, positivity and genuine concern for someone. When the yoga / transmigration game host ("System") behind the scenes spots demoralized or half-hearted participants, she warmly reminds them through the loudspeaker that they need not be side characters in their own stories.

Dream Crew's Dream: Ramp up the airiness. Participants in satin yoga outfits which textures and shades of predominantly blue, green and purple call to mind the Inside Out films' mind workers suspend themselves in aerial yoga in an indoor space decked out with pastel balloons and covered all over with effervescent, crayon-like surfaces featuring a cotton candy-colored palette. Filming equipment (that have outlived their use on actual production sets and are stably erected) on the side remind us that this is a studio, specifically a dream-making studio in a person's mind. Before each session, the participants are polled on the famous (but uncontroversial) personality they want the instructor to emerge as, who performs so on the day itself from a towering door etched in faint white outlines. While wrangling over the shoot for another dream, they have been miraculously transported into this version of the studio in the harried personality's lucid dream, where they excitedly become his or her reassuring chaperones in a collective retreat for inner peace. Regardless of differences in vision and values, we always have a common loved one's best interests at heart.

Koiet: Are you an office drone who feels seen by the romance film Vertigo in which a graphic designer unhappy at work dreamily gazes at a rope access technician working on the facade of the skyscraper her office is located high on? But you're also wary of over-romanticizing a dangerous job exposed to the elements. Or maybe you're a rope access technician yourself and would love to design your perfect work location. Here's the middle ground. In a wide, temperature-controlled indoor space which ceiling and walls have the same color gradient shifting from teal to brown to gold as the sky in the film's last scene, participants in bright red jackets resembling the technician's attire practice yoga on upsized window suspension platforms surrounded by wool clouds. The instructor is situated before an anti-glare glass-filtered light source representing the Sun. Peeking out under the clouds are Japanese carp streamers bouncing in a choreographed wind. These carp streamers are not part of the film but anchor the setting in an impossible context to reduce the risk of people copying over the stunts to locations of actual tall height. To lower the risk further, Koiet is open only to adults.

Windows Yoga: Outdoors participants in yoga wear which stunning colors echo the red, blue and green of Bella, the parrot of the mysterious and Peter Pan-like magician Ri-eul in musical drama series Annarasumanara / The Sound Of Magic, flex their moves on horizontally lying, resilient window-like glass panes arrayed on a pavement comprising of grayish brown bricks. The idea is prancing on a wall in defiance of gravity. High schoolers in the opening musical sequence break out in dance in the same setting. The yoga instructor is decked out in the shades of the iridescent blue butterfly in the series. Here, the ridiculousness factor is a sarcastic tip of the magician's top hat to the rat race's absurdities. The series finale reveals that teenage Ri-eul was a hyper-stressed star student who developed the extreme paranoia and forlornness grownup Ri-eul has been saving youngsters from through his uplifting yet economically useless craft.

Black-Eye Exile: Put into cold storage? Not even the end of the world need spell the end of your unfurling dreamscape. Add a drizzle of good old cod liver oil. Under enchanting aurora simulations and cool hues of mood lighting and surrounded by mountain sculptures, an instructor in a panda onesie  — not a more show-faithful mascot costume hindering yoga movements — leads participants with a horn-like tuft of hair each in busting out yoga movements on a snow-patterned carpeted floor. The tuft of hair is to be that way not because workplace drama series Today's A Good Day To Keep Going / Never Give Up's (add oil being the idiomatic phrase for keep going in its native language) horn-haired Bai Mashuai will ever be successfully exiled by any of his exploitative higher-ups to their panda-themed corporation's polar branch office, but because you believe that no entity, sporting dark circles or not, would have stopped the bright-eyed princeling from brushing up on some skill wherever work siestas of any variety take him.

Citadel at the End of Time: Good heavens. The end of the world is too close to home for comfort as well? Here's emotionally honest yoga at the end of time. Participants in sweaters which ruffled dark purple textures project scifi-mythology drama series Loki's stormy, all-eating being Alioth seek retreat in their meditative poses in the moody, majestic said citadel, as a nebula and branching timelines serenely curl and stretch outside its ornate windows. The instructor is styled as different Loki variants in different sessions. Anyone looking forward to an alligator instructor-Loki? While hanging around before sessions start, everybody is welcome to check out the citadel's shelves of books on time, astronomy and world cultures and philosophies. The Loki variants are so going to sneak in titles on weight loss regimens for grapes-wannabe monsters.

Belief System: How about escaping into ourselves, where some of the balms and causes for our troubles lie? Next to a glowing blue waterfall cascade, participants who are each splotched in colorful bodily paint standing for all emotions in the Inside Out films practice yoga underneath a canopy of luminescent threads that represent strands of beliefs. Around the canopy is tranquil water on which bright orbs carrying images of memories float. Before the start of each session, the participants are free to release orbs doodled with their own memories into the water. It's a hive mind harbor. Who shall the instructor dress up as? An artist donning a messily pigment-stained apron with flexible material and split-leg slits that facilitate yoga stretches. Embrace inner flaws — but not if anyone starts messing with the yoga network's staff, customers or property.

High-Dimensional Blues: Voyages hold limited value when voyagers filter their experiences through the same set of metaphysical paradigms. Give our brains an enthralling perspective workout as a reminder in this exceptionally challenging set design. Participants surrounded by blue ambulatory trees on a blue grass turf put on futuristic lightweight astronaut suits and carry out yoga in front of a wide, invisible sphere that punctuates a swath of the vegetation. Animatronics helpfully play the trees in this alien habitat from sci-fi giant Liu Cixin's horror novel Death's End, and character Guan Yifan has noted that the helmets can be removed since Planet Blue's atmosphere supports human life. So, where's the challenge? From some angles, cross-sections of plant parts in contact with the sphere's surface are visible. In later sessions, participants find themselves suddenly inside the sphere — actually a kind of warped point in space whose counterparts are encountered in war-torn Constantinople and spacecraft in the book, but which is imagined to intersect the planet at some point in its long history for our yoga quest of inner calm — and thus surrounded instead by an exposed view of all the layers and interior details of the blue vegetation, right down to water coursing along the vascular systems. We are viewing a three-dimensional landscape from the vantage point of four-dimensional space, the way hypothetical beings from two-dimensional worlds within which they can only perceive lines would gain a bird-eye view of reality upon their introduction to three-dimensional space. All space garments are swapped out for cloth designs depicting the layered structures of the original garments and the human body. These designs assume, however, that everybody is a chill yoga practitioner who has grown to ignore distracting anatomical details, so only a limited level of cluttered granularity is necessary and content such as subcutaneous facial structures and minor-unfriendly visual information can be omitted. Welcome the instructor, Sophon, a graceful yet feisty humanoid in Japanese clothing (in part or in full because the term for the fictional intelligent particles she is named after sounds similar to the Japanese name Tomoko in Chinese). Someday, though, Liu should have the privilege of peering into higher-dimensional views of his brilliant books from warped points in gender space.

The Great Before: Wish you could restart your life? You can't, but the rebirth of your mind is a close possibility. The gentle rolling knolls and plains of animation film Soul's The Great Before, hypnotic in their ethereal hues of purple and blue, may give our primeval brains cues to shed some trapping beliefs and counter-productive mental habits that we have accumulated over the decades. Participants in light bluish green yoga wear are the souls, while the instructor has sheer outer sleeves referencing the translucent soul counselors in the film. Teaching assistants from Mystics Without Borders attend to inattentive students, who must have mentally drifted off to The Great Void. Pixar is not responsible for that hitherto unknown realm.

Dove Yggdrasill: Maybe the appeal of liminality to you lies not in its proximity to any preconceived place, real or fantastical, but in its distancing from all such places. You cannot be filed away neatly into any box. You love nature but are not a nature person in practical terms. You appreciate art and narratives but value your brain muscles too much to be a mindless drone only celebrating others' creativity. Why, no existing work by anyone can quite spell out your soul's aspired refuge. This is your chance as a valued customer of the network. Submit your own setting concept to Soapbending Yoga, Inc., the neo-exercise organization presently nowhere to be found, which will match customers behind selected submissions with suitable creatives to realize the visions. Dove Yggdrasill is one potential vision, featuring an environment no scene in any medium proffers — participants in chic, snowish yoga wear perform aerial yoga on harnesses hanging on sturdy panels that double as the lowest branches of a stylized world tree. The same goes for the instructor, positioned nearest the trunk, in this most egalitarian visual format. The gnarled tree can be predominantly white, with undertones enhancing its sculptural look. Wind chimes composed of origami white doves hang securely on tree branches away from the harnesses. A vibrant monotone green background cheekily evokes the feels of a sanitized commercial shoot, because consumerism is your habitat during paid yoga sessions. The overall symbolism is connections to and remembrance of antiquity and biodiversity even in modernist seclusion. But do not overlook the finishing touch, a stretching exercise for liminality's limits that ends up interrogating liminality itself, as we shall wonder about complete independence from contemporary creative culture and put on the front of each yoga outfit an appetizing graphic of the key lime pie Loki's Time Variance Authority characters bond over during work breaks.

Among the many spanners in the works are, first, the tendency of "high" and "pop" cultures alike to carry themes and elements beyond positive ones celebrated in the yoga sessions and, second, the liberty of yoga participants to twist our intended significance of elements even within the narrow visual context presented. For one thing (or another thing, if you recall a gender portrayal concern above), does Haruki Murakami's oeuvre trivialize extramarital affairs? In the butterfly glasshouse session, will participants be walking into a dream of humble oneness with nature and embracing mono no aware, or fervently throwing themselves into an embrace of vigilante justice since those two ideals are espoused by a safe house founder who orders assassinations in 1Q84? Messaging conflicts are an area that certainly needs more work in this proposal.

At the same time, however, sessions must not be run like cults. No interpretation of any work should be treated as immune from criticism or as exclusive of all other interpretations. Staff and settings can encourage but never order participants how to feel or reflect. All individuals' dignity as autonomous cognitive beings must be recognized and respected. In any event, a hard-sell approach would likely be counterproductive, while rejection of criticism and of what-ifs increases the risk of unrigorous, insular thinking in the network's operations and arts discourse. And such discourse is ultimately of lesser importance than participants' well-being, which is the sole focus of all teaching staff. Their extensive knowledge of source materials only serves to provide imaginative context and address ethical dilemmas. Chances are you can properly reason and feel for various artistic works only after you've taken care of yourself to a certain extent.

Relevant licensing requirements apply. Where works are used in the absence of applicable licensing regimes (e.g. art sourced in-house), commission fees or salaries will be paid to creatives depending on the nature of collaboration. In all outdoors settings, care must be taken to apply for all necessary location permits, avoid environmental damage (including any repetitive trampling of plants) and minimize disruption to nearby residents and businesses too. Although the hassle as well as general expenses can be dramatically cut by substituting light projections or augmented reality for all backdrop elements, the resulting effects will not be as immersive and powerful as three-dimensional set pieces. Moreover, eye strain from augmented reality undercuts health benefits.

It is also possible to simplify the network by forsaking direct artist participation and running only pop-up yoga events in artworks' and books' real settings and filming locations like The Lord Of The Rings' Hobbiton Movie Set, the Harry Potter movie series' Alnwick Castle and East Asian historical series' Yongin Daejanggeum Park and Hengdian World Studios with authority clearance and crowd management. That has the additional benefit of leaving the difference between real-life and onscreen ambience as the only gap between participants' reality and artistic or narrative reality. Simpler still, as some may advocate, we can discard cultural elements altogether and settle on scenic venues in general. However, those alternatives not only cuts down income opportunities for creatives and narrows the diversity of works referenced, if at all, but also reduces the richness of the yoga experience and makes the arts-based immersive yoga proposed even less accessible to time-strapped, budget-constrained individuals, who cannot be expected to keep flying out for a regularly-needed restorative workout. Not everyone lives next to breathtaking scenery or some character's haunt! The preventable carbon footprint as a result of the air travel is an issue too.

To skip over harness-less financial aerial yoga, the yoga network is bound to start out small and scale up as an enduring, substantial customer base grows and kinks in operations and expenditure are ironed out. Even so, the requisite startup capital is formidable. Nevertheless, compilation of the above list has been a fruitful exercise in counting blessings. Arts, in their myriad of colors and countenances, have already multiplied the universes we touch base with in our limited lifespans. We merely lose sight of many of them all too quickly.

Congratulations on making it to the end! But don't go away yet. Root for those settings that captured your heart in the poll and comment section below.

[kk-iki]

what do you do when you have free time??

thank you so much for the ask, my love. it really depends on how much time and energy i have, as well as if i'm in the right headspace to want to do these things.

but as well as i can condense it, some things i do when i have free time include. . .

taking everything showers. one thing i like to do during an everything shower is take my exfoliating gloves, put no body wash or anything on them, and just scrub at my body until it's raw and my skin feels pink and smooth. i always kind of feel like i'm born again afterwards.

junk journaling. i've fallen in love with the art of scrapbooking, but i also want to make use of all the things people seem to deem useless or obsolete in their day - to - day. in a way, it's an exercise in finding beauty in what's become ordinary.

baking. i've mentioned this a couple times, but one of my favorite hobbies is baking. i love when i get to try new things, but when i'm feeling low - energy, resorting to simpler comfort recipes is always a lovely experience every time.

reading. you will always see me read if i can help it. my prized possession in my room is the bookcase i've almost completely filled with a collection of my all - time favorites.

having long conversations. it can be with anyone; even myself. sometimes i'll chat with friends online, or i'll pester my siblings, or i'll even sit down and talk for a while with my daddy. i think that a fundamental part of life is to form those connections with people that you can only really get through opening up in conversation, even if in small increments.

dance practice. i don't always have the time to fire up the xbox 360 and load up my most beloved fitness game since i could walk (dance central, obviously), but when i do it's always a delight. i could navigate my way to my preferred playlist and dance through each song on shuffle with my eyes closed. . .although i don't, since the room my setup is in poses quite a few safety hazards if i'm not aware of my surroundings.

napping. does this need an explanation? sleep is one of my favorite forms of self - care. . .and one i scarcely have the time for indulging in.

again, thank you so much for the ask. like i said, it's always a delight when i can talk about the things that encapsulate my life and my everyday routine. i love you so much, my baby x

[theromanticslit]

The Alchemy of Passion: Romanticizing the Art of Being Alive

In the tapestry of our existence, threads of passion weave patterns both delicate and profound. To romanticize one’s passions is to view life through a lens of wonder and enchantment, to dance with the very essence of our pursuits as if they were stars in our personal constellation. It’s an act of alchemy—transforming the mundane into the extraordinary, the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Imagine passion as a garden, its soil rich with the dreams and desires that sprout from within. Each seed planted is a venture into the heart of what we love. When we tend to these seeds with care, they bloom into vibrant expressions of who we are. To romanticize this process is to recognize the beauty in each bud, each leaf, each blossom, even as it begins to unfurl.

In this garden of the soul, passion is not merely a pursuit but a poetic dialogue between the self and the world. It’s a conversation held in the quiet of dawn, when the first light kisses the earth and reveals the hidden hues of our inner landscape. It’s in this silence that the true romance of our passions is whispered—an ode to the beauty of our endeavors and the grace they bestow upon us.

To romanticize is to see beyond the surface, to savor the subtleties and nuances that might otherwise escape our notice. It’s to perceive the rhythm in the act of creation, the heartbeat behind the brushstroke, the melody in the written word. When we embrace our passions with this perspective, we become lovers of our own lives, each moment a tender exploration of what it means to be deeply and authentically engaged.

Consider the poet who gazes upon a blank page not as a mere canvas, but as a sacred space where dreams and musings coalesce into verses that breathe with life. Or the painter who regards their palette not as a collection of colors, but as a universe of emotions waiting to be expressed. Each artist, in their romantic embrace of their craft, transforms their work into a reflection of their deepest selves.

Romanticizing our passions means allowing ourselves to be fully immersed in the joy of our pursuits. It’s in the way we lose ourselves in a book’s labyrinth, the way we find solace in the cadence of our own footsteps as we wander through our favorite haunts. It’s in the quiet reverence of moments spent with our passions, where time seems to pause and the ordinary becomes a portal to the sublime.

This perspective invites us to celebrate not just the triumphs but also the trials along the way. It’s about savoring the journey as much as the destination, finding poetry in the process of becoming rather than merely achieving. The struggle, the labor, the moments of doubt—all become part of a grander narrative, a love story written with the ink of persistence and the grace of vulnerability.

Romanticizing your passions is, ultimately, an invitation to live with an open heart and a curious mind. It’s to be a connoisseur of your own joy, to revel in the act of creation, and to cherish every step along the path of your unique journey. It’s about seeing the magic in the mundane, finding beauty in the everyday, and letting your passions illuminate the way.

So, let us walk with reverence through the garden of our desires, let us dance with the rhythms of our creative hearts, and let us romance our passions as though they were the most precious of loves. For in this romantic embrace, we find the truest expression of who we are and the fullest experience of what it means to be alive.

-by The Romantics