#do you know how liberating it is to express yourself in the visual medium? very

[starryluminary]

what is your favourite thing in the entire universe

Drawing. Is drawing considered a “thing”

[jajatoc]

humbly asking for your traditional art tips (and more specifically if you have any advice for how to make details look as good as possible) 🙏🙏

Hii hello!!!!! I apologize for the time it took to answer this ask but I feel the concept of time is slowly but inexorably slipping away from me!!!!!!!! Your question is really interesting because I rarely feel comfortable posting my traditional art at all.. and the little advice I have comes from a place of great insecurity!! But I'm incredibly thankful for your ask as always friend..

I go to an art school so I've had the chance and luck to experiment with quite a lot of techniques.. but I haven't really managed to "master" much of any! Aside perhaps from the good old graphite.

My humble advice is to stick to whatever makes you more comfortable. I know everyone always says positive change comes from leaving your comfort zone but sometimes.. especially when it comes to art.. which has to be expressive and liberating for you first of all.. it's not wrong to find Your Spot. The physical medium you actually damn like to hold! To get in touch with! To improve and strive for the interpretation of it that satisfies you! I have never been a tactile person, I am not delicate nor careful when I work. If erasing and starting over is not an option, then the work is not for me. Mechanical pencils (2b to 4b) and sheets of paper (preferably easy to transport) will undeniably just be the mediums I prefer! But I've found watercolors and acrylics to also be very comfortable with time. It's important to find your niche, I believe!

The way you work and the time you put into it is also very important! Working with physical mediums is objectively more physically taxing than digital ones! A graphic tablet and a screen don't require you to organise your space much, nor to be much spatially aware at all.. but any other technique does. You have to find yourself a comfortable space to work, to fit your materials, a good enough lighting setup etc etc.. never forget your body has needs and It always works better when they are nurtured..

And speaking about time. It is crucial to. Look away. Walk away from your projects Often as hell. Especially because you don't have an undo button. They WILL look weird if you spend an entire day staring at it without looking away eventually. Stretch. Eat. Watch something else. I found taking breaks to write helps a lot!!!

And about details........ if you are working with a reference image. I cannot explain how useful the grid method is. It's the oldest trick in the book. The literal Egyptians used it. Divide the canvas in As Many Shapes as you like (no shame in making them small. You can do whatever the hell you want) as long as the image you're referencing is divided in the exact same way. After having laid down the general shapes work bit by bit. SLOWLY!!!!! DON'T RUSH YOURSELF!!!! And I swear you'll touch the heavens. It's so satisfying genuinely.

If you're just drawing something without reference...... which is the best feeling in the world Don't get me wrong. But you feel it's in need of details. Don't police yourself get the references. It enriches your visual library of a TON after a while. You absorbe the shapes and then you'll just know how to draw them!! Look at the references now and you'll have them engrained in your mind with time! (Any of this is true But not for shoes. Never have I managed to draw a shoe without a reference in my life. Shapes entirely beyond my comprehension!)

My curriculum (photos taken rn sorry for the horrible lighting.)!! They are not good nor inspired (it was. School work) But I was thinking of the times I made these when giving advice! So I think it would be useful to know what I was talking about <3 It's just B or 2B graphite:

[shikantazaart]

Shikantaza Creativity Interview III - SPARTALIEN

At Shikantaza we are not content to just create art. We want to understand art. We want to understand the people who make art. Into the act of creation. Who are the people behind the art work? What motivates them? Where do they find their inspiration?

No two people think and act alike, so it is even less likely to find two artists who think and act alike. Yet, there will be crossovers, shared thoughts and shared experiences. Where do we adjoin and where do we diverge?

Our series of interviews with artists and creators aims to answer these questions.

In interview number three we speak to multimedia experimenter SPARTALIEN. You can find his creations here https://spartalien.com/visual as well as a collection of his work in the Shikantaza gallery.

1 - Starting with the most important question - Who is Memoria?

Memoria is Latin and means, when translated, memory / remembrance.

I named the merchandise for the album "2358" Memoria instead of Memory, because the main track titles are also translated into Latin.

I see my merchandise as small memories/artefacts. Not only because they are very rare, but because I can never go back to that time.

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things” - Cicero

2 - You work across different mediums. Do you have any preference for a specific form? When did you first find the format that was “you”?

I became really infected with the digital virus around in the late 90s when I built my first computer. A year or two later I started taking photos and manipulating them digitally. I also had a few printed, which allowed me to bring the digital into the real world. Then I discovered IRC and started learning a little bit of TCL. Since I had fun coding, I decided to learn the basics of web development because I needed a website to show my pictures to other people. In general, I was fascinated by the flow of information on the Internet. That distance is no longer a real hurdle when it comes to data transmission.

I've always loved music as a listener and small collector. I was then and still am one of those people who never go out of the house for long periods of time without a Walkman. Music production came into play when a couple of friends set up a small studio where they produced Techno/Psy. When I was there for the first time, I knew immediately that I wanted to try it too. A few old tracks from back then are still available on my website.

From then on, many of my projects have developed in the direction of music.  The input for a program was often music metadata or it was a website that was about music in some way or another. But since I was still at the very beginning of my learning process, I kept discarding practically everything in order to improve it or to learn new things. Around 2001, I started a web radio with friends, which was online for several years. The music was mainly Downtempo, Trip-Hop, IDM and Ambient. Promos from unknown artists from around the world were also broadcasted.

The atmosphere, the feeling I got from this time - how the music finds me and not the other way around, how it can change people's thoughts - has never left me since then.

3 - Do you feel that each medium allows you to express yourself differently from the others? How do you choose which medium you work in any given moment?

Yes. But I think you can convey the same feelings with any medium. The question is how direct it is. For example, pain can be expressed with fire but also with a chair in an empty room. At the end of the day, in my opinion, it's not about the artist's intention but about the perception of the viewer and his or her subsequent thoughts and actions. For example, imagine you make a dark ambient track that you experience as sad and heavy, but someone else tells you that it helped to relax and develop thoughts.

In addition to all of this, each medium also has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to technical implementation. So, sometimes the choice can also purely depend on skill or resources.

We all have ideas and often out ambitions outweigh our resources. Sometimes we need more resources, but more often than not we need to chip away at our ideas until our ambitions and resources align.

4 - Do you seek different sources of inspiration for your music than you would for your visual creations?

It's everything in the world around me that inspires me. Everything I perceive and feel, so to speak. Most of the time I don't have a melody or a picture in my head. It is more of a feeling and then I look for the right tone or shape for it, so to speak.

5 - How closely are your creations connected to each other?

Very close one could say - through my thoughts that I have wrapped in it. I always had a bit of a problem putting my thoughts into words. I tend to stray through various topics when I talk about something. With music and visuals, it feels lighter and more natural to get to the point. The "message" doesn't always get through, but being able to do so is liberating and invaluable to me.

6 - If you were to direct people to a specific piece of work that you feel really nails what you are aiming for with your creations, which would it be?

This is a hard question. Maybe I would ask you to sit down and listen to the album "FLOATING HIGH" in one sitting. Since it felt like coming home to me while making it. The music is less intrusive and not as precise in its message as the previous releases. Like its cover art, where the clouds could be seen as opening or closing. I wanted to create tracks that leave more room for thought while still telling a story.

7 - You have “X minutes of peace” on your site. Why is this needed? Was this made for you or for others?

For others but also for myself. For me it is self-reflection that allows me to understand myself better. But since I have problems with "just switching off my head", the moments in which I just sit quietly and let the recording device do its work are very valuable. In moments like these I can really switch off and think about something very carefully. Asking questions even though I feel like I don't have an answer. Or simply enjoying the precious fresh air and sounds of nature.

Unfortunately, too many people don't have time for that kind of peace. Too much pressure is on them. They either get this or that, or they can't survive. It's so sad how the system works. I simply think that if everyone would have more inner-peace, the world would be a better place. But then again, what do I know living under a rock between mountains?

The videos should allow us to find peace for a few minutes, no matter where we are. So that new and hopefully useful thoughts can develop.

The series  Let It All Go is actually the same thing, just with music.

For the really dark hours there is BRAIN I/O. From time to time I prefer to embrace the pressure. Difficult to describe. The concept is basically: don't think, just feel and record it. It's about things that I personally want to leave behind or at least want to learn to accept (not necessarily being okay with) them if I can't change them.

Peace is an issue for me. When I briefly find it only points the way to the next act. This is fantastic but self defeating. Why can’t we just stay in peace?

8 - When inspiration has left the building where do you look to find it?

I'm not really actively looking for inspiration. Somehow it doesn't work that way for me. So variety is important to me. That is why I usually have several side projects going on in the areas that I do not much publicize. Much of it never leaves my hard drive and is mainly intended to free my mind and get on to new ideas in the process. Coding, graphics, drawing, etc. But the music production is and remains the main focus.

9 - These are the questions I am asking all the interviewees. Why do you create? What is it that pushes you to keep creating?

The inner child is just too strong. I've been living for a while and I know exactly nothing. It kind of feels like that. So many things that you can create with the computer alone. I'm stuck in that loop where you just love to create things and learn - and use the new knowledge to create new things. Things!

10 - What would most assist you to create more works? Is there an ultimate goal for your creations?

More time and resources for sure. but most important to me is the feeling that my loved ones are safe. When I have to worry about their future because the system is going the way it is, it feels like a pile of stones in my head.

The creative / social goal of my art is relatively simple and based on my own experience. Art has helped me tremendously when I felt lost - or when I was just "bored". Taking time to really listen to or look at something can be very liberating.

My short-term financial goal is to generate a more or less regular income through art. But since I never released anything commercially before 2016, this world is still new to me.

My dream goal is to hear my music in film and games and to generate an income that supports my family.

Nonetheless, I think goals are here to create an initial path, not necessarily motivation.

I do not know of a single soul who has not been lost. Some never find their way back. Some don’t need to find their way back, they are happier in the place they found.

11 - If you were to offer a creator any advice what would it be?

Based on my own experience in no particular order:

Stay curious and open minded for different viewpoints.

Tutorials can limit your creativity. Sure, learn the basics, but explore as much as you can on your own and never be afraid to fail. It's a process, not a game.

On projects that take longer than a day to complete, set yourself a deadline when you want to have it completed. Not important if it takes longer, but in general that helps to stay more focused.

Very few things are easy when you start.

Limitations are not necessarily bad.

Don't wait for motivation to create. It will kick in usually a few minutes after you've started. Therefore keep your tools ready and organized so you can start creating at any time.

You can always turn off the internet.

Be open for constructive criticism.

Especially for the digital crowd, backup your stuff!

(All images and works by SPARTALIEN)

[thelifedocumentor]

Azania Forest on honouring her heritage through art

Azania Forest is a multi-disciplinary artist who expresses herself through visual art, photography, and fashion. Azania Forest draws inspiration from her multicultural background, traditional European fine art, and African heritage – she tells these stories through her lens and adds her interpretations. True to her name, Azania meaning emancipation of Africa post-1994 and Forest being an infinite place of possibilities and exploration, she addresses various issues that plague our society such as South African inequalities, black women’s liberation through all facets, and preservation of culture.

She opens up critical conversations through symbolism in artworks such as Mbona Lisa and Lady Liberty, whilst still empowering us to own our narrative and tell stories that highlight the beauty of black women. Azania Forest intelligently intersects the impact that apartheid had on South Africa and encourages us to reflect to move forward with purpose. Azania enquires about her identity and makes sense of it all through every artwork she creates.

During our catch up over coffee, I learned about how she nurtured her calling, the themes central in her work, and how she uses her voice to create her legacy.

1. How did your experience of growing up in a multi-cultural family play a role in forming your identity? I am sure you are still drawing in so much knowledge from both your families?

My mum is Xhosa and then my dad is Tswana. My dad was raised Tswana but he doesn’t know his mother’s culture because she doesn’t know her father. They only know the mother's side. Those two are very different cultures because my mum is from the Eastern Cape and then my dad is from Gauteng. Just go going back home to my mom to visit her family is a different experience – even the scenery is different it’s not like visiting someone here in Gauteng like visiting my mom there in Soweto or my dad’s family. I have to go to the Eastern Cape frequently because she also has to see her family. It has made me so open and receptive to someone different from me. I don’t have a narrow view of a way of living or lifestyle. I have two contrasting cultures that don’t even sound alike – cultures that are not even dialect of each other. If someone is way different from me, it is very interesting for me to learn from them. It has made me open and receptive to identities, to other people who are not like me. I can say it has made me affluent culturally.

2. That is so beautiful. And you are probably still learning things about them from both sides.

I really am. I recently found out that my mom’s clan actually come from Khoi San. I realized even where they stay, is very dessert-like. It made sense, their landscape, and her lineage. So it was very interesting to find out where do they come from and how colonial the Eastern Cape and how influenced by colonialism the place is. With my dad’s side, I have a very shallow knowledge. I don’t go to where his great grandfather or grandfather grew up in. I always hear them talking about it – it’s in the North West, it’s also very dessert-like. Tswanas have a very Khoi thing about them. I am trying to trace both my mom’s and dad’s side. I am more fond of my mom’s side. It’s a responsibility I guess to search into that.

3. Why is preserving culture so important to you?

Preserving culture is important to me because if you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know your people, who birthed you – you have no sense of reference as to who you are. Your mother is you, your aunts – those are a part of you. You share DNA. If you don’t know where your people come from – there is a lack of knowledge about yourself. If my grandmother was an excellent teacher or nurse in her time, it gives me knowledge as to, “Oh if my grandmother could be a nurse, I can be a nurse as well because she’s a part of me, I’m a part of her.”

I get a sense of structure knowing who were the people that brought me here. That is why it’s important for me to preserve the knowledge that our great grandparents passed onto our grandparents and even to us. There are some traditions that Western medicine or technology can never truly grasp. Concepts, emotions, and the English language can’t describe them in the way your culture can. It is extremely important to preserve things like that. That makes who we are as a people.

4. I love that. It’s so important because I also feel like it’s so hard to trace back work that documents African spirituality, rituals, and customs. Whereas in the Western world that is so well documented in terms of philosophies and religions. When you come here, it’s so hard to access that.

It’s not in books, it’s not documented. That is our responsibility right now because we have access to printing books, writing books, language, education as opposed to our grandmothers who that was taken away from. It is our responsibility to preserve.

5. Congratulations on launching your fashion brand and being signed to an art agency in France. What inspired your decision to study fashion and how did you find that journey?

I have always known that I like creating. I like making things and also at that time, I liked fashion a lot. There was a change here in South Africa – the Braam culture and Neighbourgoods were forming, fashion was just so different. We had access to the internet, we could see what other countries were doing and how we can interplace ourselves in the world as Africans but in global people. That’s when I fell in love with fashion but as you grow you find yourself. What I realized is that I like telling stories so whether it be photography, painting, designing – l like to tell a story. That is why even when I do fashion, it mixes with art because I like to tell a story. I am not necessarily an aesthetic person (like beauty) I love that but I would rather have a beautiful story. Even if things don’t look good, but the story makes sense. If things look good and the story looks good – then wow, amazing!! [Laughing] I am trying to get there but my priority is the story. Telling stories through clothing and visuals – it’s a calling I could say, it’s my vocation.  

6. Which themes are central in your art, photography, and fashion work? And how do you find navigating all of these mediums simultaneously?

The basis of all these 3 things is that they are visual things. It is things we see, and things we touch, things that exist. They are not only digital. That is my basis for connection for these things. If I make a dress, then I have to shoot. Then now photography comes in. And then now I want to exhibit it. Now take this creation into an art level. What makes it art is the story that you have about it. If you create something, you have a reference, you are communicating, you are expressing. That can translate into art. That’s why these things don’t live separately in my brain as different things. They live as one thing. I can’t separate them in my mind. If I’m telling a story, whatever medium I am using – it is still the same story. It’s just gonna look different physically. But the story in itself exists. So that’s how I join the 3.

7. I love the documentation of culture in Camagu studio. You incorporate all these diverse identities of black African womanhood into art. May you please tell me more about how it began?

I started Camagu Studio with Lulama Wolf. Camagu means to honor. The purpose of everything we do on that platform is to honor. To honor the people that came before us, to honor ourselves, and to honor our journeys - where we are going. It’s being present whilst acknowledging and appreciating all the things that have brought us where we are. Camagu is about that. You can see it in the aesthetic of our work – we mostly reference African images. What you said, unlike Western culture, documentation for us has been a very political thing. Taking pictures in the 1950s was political. White people would take pictures of us but through the colonial gaze, not to humanize us but to want to deconstruct us. It’s a double-edged sword because what they thought they were doing is destructive but they created archives for us to go back, analyze, and re-interpret today. So that’s what we do. We are self-reflective of where we come from and how we can materialize our thoughts and ideas. If it’s through art, we can do that. If it’s through photography, we can do that. It’s about honoring people and honoring our people.

“Camagu Studio is a concept company that focuses on cultural research and artistic expression. The word ‘Camagu’ meaning ‘to praise’ or ‘to honor ’ in isiXhosa is the foundation of our cause. We learn from our own cultures and in turn, exalt how our heritage has given us the wisdom to pursue our modern identities as Africans. We are students of art and life, therefore, each product or service we produce will come from a place inspired by knowledge and appreciation. The heart of our studio comes from the ideation process. Each product or service comes from a story that is conceptualized and manifested, as a result, there is the intention behind what we offer. We are researchers, students, and storytellers.”

- Camagu Studio on Tumblr

8. Which would you say are your favorite works that you have produced?

Wow, that’s a difficult question because I have never actually looked into that. I do like my current works with Lady Liberty. I like Lady Liberty. I like Mbona Lisa which is an ongoing series, I am still working on it and expanding on the topic. Lady Liberty is also ongoing because it’s so layered and it needs to breathe and be spaced out with time. Currently, those are my top 2 because they are very personal to me. They are personal because I’m a woman, I’m a black woman trying to find my place in the world. I am growing as well. The world is treating me differently than when I was a teenager. Things are different now. I am also looking at the other experiences of other black women and merging that into one story. That is why this work is very important to me, and it’s a continuous thing.

9. Lady Liberty was such an iconic piece of work and packed so much meaning that is important to unpack. How did you feel about the way it was received?

People will always have something to say and I understand. I just wish people would talk to me and communicate what their frustrations are so that I can help out where I can. But if someone is shouting, shouting, shouting, I can’t hear anything.

10. In terms of your photography, what qualities must a subject have for it to be captivating enough for you to capture it?

I was talking about this to a friend of mine. We were having this chat about photography and I realized something about the way black women are captured for magazines and media, thinking about athletes like Serena Williams. They are hyper-stylized, they are captured in what they do in the cover – “I’m an athlete”. If you look at how white women are captured – she could be an athlete or an actress, they will just style her basic: white t-shirt, hair, beautiful and nothing extravagant. I find that to be very interesting. I am trying to move away from how the media portrays black women. They never portray us as just women, I could be an athlete but I’m just an athlete. If I’m shooting this, maybe I could just comb my hair and wear a white shirt, that’s it Black women are always stylized, you must look extravagant, you must look like a goddess. All the time we are looking to make things extravagant for black women. For me, that’s a bit of a problem. It’s like the strong narrative – you remove that this is a person who is also vulnerable. Maybe they are not strong. We don’t portray things as they are when it comes to black women. What is interesting for me in photography is capturing black women as they are – nothing more, nothing less. The way they want to be perceived – that’s it, simple.

11. I have never thought about that before. When you say it, it makes so much sense. That is deep.

But you get to see it. We are always powerful. It’s a racial thing if you look at it deeply.

12. If you ever feel a creative block during a project, how do you reconnect and channel your energy?

I’m in such a creative space right now. I’ve been creating this entire lockdown, I’ve been making stuff. Which I guess, is how I got the agent because I was creating catalogues, and when you put in so much energy into something it just goes. When I have a creative block, I do have those days, I channel that creative block itself. If I feel demotivated, I use the demotivation. I don’t think I have experienced a block to be honest, because a block is when you’re not even sad or happy, nothing is coming to you. I haven’t experienced that, it’s going to happen maybe sometime. I just have pent up energy, I want to release all the ideas in me. I can’t say what to do in a creative block because I haven’t experienced it so far.

13. Which creative materials inspired you on your overall journey? It could be a film, book, exhibition, documentary, or anything?

A camera. That’s been my tool. That has kept me going and it started everything. When my mom bought me a camera, it changed everything for me. It saved my life. It’s the most potent weapon for me.

14. Which brands and artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?

A brand that I would like to work with is Comme des Garçons by Rei Kawakubo. I’d love to work with them with all my heart. I love Comme des Garçons and Alexander McQueen. These are fashion brands mainly. In terms of other brands, I really like Adidas. I like how they allow creative versatility. I would love to work with Adidas but on a real thing like designing a shoe together - not necessarily influencer only. But to create art and collaborate it with the shoe or t-shirt. So far I admire everyone doing art. The thing about doing collaborations is so tough because I am trying to find my voice and my place in the art world. I’m not really in a space of wishing to collaborate with any artists right now. However, I would love to collaborate with anyone who is not in visual art. Maybe someone who does music like instrumentals or dj’ing – that would be nice. As much as I do fashion, I would love to collaborate my art with someone else who does fashion like another designer or brand.

15. And lastly, which words of advice would you give to young artists who aspire to manifest their multi-faceted dreams in this industry?

As much as we take references on the internet, we see everyone’s work. We want to be like them, we want to copy them and we are inspired. I would advise everyone to take time to find the things that mean a lot them. Go offline, find inspiration outside of Pinterest. Look to your family album. Find the resources around you. Use what you have. Stay true to who you are. As much as there is education and all these beautiful references but there has to be a sense of grounding within you. You have to find what you like. Do I like it because everyone likes it and this has 2 million likes, now I also want it? It’s so easy to be swayed because everyone likes a thing but sometimes you find that I actually don't like it. I like it because someone else likes it. It’s that interrogation of finding what you like apart from the influence and then that gives you a platform to tell your story. When you are influenced by something else, you are guided by yourself. So if I’m going to be influenced by Coca-Cola which is something external from who I am, I will bring myself into Coca-Cola. That is my advice for any artist because, in the end, art is a story.

Image sources: https://outsidein.org.uk/galleries/lesego-seoketsa/, https://azaniaforest.tumblr.com/, https://icamagustudio.tumblr.com/, https://www.instagram.com/azaniaforest/ 

[tiergan-vashir]

What about a cis woman who has androgynous features and hates it and herself for it? I'd give anything for a more feminine face and not look so flat chested. Is this dysphoria too? Do you have any resources for this sort of problem? It seems silly, but when I see trans women having things like facial feminization surgery or going on hormones and getting breasts that are nice, I wonder if a cis woman who experiences the same pain over her androgynous features is in the same boat..

Aww, anon. I’m so sorry to hear that you’re struggling this way. I wouldn’t say this is gender dysphoria as gender dysphoria is involves a persistent sense of unease and conflict between a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify.  You are a cis woman who identifies as a woman, but wishes she looked more feminine, which is very different.

I would assess how strong your feelings are and if it’s extremely severe, to the point that your distress causes you to be highly preoccupied with it and it is impacting your school, work, home, etc or and you find yourself hiding away, I would consult a therapist. You may have body dysmorphic disorder.If it’s not quite THAT extreme, the I would say that what you’re feeling and struggling with is still totally valid and far, far more common amongst folks than you might think.  Whether you realise it or not, as a woman you are bombarded all the time with powerful systemic, societal pressures to look, dress, and behave in a certain manner every day - and all of that can really destroy how people feel about themselves.

Shoving the rest of this under a cut for length.

Let me just tell you right now - my breasts are fuckin’ tiny.  I know I literally just asked for advice on binders a few days ago, but I’m an A cup at best. Probably smaller.  The slight, itty-bitty ‘cup’ shape on my flimsy bralettes probably give these non-existent knockers more shape than they really have.  Even though I’m buying binders and what not, on a lazy day, I could honestly just slap some pasties on these nip-nops and call it good. They’re that small.

This is amazing and awesome now that I’m busily trying to minimize their existence as much as possible.  I consider myself genderqueer/genderfluid so some days I’ll be crushed over the fact that I can’t be this tall, jacked, majestic Tiergan-shaped dude, while other days I’ll be fine and dandy with looking like a woman, while MOST days I just want to be the purest manifestation of Gender Confusion Inducement™ in other people.  Me wanting binders over my itty-bitty nublet tiddies is just me wanting to go that extra mile to be flat as a fuckin’ wall.

But when I thought I was a cis woman? I felt crushingly ashamed by them.  

Back then, I didn’t really like myself or how I looked. I didn’t like looking at myself in the mirror. I HATED looking at myself in pictures. I rarely took selfies, because I thought I was not very attractive.  I thought I was bland and ugly looking.  Society had told me again and again that attractive women looked a certain way, were shaped a certain way, dressed a certain way, etc, and that clearly my unhappiness was based upon the fact that I did not conform to that mold.I thought to be happy and to feel better about myself, I had to double down on the womanliness and become more conventionally attractive. So I’d buy things like massive push-up bras that never felt good, comfortable, and I hated in a desperate attempt to conform. I’d buy these really specific types of shirts and clothes that I didn’t like at all, but thought was what was ‘pretty’ for women. I’d fumble through learning make-up, not because I was interested in the colors, the expression, the creativity, and accentuating my features the way I wanted, but because that’s just what adult women were supposed to do.  I’d buy certain shoes I didn’t really even like, but knew pretty women were supposed to like and wear.

I was trying so damn hard to fit the mold and in the end, it only made me feel worse.  I felt like I was wearing this awkward, uncomfortable shell. People would tell me I was pretty, but I didn’t feel happier. I just felt more miserable, because all this extra emotional and physical labour I was putting into myself just to fit this arbitrary bullshit notion of what an ideal pretty lady was supposed to be like was EXHAUSTING and I didn’t even really like how I looked. I didn’t want to do it all every. single. day of my life.

Realising I was nonbinary was absolutely liberating for me, because I thought  “Well… if I’m not a cis woman and none of the old ‘rules’ matter anymore, …what does handsomeness or beauty actually mean to me?” 

And for the first time in my entire adult life, I defined for myself what beauty and handsomeness truly meant for me.  It was wonderful and liberating.  The first thing I realised was that I didn’t really give a fuck about how big my boobs are. Society did. And BOY HOWDY it was GREAT not giving a flying fuck about that anymore.  I still keep a few bras around for costuming/cosplay purposes, but you could not catch me fucking dead in one otherwise.

I used to hate make-up and find it to be this long, cumbersome chore that I would lose interest in doing every day, but once I got to sit and experiment on how I personally actually wanted it to look on my face - I fucking loved it. I like experimenting with colors and want to play with more. It appeals to the artist in me to play on a canvas even if that canvas is my face.

Fashion as a whole became a wild new experience. I stopped thinking about what I felt pressured to buy because it would make me look a certain way and what I really, really wanted.  I made a pinterest board of fashion goals and pinned every single thing I could find that I liked - regardless of whether it was a man, woman, or theater major dressed up in costume wearing it so I could identify what I actually wanted.  I dyed my hair pink, but got it cut in a more masculine manner and I fucking love the way I look now.

You might be thinking “Yeah, ok, Tiergan, that’s great and all, but I’m not nonbinary.”

But the funny thing I realised was that even though embracing that I am nonbinary led me to this understanding that I could take back my own power and define for myself what attractiveness truly means for me - this was a thing I could have done at any point in my life if I hadn’t been so buried in all those signals from society on what beauty was supposed to be.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you “just accept ur natural self! Don’t change a thing! Body positivity!!!!!” Because: 1) I know when you’re in a place of feeling super down on yourself, that shit doesn’t help at all and just feels extremely inauthentic. 2) I changed A LOT about myself until I was happy with my appearance. I just didn’t change it in the ways that I previously thought I was ‘supposed’ to.

So instead what I’ll say is that if you’re willing and able, I would set aside an hour or two each week to clear your mind, dig deep, and try to visualize a universe in which nothing anyone else thinks about your appearance matters anymore, because YOU are God.  You have a blank slate.  

There is no pressure to look a certain way to be considered beautiful, because you’re God. You decide what is beautiful..  No one in this universe gives a fuck if you have big tiddies, little tiddes, medium tiddies or any kind of tiddy, because right now the universe is a blank slate and all tiddies are created equal in a blank slate.  No one in this universe cares whether or not you have the perfect heart-shaped feminine face or not, because you’ve not told anyone yet what is considered attractive.  You are the decider of beautiful things.

Now imagine that you, as God of this World, descend down to hang with the mortals.  You can’t really change your body without going back to your old weirdo universe back on Earth, but what you can change is your clothes, your hair, your make-up, etc.  Knowing that this universe is yours and you get to decide what beautiful is for yourself, what would you change?  

Remember, you’re God in this universe you’ve made - so you don’t have to impress fucking anybody.  Anyone who says shit to you gets smited or yeet into the sun.  As a god, you get to wear what makes you feel powerful, majestic, and appropriately godlike - what does that clothing look like?  Can you imagine it?  If it’s hard, maybe pull up pinterest and surf around for your god-clothes.  Would you get stylish sneakers or thigh high boots?  Would you get a lady’s power-suit or a lolita dress?  Would you get some neat unique godly jewelry? (If yes, I recommend Etsy. That site is gonna destroy my fuckin’ destory my wallet.)

What’s your make-up like?  Is it tough to imagine?  Pull up another pinterest. Use it to find your god-makeup.  And hey - are you putting this make-up on because it makes you feel GOOD and POWERFUL like the goddess you are, or to impress the mortals? Because again - you’re god. You don’t have to impress jack shit. This make up is for YOU and what makes you feel GOOD and POWERFUL and GODLIKE.

Do you still care about having bigger boobs? (Did you know a fuckload of actual supermodels and Hollywood actresses have small tiddies? So even in THIS universe, you don’t need big boobs to be beautiful!)  Do you still feel unhappy that your face is kind of androgynous according to the dumbasses back in the vastly inferior universe you originally came from?  Or do things in your universe where you’re god feel pretty great?  I hope so, because gods don’t really have time to worry about the funky assumptions of mere mortals. You’re too busy being fabulous and doing godlike shit.

Hope this sort of helps!

[coeval-magazine]

The Witch Twins

Transmitted from a college dorm room, Robi and Alen Predanič use performance art to create “mysterious VHS tapes you find in the attic of the old house you have just moved in to”.

Let’s start by you introducing yourselves and how you started working together  Alen: We are Robi and Alen Predanič aka The Witch Twins and we are from Slovenia. We are twins, 25 years old and we’ve been living in the same college dorm room for five years. This is where we created our own world. We make our own surreal, eccentric and colourful costumes and perform and pose in them, usually in our dorm room. I mostly shoot and edit the photos and Robi focuses on recording and editing the videos. When we’re finished we post it on Instagram. Robi went to college one year before me. We started listening to a lot of music from the 60s and 70s. We loved the warmness of the sound and visuals of the era. Inspired by that and other stuff like Harry Potter, we transformed our totally white room into a warm, psychedelic looking place. Throughout our childhood we were always in our bubble, creating something and escaping from real life.

Robi: We don’t take life very seriously and we like to challenge man-made social constructs such as gender norms. Two years ago, we came out. Shortly after, we started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and because of that show we were inspired to experiment with wigs and DIY clothes. Our dorm room really played an important role in all of this, because it represented (and it still does) a safe, cosy and magical place where we could be authentic and creative. We actually used to dress up in women’s clothes when we were in kindergarten and when we were home alone. We stopped, because we realised that boys were not supposed to dress like that. Through the years we used to be terribly embarrassedabout our ‘weird’ past and our sexuality. It’s really liberating that the same thing that used to be such a burden, now makes us happy and proud. 

What made you choose the medium of performance art to concentrate on? Robi: The reason I filmed myself in the first place was because of the cool VHS phone app. I realised I am comfortable in front of the camera while I’m in drag… it feels very natural to me. When I perform, I naturally gravitate towards randomness, humour and exaggeration. There are no rules in performance art, and I like that. Nobody is limiting me, I can express myself how I want to without being afraid of making mistakes. 

Alen: Robi once asked me to join him in one of his videos. It was fun and it naturally became our thing. We also started doing photoshoots together. Performance art is not something that I was originally interested in, but it has become something that allows my costumes and fantasy to come to life. 

Your work together has a very distinct aesthetic. How did this evolve?  Alen: We both like to be dramatic and ‘’larger than life’’. We are expressing ourselves freely and we just do whatever feels natural. Renovation of our dorm room has helped us to figure out our aesthetic. We developed a colour palette that was very 60s and 70s inspired and we customised everything in the room accordingly, it came out psychedelic, and colourful. We continued that vibe with our costumes, videos and photos. When we buy fabrics for our costumes, we like them to have interesting textures and beautiful colours. Right now, we are into looking like trippy life size toys - colourful and not too complex. We also like to believe that we are undercover aliens hiding our big alien heads underneath our headpieces. We both love dramatic silhouettes and big headpieces.

Robi: When it comes to our drag, we like unusual combinations. If we feel like combining facial hair with long painted nails or a short skirt with a headscarf, we just do it. I enjoy making genderless creatures. I like to make my hips, shoulders, “hair” and accessories big. I like to transform myself; to create the most fabulous version of myself and confuse people in the best way possible… When I edit the videos, I like to combine footage of us with the footage of mysterious buildings and beautiful nature. The videos we make can be described as mysterious VHS tapes you find in the attic of the old house you had just moved in.

I interpret your work as very spiritual. Is spirituality something that’s important or influential to you as individuals and/or your work? Robi:I love combining art and spirituality, because that’s the way to make meaningful art. I think by being authentically and fearlessly ourselves we send a message that is very much spiritual. I like my work to radiate a peaceful vibe and we do that through music we use in our videos for example. We also include messages of peace and love in our work by using symbols such as heart, sun and flower in our costumes, videos and dorm room décor. The warm edit of the pictures and the videos adds to the welcoming and peaceful fantasy, as well. My work is also spiritual for me, because it feeds my soul. I really enjoy what I do. 

 Alen: I love spirituality. I am determined to fulfil the highest and truest expression of myself and I know I can do that through art.

What has made you label yourself as a witch? Can you tell me a bit about this side of your creativity and how/if this influences your work as a duo? Alen: Witches fit perfectly in a great fantasy. I’ve always loved witches. We both love magic, mysterious things and places. For me, a witch represents that. I often do magic and fly on a broom when I sleep, in my dreams and I love it. Not to mention, that when we were about 8 years old, we used to believe that we were magicians. We made a secret alphabet, special objects and we performed special rituals. 

Robi: We naturally adopted this label, but we don’t take the label very seriously. We also sometimes say that we’re aliens. We love creating fantasies and by labelling ourselves as witches or aliens we do just that. A witch also represents a metaphor for an unconventional person. We are modern day witches in that sense.

You use very pronounced, textural silhouettes and there is a strong sense of fantasy through theatre. A visualisation of your combined imaginations maybe... can you introduce us to this alternative world you have created? What feeds this? Robi: We are very compatible when it comes to working together creatively. Our work is heavily influenced by movies with exquisite fantasy worlds. Such worlds are mysterious, dreamy, magical and visually stunning. They consist of trippy characters, stunning costumes, detailed set designs, mysterious places and soul touching music. We’re talking about movies such as Shrek, Spirited Away, Alice in Wonderland, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Titanic. Also, horror movies such as The Ring and The Hills Have Eyes. I’m very inspired by operas and musicals as well, because of the dramatic body movements and the dramatic vibe. 

Alen: Yes, what we do in the videos and the photos is visualisation of our combined imaginations. A lot of stuff that inspires our world is from our childhood. From a young age we were very aware of beautiful and magical things that surrounded us. Our kindergarten teachers were very creative and really made sure that we experienced a lot of magical moments. We were also encouraged to be creative by our grandma. Her house was always well decorated and we used to draw, make jewellery and decorative napkins from paper when we were at her house. We loved fantasy and magic and we still love it as much as we used to when we were kids. Major influence from many years ago are sticker albums and beautiful illustrations from children’s books. 

When it comes to forming new concepts or beginning a new creative venture, how do you normally begin? Alen: We usually start with a colour palette, or with ideas about our headpieces. We then draw a sketch of the full costume. Sometimes we have a concept about the universe our costumes and characters come from, but most of the time, each of us just does our own thing and at the end it works out.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on right now? Robi: I am making a music video for an artist. We will soon start working on some of our last costumes in our college years era.  We are moving out in three months.

Alen: I am working on my music. I am also a singer and I’m looking forward to finally sharing my music. We are also working on prints of our work.

What does the future hold, where would you like to see your work in 5 years? Robi: I want to continue filming with my phone app and make costumes and short movies. I’m also interested in performing live. Alen and I want to make an exhibition and publish a picture book of our work.

Alen: I definitely see myself on stage, singing in crazy outfits. Robi and I will continue to collaborate creatively on different things, because we love to work together.

courtesy ALEN PREDANIC and ROBI PREDANIC

@alenpredanic

@robipredanic

words KATE KIDNEY BISHOP

@sashasadies

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[theseadagiodays]

April 13, 2020

Interstices

Definition: an intervening time or space

Synonym: Aperture - an opening or gap

Gap - a space or pause between two things

Pause - a suspension of movement or activity

Space - a continuous area or expanse which is free and available

Whether our rhythms have slowed or accelerated in this moment, we all currently sit at an interstices.  A place in time between what came before and what comes next.  An uncomfortable spot for most of us, because humans habitually seek certainty.  But this time is also an opening, an opportunity where we can be free to explore new ways of being.  A time to suspend old habits, and invite shifts in perspective.  In some schools of Buddishm, they have a term for such in-between times.  “Bardo is an intermediate, transitional, or liminal state between death andrebirth.  A state of great potential for liberation, since transcendental insight may arise with the direct experience of reality” Wikipedia

But most of us resist making space in our schedules because it gives too much room to look at the bold truth of our lives.  Like the clear expanse of a mirror, this time is revealing much that we need to remember, but also much that we don’t want to see.  The decreased GHG’s from limited transport have clarified our skies and caused animals to rapidly return where humans had previously dominated.  The gardens we’d neglected are being tenderly tilled.  And the friends we’d forgotten for decades are reaching out to reminisce.  But the work that does not feed our souls, or the incessant self-deprecating thoughts, or the spouse who irritates us (speaking generally of course), or the wallpaper we regret having bought, all glare us in the face daily and force us to reflect on our real priorities and desires.  However, all at once, this can be too much for us to take in.

I remember a Vancouver talk, on my birthday in 1998, where the Tibetan monk, Chogyam Trungpa said it amazed him “how much North Americans busied their lives so as not to know themselves”.    If this is true, it strikes me that in order to assuage our fears about looking at the skeletons in our own empty closets, perhaps we can try to look at space entirely differently.

In music, space or silence can be incredibly potent.  Violinist, Isaac Stern describes music itself as “that little bit between each note—the silences which give the music form.”  One of my favorite composers, Arvo Part is a master of silence.  The pauses in many of his halting melodies require the listener to become an active participant - to fill the space with their own interpretations,  just as we can do during this time.   His Psalom for strings is a mesmerizing example of such writing.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Ssbik_dmY

Visual artists have also created substantive beauty from negative space. The images below play with absence and presence, illustrating that our perception can entirely shape what we choose to see.  Similarly, if we can stretch our understanding of what is currently missing from our lives to recognize the space this allows for other things to present themselves, it may fortify our patience and acceptance with the way things are.

But if none of this brings solace during challenging times, and we still need to cling to hope, we can remember that, invariably, after rest always comes activity.  Bamboo is a prime example of this, as noted in this proverb about the slow but mighty grower, “the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps.”

So, if we emerge from COVID anything like North America emerged from the 1918 flu epidemic, maybe we can finally look forward to an era where flapper dresses come back.  I know that I’d personally find the next Roaring Twenties a welcomed resurgence.  

April 14, 2020

Finding Stillness in Uncertainty

For hours last Tuesday, in a persistent drizzle and strong wind, I wandered my neighborhood aimlessly with a broken umbrella, mourning the shut restaurants, scared faces, and unhugged friends I hadn’t seen in weeks.

But today, the air is still and warm, and the scent of pregnant magnolias saturate my senses while I bathe in birdsong.  

Photo by my friend Cheryl’s 12-year-old son, Noah

Such is the mercurial nature of life in this pandemic.  Still, as best I can, I try to walk my talk.  Be the master of my own attitude.  Contribute where I can.  Live mindfully and gratefully.  But some days this is much harder than others.  However lately, Vancouver’s unseasonable summer weather has made this infinitely easier.  As someone who suffers from seasonal effective disorder, and who’s had a love/hate affair with my rainy though lush city, it makes me realize how important it is to find conditions condusive for optimal living. With the improved weather and a large park right behind my home, I am enticed to greet each morning with a slow, present-minded walk.  A moving meditation.  

I have also been grateful for the opportunity to lead weekly guided meditations for my husband’s work team.  His colleagues are front-line workers of a different sort.  They run our local transit system which is still critically needed by those who must continue to work in public settings, or who do not have the privilege of their own vehicle.  But with covid-fear and enforced social distancing measures, Translink is losing $3 million a day in ridership fees.  So, they are under enormous stress to adjust their service plans, make difficult decisions about lay-offs, and continue to try and plan for a very uncertain future.   However, it heartens me to know that people who find themselves even more work-burdened during this crisis still recognize the need to slow down, even for brief moments, in order to be more productive later. So, I thought I’d share a recording of one of these sessions, which people can follow at home.  It is less than 15 minutes long, just short enough to carve out of any day but still possible to dramatically alter your nervous system.

https://youtu.be/x2fjRvBB6x0

And finally, this poem by Martha Postelwaite speaks to the gifts stillness can bring.

Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worth of rescue.                       -   Martha Postlewaite

April 15, 2020

Timely Artists’ Responses

I am normally a minimal social media user.  However, ironically, my Facebook and Instagram feeds have been my saving grace during this period.  This is probably helped by the fact that, over the years, rather than racing to accumulate friends, I have mostly only followed those people in my life who I trust to direct me to moments of grace and beauty.   Consequently, many of the links in this blog have come from my own community of thoughtful, kindness-oriented, arts-minded friends and family to whom I’m hugely grateful.

Some of my friends are the actual creators of these daily doses of inspiration.  Like my Toronto-based buddy, Lorne Bridgman (https://lornebridgman.com), whose in-demand work has graced the covers of En Route (Air Canada’s in-flight magazine), Monocle, and Travel & Leisure.  (A coup for us, since way back in 1997, we were probably the only people who ever landed him as a wedding photographer). Fittingly, his stirring nighttime images of abandoned playgrounds during the pandemic tell a very powerful story.

I have been keeping my own mental ledger of these “never before corona” scenes (like our yellow-taped playgrounds) which I observe every day.  The most striking of these I captured with my iphone just yesterday.  These four beachcombers appear to be metred-out models of social distancing with their perfectly proportioned pose.

Artists the world round are similarly documenting this time through a variety of expressive mediums.  Below, are a few of the most creative that I’ve discovered so far.

The New York Times delivers again, with 17 Artists Capture a Surreal NY from their Windows

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/16/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-illustrators-window.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

Katherine Lam, Queens, NY

Or this Beijing-based British map artist, who instead of his elaborate filligried-illustrations of sprawling urban areas, now maps what’s between his four walls.

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/gareth-fuller-maps-coronavirus-quarantine/index.html

Globally, graphic designers have also used their talents to advocate, provoke, or amuse: https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-covid-19-graphic-design-illustration/?fbclid=IwAR3bUYBwSkCtlj_yhlDkvUtGOFBDBJGMYXiDl3do74Gqm4JdHbkxTET48H8

Oliver Jeffers, beloved Irish children’s author and illustrator

And for 80’s kids like me, this new release, No Time to Love Like Now, from an old fave, REM’s Michael Stype, sends a sparsely-layered musical message from his home studio that feels highly appropriate for the times:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=MYgpEcXf2S4&feature=emb_logo

Finally, as I’ve stretched my social-media muscles, I confess that I’ve even ventured to Twitter and Tik Tok at times.  Most of us over-30 have probably been oblivious to the phenomena of social-media influencers, like the 15-year-old "reigning queen of TikTok", Charli D’Amelio, whose whether-you-like-it-or-not, down-to-earth appeal and smooth moves have charmed 48 million followers! But, as vacuous as many of her make-up tutorials have been, she is now using her reach for good with her originally choreographed Distance Dance which, for everyone who posts their own #distancedance video, will trigger Proctor & Gamble to donate to one of a variety of non-profits feeding those most vulnerable and hit hard by the virus.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS6913bBVek

April 16, 2020

Home Cooking

I truly believe that we all have an “inner artist” if we just find ways to tap it.  But it saddens me to hear how quickly many people say they have “no talent”.  Creativity is not magic.  It’s what humans have harnessed since time immorial to survive, adapt, and thrive.  Creativity also increases exponentially when there are constraints on our resources. The elegance of a haiku is a pure example of this.  Limited to just 5, 7, & 5 syllables per line, this simple container lends itself to essential and beautiful nuggets of expression accessible to all.  Here’s a timely one from the #quarantinehaikus project that I mentioned earlier:

I’m in quarantine But all my ideas are not. This month, they happen.

Similarly, another creative pursuit that has most given humans a window into their own creativity is the culinary arts.  Sure, for some their adventures as gourmands consist of little more than ramen, canned tuna, a boiled egg and Dijon mustard for a pantry version of Julia Child’s Salad Nicoise.  But quarantined living is certainly inspiring more imagination in the kitchen than usual. Though this expression may be overused, “necessity is the mother of invention” has perhaps never been more universally true.  However, if you’re trying to limit your grocery trips to once per week, and your mind happens to draw a blank when you open your cupboard, here are dozens of recipes that you can try with what you might likely already have on hand:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/topics/self-quarantine-recipes

My own constant culinary muse is my great friend, Belkis, whose Instagram page, Epicurious Travelista (below) is a visual and delectable treat.  Most of her images include recipes.  And while they might look elaborate, and sometimes indeed they are (this is a woman unafraid of churning her own butter, or making her own tortillas from scratch), her resourceful Honduran roots influence many exquisite meals that she makes from only a few simple ingredients.  So, for those wanting to spread their chef’s wings a bit wider, you can check out her page here:

https://www.instagram.com/epicurious_travelista/

April 15, 2020

Zoom Masters

Of course, Zoom has been the victor and the enemy in this digitally-dependent time, both allowing multi-generational families to share seders, while at the same time stealing private details from citizens.  But one can not deny that the extent to which people have exploited this format for good has been inspiring.  I’m biased towards the musical collaborations that the format has spawned.  But don’t be fooled.  This technology, designed for one-speaker-at-a-time, does not render performances like the one below, easily.  Each frame has to be recorded separately (with consistent click tracks, to keep everyone in time), and then carefully edited together in post-production. These are highly stylized efforts. And this one takes it to another level with its choreographic complexity.  So, while I wish everyone to have a weekend where they can Get Down, Stay Down, here’s a treat to enjoy:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213608/coronavirus-zoom-music-video-thao-and-the-get-down-stay-down?fbclid=IwAR3PIGg8lcGMLgQrJGISDcjrRbcy3eQG2XI-sqbc-BOGs5f8s5PNRPf54H4

[artsaveslivesinternational]

Michel Montecrossa

Michel Montecrossa from Mirapuri-Coiromonte, Italy; is a visual artist who paints, draws, uses photography and creates film; as well as a philosophical and fictional writer and poet – who is also a musician. Michel has chosen the subject of Heterosexual Privilege for his submission for issue 4 of ASLI Magazine: “Discrimination, Privilege and Stigmatisation”.

  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My aim in life is to grow in consciousness to a fulfilling completeness.

What is your artistic/creative background?

Based on this aim I chose to become an integral artist that perfects his natural artistic capacities in fine arts, music, literature, movie-making and consciousness-research. I received a good education in these fields through schools and private teachers as well as extensive travels for the study of Eurasian and U.S.A. cultures.

What motivated you to deal with your chosen submission subject?

Out of this formative process a clear and intense certitude about the human potential emerged, a certitude about the fact that a better tomorrow is created by growing and entering into a new consciousness that among many things can change the heterosexual privilege of dominance into a tolerant and creative spiritual & social power for establishing and securing freedom of choice for all sexual expressions and preferences – this would be a step of great cultural importance; liberating in all aspects of human life, hidden and suppressed creative springs.

’Erotic Enrichment Society’ (Freedom Of Choice)’, Mirapuri, 2014, acrylic and ink on canvas, 200 x 100 cm

What is your process when creating?

The process of creating is an evolving and self-creative synthesis of all possibilities with drawing, painting, music, writing and movie making; that are embedded in my state of continuous consciousness-researching.

Who are you influenced by within your artistic discipline?

The artist, musician and consciousness liberation fighter Mira Alfassa.

Who inspires you in general?

The Great Consciousness that can be felt and seen in all creation as well as in all that transcends it.

What causes and world issues are you passionate about, campaign for, volunteer for…?

I have dedicated my life, work and art to help to build Mirapuri, the City of Peace and Futureman in Europe, Italy.

What do the statements “art saves lives” and “art creates change” mean to you?

“Art saves lives” because art connects us to the very principle of life which is consciousness showing us the meaning of life and how to live this meaningful life. For the same reason “art creates change”.

Have your artistic and creative outlets saved your life in anyway and do you think your message within them could help create change in the world?

My artistic and creative outlets saved my life through steadiness and through the message of hope contained in them. It is the message of hope that the world is in the process of a big change and that every action of goodwill can and will accelerate the speed of this change into a new step of evolution giving birth to the Futureman of Joy and Love and the building of the United States of Planet Earth for securing peace and creative world unity.

What are your present and future goals for your art?

The present and future goals of my art are the completion of Mirapuri, the City of Peace and Futureman in Europe, Italy, and to strengthen the spirit of Joy and Love all over the world through freedom of consciousness-growth

’Two Time-Women In a Landscape’, Mirapuri, 27th January 2015, ink on paper, 29,7 x 42 cm

‘Child Of The Mother Of Sex’ Mirapuri, 2012, acryl & wax crayon and ink on canvas, 140 x 100 cm

‘Selfportrait As A Landscape’ Mirapuri, 2013, Acryl on canvas, 100x80cm

‘Girl & Girl’, Mirapuri, 2013, ink and acryl on canvas, 30x118cm

Have you experienced any form of discrimination; and if so what was it based on and how did you deal with this?

As a free and living soul one is always in contact with discrimination which is based on unwillingness to change in harmony with the constant changes of the universe. One can deal with this by being an example for the Joy and Love that come through every step of widening the consciousness, understanding and compassion.

What are your opinions on what causes discrimination?

The cause of discrimination is conservatism and fear. They are the testing-grounds for every new step of evolution so that the new things can prove their effective right and capacity to replace old orders through love, peace, prosperity and security.

What do you do to actively stand against discrimination and have you ever had to intervene as a witness to it?

To be an artist means to actively stand against discrimination by showing the better way of wideness, freedom and love. To follow this way is a constant intervention for the better of all.

What are your opinions on labels and stereotypes?

Labels and stereotypes are reactions of fear. Empathy, humour and joy can transform fear into a happy ‘Let’s play together and have a good time’.

What are your opinions on national identity and in your opinion does nationalism create or deter discrimination?

National identity is good and necessary, if it is an identity that has its goal within a world union, the achievement of unity in diversity where each nation plays its indispensable free and self-determined role in the concert of the United States of Planet Earth and its well-being. Nationalism for its own sake is destructive and discrimination-driven.

How does social privilege affect our world in your opinion?

The true privilege is to know always more and to be able to do always more. If this privilege is activated in a non-egoistic way, it will lead our world in a positive direction.

Have you ever denied your own privilege due to feelings of guilt or misunderstanding?

To be conscious of the soul is a constant source of happiness where there is no guilt or misunderstanding.

Have you ever experienced social stigmatisation and if so what was it based on and how did you deal with this?

Social stigmatisation may come about to learn better how to transform it into higher understanding. So, the best thing is to reach higher understanding.

Have you ever contributed to the stigmatisation of any individual or group, and if so were you aware you did this and how did you deal with this aftermath?

Everything and everyone has a right for existing for some time whether you like it or not. The best thing is to learn from it and thus grow in consciousness so that the wrong things are not repeated and good things become real.

What are your opinions on political powers and world leaders using stigmatisation against certain groups to further their own agendas, such as with Muslims, Black people, LGBTQ individuals, mentally ill and disabled people?

Political powers and world leaders must be there to lead to freedom and unity, to the experience of a progressive world where everything is in its right place and time without quarrel and arrogance, full of goodwill to help each other and ready for the living celebration of humanity.

Do you support or take part in any anti-stigma organisations or charities and if so which ones and why?

I support and take part in the building of Mirapuri, the City of Peace and Futureman in Europe, Italy because it is an important anti-stigma organisation and warmhearted charity project.

In your own words please tell us how you feel the arts and creativity can further help to empower, communicate and educate people with regards to discrimination, privilege and stigmatisation?

Art and creativity are straight roads out of discrimination, false privileges and stigmatisation because they empower you, communicate to you and educate you through the true, the right and the vast of your loving soul.

  ’Deep Space Woman’, Universe Triptych #2, Mirapuri, 2014, acryl on canvas, 100 x 100 cm

‘America Comeback’, Miravillage, 2013, acryl and ink on canvas, 169 cm x 86 cm

When we embrace, Mirapuri.

’The City Of Ideas’, Mirapuri, 2014, wax crayon on paper, 29,7 x 42 cm

If you would like to know more about Michel Montecrossa please follow these links:

Website 

Mirapuri, the City of Peace and Futureman

Michel Montecrossa Blog

Facebook Page

Twitter

– Michel Montecrossa on iTunes

Michel Montecrossa on Vimeo

If you have any feedback on this article please fill in the contact form below:

[contact-form] Artist Michel Montecrossa addresses heterosexual privilege in a new art piece for ASLI Magazine Michel Montecrossa from Mirapuri-Coiromonte, Italy; is a visual artist who paints, draws, uses photography and creates film; as well as a philosophical and fictional writer and poet - who is also a musician.

[vitalmindandbody]

10 Simple-minded Ways To Heal A Broken Heart

I cant do this anymore.

The terms still reverberating in your ears, ricochetting around until they land like a punch in the gut. Youre instantly transported to a new world, one you didnt know existed before this moment. A world-wide and life without your beloved.

It doesnt feel real. You pinch yourself to wake up from this nightmare, but youre still here, still revolving from this declaration, this revocation of love.

Warm snaps stream down your face until you begin to sob, that terrifying uncontrollable sobbing that leaves you gasping for air. You want to hide away, cry yourself to sleep, and somehow magically feel better tomorrow.

Weve all been here. Or some modification of it. Weve all had our centers cracked and stomped on. Weve all diverted over every moment of our relations in our headings and wondered, What could I have done differently?

But we are now transported into a macrocosm where the love we seemed is grasped away from the americans and dont know what to do with ourselves other than suffers and sorrow our loss.

I recently read a work that briefly touched upon anguish and its advice mostly amounted to go out with your lovers as far as possible. WTF? Thats it? Thats how Im going to heal my mettle? Most of my lovers are scattered in all regions of the world. Becoming out with them every night isnt even a viable option.

How on globe do you turn off those kinds of impressions? What happens to affection lost? How do you mend a broken heart? I decided to investigate how to mend my own shattered heart.

In previous breakups, Ive simply idly fallen into my personal motifs of desire lost. For me, I exclaim, I stay in bed, watch bad tv, chew cookie dough, and hide away from the people who love me. I mainly dont DO anything. I sit and wait.

Because time heals all winds, right? Or does it? If occasion is a construct of our attentions, do “weve been” have to wait for the occur of period, something illusory to mend ourselves? Can we speed up the process of healing our wraps? How much is impossible to ensure our healing through our wars and blueprints?

So, instead of blindly falling into my decorations, I started to ask myself some questions about my habits. Im looking at my structures with enjoying interest, playing with them a little bit, realise what is actually acting me and determining what patterns are there exclusively because of economy, because my memory, form, and nerve are too tired for anything but pattern. And heres what Ive learned

1. Lean Into Sensation

Essentially, everything we know as physical beings comes down to sensation that we name good or bad. When I began to lean into the wizard in my body, requesting what it had to tell me, thoughts began to transform. I asked where the ache lives in my torso. I closed my eyes and supposed symbolizing my excitement. I described what it felt like in writing, how I had to remind myself to breathe and how fascinating the absence of a act- breath and love feels so heavy.

I examined the tightening in my chest, trying not to label it good or bad, just simply as superstar. Human tolerating is predominantly an expression of the results of labeling event as good or bad and right or wrong.

The thing about perception is, its ever changing. It doesnt stay forever. When we change our perspective of know-how merely being a temporary district of existence, it takes service charges out of it, simply through the simple-minded number of observation. In my own experience, the sensation itself tend to change faster the closer I look at it.

By noticing how heavy the fact that there is breath felt, I began to fill my lungs with slower, deeper breaths and learnt my entire being become a bit lighter.

2. Frankie Says Relax

Remember those t-shirts from the 80 s from Frankie goes to Hollywood? Passes out those guys had a good idea.

While this might seem a little bit self-contradictory to simply discovering perception, this practice of tightening your body has slightly different merits. We support so much better tension in our mass on a daily basis, and its even more amplified in times of high-pitched stress.

Make a practice of checking each part of your mas for tension. I like to start out lying down on my back and closing my gazes like I would for savasana. Take a couple of deep sighs, then try to contract and tense up every single muscle in your organization at once. Hold this for got a couple of seconds, then liberate the tension in your whole mas. Repeat a couple of times. I find it helpful to see the comparison in how my person tones between the tension and the relaxation.

Then take it further by slowly checking each part of your form from leader to toe. Tense up an individual muscle group for a moment, then exhaust it. Crinkle your forehead, and handout. Squeeze your eyes tight, and handout. Clench your jaw, and handout. Press your tongue to the ceiling of your opening, then make it hang loose in your mouth.

You get the picture. We all know we view so much friction and stress in our shoulders and backs, but also pay attention to the little neighbourhoods. Tightening the smallest muscle radicals, particularly in my appearance, often prepare the most difficult difference in how I seem afterwards.

3. Move It

Rest is important in mending a middle. But I often situate too much emphasis on it. Yes, I need to take care of myself with sleep and the blessing of stillness. But I now believe it is equally important to move your torso very. The medium of shift isnt important. Just move.

On day one I went to a yin yoga class. While technically moving my body, the needs of the of yin yoga are much less than read a spin class. Yin allowed me to extend my form while still allowing me to appear introverted and my existence internalized which was all I could handle.

On day two I croaked for a four mile walk in the common. I remained my headphones on and didnt talk to anyone, but extended my legs and got plenty of oxygen into my lungs.

This movement is facilitating me hinder some momentum and vigour for other aspects of “peoples lives” I dont want to placed on hold while my centre heals.

4. Reach For A Better Feeling Thought

This one can feel a bit tricky. For starters, the thought of exuberance can feel so far removed from where you are right now. So, start where you are.

If you are depressed, what next best happen can you contact for? Depression is experiencing hopeless, disheartened, retiring. There isnt even any energy around depression. Happiness and desire can feel like a world away from depression.

Can you reach for something that seems slightly better than this powerless desperation? Perhaps hope? Or wrath or storm? Most passions have more vitality behind them than hollow. While temper isnt a situate you want to stay in, it can also stimulus some movement.

What if every day you worked towards an spirit merely one step in future directions you wish to move? Take a look at the Emotional Guidance System scale I formed from Ask and it is Given below. Moving up by one spirit a daylight will put you in a pretty good region in not so long a time.

There is something else to watch out for here. In the midst of my profound bereavement, I have minutes of genuine laugh when I hear something funny. The first few meters it happened, I immediately experienced guilty.

It was as if my feeling good in any way was a disloyalty to my broken heart. My mentality was telling me that if I feel good, its as if I didnt appreciate such relationships as much as I felt I did. Well, that is hogwash. That is my hurt ego talking. My relationship mean and still signifies “the worlds” to me. Tell me be really clear on this point…

If youre having a hard time contacting for a better sensitive conception, try some visualizations. Stay away from thinks about your relationship and cherish. They are very charged topics, so start somewhere easy.

Close your eyes, thought the sentiments of the warm sunlight on your look, and cool breeze on bare shoulders. Dream the flavor of your favorite dinner on your tongue. Dream your abs hurting after a good belly laugh. Improve on this feeling with knowledge from our lives you can draw from. What in your life is full of ease and joy?

5. Surround Yourself With Reminders Of Truth, Beauty, And Love

I have a tattoo on my left forearm that enunciates Love Inspired by a blog upright called the Beauty of the Ellipsis, it serves as a reminder that ardour isnt a finished thinking. It is always in motion, ever deriving. Adoration for myself, my family, your best friend, and those Ive lost.

I have a maple seed necklace to remind me that in every moment Im planting the seeds of my future. I have prisms hanging from my windows for an extra perforate of coloring and rainbows on sunny epoches. I am gradually building a jungle in my house. I fill empty spaces with plants that remind me of life and vitality even on the grayest of days.

Fill your encircles and life with little bits that remind you of what you know to be true, beautiful, and joyful. These neednt be grandiose or expensive, just simply concepts that reverberate with you. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Flowers from Traders Joes. Pinterest board filled with beauty. Follow an inspiring Instagram or Tumblr account. Make or find a mantra. Use Canva to build and print out invigorating paraphrases to embellish your room. Croak for a step and find the perfect stone to bring home. Find a brand-new favorite aroma and spread it around your mansion liberally. Buy new stationary. Treat yourself to a book from Etsy. Draw portrait or stimulating mentions with sidewalk chalk in your vicinity. Find a neighbourhood neighbourhood to make a coffee or tea mug. Alternately, find one that impresses your imagination at Society6. Create an altar or sacred cavity and crowd it with crystals, palo santo, and offerings. Spend day with children. Find reminders of your truism and joy.

These may seem to be insignificant things that are only on the surface, but I find the more I border myself with items that experience whimsical and magical in some small-scale acces, the more Im able to remind myself of how I want to feel in each time. They help me choose to feel glee and magical when I might otherwise choose grief.

6. Self-Care Saturday( Or any era. Or every day !)

We can be quite penalize to ourselves in times of conflict and stress, so take some time to really take care of yourself in some way.

Were all busy and charged with the responsibility, but if you dont take care of yourself first, the main responsibilities can begin to suffer as a result. Im more focused and productive when Ive taken care of my necessities first. I attend to my responsibilities in a bigger and better behavior when my goblet is full , not empty.

Theres a lot of area for reading here as to what self-care consider this to be for each person. While technically, all the suggestions in this article are a species of self-care, I miss “youve got to” block off some time specifically for self-care, mining deeper into what that means for you.

Maybe its taking a long, palatial shower and spending duration pampering yourself with tinctures for your skin that move you feel radiant. It might be spending a duo hours in live animals shelter fondling with puppies and kittens. Perhaps its planning a hot stone rub. Maybe its nourishing your form with vibrant healthy food youve cooked yourself. It might be taking a couple hours to read a book thats been sitting on your nightstand for months.

Tailor your self-care and rotate it into a weekly or even daily ritual.

7. Invest in Yourself

Im willing to bet everyone has something new theyd like to try if merely they had the time, coin, or excuse.

Here is your allow stumble to try that something new.

Did you want to pick up knitting, or perhaps learn to play the guitar? Maybe memorized some bayonet abilities to hoist your prepare? Rock climbing, sky diving, paint, memorizing another language, the possibilities are interminable. You can find a class on just about whatever it is you like online these days.

As progenies, we try brand-new occasions all the time. Its how we discover and change at an exceptional charge. But this slows down as we grow up and our visual field becomes smaller as we narrow down our athletic field. So expand your compass, invest in yourself in some way, and learn something new.

The cognitive requirements of memorizing something new are also welcome to serve as a great pattern of distraction when you need a distraction. Perhaps youll be brought to an end picking up a brand-new hobby, check off another carton on your pail listing, or have a good story to tell.

8. The F wordForgiveness

Ahh, a big creepy one! The topic of forgiveness can be a fiction in itself. Perhaps there is a requirement forgive the actions of your ex, or maybe forgive yourself for your own. Or a combination of both.

We dont always like to forgive people for actions we deem incorrect or unkind because it can feel like we are giving them a free pass. But Ive became aware that maintaining onto exasperation and resentment is always worse. Its a tremendous force suck and you cant find joyful as the same duration “you think youre” feeling justified in your fury. So, I select my own gaiety over my resentment.

Its a choice to make over and over again. Its not easy to forgive in one large-hearted sweeping action. It generally happens in increments. Its helpful to practice radical rapport, vividly dreaming how it feels to be the person who did you wrong. You know most people are essentially doing the best they can with the information they have at each minute. It becomes easier to suppose why they did what they did when you put yourself in their shoes. You begin to feel more empathy for them.

You recognize that the indignation youre accommodating acts no one. And you gradually begin to let it go, piece by piece.

Because forgiveness is not for them, its for YOU.

9. Afford what you wish to receive

I was walking around, detecting like no one loves me, which is totally and completely untrue, but when youre heartbroken, your subconsciou does all kinds of irrational thoughts. I received a pal of mine berth about writing a note of encouragement to a pal, and I wished to be that friend with every fiber of my being. I wanted to open up my mailbox and receive letters of cherish, a validation of the adoration that exists for me.

I expected myself what could I do to feel that adoration? I decided to Pay what I wished to RECEIVE. I started writing words of encouragement and love to pals and strangers alike. All I had to do was write what I wanted to hear, for myself. It was that easy.

This did two things for me.

One, the brain doesnt is the difference between handing, receiving, or even witnessing magnanimity. When you perform an act of kindness, the pleasure and rewards cores light up, releasing feel good chemicals as if you were the recipient, which some psychologists have dubbed the helpers high.

Two, it demo me that we live in a macrocosm of abundance. I dont is a requirement to accumulation away love and kindness to keep it. It actually thrives when I open it away. Its generative. And often, when you demonstrate adore and kindness away, others are inspired to mirror your enjoy and kindness back to you as well as fee it forward to others.

We cannot presume to understand the dominance of the extent of what a few kind words can do for someone and its ripple effect on the world. Win win triumph!

10. Investigate Your Own Patterns

This is by no means a complete list. Merely recommendations of the start of opportunities for your own healing. The biggest occasion you can do for yourself is to get curious, examine your own personal decorations in its own experience of sorrow, and doubt each one.

Hold each one up as they sound and question Does this suffice me?

If the answer is truly yes, keep it. If the answer is no, try something new or the opposite of that first inclination. Play with the brand-new reaction, see if that one provides you better, prepares you feel better both in the present and the long term.

And most important, be gentle with yourself. There are epoch to push your borders, to peruse, and to experiment. But i still have a meter for rest and a is necessary to give. Dedicate yourself the grace to know you are where you need to be when you need to be.

Know that you wont always feel like your centre has been rent out of your chest. Lessen the distance between a shattered heart and a mended middle by experimenting with these alternatives to your motifs. One day youll open your middle again and feel the rushing of falling in love. Youll look into attentions that truly see you and reflect your feeling back to you. And youll be ready for large-scale ardour because youve already done their efforts to heal your middle.

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[emarawork2015]

Simple Tips Made Easy To Help You Figure Out Network Marketing

By Phillips Stephen

You'll find that every single industry on the face of the earth has its bad apples, and network marketing is certainly no exception. Instead of allowing a little gossip to deter you from using this type of business to make money, though, take a few minutes out of your day and read these hints on marketing. They can help you to avoid pitfalls. Fundamentally, network marketing is an extension of traditional networking with people in that it seeks to join people based on spoken word advertising. Network marketing is both time and cost effective in that network marketers can select products and/or services and immediately share and broadcast them with friends, family, clients, and customers. If you are working towards making your network marketing business a success, then you know having a budget and sticking to it is vital to your business success. You can set aside a certain percentage of your resources each month towards growth, and the earnings you generate can be reinvested back into the business to help it continue to grow. Network marketing strategies aren't free, but you also shouldn't just rely on paying for marketing materials. Classified ads, paper, ink, telephone costs, there are many things you have to consider, but make sure you keep a portion of your profits for technological advances. New techniques for marketing come up often, so you should have some money put aside to cover those costs, too. One easy way to increase your chances of success at network marketing is to use visualization techniques. Although some people may think this is a lot of hokey-pokey, those who truly believe in its power see measurable results in various areas of their life. Make sure you truly immerse yourself in the experience while visualizing whatever it is you want to improve " sales techniques, product descriptions, the ability to recruit your sales force or any other aspect of your business. Use all of your senses to imagine that success is already yours, and soon enough, it will be! Having other business professionals in your network is a great way to grow your business. Most business professionals bring ingrained work ethics with them and already mentally connect the dots from their personal efforts to their paycheck; those who have experience in sales or commission positions really reflect this. These professionals will also tend to be more accepting to your efforts in bringing them in. Use good Search Engine Optimization to make your network marketing website found easily on search engines. There are many resources online which will guide you in what to do when you design your website, so take advantage of them. The more visitors you have to your website, the more leads you'll achieve. Make sure to - market to your audience - so the visitor-to-lead turnover rate is high. Get a team together to accomplish your network marketing tasks. You can have an in-house writing team, or you can outsource the work. Have them increase your web presence by writing blogs, creating videos, and posting informative articles. You will soon see results with the right team and a solid game-plan. Encourage your contacts to liberally express their views, and listen closely to what they have to say. Once you know a lot about them, whether it's via social media or another medium, you will have a better idea of exactly what to do to best promote your products. You then know about their wants and needs, as well as their dreams and fears, and can directly pitch to them. You might have the right ideas about marketing and even the right drive to potentially succeed as a multi-level marketer, but your success is actually contingent on your knowledge of the business in general. That's why it's always important that you work hard to learn about different ways to market. Apply what you've learned in the above article.

About the Author:

Hopefully you understand a little bit more about how to use Internet marketing and how it can help your usana review business. In this new digital age, a company without an effective online presence is not going to go very far.

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