But I Do Love Mondays

Bits&Pieces & Think of All the Beauty Still Left Around You... [IV]

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 20:07:00 +0000

First of all, I discovered I had a ( very old) Instagram account. Who would've known... Apparently not me, that's for sure. New old toy, it seems. And who would've guessed, I am @beradiant.

Another thing that apparently is for sure: I can't keep up with posting photos from my "think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy" Facebook photo album.

Some other thing that is also unquestionably true is that yes, there is a lot of beauty all around us. A whole lot of it. Like for example:

These photos were taken around Galveston Island, TX, during our roadtrip to Texas over the Christmas break.

In my defense, I am also late with posting on the 52 rolls project Yes, I realize I'm not really building a defense case here for myself, and this is actually making things worse. But I'm catching up, I promise! In summary: participants have committed themselves to shoot one roll of film each week for 52 weeks and tell the world about it. You can find me here: AndaM (smenaandfriends).

Also a lot of other awesome projects lining up for this (calendar) year, can't wait to tell the world everything about them, one at a time.

The Salon of Inclusiveness II at Black Cat Artspace, Toronto

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 00:11:00 +0000

A couple of days ago - Thursday, November 26 - we (my-better-half and I) enjoyed the opening night for the Salon of Inclusiveness II at Black Cat Artspace, Toronto. That was actually the first of the three ( a third was added due to the popularity of the show) opening receptions (second and third scheduled for Nov. 27 and Dec. 3 respectively).

A quick visual summary of the night - lovely and inspiring night, amazing space, great and diverse art spread from ceiling to floors and back from floors to ceiling. I am really excited to be part of this show (which runs through December 31 at 2186 Dundas St. W), especially since sharing wall space with my better half.

A close-up of my 'Bad Dream' (120mm redscale film, top) and my 'Daylight' (35mm black and white film bottom):

And a close-up of my-better-half's (blue) 'Migraine' (top, acrylic on canvas) and 'Protester' (bottom, mixed media):

And yes, my straight across bangs are back. Long overdue but finally back.

On Salons

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 17:07:00 +0000

The only thing I love more than art events/shows are huge, assorted art events/shows.

Like, for example, the one my-better-half was a part of earlier this fall - Reversion exhibition at Super Wonder Gallery, Toronto. A summary of that day:

Or like the ones we've just dropped some art off last weekend - the Salon III at Project Gallery, Toronto and The Salon on Inclusion at Black Cat Gallery, Toronto

Salon III opened with a reception on Thursday, November 19, 2015, goes on until January 10, 2016, and showcases "a dynamic roster of many artists with diverse subject matter, media and styles".
More info here.

Moving on:

The Salon of Inclusiveness runs from November 26, 2015 until December 31, 2015, with two opening receptions (November 26th and December 3rd). Quoting here:
"The Salon of Inclusiveness, is a play and positive take on the Salon des Refusés:

"In 1863 two thirds of paintings presented at the Paris Salon were refused, including the works of Courbet, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissaro and Johan Jongkind. The works which didn't align with the Emperor's traditional tastes we're upon protest shown in another part of the palace as the "Salon des Refusés." The critical attention served to legitimize the emerging avant-garde in painting."

Here are five of our darlings ready to go (pic taken last Sunday before the drop off):

Bits and Pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 15:56:00 +0000

Two of my darlings: (the light is bad and weird, I know this is a bad bad pic but it's dear to me): the bottom one - In A rush - is hanging right now part of Somerville Toy Camera Fest in Somerville, MA until Sept. 27 and is included in my 'Smena and Friends' book; the top one - Black and Light - will show at John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto from Sept. 29 until Oct. 23 (opening reception on Oct. 1). Both film - one toy, the other not toy.

STCF 2015 poster list of participant artists [mixed feelings about this one - so happy it was happening, so sad I couldn't attend this year]:

PHOTO-OP 6th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Photographs poster (there's even a Smena on the poster, how awesome is that!)

I also want to thank (again) the awesome people who bought my book, Serious Play - Smena and Friends. I am happy and honored and thrilled and humbled that there were people out there who wanted my art - printed, on pages of a book, in their homes - and rushed to buy it right away. You are awesome, dear people and friends, and I am grateful to have you in my life.

The Beauty Around Me

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:00:00 +0000

Gorgeously beautiful and moving to tears.

Yes, I am bruised on the inside by what's going on in the world around me. And sad. Usually. But I sometimes come across beauty and grace, and there's a glimpse of hope that the 'out there' is not just hateful and negative and indifferent and judgemental. It is also beautiful, moving, graceful, loving. Or at least it can be. At times.

So here's the video of Amy Pence-Brown's social experiment to promote self-acceptance.

Think of All the Beauty Still Left Around You [III]

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Another round of catching up on my 365 days of "think about all the beauty still left around you and be happy"

Left it 10/365 last time, so here it goes, 11/365 and onward:

[11/365] Road + rain - perfect combination:

[12/265] Shadows at play - this is one of my favorites windows. Yes, I am smitten with windows, they've got this mesmerizing power over me: they make me gaze towards and through them. This particular window is part of pretty much every single day of my days-at-work, I pass by it on my way to the lab, from the lab, to my coffee fix, back from my coffee fix. To add more lovely to this almost daily encounter with my beloved window, this particular staircase smells like an old library - woody and a bit dusty.

[13/365] Trails. More trail love.

[14/365] This is Mom's old drafting table. She left it with us when she moved back to Houston, TX the second time (or was it the first time? not sure). She bought it during her school years at OCAD University in Toronto when she was studying fine arts and design. After that she was still using it for her arts projects, before passing it over to us.

[15/365] Debonair (left) and La Sardina went out to play one fine summer day, on the University Hill.

Think of All the Beauty Still Left Around You [II]

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:23:00 +0000

Catching up on "think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy".

[6/365] Summer

[7/365] Hilly trails on rainy days - taken on the Bruce Trail section between Eugenia Falls and Hogg Falls.

[8/365] Carnations

[9/365] Cherries

[10/365] There's a new dance studio in town, The Muze. Because dance. Because "hard times require furious dancing" (Alice Walker).

Think of All the Beauty Still Left Around You [I]

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 02:57:00 +0000

When I returned home, emotionally stranded and completely shattered, I've started looking around me, more intensely than ever, inspired by Anne Frank's words: "think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy". First steps towards healing perhaps, or as some sort of coping strategy... not sure which. But what I'm sure of, is that there is a lot of beauty all around us. A whole lot of it.

[1/365] Hula hooping at a drum circle in the park. This was during the Sunfest weekend.

[2/365] Lavender

[3/365] Summer lunch.

[4/365] Rainy day on campus.

[5/365] Shadows at play

I am at [24/365] as of today, August 8, and planning on catching up in future blog posts.

I Miss You - The Tiniest of the Littlest Things

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 02:51:00 +0000

I miss you, Mom!

It's been one month and two days since Mom's passing. The weirdest and hardest days of my life. It was hard before too, this entire year has been hard. I've cried rivers since the cancer diagnosis (which I received, ironically, on one of my happiest - so I thought - days of the year: the day of the opening reception of Toy Camera Festival 2014, one of those 'too perfect for anything bad not to happen by the end of the day" kind of day: opening reception, dinner and martinis, my-better-half, Kid, and Dog, altogether, trip to the ocean, loveliness). So that was the first river: at night, on a bench, under a tree, in the parking lot of Holiday Inn in Tewksbury, MA. Followed by countless others as the reality unfolded.

Coming back to the empty days of now, I once again find myself thinking the same thoughts I've had when my Grandparents passed away: they (parents, grandparents) knew life without me, but I've never known life without them. And yes, life without them sucks. And life without Mom is just plain weird.

Even though we've been geographically apart for some of my teenage years and for most of my adult years, she'd know if I was making eggplant moussaka for dinner and whether I was wearing my long silver earrings to work or the pearl ones, and I'd know whether she was having cod or chicken for dinner, and whether or not she was giving up coffee AGAIN on any particular day. Our emails were chat-like, and I've been going through them - tens a day, hundreds, thousands in total - over the past days, archiving and saving everything.

She would "like" every single thing I'd post on Facebook, no matter how stupid it was, or how little her interest was on the matter. She would post sweetly embarrassing motherly-like comments on pics of me, and sharing them on her wall. She would freak with awesomely joy at my good news. Any good news. She was one of the loudest fans of my art.

One week ago today, I received the acceptance email for Somerville Toy Camera Festival 2015. Normally, I'd forward the email to her, and 5 seconds later, she'd reply with - have I mentioned sweetly embarrassing motherly-like words? - yes, those, plus emoticons, and tons of exclamation points. And reminders to take pics. And to post them. As if I'd need those reminders. That email never came. Neither did others.

The tiniest of the littlest things are the hardest to get used to, their absence hurt the most. I miss our coffees and sharing strawberry parfait. And iced lemon pound cake.

International Day of Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0000

It was about time Yoga got her own International Day.

Wiki says that "June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014. Yoga, a physical, mental and spiritual practice having its origins over 6000 years ago in India aims to integrate the body and the mind".

International Yoga Day website refers to June 21 as "an annual celebration to mark the importance of Yoga in our daily life". The existence of an international day was overdue, that's for sure, but most people do celebrate the importance of Yoga in our lives every day. Every single day.

I owe my Yoga practice and the depths of it all to my Mom. I can only hope that one day, when looking back, I would see that I would've been ignited the same love for Yoga in my Kid as Mom had ignited in my brother and me.

(source of images: Pinterest)

Life's a Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:12:00 +0000

Life's a beach, they say. It is, I guess, in the summer: the beach dries up your skin, messes with your hair, makes your eyes itchy, tricks us into believing we enjoy ourselves while counting the minutes to when we can get it over with, pack, and go. Just like life itself.
But hurtingly beautiful in the fall, or during storms, or when it rains, heavily, or in winter.

But there's actually something blissful about the beach. Not sure what it is, but there's surely something.

Also, not sure whether this is a classic or a cliché: the combination of book plus coffee plus beach. Pure bliss.

Now, speaking of Django Django, I can't get this song out of my head (yes, it's playing on repeat; yes, even now):

Random Days

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 01:34:00 +0000

It was supposed to be a maracons and earrings kind of day. Went for a shot of blue instead.

Lunch and Man Ray. I wish he would make up his mind though.

I also wish I had taken my Debonair out to play already.

Little Things (2) - Wandering the Streets

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:55:00 +0000

They say that (one of) the best thing(s) about London, ON is having Toronto nearby. They (not sure if same they, or different they) say that little things are, in fact, the big things in life. And I would say I agree with both statements.

Wandering the streets of various cities (including my own) is one of the huge little things for me.

You come across random reminders about art:

And sometimes the side walk smiles back at you:

And realize the view from the top can be overrated - view from the bottom is sometimes so much better:

And you get to learn a bit about calm and solitude:

And because this was not my everyday wandering, but wandering-with-a-celebratory-purpose, I can only agree with what they (again) say: ""Sometimes you get lucky and find a soul that grooves with yours"

In The Spring...

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 23:24:00 +0000

We're one week into spring and the 36 hours forecast (print screen taken yesterday) looks like this:

No complaints here, I like all kinds of weather, but I know a whole bunch of people who are passionately hating this situation. As per the the famous quote that says that "In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt" (M. Atwood), I've been taking it to the trails and yes, there's mud on my shoes, even though it's not clearly visible in the photo.

I realized I was way behind on my '2015 [km] in 2015' quest and trying to catch up. Below is one of my favorite 'out of this world' weird spots. It looks surreal and much better in real life with all the interlacing of various shades of green, purple, and blue.

Happy First Day of Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 19:14:00 +0000

(source: Pinterest)

And Solar eclipse. And vernal equinox. And Supermoon. Wow, busy day today. And above all, it's Friday. Not the 13, but Friday nonetheless.

Actually, this is how Spring looks like for most of us here:

(source: The Weather Network Facebook page)

But it's OK, because this is how Spring actually FEELS for me:

(source: Pinterest)

Yes, it feels warm(er), but it is too muddy/cold/you-name-it for going - for example - camping. Yes, sometimes the ground is covered in grass, but you can't lay down in said grass because it is still too cold.And so on.

On a happier note, two of my favourite quotes about Spring:

“It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
― Mark Twain

And

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
― Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard's Egg

Today I am especially grateful for (II)

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 19:12:00 +0000

Almost a month since part I.

Glancing over my gratitude journal, presenting the highlights:

Today I am especially grateful for:

- daydreaming
- snow
- sun over snow
- long, afternoon shadows of trees over snow

- inspiration
- daydreaming
- warm and clean buses
- daydreaming....

- the coziness of coffee
- Family Day (that's today, 3rd Monday in February) and long weekends
- my morning Sun Salutations

- lazy, cuddly Dog
- family

- for being part of Chasing the Light (Finding the Shadow) online exhibition, featured until April 30, 2015
- silence

- the sunrise through the bamboo blinds at my bedroom window
- the feeling of being loved
- little treasures and messy rooms
- souvenirs

Lovely Words for Friday and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:11:00 +0000

My thinking out loud goes like this: If an image is said to be worth a thousand words, how many words is a meme worth?

Now to the lovely:

And never forget:

(images found on: Pinterest)

Dear World Cancer Day

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 02:31:00 +0000

World Cancer Day today - February the 4th.

A wise man (Phillip. K. Dick) once said: "Cancer... the process of creation gone wild, I thought."

I personally am a little out of words. Except for:

Dear World Cancer Day, I wish there was no need for you.

Meanwhile...

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:34:00 +0000

"But vanity, not love, has been my folly.”

(Jane Austin, of course)

I keep most of my art to my self (unfortunately), and this is one of the most unusual things I know with certainty about myself - unusual, yes, considering how much joy and happiness it brings me to see my art under any form of physical, touchable, manifestation. Like for example, when the catalog for Poetics of Light exhibition (my piece was B&W film) reached my mailbox (eventually).

I've learnt that it is true: broken crayons still colour. I also know that my relationship with my art is broken as well, and that is because I did not know how to shelter her (it? them? - both my art and my relationship with my art?). And I was not wise enough to shelter myself either.

I've also learnt - over the years - that other cliches have proven themselves to be true as well: time heals, winter air heals, walking heals.

Speaking of walking, I have joined the half marathon walking clinic with The Running Room. Yes, I needed something to get me out of the house, somewhere to be at a certain time, on a certain day. Tuesday at 6 pm, in this case. Week 1 done and behind me, week 2 in progress. Among the birds of my lovely (yes, lovely) city.

Signing up for the half marathon clinic also checks off #97 on my '101 in 1001' list and goes towards checking off #25.

Today I Am Especially Grateful For (I)

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 17:59:00 +0000

#43 on my 101 in 1001 list was "keep a gratitude journal". I've actually been keeping a journal - outlining large bursts of gratitude - for as long as I can remember. Big gaps, sure. But steady. Over the years.

I've always believed in gratitude, and I immerse in gratitude, usually as a spiritual experience. There are so many things for which to be grateful, even though sometimes they tend to appear too well hidden.

I was glancing over my first 18 days (today being the 19th) of my 2015 gratitude journal and realized that snow was pretty much making the list every single day.

Excerpts from my gratitude journal:

Today I am grateful for:

- being part of the Poetics of Light exhibition at Black Box Gallery and the news of the exhibition catalogue coming out

- cozy time with family

- good food and days off

Today, I am especially grateful for the ease of my daily Yoga practice, the ability to let go and sink into my postures and into the silence like I used to. Also, being joined by falling snow through the window.

Today I am especially grateful for the walk Kid, Dog and I took in the lovely snow. I'm also grateful for the ability to love snow and get excited every time it snows. I am fully aware that this comes as a blessing :)

Today I am especially grateful for my alone time in the morning.

For marrying my best friend.

For my awesome kid.

For falling asleep on a good book.

For snow. Snow that leaves me breathless. Snow that leaves me speechless. Far falling snow.

For hearing my Mom giggling on the phone.

For snow.

For having the river so close. For the frozen river surrounded by puffy fresh snow.

For the silence. For my yoga practice.

(this is the frozen river - and also day 7 of the 30 days #wildphotochallenge )

For high hopes and happiness.

For my Kid, my-better-half, my lovely Dog.

For big windows at work. And the sun shining through them.

Blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

Icicles at my window

The smell of burning fire wood in the crisp winter air.

And a Bit of January Sky

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 03:26:00 +0000

Sweet cherries are not in season, or we would've spent the weekend together.

But snow is. Snow is everywhere, much to my delight (and not so much to other's). Snow is cozy and feeds my daydreaming to the moon and back. And to the moon again, and back through the most crooked of roads.

A bit of snow:

And a bit of January sky (as observed from the window of my former study-room, now meditation/daydreaming/soul searching room). This pic was my day #9 of the 30 days of #WildPhotoChallenge.

Speaking of cozy and daydreaming, I came across these words on Pinterest. They made me smile, for they are so true.

101 (dreams) in 1001 (days)

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 17:31:00 +0000

I got tricked somehow into coming up with a "101 goals in 1001 days" list. Bit reluctant at first, I ended up loving every minute of digging deep into my dreams and wishes database and taking the time of writing them down.

I decided to turn my list into a 101 dreams list instead of goals - it's got things I wish for, things I fear, things I postponed for the sake of procrastination, things I never got around to accomplish because something else got in the way, things I never knew would still interest me, things (I thought) I've forgotten about about, things I hold dear. A little bit of everything.

Here it is, my 101-in-1001 list:

Breathe
Daydream - never stop
Finish my "101 in 1001" list
Deepen my Yoga practice
Dust off my (ice) skates
Spend winter holidays in Vermont
Have at least one solo exhibition (fine arts)
Participate in the CN Tower stair climb (1,776 steps) for the United Way
Spend as much time as possible outdoors
Walk everyday
Hike the entire length of Bruce Trail
Hike (start) the Long Trail
Visit the Utah canyons
Master the art of pull ups
Meditate regularly
(get back to) starting my every-days with Sun Salutations
(get back to) blogging regularly
(get back to) dancing - sign up for classes & practice on my own
Read in my hammock as much as possible
Visit with family
Make time to go to labyrinth(s)
Make time for photowalks with other photography lovers
Invest in a barbell
Deadlift my own weight
Complete at least one more half marathon
Perfect the art of headstands
Go swimming
Skate in Central Park
See the Northern Lights
Go skydiving
Finish a marathon
Advance my hula hoop practice
Spend a week in solitude
Spend a week in San Francisco
Visit Savannah, Georgia
Reconnect with an old friend
Go on a kayak trip
Go zip lining
Help someone check off their bucket/goals/dreams list
Maintain a (indoor) herb garden
Grow a lemon tree
Keep indoor plants alive
Keep a gratitude journal
Ride a helicopter
Sleep in a blanket fort with Christmas lights
Visit New Orleans graveyards
Go to a yoga retreat
Learn to stand up paddle
Go on a trip with my brother (convince my brother to go on a trip together)
Write to my pan pals regularly
Explore Detroit ruins
Complete a Spartan/Warrior Dash/mud race
(start to) hike the Appalachian trail
Go whale watching
Spend time by the ocean
Learn to ride a bike
Plant a tree
Do my best to attend Photokina (Cologne, 2016)
Attend Wanderlust Festival
Finish setting up my permanent darkroom
Have my website up and running
Dust off my drawing skills
Learn to play the violin
Play the piano
Start an indoor garden
Spend more time with my dog
Continue our yearly race tradition - Kid and I
(get back to) Origami Sundays
Paint more often
Sign up for a random class - learn something I've never thought of learning
Get back to mostly vegan meals
Practice Yoga / work out outdoors
Read books I would not normally read
Spend more time by the river
Spend more time in the forest
Try rock climbing
Go back to being sugar free
Eat more fruit :)
Keep at fiber art
Master the art of yoga inversions
(get back to) practice Pranayama (almost) daily
Be able to do the splits
Turn the basement back from storage into workout room
Walk/run/row/swim at least 2015 km in 2015, 2016 km in 2016, 2017 km in 2017 :)
Hike the end-to-end portions of Bruce Trail
Go camping more often
Use my home water filtering system
Wake up at least 30 minutes earlier
Wake up to watch the sunrise at least once per season
Go and watch the sunset in silence and solitude at least once per season
Practice the art of silence
Get my %BF back to upper athletic/lower fitness range
Get rid of old stuff around the house
Expect nothing
Make peace with things I cannot change
Take time to heal
Sign up for a Running Room clinic.
Walk barefoot in the grass
Never miss a chance to make a snowman.
Never miss a chance to build a sandcastle.
Be near boats. Boats make me happy.

The Year That's New

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 21:47:00 +0000

I guess the New Year is not that new anymore. It is 4 days old and every wise thing related to the occasion has been said by now.

I have no hopes and dreams for 2015, because I had given in to the 'new year new dreams' movement in 2014 and that turned out horribly. Yes, 2014 started awesomely, like it was about to be the greatest year of them all. It started in the gorgeous San Antonio, TX, then took me to dip my toes in the Ocean, then got to travel, and got to be with my brother for his 21st birthday, then Boston, and then seeing my art in print a few times, and then... it went horribly wrong. Fairy tale gone bad.

I guess the main thing I've mastered throughout my life was "be careful what you wish for, it might come true".

I gave in, though, (yes, again) to the "101 goals in 1001 days" proposition. And yes, I have come up with my list. And yes, coming up with the list brought me to some sort of an inner peaceful place, which is nice and cozy. And yes, I will blog the list.

And now, because no one can say it better than Neil Gaiman:

(found on: Pinterest)

Not sure about the not freezing part, but I know for a fact that the 'make mistake' part will be mastered right away!

(found on: Pinterest)

My First Air Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Sun, 05 Oct 2014 17:07:00 +0000

I finally gave in to the air plant madness and got my own. Actually, no. This was not what happened. What happened was that the first time I physically saw a cute air plant in front of me I had to bring her home. As simple as that. And all of a sudden all the madness that's revolving around air plants on Pinterest made a lot of sense.

So here she is, tiny precious thing:

Apparently, they need to bathe for ~20-30 minutes when they first get home, and two to three hours every two weeks after that.

And lovely October's taking over my back yard:

Love Fiercely, Water Your Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Be_Radiant) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 23:35:00 +0000

This one has been going around Facebook and all the other magic places for more than a week now. Beautiful and real stuff. Rejoice in the littlest of things. And in the big ones. Beautiful advice.

Except for making your bed part. I can't think of anything more boring and redundant like making the bed. I guess whoever came up with bed making was in such a deep emotional masochistic state, and wanted to make sure they'd never get out of it for the entire day, till bedtime. I can't think of anything, any activity, that can succeed in turning a warm, cozy room into an icy, cold, uninviting space as fast as bed making can.

But yes, let go what doesn't make you happy. And no, do not make some else's bed. That's just plain rude.

Someone at my work told me today that he was thinking he would be happier among writers and artists than among scientists.
Probably. I always freeze, whenever I hear something like this. Something inside me simply shuts down right away and I feel cold. So I never managed to make it through the entire thinking-about-it process.

I'm not sure though. If I would be happier or not.

I'm also not sure about this:

I don't know if bad art is better than no art, but I know that if something makes you happy, do it. Even if it's bad art. If it makes you happy, and soothes you inner itchiness, and brings you peace, or whatever it brings or does, then dive in head first. Don't even (stop to) blink.

Art never makes me happy. It makes me sad. That's why I do it, that's why I love it, that's why I couldn't let go of it. Ever.

(Some of the) flowers I'm watering: