10/17/2013 0 Comments Pleasant Unexpectedness // AutumnEvery so often, you will be stopped in your tracks (literally and in thought) because you will suddenly come across something that takes you by surprise. The photos below are of my version of such an experience. I saw this tree (or, bunch of trees) while walking through the cold, brisk Lincoln Park and enjoying the lovely atmosphere. <3 It's always nice to acknowledge that part of the joy of life is relishing its pleasant unexpectedness. :) ~~MC P.S. I apologize that some of the photos are turned sideways or upside down. For some reason, the website didn't let me rotate them. Oh well, at least it won't get in your way of enjoying the bright autumn colors!
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6/6/2013 0 Comments Time to ReleaseWhat do you do when you have thoughts tumbling and twisting in your mind, thoughts that won't let go of you until you find some way to release them and put them out of their misery?
There are probably many solutions, but one I personally have become familiar with is writing a poem. Or, perhaps I should say "re-familiar," because I used to write poetry when I was in middle school. For each piece, I would start by doing a bit of research about a chosen subject, usually a subject that was suggested in my poetry journal (which I still have)...followed by taking my pen and jotting down ideas that came to mind; followed by typing the revised, polished version on Word; followed by choosing the right font that matched the mood; followed by printing it, cutting it out of the solid white printer paper, and pasting it into the journal; and finally followed by adding a colored pencil illustration to connect myself more to the poem. And now, we have the final product. This was my artistic process as a 14-year-old. At the time, I perceived poetry as something methodical, with a goal assigned to you from the outside, and where you must follow a specific list of steps in order to write a successful string of verses. It is almost like I understood poetry as more of a science than an art. These were things I believed until recently. To put it briefly, I came across events during the past several months that had pushed me to a state of near-constant worry, stress and fear. These emotions reached a point where thoughts tumbled and twisted in my mind. It was as if my eyes could not see in front of me, but rather they were consumed by the invisible and intangible, the fluid statements and questions and anxieties in my head that never stopped rising and falling like uncontrollable waves. And so, my instinct was to release these thoughts, to free them and thus to free myself. In other words, I start writing poetry. And I soon realized that this was real poetry. I understood that, like all other forms of art, writing a poem is something that comes out of you and that is not given by another person. The words seem to jump onto the paper, and there is something miraculous about that. When you feel as consumed with magnified feelings and thoughts as I did in my case, it is a good idea to make use of them instead of letting them render you lost and helpless. You don't even have to be faced with feelings/thoughts that are negative--Finding yourself in times of inexplicable joy, or perhaps times where you learn new things about yourself that you want to carry with you like you would an injured bird you found in the road, are also lovely opportunities for you to jot words down. It is always nice to remember the good and bad of your experiences, and to allow yourself to create such an art as poetry in order to make sense of this big world you live in. :) So grab a pen and paper--or if you like to be organized like myself and keep a journal solely dedicated to poems, which you can keep close in order to release those overwhelming thoughts any time--and start writing, because by doing so you are enlivening not just a poem, but one of many footprints you will leave in the universe. ~~MC 8/11/2011 0 Comments Cheesy but TrueOne thing that I always find comforting is friendship. Being with a true friend who brings out the best in you is definitely a catalyst to making your day as enjoyable and memorable as ever. :)
I recently ventured to a peaceful waterfront with one friend, made a fresh batch of blueberry-glowing pancakes with another, and even shared blog links and photos with a different friend...There's something about little events like these that occur between you and a close companion, that makes you believe that happiness comes not from the most grand things imagined, but rather from the little things that together plaster a smile on your face so wide and for as long as you remember those fleeting memories. So raise a glass to the value of friendship and to always remembering to treasure every moment you share with those special people who cause sunshine to gleam all over your days! ;D ...And I realized that I have just beheld to you the cheesiest blog post of all mankind, but nonetheless you can't talk about the things you admire and love without being cheesy! ~~MC 7/19/2011 0 Comments Memories you don't expectHello there! I was just feeling a bit nostalgic as I scrolled through the billions (not literally...there are just too many to count) of photos I took in France two years ago. I decided to show you these pictures I took out as evidence, of how some of the best memories you create are the ones you don't expect to remember so vividly months or years later, ones that go against memories people try to create especially in the world's most romantic city... Enjoy the photos, as I hope you will create memories just as lovely for yourself as you go about your day! :) ~~MC |
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