Friday, March 30, 2012

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

- John F. Kennedy.

Life appears to be an ever changing and unpredictable thing.  Finding a truly singular purpose that you can be proud of and strive for is truly a wonderful thing. 


Also as an aside, I love light houses.  This one was painted by Thomas Kinkade.  Check out his work!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.

This is something I wrote a few months ago.  It’s short and simple, but I think it sums up things rather well, at least for now…
All of my regrets, all my failures, all my successes and wins, everything I've ever said, felt, every relationship and friendship, my feelings, thoughts, actions, desires and dreams, my experiences and perceptions make my life what it is today.  Although at times I might begrudge too harshly the negatives and underappreciate the positive, all of these things create the essence of who I am.  If I tug at the loose strings of the tapestry of my life, it would unravel into the chaotic turmoil of the unknown.  Who I am would be lost.  In its place would be a void.  Trite and fanciful fantasies of altering my life by rearranging my past only stands to cast shadow on my future...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.

- Winston Churchill.


Stories of survival against impossible odds, like this one, are amazing.  I often wonder, if I were in such a situation, how would I handle it and how would I react.  Sometimes there's just no way of knowing if we'll be courageous or cowardly, until the time arrives.  For now, I'll imagine myself on the courageous side, and hope to live true to my dreams, until the end.



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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Abandoned places drive the Imagination

I've always had a slightly morbid fascination with old and abandoned things.   Stories like this one are almost irresistible.   There's something about seeing ships, houses, cars, and the like just sitting there, waiting for their oweners to come back, even though we know they never will.  The possibilities about what happened, why the items were abandoned, and the story behind the story is too much for me to pass up. 

People ask me all the time where my ideas come from for my short stories.  Well letting my imagination wander when it comes to lost and abandoned things is a perfect answer.  The possibilities of where a story can go are endless.  There's something about everyday recognizable items seen in such disarray or disrepair that is simultaneously intriguing and distrubing.  That's where the imagination comes into play.  It's not so much that I enjoy seeing abandoned hospitals or haunting ghost ships, but the realization that at any time, the life we know can turn on a dime, disappear and never return is so stark and real.  So true that is, if you've never heard the story of Centralia Pennsylvania, you might want to reconsider just how dramatically life can change.

To be sure, most of the things I've used as an example here are somewhat unsettling.  However, look at the bigger picture here for a moment.  With such turmoil and uncertainty in the world, such things make a great case for seizing the moment.  Waiting another day, or putting things off can only do one thing: Waste time.  Don't let that happen!  You'll only regret it in more ways than one.  Trust me.  Just remember that inspiration and creativity can come from almost anywhere, even an abandoned house!



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Monday, March 26, 2012

Cools songs just for the hell of it.

I thought I'd go a different route today and just post up a few videos that I liked, just for the hell of it.  This first one is a little out there, but for those of you who have ever heard of Daft Punk, I'm sure it's a favorite.


Pretty crazy, that little robot dude is cool and scary at the same time.

This next one is a classic from the 1980s.  If you remember hearing it on the radio you'll remember just how awesome it was to hear this song first the first time.


I love both of these songs even though they are totally different in comparison. 



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Friday, March 23, 2012

The Fascination of Inspiring Paintings

Paintings are an extreme visual representation of emotion.  The first time I saw this painting, I was mesmerized.




L'Ange du Foyerby Max Ernst  

This painting is so striking and animated, yet the agony I seen in that creature is so articulated I'm somewhat stunned.  It never fails to capture my attention every time I see it.

The next painting that has always had my attention is this one.



Persistence of Memory

This paiting is by Salvador Dali  I'm constantly perplexed by the meaning of this painting.  Time is always such a strange subject, putting its essence into a painting seems to complicate the idea. 

I hope you like my selections.  Think about concepts and ideas that interest you and see if you can find paintings that represent those ideals.  You might be very surprised at what you find!


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