It's all about perception

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change."
Wayne W. Dyer

 "Dream delivers us to dream, and there is no end to illusion. Life is like a train of moods like a string of beads, and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many colored lenses which paint the world their own hue."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Perception is created and twisted so quickly."
Louis C.K.

Being inspired by Escher I started making this painting expecting it to be finished in two hours. Eventually it was simply going to be blocks stacked on top of each other from which each side would be painted another colour.
Within each step though I was surprised how long it took me to finish. Usually painting is as draining as a day of work which again I underestimated while making this one.
The great fun I had however while making this painting was the different shapes I was each time I looked at it from a different angle. It was almost confusing as I was wondering if I made a mistake in the process.
I guess the lesson that I learned here is to never underestimate a 'simple-looking' piece of work for which it has gone through a long and complex process.

The August Playlist

The last time I did a music post was back in February so it's about time to share some of my recent favourites.
Remarkable for me is that my music taste changes as the seasons change. This mostly depends on the mood I am in during that period of time.
The music I have been listening to lately has given me this adrenaline rush which is simply amazing. It makes me feel alive!


1. Jamie N Commons is an artist I recently found out about. The first time I heard his music I thought to myself: "why don't I know you yet?!" The roughness in his voice reminds me somehow of Johnny Cash mixed with Ray LaMontagne and the energy of the music is just... wow.

2. As every season has its soundtrack, the most remarkable soundtracks for me are the summer ones. The memories built during the summer are ones that stay with you for a lifetime. I believe that The Paper Kites provided me the summer sound of 2013. Featherstone represents the worry-less, sunny day in which anything is possible.


3. While The Paper Kites had the perfect song for a summer day, this song is the one for a nice summer eve, while having a barbecue or sitting next to a bonfire. It is kind of difficult to make a better version than the original one that Alt-J did, but Ellie Goulding adds a complete different sound and atmosphere to the song. The sound of the bass and the trumpet solo add this mysteriousness to it.

4. Talking about energetic songs, this one has succeeded in radiating that energy to the listeners. I can't really describe what it is about this song that fascinates me, but I know that I can listen to it during each occasion I'm in.

5. Woodkid doesn't need many words to explain why his music is amazing. The video, the build-up of the music and the lyrics are matched greatly.

Actions speak louder than words

Human beings are the only creatures on earth that have the ability to express themselves through words. We have come to believe that speaking is a powerful thing when it comes to communication.
Blogs, magazines, books, conversations, seminars are all about words.

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that "a picture is worth a thousand words" which it is because it goes beyond vocabulary. Yet pictures are open for interpretation and different meanings. It is difficult to capture a picture in which one can show a universal meaning.

Looking at this photograph, one can say that these children are crying. Or maybe they're camera shy. Perhaps they are just fooling around. From this photograph it is very difficult to conclude whether they are happy or sad or any emotion at all. A caption would be needed to describe the meaning of the image.

Yet vocabulary is a very tricky thing because actions are involved in this matter as well.
I strongly believe that words are meaningless and lose their power if there is no intention of acting upon them.
How many times have you found yourself in a situation where someone tells you sorry multiple times but keeps repeating the same mistake over and over again? How often did someone tell you that they are always there for you resulting in not being there when you need them?
Will you keep believing what they say risking the fact that you get disappointed time after time or will you start believing in their actions instead which is saying that they don't mean what they say?

“People may not tell you how they feel about you, but they always show you. Pay attention.”

People might have the intention of not wanting to hurt your feelings, so they tell you things which eventually don't match their actions later. Even though the intention was not to hurt you, it does not justify the fact that they have been lying to you which is in my opinion the worst thing a person can do.

As a quite naïve person I tended to believe people for their words resulting in being screwed over an over and ending up being the one who was hurt and disappointed I've come to learn to get to know people by what they do and not by what they say. Or better said, I started to pay attention to both.
I can promise that as you keep practising you will be amazed in how much people are not saying but definitely showing. Just trust your intuition and don't be afraid to trust other types communication rather than words.

"If someone is consistently inconsistent, and their actions don't match up with their words, it's time to let them go."

Anything that gets our blood racing is probably worth doing

I have been having this enormous adrenaline rush in my body for the last few weeks and even though I slightly know what the reason for it is, I still think there much more behind it.

It feels like I'm living on the edge, being in a roller coaster that has endless ups and down. Several times a day I experience that feeling of going up and down. It is exciting though and maybe sometimes it is better just to accept it and keep enjoying the ride instead of looking for reasons of why things are the way they are.

“Life is like a roller coaster. You can either scream every time you hit a bump or you can throw your hands up in the air and enjoy it”

This state that I'm in might be disturbing or weird for outsiders because sometimes it looks like I am completely disconnected from reality, acting impulsively, flying around like a butterfly.
Sometimes I get being told that I shouldn't stress out this much and that I just need to relax which is completely understandable from their point of view. But as long as the ride is still enjoyable, as long as the ride is still going, I don't see any reason to stop.

Maybe it's not even a roller coaster ride, but just having a messy head that is floating somewhere, just dreaming. Maybe I just get hit by reality every now and then which causes the rush of adrenaline. Or maybe it is just who I am. Maybe this is life!