Random Thoughts

Fun with layouts. 

Looking at these one may think they are done by different people.

Unless of course you know me. Then you would recognize my style and variety.

Throughout college amd even filtering into after college, all the self proclaimed gurus will tell young creators - do one thing and do it well.

Thankfully, I am not a 2-dimensional thinker, doer, or believer.

A follower on deviantArt, and a stock artist I truly admire, once called me a modern Renaissance artist. Little did he know how that one comment would stick with me even to this day. Because to me, the Renaissance artists were my mentors and to be compared to their philosophy...well I can't even find the words to express how that made me feel.

I do understand the idea. Do one thing and do it well. And I do strive to be the best at that one thing. And that one thing is to create.

If I were to analyze myself, I would say it filters into even the day to day.

Let's break it further down and rewrite this statement. 

Be the best you can possibly be with everything you do. 

Doesn't mean you have to be #1. There will always be someone better, someone stronger, someone nicer, someone more generous, someone more successful. 

But none of that should stop you from being the best version of you.

Be the best you can be at whatever you do. Doesnt matter if you're dead last. If that's your best, be proud of it because you gave it your all.

So I try new things. I succeed or I fail. And I learn. I either try again or try something new. But I try. And I show up, do the work, and continue to be the best I am. My competition is not you. Never was. Never will be. 

I am trying to be better than the me I was yesterday. 

Do one thing..? I will do many things. My followers are not 2-dimensional. Why would you expect me to be?

😎😎😎

Reflections

Social media is strange. It creates an illusion of oneself that only shows part of who a person is. And many are too concerned with show boating and glossing over all of the ugly bits to paint a prettier picture of who they are and how they live.

We are all flawed.

Bits and pieces of our history are littered across our flesh and minds. Jagged edges that are too easily glossed over with a filter provided by AI programs.

A fantasy world we accept without question.

The many flock to mimic patterns from a few who “made it” in the eyes in the kingdom of the apps.

Influencers.

Yet who are they influencing? And who influenced whom?

Ponies marched to the roadside carnival show. All standing with their hands out hoping for a few pennies to be tossed their way.

Am I any different as I pander my goods, showcasing my wares like any snake oil salesman that comes into town.

Be authentic, they say. Talk about your hobbies and your passions. Engagement is key.

My hobbies are cooking and biking. My passions are art and writing.

To discuss the former goes against “branding” yet to discuss the latter is being a braggart.

Separate the two. Choose either art, or writing. Never both. Never on the same page.

Stop the sales pitch.

Promote your worth.

You cannot have it both ways and must choose one over the other.

Therein lies the internal struggle.

Yet where does the showman end and the authenticity begin?

Dual personalities yet both are cut from the same cloth. Different sides of the same coin.

Which do you prefer?

Which are you willing to believe?

I am neither and I am both.

I am more than just a meme shared to generate a laugh.

You see what I allow you to see.

Just as I see what you allow others to see.

Where does fantasy end, and reality begin?

~Sequel

In Honor of Poe

 

In the chamber, dimly lit, Where shadows dance and spirits flit, I sit alone, my soul aflame, Entangled in a macabre game.

The midnight hour, it tolls its chime, A dirge that marks the end of time, And in this cryptic, eerie space, I find myself in a dark embrace.

A raven perched upon the door, Its ebony plumes, a cloak it wore, It spoke of omens, dread and dire, And set my heart and soul on fire.

The flickering candle's feeble light, Casts eerie shapes into the night, And whispers from the crypts below, Haunt my thoughts with tales of woe.

A portrait on the wall, so fair, A visage twisted by despair, Its eyes, they follow as I roam, In this unholy, haunted home.

The pendulum swings, a deadly blade, A specter of death, an ominous shade, It counts the moments, one by one, As my existence comes undone.

In this gothic, somber room, I'm trapped in sorrow, grief, and gloom, Like Poe of old, I too descend, Into the darkness, without end.

Love's Burden to Bear

 

In the heart's secret chambers, love does bloom, A tale of longing in the quiet's gloom. She loves her best friend, with a heart so pure, Yet he's bound to another, love's complex allure.

A friendship like no other, strong and true, Their souls entwined in skies of endless blue. She cherishes his laughter, his secret smiles, Yet her heart aches in silence, through endless miles.

He wears a ring of promise, a bond so tight, To another woman, his eternal light. But her love for him, it knows no end, A fragile ember in the darkness, her dearest friend.

In the shadows, her heart quietly weeps, A love forbidden, her secret she keeps. She watches from afar, his happiness grow, Though it's with another, her love continues to flow.

Her love's a silent whisper, a hidden song, A love that's steady, deep, and strong. For love knows not the boundaries we draw, It dances freely, obeying no law.

In the depths of her soul, her love takes flight, A love for her best friend, pure as starlight. Though his heart belongs to another's care, She'll cherish their friendship, love's burden to bear.

For love, it knows no bounds, nor understands, It blooms in the heart, like grains of sand. A woman's love, a best friend's plight, In the shadows of the heart, it shines so bright.

An Unrequited Love

In the depths of night, my heart does pine, For a love unreturned, a love not mine. A silent ache, a bittersweet despair, Unrequited love, a burden hard to bear.

I watched you from afar, like a distant star, Your radiance shining, from where you are. But in your eyes, I found no reflection, Of the love I felt, a one-sided affection.

I wrote you letters, with words so true, But you never read them, never had a clue. My love remained hidden, a secret well-kept, In the chambers of my heart, where it silently wept.

I longed for your touch, your tender embrace, But you walked away, leaving no trace. And yet, I loved you, with all my might, Though you were the day, and I the endless night.

Unrequited love, a painful art, It tears at the soul, it rips it apart. But still, I cherish the moments we shared, Even though you never truly cared.

For in this love unreturned, I found my grace, A bittersweet lesson in this endless chase. To love without expectation, without demand, Is to love in its purest form, so grand.

So, I'll carry this love, like a sacred dove, In the chambers of my heart, forever to love. For though it's unrequited, and may never be, It's a testament to the depth of love in me.

Twilight

 

In twilight's tender, soft embrace we meet,

Where stars above our secrets sweetly keep,

A love that blooms like flowers kissed by dawn,

In your gaze, all my doubts and fears are gone.

 

Your smile, a sunbeam in the darkest night,

Guiding me through life's labyrinthine flight,

Your laughter, like a melody so pure,

In your arms, I find a love that's sure.

 

With every heartbeat, our souls intertwine,

A symphony of love, so divine,

Your touch, a whisper that ignites my skin,

In your embrace, all of life's joys begin.

 

Through life's twists and turns, I'll stand by your side,

In your love, my heart and soul abide,

For you are my forever, my endless dream,

In your love's embrace, I am redeemed.

What is lost...

You know what I miss? The days when you could post a topic that was controversial, provocative, steeped in conjecture and conspiracy mixed with a minutiae of facts for the sole purpose of conversation. Now-a-days at the mere mention of something outside of the norm the naysayers and fact checkers are quick to point their fingers, call blasphemy, wag their tongues in mockery, and call foul as they hide behind a mask of intolerance and offense.

I miss dialogue where you could discuss touchy subjects in an effort to understand and grow as a human being without the conversation spiraling into hostility and pointless name calling while each side touts victory by reporting the other to the social media gods and resorting to childish victories of blocking someone they once called 'friend'.

I miss the days when it was ok to be wrong because that is a part of life and the only way you will learn. 

I miss true conversation and the unity of heart and mind and the pursuitof knowledge.

I miss compassion and strength and solidarity.

I miss diversity. 

Life is about lessons and this is one of the hardest to learn.  Stay in a vacuum of silence where censorship rules (all in the name of the 'greater good')? Or seek a solitary path in search of others who do not take offense at the slightest misstep born of innocence all in the pursuit of knowledge?

I will always choose to surround myself with those who are not afraid to speak their minds and will keep those minds open to other ideas, cultures, and viewpoints. I will always turn away from those that seek only to hold themselves above others with their bigotry and over inflated sense of self.