"For you, a thousand times over."

I googled this phrase and found scores of blogs with the same title. It rings like a bell; high pitched, resonant. It doesn't let you go.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, is a novel that evokes every possible human emotion in its reader. The praise that this book has acclaimed is warranted and it is one of those books you need to read at least twice. I started reading this book almost a year ago and stopped short of a hundred pages. I felt as though I was witnessing and warranting a gross inhuman crime by reading it; I was in Amir's shoes, watching painfully as the story unfolded. I had to leave this book, for a another time. A time when I would be better prepared to feel this pain.

I just finished reading the last few pages of this book today. I cried. And smiled too. I can't possibly write a review to justify The Kite Runner. It is an intense translation of human thought, feeling and action. It is the voice of a conscience, questioning and understanding loyalty, justice, disgrace and courage. It is no different from us, yet it is not us.

A journey of life and love summed up in a line- "For you, a thousand times over."

apologies

i am appalled at the grammar in my previous post. when my brain fires thoughts faster than my fingers can type the sentences get all blurry. i'll be making the amendments soon. in the meantime, apologies for the atrocious grammar :), although i hope the message carries across. 

"the texture of memories"

i was at a talk by Dinh Q Le on his artistic adventure as a photographer with a story to tell. the tapestry that he employs in depicting the woven layers that make up our lives. especially highlighting the threads of history that make up our present. the duality expressed in these works creates a platform for interpretation and appreciation. and i must say the thought and presentation of these ideas are capable of stirring social movements.

one concept that moved me entirely was the exhibition "the texture of memories" and the emotions that a white, white on white exhibition can evoke. to elaborate, he conceived the idea after learning that women who were not clinically blind, were unable to see. this bewildering condition known as hysterical blindness affects people who have had to see their loved ones being tortured. it is almost like an automatic blindness generated by the brain to block out further trauma. i am amazed at the way that he translated this state of being into art so that people can touch and feel and 'see' their side of the world. he employed thick white embroidery to outline the faces on white fabric. this was displayed in a gallery painted in white. the idea is to interact and feel the thread of the embroidery, and by doing so dirty it enough so u see the patterns. by touching the 'memories' you bring them alive again.

i was moved by the presentation. i feel that photography brings little bits of everything together. it is an expression of time, history and feeling, presented in a way that makes it the ultimate form of art.

idiosyncratic reflections; "running in heels with a dagger in my hand!"

i somehow find the title of this post very self reflective... very visibly dangerous, but ultimately stoic and refined. what say you?

the pursuit of transient eternity

today's tragedy

isn't tomorrows' star.

troubled.

tabernacled.

this is who we are.

justice is not freedom;

pain is but a veneer.

a layer of numbness,

so we persevere.

come out of this projectile,

find yourself a foe.

trust no symbol.

love disguised a whore.

change your perceptions.

bitter like the green fruit with no name.

red like the blood

that tears out of puffy eyelids.

at night.

at day.

when the world is calm.

quiet.

and you are far, far away.

untitled 2

maleable
and kind

the icy peers
left behind

the silken path
tread with care
feet bare
and mind uncovered

beware

the pain is numbing
the chances fade away

blind
but i see

the icy peers
amongst their own kind

i walk further
drowning in my mind

idiosyncrasies

mental dialogue... on a less serious note

the creative element

EVERY designer believes that he/she is creative. To design, in the Jane Austen sense of the word, is to have planned intentions. A designer always has this planned intention. To be able to get so far, you have to be creative.

To assess a person's creative element, you would need to assess the level of sophistication of the executed design. Aesthetics and presentation do add to the overall mark, but disagreements in this area are bountiful. So, I would say the basis of judging a good design, is the logic, application and level of development that displays an aesthetic suitable to it.

How then can you tell a designer that they lack the creative element, when there are no opportunities to conceive any ideas? Conceptualisation and creation call for creativity. The final design element will be based on the initial concept and from there you can judge the level of creativity.

The vantage point is essential in order to judge the popularity of a design. Based on the specifics and the ideologies of the people and situation that the design is applied to.

This is where design philosophy is important. Wacky, out of the ordinary designs may appeal to most people as cool and fun. Others may prefer simplicity, elegance and sophistication. Both designs may be equally good, but of a different philosophy.

So when you try to tell a designer that they lack the creative element, beware of the pitfalls of that sentence. Are they that bad at bringing an idea to life? Or is it the difference in design philosophy that fuels your judgement?