Incredibly this is my fifth blog. I've not blown my computer up, the world hasn't come to an end and I've learnt that blogging brings a lightness to my soul. It's cathartic and cleansing and leaves me feeling lighter in my head and no alcohol was used. It is like writing a stream of consciousness but I can add depth and colour to my ideas with video, pictures etc. We use the word lightness a lot: 'lightness of touch' for an artist or musician. 'Light headed' for those times when you are overwhelmed by emotion or drink, 'Light as a feather' for weight (not something I can use about myself). Then there is the power of 'lightning' the power of Mother Nature. The power of the 'Sun' natural light to make things grow and feed us vital vitamins. 'Artificial light' allows us to see in the dark to illuminate our lives and our minds with the image of pictures and sound. These images, pictures and sounds that we use when we dream and when we are awake to absdorb life, have I believe been enhanced since reading Kundera and Calvino. To open your mind to see all that is around you, to see the impossible, that is what they want us to do.
Platypus Paws, said in her blog that she dips in and out of the books as this helps her to think and understand. I took her tip and have done the same 'eureka' it really helps. Like eating a sumptious meal, you have to give yourself time to digest and savour it. This is how I think of the concepts and ideas that Kundera and Calvino want us to open our minds up to.
Our brains use natural electrical impulses that fire the synapses to remember, think and create. These are just a few of the many thousands of things that our brains do for us, yet it is the most under used part of our body.
I found this clip on You Tube of an electrical storm started after an artist was photographing his art. This is his interpretation of it.
I can see that the stream of consciousness is like a lightning storm within the brain. It does not fire one synapse but many, pictures, words, sounds even taste and smell. It is this polysemic text that we live with every day. Many ignore it, it is for us as writers to accept again that the impossible is possible and to throw off the unbearable heaviness of life and accept the unbearable lightness of creativity. In my final clip from You Tube I have found a woman who is doing just that even when faced with a life changing challenge.
I have a similar condition though it is not as sever as MS. There is still a lot we don't know about how the brain works. My brain has turned on all the pain receptors to full and cannot now remember how to turn them off. I have to use distraction to help so every day I use polysemic text to get me through the day. My creative mind is my distraction, I can be creating it like now or absorbing it. The brain/mind is a powerful thing and and it is possible that we will never know what it is actually capable of. Though as we have learnt nothing is exact, everything is vague and nothing is impossible.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
The blogging possible
In life we all have choice, we can believe it is possible to do anything we want or that it is possible to do as little as possible. This morning on the news a storm broke over something that we all thought was impossible. John Venables and another boy both aged ten, kidnapped, tortured and killed toddler Jamie Bulger. We all at the time asked, 'How is this possible, how could two young boys possibly comprehend evil?' This was wrangled over by the media and the CPU but most of all by the parents of the victim. When these two boys only served eight years and not a day of that inside a prison cell how can we possibly say that justice was served.
If this had been written as a story, would it have been published? Or banned because of how horrific the possibility of its comprehension. John Venables is now at last behind bars not in protective luxury of children's services, at last he is in the prison system. Do I believe in Evil? Yes I do having worked with criminals for over fifteen years I have met Evil and as they say looked it in the eye. What I think makes me saddest of all is that today 'Evil' in the criminal context is given the possibility of being a 'celebrity', they have cult followings.
As Kundera said we 'choose the uniform we wear'. We can also, if we chose change that uniform. The possibilities in life are endless, if we keep an open mind we will continue to evolve but close it and we have no one to blame but ourselves. My uniform has changed from Prison Officer to Creative Writing Student my next uniform is that of Author. Where will yours go?
I've just been to see the new 'Alice in Wonderland'. I saw the 3D version and it was great. At one point in the film Alice had to recite 'six impossible things' so that she could slay the Jabbererwocky. For me it made the connection that Kundera has been talking about. As children we think that nothing is impossible, as adults we have the ability and opportunities to make things possible but often make them impossible, because we've lost the ability to dream. This reminded me of a song called 'Dream the impossible dream.'
I've chosen this particular version as it has the lyrics which are very poetic and has Icarus and other images that I find moving.
On trying to find this song on You Tube and Google I found out the most amazing link that I honestly did not know. This song comes from the 1965 musical 'La Mancha'. The lyrics are by Moe Darien and the music by Mitch Leigh. This musical is about 'Don Quixote' and is sung as he stands vigil over his armour, in response to Alsonza's question about what he means by 'following the quest'. As writers is this not what Kundera and Calvino are telling us. Dream the impossible and become a writer as after all the IMPOSSIBLE can be anything we want it to be.
If this had been written as a story, would it have been published? Or banned because of how horrific the possibility of its comprehension. John Venables is now at last behind bars not in protective luxury of children's services, at last he is in the prison system. Do I believe in Evil? Yes I do having worked with criminals for over fifteen years I have met Evil and as they say looked it in the eye. What I think makes me saddest of all is that today 'Evil' in the criminal context is given the possibility of being a 'celebrity', they have cult followings.
As Kundera said we 'choose the uniform we wear'. We can also, if we chose change that uniform. The possibilities in life are endless, if we keep an open mind we will continue to evolve but close it and we have no one to blame but ourselves. My uniform has changed from Prison Officer to Creative Writing Student my next uniform is that of Author. Where will yours go?
I've just been to see the new 'Alice in Wonderland'. I saw the 3D version and it was great. At one point in the film Alice had to recite 'six impossible things' so that she could slay the Jabbererwocky. For me it made the connection that Kundera has been talking about. As children we think that nothing is impossible, as adults we have the ability and opportunities to make things possible but often make them impossible, because we've lost the ability to dream. This reminded me of a song called 'Dream the impossible dream.'
I've chosen this particular version as it has the lyrics which are very poetic and has Icarus and other images that I find moving.
On trying to find this song on You Tube and Google I found out the most amazing link that I honestly did not know. This song comes from the 1965 musical 'La Mancha'. The lyrics are by Moe Darien and the music by Mitch Leigh. This musical is about 'Don Quixote' and is sung as he stands vigil over his armour, in response to Alsonza's question about what he means by 'following the quest'. As writers is this not what Kundera and Calvino are telling us. Dream the impossible and become a writer as after all the IMPOSSIBLE can be anything we want it to be.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
A feather in my blog
Well it's that time again and this week I've been researching the link of feathers. Calvino started his memo on Exactitude by talking of the ancient Egyptians 'exactitude' symbol being a 'light feather called Maat, goddess of the scales.' So this left me with the vagueness of not knowing how light the feather was? A humming bird feather does not weigh the same as an ostrich feather. Do all feathers from the same species weigh the same? So it turns out that in fact the goddess wears an ostrich feather in her head.
This sent me on another strand that of the actual symbolism of a feather and how it can weigh so heavily on us. In 1914 Admiral Charles Fitzgerald founded the Order of the White Feather. This was supported by people of note such as the writers Mary Ward and Emma Orczy. The society would send letters that included a white feather, to men who they considered cowards for not going to war. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWfeather.htm
In 1902 A.E.W. Mason wrote The Four Feathers. This book has been made into films many times and is a very powerful story about friendship and betrayal and all because of the 'White Feather.' The weight of a feather is not exact, as it is not just that of its physical weight but also that of its psychological weight that must be considered. Then there's the superstition that surrounds feathers a peacock feather is considered bad luck to have on stage for actors. It is thought very unlucky to have the feathers of a Peacock within the home or handle anything made with them. This is possibly because of the eye shape present upon these feathers i.e. the Evil-Eye associated with wickedness.On my travels through the universe that is Google I came across this band Wolfmother and a track called White Feather. I love it, I've never heard it before and now I am a fan. It reminds me of the music I used to listen to when I was a teenager. Yes, this was a long time ago but its never to late to learn new things, is that not what Calvino and Kundera are telling us.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Fairies, astrology and geology
Well here I am week two and still struggling with the techno stuff. I think I've mastered how to post a picture but the video is still a bit beyond me. However the good news! No more bald spots. I'm still finding Calvino and Kundera confusing but I think perhaps that is the point. I'm reading Calvino and just as I think I get where he is going, off he goes chasing another strand. He's been talking about fairies, folklore, astrology and all things between. He talked about his star sign being a force behind his writing and creativity. Naturally I had to check mine out. So first I got my birth chart done. One of the questions asked is, what time were you born? So naturally I asked my Mother. Her answer, "I don't know after eight days and nights in labour and a caesarean I didn't care." So I put don't know as they didn't have a box for mother too knackered to notice. My star sign is Sagittarius, half horse half man (that probably accounts for my hind quarters) and my element is Fire. 
My birthstones are Tanzanite a blue/purple mineral - Zircon (a bit like diamond but not as expensive) and Turquoise which is the most interesting and the oldest of the known gem materials. It is thought to have powerful metaphysical properties and is also used by such ancient societies as the Apache Indians and Ancient Egyptians. I must say for myself it is Turquoise that I've the strongest connection with as there is something that draws me to it. I love the colour purple so that is where my Tanzanite connection comes in. My ruling planet is Jupiter. I looked at the planet on You Tube and found the it to be surprisingly beautiful and the music playing on the video is 'Jupiter' from Holst's Planet Suite. The other clip is taken from NASSA and is the actual sounds of the planet. The sounds of theare haunting, this is the planet communicating with us. 
My Chinese sign is the Rat and my element is Metal, I find that Chinese Astrology is more nature based and for me more accurate and interesting. The Chinese treat the body, soul and spirit as the whole of a person. In their medicine and traditions they go into so much more depth than we do. Oh, now I'm the one going off following different strands. It must be catching. When you look at both the Astrological signs I can see certain elements of me in them. By applying the open mindedness of Kundera and Calvino there are many more strands in my future that I can follow.
I believe there's a link with crystals, nature and folklore this leads on to the water colour by Arthur Rackham of Titania. This is one of many illustrations he did for A Midsummer's Night Dream by William Shakespeare. This connection comes back to that of last weeks blog and our continuing search for something other, something that will keep us alive in memory or in spirit.
It's not just children that believe in fairies.'...there is enough (evidence of fairies) already available to convince any reasonable man that the matter is not one which can be readily dismissed..' THE COMING OF THE FAIRIES bySir Arthur Conan Doyle.
If we close our minds and believe that this is impossible we will never really know, but open them and how many worlds within this one will be open to us? I have just read Once by James Herbert whose novel is all about the balance of the natural world, fairies and folklore are integral to the protection of our planet. They are the planet's voice.
When you look at the planet Jupiter and think of the view that the Astronauts have of Earth from their new viewing window, you have to think of the force of mother nature. It would be foolish of us to think that we are it. There is much to be said for the Inca and Egyptian philosophies and for those such as the Apache Indians. Are we that naive to think that we are the only ones. That we are it!
If there is one thing that I have learnt so far from Kundera and Calvino it's that being open to everything, to every possibility is one of the most important tools for a writer.
Without imagination we have nothing.
My birthstones are Tanzanite a blue/purple mineral - Zircon (a bit like diamond but not as expensive) and Turquoise which is the most interesting and the oldest of the known gem materials. It is thought to have powerful metaphysical properties and is also used by such ancient societies as the Apache Indians and Ancient Egyptians. I must say for myself it is Turquoise that I've the strongest connection with as there is something that draws me to it. I love the colour purple so that is where my Tanzanite connection comes in. My ruling planet is Jupiter. I looked at the planet on You Tube and found the it to be surprisingly beautiful and the music playing on the video is 'Jupiter' from Holst's Planet Suite. The other clip is taken from NASSA and is the actual sounds of the planet. The sounds of theare haunting, this is the planet communicating with us. 
My Chinese sign is the Rat and my element is Metal, I find that Chinese Astrology is more nature based and for me more accurate and interesting. The Chinese treat the body, soul and spirit as the whole of a person. In their medicine and traditions they go into so much more depth than we do. Oh, now I'm the one going off following different strands. It must be catching. When you look at both the Astrological signs I can see certain elements of me in them. By applying the open mindedness of Kundera and Calvino there are many more strands in my future that I can follow.I believe there's a link with crystals, nature and folklore this leads on to the water colour by Arthur Rackham of Titania. This is one of many illustrations he did for A Midsummer's Night Dream by William Shakespeare. This connection comes back to that of last weeks blog and our continuing search for something other, something that will keep us alive in memory or in spirit.
It's not just children that believe in fairies.'...there is enough (evidence of fairies) already available to convince any reasonable man that the matter is not one which can be readily dismissed..' THE COMING OF THE FAIRIES bySir Arthur Conan Doyle.If we close our minds and believe that this is impossible we will never really know, but open them and how many worlds within this one will be open to us? I have just read Once by James Herbert whose novel is all about the balance of the natural world, fairies and folklore are integral to the protection of our planet. They are the planet's voice.
When you look at the planet Jupiter and think of the view that the Astronauts have of Earth from their new viewing window, you have to think of the force of mother nature. It would be foolish of us to think that we are it. There is much to be said for the Inca and Egyptian philosophies and for those such as the Apache Indians. Are we that naive to think that we are the only ones. That we are it!
If there is one thing that I have learnt so far from Kundera and Calvino it's that being open to everything, to every possibility is one of the most important tools for a writer.
Without imagination we have nothing.
When I look at the picturesw of Jupitor I am reminded of a summer holiday collecting coloured sand on the Isle of Wight and making pictures with the various shades and colours of sand. Jupitor looks just like a coloured sand orb. ANOTHER STRAND TO BE EXPLORED.
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