Black and White photos

Black and white photoes are usually great.  Well, it is what I think.

Often, those photos are outdated and their ages shows.  It is what makes their charm.  Photographers had to be more careful and more knowledgeable.  It was truely an artform.  I don't think I would be able to be in their places.  It was also time and money consuming.  It wasn't as easy as today for making some correction to the photos.

One thing I would like to learn how to do: sepia tone photos.  I would like to know how to do it.  I am sure it is easy to do now with all the programs that exist today.  I like the retro look it gives to the photos.

Creative Bucket Wish List

Recently, someone asked me what I wanted back in my life.  It makes me think that I don't have a creative bucket wish list.  I'll throw a few things I wish to have without considering the cost.  It is a first brainstorm I am getting on this.

The first thing on the list is having a more creative environment.  What I mean by that is about my deserted creative area.  Getting a variety of crafty stores would be a good start.  After that, getting some classes could favor creativity.  It is one thing to live in a creative wasteland, having a basis of the possible can lead far. Opening the possibilities lead to good opportunities.  It can also be a possitive in my area.  I find that many buildings are a bit sad.  I don't say to put murals on every buildings but putting colours on precise area that are visible.  Not all at the same concentrated area too.  I don't want to concentrate all in one place.

The second big thing would be connecting with other creators.  It would be great to see other creations from other peoples.  It may trigger new ideas.  I know about a place where I can see other people creation.  I guess I could also go there to show my pieces of art.  The problem is that place is a bit far from where I live and the place is so small.  In addition, there is a long waiting list to be in the showroom.  It would be better to have more little exhibition rooms, even if they are a bit far about.  One exhibition could visit all those exhibition room for a set period of time in each time.  I would visit the nearest one fore sure if that was available.

The last thing would be about the formation.  I would like to have a nearby place where I can go and learn about a new craft or if I get a question that I could ask a knowledgeable person.  It woud be great to have a place like that.  It could take an associative form or an cooperative form.  I always say that getting an experienced person in an area of expertise is always entlightening.  An honest exchange can spin into a brainstorming or lead to a unexpected project.

It is what I find the most important for now.  I don't know if it will change.  It is nice to put it down anyway. It is amazing to see one question can lead to another.

Remebering good things. music

Just stumble on this video, on youtube.  It is Roxette--It just happen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf0ehfmyz6A
They seems to have a new album and this song is a release from it.  I didn't knew they were still together and still making album and music.

Last song I heard from them was Joyride:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCorJG9mubk
I like the video.  It suit the song perfectly.  I would compare it to the Born to be Wild song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UWRypqz5-o
I must admit that Born to be Wild is a true hymn to the motorized industry and I mainly think of bikes and cars

The frist song I heard from them was The Look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlVI7ZNiFlI
When I first seen this video, I found that the song was really interesting.  I think I like when two people sing

It makes me feel nostalgic.  There were good music up to the 90's even if each era had a personal touch that didn't always stood the test of time.  On the other hand, I envy a little bit musicians and singers.  Especially those who come on with songs that become intemporal.  It is a craft that I haven't mastered.  Don't know if I could.

My most important tool

My most important tool are my hands.  At this time of year, it is time to take care of them more intensively.  Good hand cream and gloves are the must haves in the cold.  I am doing good for the application of the cream.  Less good with the gloves.  I didn't get around the idea of putting gloves in the cold.  I know that putting them protect my skin from the cold.  I need to work on that.

My hands are essential when I am crafting.  I must then take good care of them.  They are not always good looking.  I may have crayon marks, cuts, traces of dye, they can be dried up with some paper cut like crevices.  By the end of the day, my hands had served me well.  When all do as I want, I feel really happy by the result,.

There are times where I would like to have more fingers or more hands.  It happen when I do a complicated work like a tight knots or a complicated design with rings, a small detail in a tight place.  It demand dexterity.  I don't wish to have smaller hand or smaller fingers.  I am happy by the shape of my hands and fingers.  I won't change them.  I have patience when needed even if it does not goes totally as I like.  I do have the motivation to try delicate procedure.  At worst, I stop, take a break and return later on.

My hands are my best tool.  I use them while handling other tools.  Without my hands, I would be unhappy and I would not be able to do jewelry, knitting, cross stitching, etc.

Strangeness in communication

Yesterday, I had a short but strange conversation with someone.  Usually, I feel ackward while I speak with other people.  I don't always get some wit on time.  It is not my area of expertise.  Yesterday, I felt, for a rare time, that the role where reverse.  The other person seemed to justified himself.  On my side, I was understanding of his stance and ready to move on.

Feeling at ease talking, be it in front of a group or on a one on one level, it is an artform.  I would like to be a bit more quicker in my thinking.  What discourage me is that only practice can be helping to get better.  I don't always have the energy or time to do it.  What I found interesting, yesterday, was that I felt confident, even if I knew I could be better in my reply.   It was a good day on that side.

Talking is not my strong point.  I don't master that artform.  I would like to be better in conversation and be witty.  My creative strenght are elsewhere.  It was just interesting to be in a situation where I didn't drag on in the conversation.  It was more the other person that was dragging a bit.  What I get from yesterday is to not interact with that person again because it isn't with him that I will get better in conversation.

Creating a dialogue is way easier for me.  I feel more spontaneous while I am writing it.  I don't know why it is easier that way.  Maybe there is less stress because the dialogue on paper is part of a piece of fiction.

means of deeper expression, not into superficial.

I knew about a song that Ozzy Osborne made a good while ago.  I found it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AsLRPzqdpc
I am happy to found it out.  It is one song among a few ones that express something deeper than mainstream songs.  There are a few lyrics lines that are particuliar striking.  «I'm not the kind of person you think I am» get really into me the most.  I find it true that sometimes the face we show is disconnected from what we are in the inside.  I admit that myself, I keep some part of myself from the world.  Song as Get it Through have a powerful vibe to it.  I think it may be because of the truthfulness of the lyric and powerful riff in the music.

Songs that stay relevant through time are songs like Get it Through.  It is not about pleasing pleople or using the big theme of the moment.  Getting to a core or getting into murky water   Of course, having a lighter song once in a while is good.  It can brighten the day.  It just let me in the same state the whole time. 

So, I enjoy myself when comes a song have a twist in it.  It doesn't mean the song had to be depressing lyrics with an heavy instrumentation.  It can have darker lyrics with a lighter music counterpart.  An artist like Gowan had a few song done that way.  There is Criminal Mind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIjddye2JSA), Lost Brotherhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swW_B_RxGQw) and Moonlight Desire (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iypXh0_mo0) that fit that category.  Of course, the videos are not up to the songs.  That kind of songs have a primitive feel to it.  It is what attract me.  Removing the 80's pop feel and it would be even better and dark fairy tale like.

Talking of deeply powerful music, I can't pass the best of them all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miGUnKWcYeo
It is called Self Control by Laura Branigan.  It have a tinghe of the 80's pop instrumentation but it is on the level of the Eurythmics (who also had made great meaningful music in the 80ties)

I have nothing against superficial music.  They had their purpose for those who like that genre.  It just that I don't always like big short sensation of the moment, they are spark like.  Here today and gone tomorrow, it it what I feel with those cases.  This is why I hope and want my creations to carry something meaningful. 

Garly, my love!

 Why do I discover the great stuff indirectly?  I do like garlic, a lot.  Don't mind eating it raw.  It help with the blood stream.  I always find myself better after eating garlic.  I wonder if there is a creature that is the opposite of vampires?   Garlic is like coffee.  Not everyones like it.  I hate the smell of coffee but I love the smell of garlic.  I may be on the garlicky side of life.  It repell easily those who doesn't like it.

I guess I am good at finding uneeded stuff.  Here one about garlic:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodstorage/a/garlicstorage.htm
Not much in it but there is a link in there that goes to Amazon.  There is a cookbook with garlic.  Don't know if it's good.  There even a number 2 of that book.  It is done by a Garlic Festival in California.  Why that kind of good stuff is always on the unknown side of like?  Why California is so far away from where I live?  My love of garlic and onion goes deep.  Beside, an Garlic Festival is really more interesting than other agrarian festival (like those on farm animals).  In addition, all the participants don't mind having garlic breath.  I am sure they don't mind smelling the sweet aroma of garlic everywhere even in another person breath.  It would be a good place for me once in a while.

Garlic have a fun power.  I would like to see a superhero who could use garlic in his arsenal of superpower.  The garlic of doom would be a nice attack name! (-:

Sweet decadence

Making meal can be considered an art form.  I never doubed that decadence in food as a fact.  Why I think so?  Well, Sundae, brownies and Heavenly Hash ice cream are totally out of this world.  All three are among my weak points in the food world.

Of course, I am aware that not everyones agree with my own choices:
http://foodtravel.about.com/od/foodiedestinations/ss/The-10-Most-Decadent-Foods-in-the-United-States.htm
Thye milkshakes would br worth a try, even if they are really tower like.  I am sure those who had those milkshakes had the biggest suggar rush of their lives!

The rest is not even on my radar.  It seems more gourmet food like the one with the fois gras.  Which lead me to think that the definition of «decadence» can vary from person to person.  I don't mind because I can have a mega binge moment with a sundae, a homemade brownie and a big bucket of Heavenly Hash ice cream.

In a creative rush

I feel an urgency to create.  I am in a period where ideas of stories comes to my mind.  I like those periods.  It makes me feel alive.  I feel close to the creative tap and everything seems easy.  Somethimes, I will get ideas on other areas too.  I would like to feel that way all the time.  Everything seems easier in those times.

Getting so much ideas lead me to sit down and write my ideas.  When it comes in a picture, for a jewelry piece, I may draw it the best I can.  Usually, I am putting in a concrete form directly from my mind.  It goes faster that way.  It is also great if there is unexpected problem that I haven't foreseen in my head.  It is always easier to do the troubleshooting when in a vortex of creative juice.

I try to max out this period of intense brainstorming.  It is therapeutic and it feel good.  It is a lifeboat.  It is urging me to sit down and find time to let it all out.  When a slower time will come, I will have a lot of material to get my hand on.  It is a bit taunting that the writing process takes so much time.  Getting ideas is the easiest part.

Clickbait or just a wrong title...

I just look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjeui7mxE5k
The title is «Real live location that should be supervillain lairs»
There is many like the Svalbard Seed Vault that doesn't fit the bill except to keep quiet between two action movie, reincarnation or jail time.

My vision for a supervillain lair is more akin to his one seen on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_TDjcsiPA
It is a recent volcanic island near Japan.  It would be a great place for a supervillain lair.  Peace, quiet, not much of a wildlife or an ecosystem, a few scientist that are not always present and a lot of geotermanl power to the next project.  It is the perfect place to put all the concentration of evil plan without the problems of day to day life in a regular place like a city.  It is a place where living really off the grid would put priorities in the right place.

Of course, there are many place in the list of location are isolated.  The Svalbard Seed Vault is among them.  It does seems that not all apply to the isolation criteria.  Beside that, I still believe that an volcanic island is the best place for a supervillain lair.  Being new is an asset.  Not everyones are aware of all the places where an volcanic island pop up.  Another good point is the plants and animals have not colonized the place except a few individuals.  It gives a window of time where a supervillain can really be alone in a place.  Scientists have to find founding and get the material for any expedition they makes.  It is another check in the list of advantages.

So, for a short period of time, volcanic island are the perfect lair for supervaillain.  They are buzy people anyway, so it is a win win situation.  They goes against the heroes, manage the survive the end of the movie, goes to a volcanic island to regroup their thoughts, assemble the materials for their next plan and they are good to go.  Ii is quickly done and everyones are happy.

I miss the trees

There is some advantanges in living in the city.  There is also advantages in living in a more rural area.  I do have time where I wish to be surrounded by trees.  It is what I feel right now.  Maybe I have a wild side instead of a frosty side.

Not an hibernating time

Winter is commonly synonymus with hibernation.  I go against this tate of mind.  For me, it is the perfect time to be creative.  The frest cold air seems beneficial for the mind.  Ideas comes more easily when temperature goes down, it seems.  The brain may fonction better with good ventilation.

Another beneficial elements: time seems to be more available in winter.  Partly because people spend more time inside.  Another reasion may be the concentration, going for the essential.  The most important reason, I think woube be the lenght of the day.  It is shorter in winter.  It gives an extra excuse to stay inside when the sun goes down.

For sure, I feel more productive in winter.  Winter is coming in my part of the world.  Time to be crafty.  I am also realizing it would be a very good idea to take advantages of this situation.  I should keep an eye to see if I am really doing more in the winter.  I amy be under a false impression.

Not a professional yet

I am not a professional crafter, not yet.  I have some hesitation about becoming one.  There are days where I say to myself: «It would be great to have my own business and maybe have an creative empire a la Martha Stewart».  Other days, I feel the opposite.  I don't know if it is a healthy questioning in the creative world.

There is also certain periods of the year that have a special theme (as yesterday's Halloween).  If I become a professional, I would have to cater to those periods.  Not all hollydays are equals.  I feel some are more inspiring than other.  In addition, coming back to those themes year after year makes me wonder if I could keep fresh content and items.

Another problem is to target an audience or potential customers.  What could happen if I don't target the right demographics.  I may have a perception of an audience but it may be appealing to another groups of people.  It is important not be delusional.  If I have a business, I want it to be successful based on reality.

Finally, my final question is the most important.  Do I really wish to be on a professional level,  do I have to go on that  road to feel fufilled?  It is the most delicate one because no one will answer that question for me.  I hate when I feel to be on a fence.  There are times that I want to makes decisions but I can't make it.  In those times, I usually don't see any advantages or disavantages on either side.  So, I think I need to think more about this big decision.