On Greatness

I want to speak briefly on the topic of "greatness". By "greatness" I refer to individuals that has achieved greatness in the accomplishment of what is a natural manifestation of self-initiated/found motivation to achieve in their profession/vocation. Those that I refer to as having "greatness" is also a vehicle of love and care for others, that are discerning both to the technicalities of their art and that of the human condition, and hence the awareness and integrity of the self.

Characteristics of great individuals:

a. They are elevated - in that they see the world from a higher vantage point, hence a greater clarity and scope - but they are not detached - in that they see clearly and their sight is adaptive, compared to that of a artificial elevation/faux-reality.

b. They have a "transparent" quality that is difficult to categorise and define. This transparency influences us without our knowing. It is inspiring and often encourages us to re-evaluate our own perceptions.

c. The great never boasts of him/herself, for the are the masters of their own passion. They are secure in what they do who they are.

d. Due to the difficulty in defining great individuals, they are truly in a league of their own due to their extraordinary will, motivation, integrity, clarity, empathy and love of life.

The truly great are not obsessed of their greatness and therefore do not comtemplate their greatness. They silently and greatfully acknowledge it while those who have yet to attain greatness in terms of temperament or understanding loudly and frequently boasts of their abilities.

Greatness is not a destination, it is a way.

我在說中文！

大家好！ 我在學中文！ 中國人，是音該有一口劉力的。。。AHHH! fuck...alright...i'm pickin' up Chinese right now, as a Descendent of the Dragon People I shall master my Chinese as it will prove critical in the security of my place, in...uhhh...China as a Chinese dude that knows his Chinese, uhhh.

Thumpin'

Power of Good Looks

Left Right Up Down

When you run out of left and right, you justify the ups and down, but are we to start caring of what is in as opposed to the apparent focus on what is out?

Net (Profit)

It has become less of an occasion as the frequency increased. There has always been a barrier between us, but I have to admit, its getting better. When I was young, I was purely receptive, but maturity has given me the priviledge of being more proactive; no longer only receiving, but acquiring information. Now it flows both ways.

Regardless of our distance, he has always exhibited a myterious ability to understand me beyond that of my own understanding. And tonight, he taught me something new. Just like many other epiphanies and grand realisations, and much like every great joke, it came as a one-liner. He told me to live for myself. Then his bus came.

For much of my trip home, and up until now, i've been thinking of what he said, then of my own ignorance. What I came to realise today is that much of my life up to this point has been an omni-directional hunger for knowledge and theory due to my insatiable curiosity for understanding. And for much of the time, i've neglected myself, and my own emotions. I find it difficult to accept this new realisation and for hours now I've been searching for my definition.

It is ironic how i've completely missed the mark. It seems as though i've learnt nothing. In a way, he told me to stop digging deeper, and start reaching for the sky. Lofty idea, but i'll give it a try.

Our Love In Perfect Grammar

You and I, we are one now.
You and I, we are no longer.
You and I, we are one now.
You and I, we are no longer.
You and I? Well, I am in you.
You and I? Well, I was in you.
You and I? Well, we were.
You and I? Well, we was.

Regret and the General Understanding of Kinetics

I sat at an ether, not far away
The glowing captures me
As it does every single time
With every pocket of the spectrum represented
Who's to challenge its beauty
But i'm just an observer
Bound by my own inaction

In this corner shop, I know
I am contained, but not content
Thoughts of the warmth, I stop
Its just fear of the kinetics
More so that of the free fall

I sat at the ether, not far away
And she was gone
And in came regret
And a new fear is born
Then I fall

So, Who's Your Mentor?

I came to realize a particular truth about education. Often times, i've (and perhaps many of you) have been asked, "so, which university are you going to?" This draws the emphasis of education to the institution, and I find that even though it bears some economic value to have been involved with a top tier school, the actual enrichment of the individual is not always in line with the perceived quality of the school. Hence, I believe the better question is, "so, who's your mentor?" I went to an art school, and like others, I acquired the skills of composition, the understanding colour, and practiced the rules of design.

That made me a capable designer, but regardless of my proficiency, I felt that I was a mess. I had lots of ideas that I didn't not know how to cultivate and actualize, and it frustrated me. What ultimately brought me to this realization on education was the introduction of a mentor.

It was a life changing occurrence. What I thought was good enough became a pile of crap at the corner of my studio. And when I thought I had a great idea, she said, "so what?" I used to have the comfort and confidence of dancing around the syllabus, but when she came along, everything became undone. Part of me grew stressed, but then another part became more and more exhilarated of the changes that took place. I became more focused, I began to acquire a clarity in thought that allowed me to more accurately actualize my ideas. Most importantly, I felt I've matured as an artist.

She didn't have to do what she did. It wasn't in her contract, but she knew how important it was. She could have danced within the bounds of the black and white, but she decided to teach in the realm of colours. And as a result, she has shown what art is. Many of us aspire to contain an understanding of art, but I came to realise, there is no higher artform than to guide another in the the understanding of what art is in him.



To Melanie Menke

The Color

I inspected the canvas of my life and found an extra hue. And for the rest of the day, I studied the color. It is difficult to meet someone that adds a new splash to your life. Most acquaintence usually lighten, darken or even increase the saturation of your cumulative experience, but the color was new, and it was good. It wasn't a process of addition or accumulation, it was deductive, it created balance. It did not increase complexity, but contributed to the clarity by giving it emphasis and more focus. I set my canvas back down, and felt happy of the introduction of this new hue. It wasn't just another color, but a the color. Not often do you meet a hue that strengthens your composition, but this one did.

Chu On This

I've never developed the habit of keeping journals. So the very act of keeping one in the form of 0s and 1s surprises me. Many of whom I know have recommended this form of documentation, because ideas can be retained as opposed to being a nomad - a visitor of the temporary. It is also a great way to share, a function that traditional journals may not be so designed to facilitate. And at times, the very idea that someone may be in silent agreement with you is interesting.