Imogen + Fleur // Portraits

This afternoon, the rain came. It started as a patter, then turned into a roar, then back into a patter and stopped. That's the thing about rain in Brisbane, either it rains for five minutes or it rains for five days. Despite the early departure of the rain itself, the clouds remained, providing perfect portrait lighting. I am only just beginning to use a camera, but these are the results of the evening's efforts.

Also, I have discovered John Keats.

The Artist in All of Us

You probably already know this, but I am an artist. I draw and paint, I sing and write music, I create when I'm happy, and more when I'm the other thing. It gives me a sense of joyful satisfaction, and a way to glorify the One who gave it to me. But perhaps what you did not know, is that you are an artist as well. And before you roll your eyes in complete disbelief at my namby-pamby claim, read on. In the profound words of someone unknown but very insightful:

 
"Everything in life is art. What you do, how you dress, the way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality, what you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea, how you decorate your home, or party; your grocery list, the food you make, how your writing looks, and the way you feel."

Life is art.
 
Your Life is art. 
 
You are art.
 
And what greater waste than to sit under a cloth in the back of a storage room in a gallery? Go and sing out loud, dance in the rain, wear your favourite clothes, live beauty, BREATHE beauty, and never, ever be fooled by the lie that you are not, or that they are not. 

 

"To paint, you must close your eyes and sing." 
-Pablo Picasso

 

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed....."

  1 Corinthians 15:51  

Creative Expression

 

Come and see for yourself....

http://missanwyn.tumblr.com/ 

Jjiraf

Hello there!
So recently my sister and I began a YouTube account for our band, Jjiraf. Yes, with two Js, (A collection of family initials, but we also share some commonalities with that long-necked slightly awkward but always charming animal). We are making the covers of some songs we love until our album release in late 2013. I hope you enjoy them!

Adventure May Hurt but Monotony will Kill You

"There is nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep rolling under the stars."

                     ― Jack Kerouac

The Perks of Being Original

In an age when great minds think alike or (as is often the case) dumb ones never differ, being original is no easy feat. Of course, it is easier for some people than it is for others, but generally we look to the person next to us for what to wear, what to listen to, what to watch and how to live. As a result, we all fall like dominoes into the same, usually uninteresting interests and in this manner build for ourselves a monotonous society. Most people associate “being original” with “being hipster”, the satisfying little notion that “I did it before it was cool”, but hipsters are simply very fit athletes in the race for the next big thing. Originality is not a mad scramble to be the first to create the next trend, but is the bold decision to be the person you are without altering yourself based on what others think you should be. It requires courage, a level of self-confidence, and even sacrifice. Allow me to cite a few of the heroes that championed originality:

Leonardo da vinci (1452-1519)

Told repeatedly that man couldn't fly,

he constructed a flying machine that, although 

did not stay in the air for long, was the first 

aircraft to be built in human history. Four 

centuries later, the Wright brothers built the first 

successful aeroplane. And 'they' said it couldn't

be done!

 Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
This famous author had an extremely hard
childhood and spent most of it in a workhouse
after his parents and three eldest siblings were
sent to debtors prison. He became successful at
the age of twenty, and through his works such
as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and
Great Expectations, caused changes to be made
in living conditions during the Industrial
Revolution.

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

Though he was teased for his knowledge of 

science and punished for experimenting as a 

child, this young man brought us the lightbulb, 

the film projector, the early record player and

much more.

Tim Burton (1958-)

Bullied all the way through school, Burton

held on to his originality, and found
confidence in small things like doodling,
wearing odd socks and his infamous haircut.
He is now an award winning director and
has artworks in numerous museums all
over the world.

These are people who have grasped their originality. All throughout history, courageous men and women have realised their ability to inspire and ignite change by remaining true to who they are. The greatest weapon against monotony is originality. It's wearing spots when everyone else wears stripes. It's marching south when everyone is marching north. It's playing the saxophone when everyone else plays violin. And it's holding to a dream when everyone tells you it cannot be done. Hold on to your originality. Shine on you crazy diamond.

Prologue

It is the 23rd day of the 4th month of the year 2013, and there's a war on. Every day, lives are claimed and thousands succumb to it. It is a war against an enemy who has grown in size and strength, slowly at first, but always growing stronger. Too many have been taken prisoner, too many have submitted or given themselves up, and few are left to fight. It is a silent war, the loudest silent war in the history of man.


It is the war against Monotony, and it has gone on for far too long.

This is The Monotony Dismissal.