I predicted that you wouldn't be completely happy with your answer, and that I may be happier with it than you ;) Because when I've been most at peace with myself, the answer to that Why has been "because I like to."
> Your question felt a bit more philosophical, it was just too hard for me to answer it from that angle today.
I think perhaps humans can spend too much time philosophizing to the extent they forget the joy that drives them. You answered with joy, Indiana, and that is perfect for me.
That is: joy with your friends whom you work with, joy from your childhood memories, joy from your sketching and notetaking, and an underlying joy that must make everything *be*.
> During Write of Passage, a writing course I did last year, one of the assignments was to list my 12 favorite questions. Questions that I want to become an expert in.
Those questions are beautiful. It reminds me of a personal experience: when I would write one exciting idea every day in my notebook. There was an underlying joyful person writing. It didn't feel like what I wrote mattered - as long as I loved doing it. Reading your questions reminds me of that joy.
~-~-~-~-~-~
I realized something about myself relating to this question.
I have an inner child transcending my emotional attachment. An inner child that has all of my experiences, but approaches everything with naivety to be open to that which surrounds us. My most hard times were when I discouraged this inner child. This was when answering Why felt pointless. My most fun was when I encouraged this inner child. This was when answering Why was easy.
> I think I’m just doing my best to try to interpret the heart.
:)
~-~-~-~-~-~
Thank you for taking the time to answer. I wish well for your comics, your game, and you!
I'm happy with what you made me think about so I'm thankful you asked this! It was difficult but nurturing to think about. You pushed me in a good way with those questions. :- )
I think at first I attempted to answer your question correctly (the philosophical way) and then I felt bored doing it and a flip switched like an hour into writing where I found those things about it that excite me.
Thanks for the encouragement and for sharing your own experiences about this. Are you doing something to nourish that joy now?
Thank you for elaborating and responding, and I'm happy you had a good experience :)
> Are you doing something to nourish that joy now?
Recognizing specific activities that activate that joy, sensing the world without a lens, and being patient with myself have been my best latent activities. I believe that over time, my brain will adapt to love and kindness stronger than ever.
I concur particularly strongly on your point about being patient with yourself.
Another thing that benefits me personally is to remind myself that at the deepest level, everything happens for natural reasons - even if I presently don’t understand them.
My sense of what seems to drive you - coming from the outside - is also tied to the exploratory side of things. I personally like that; this kind of approach can lead to very genuine, unexpected and mysterious art.
Rick Veitch, who might be my personal favorite, also seems to approach a lot of his art much like an explorer.
You really approach this Notebook from a place of openness and vulnerability, btw. The way you openly write about your own (past) insecurities and stuff. It's kind of rare. Hats off!
Nice to hear that you've got that impression about exploration, cause I was trying to fit that into this draft but it didn't make the final cut. That's why the Indiana Jones reference feels so right for me.
I'm not familiar with Rick Veitch, but I'll keep that in mind!!
Thank you so much for saying that about the openness. I was a bit anxious after scheduling this one. It's kind of a relief to get it out and distilled into something though. I think I've become more honest about this kinda stuff since starting this.
It makes great sense that writing these makes you more comfortable with those aspects of life, in a way. Maybe an upside to being an explorer is that you're always actively looking for the new, so you don't end up "locking yourself up" inside old fears and habits, to the same extent as someone else might. I get the sense from you that you're always looking ahead - in multiple directions! Hehe..
I'm not in the same explorer category as you and Rick Veitch. You both seem to have a constant need to produce. Veitch is super prolific; he wrote AND drew Swamp Thing -which is a monthly comic - for about a year.
If I am an explorer, then my sails are set very inwardly. I do all kinds of inner work (and exploration?) - maybe as compulsively as your doodling is, or whatever. And I am exploring but I do almost always have some inner notion of what it is I'm after.
So maybe I'm an explorer with a shopping list in his pocket :)
I think I give the impression that I do a lot more doodling than I actually do, I actually write a lot more than I draw. But I get why you would get that impression. Just saying that I think my exploration is quite inward too, but I also get the feel that there's something different about how we both explore.
You might be an explorer with a strong inner compass! Shopping list is quite a fun imagery too though, hehe :- )
That's fun!
> That might not be exactly what you asked for
I predicted that you wouldn't be completely happy with your answer, and that I may be happier with it than you ;) Because when I've been most at peace with myself, the answer to that Why has been "because I like to."
> Your question felt a bit more philosophical, it was just too hard for me to answer it from that angle today.
I think perhaps humans can spend too much time philosophizing to the extent they forget the joy that drives them. You answered with joy, Indiana, and that is perfect for me.
That is: joy with your friends whom you work with, joy from your childhood memories, joy from your sketching and notetaking, and an underlying joy that must make everything *be*.
> During Write of Passage, a writing course I did last year, one of the assignments was to list my 12 favorite questions. Questions that I want to become an expert in.
Those questions are beautiful. It reminds me of a personal experience: when I would write one exciting idea every day in my notebook. There was an underlying joyful person writing. It didn't feel like what I wrote mattered - as long as I loved doing it. Reading your questions reminds me of that joy.
~-~-~-~-~-~
I realized something about myself relating to this question.
I have an inner child transcending my emotional attachment. An inner child that has all of my experiences, but approaches everything with naivety to be open to that which surrounds us. My most hard times were when I discouraged this inner child. This was when answering Why felt pointless. My most fun was when I encouraged this inner child. This was when answering Why was easy.
> I think I’m just doing my best to try to interpret the heart.
:)
~-~-~-~-~-~
Thank you for taking the time to answer. I wish well for your comics, your game, and you!
I'm happy with what you made me think about so I'm thankful you asked this! It was difficult but nurturing to think about. You pushed me in a good way with those questions. :- )
I think at first I attempted to answer your question correctly (the philosophical way) and then I felt bored doing it and a flip switched like an hour into writing where I found those things about it that excite me.
Thanks for the encouragement and for sharing your own experiences about this. Are you doing something to nourish that joy now?
Thank you for elaborating and responding, and I'm happy you had a good experience :)
> Are you doing something to nourish that joy now?
Recognizing specific activities that activate that joy, sensing the world without a lens, and being patient with myself have been my best latent activities. I believe that over time, my brain will adapt to love and kindness stronger than ever.
Good stuff and good question :)
I concur particularly strongly on your point about being patient with yourself.
Another thing that benefits me personally is to remind myself that at the deepest level, everything happens for natural reasons - even if I presently don’t understand them.
I appreciate you. "Everything happens for natural reasons" sounds cute and fun.
Have a nice day!
My sense of what seems to drive you - coming from the outside - is also tied to the exploratory side of things. I personally like that; this kind of approach can lead to very genuine, unexpected and mysterious art.
Rick Veitch, who might be my personal favorite, also seems to approach a lot of his art much like an explorer.
You really approach this Notebook from a place of openness and vulnerability, btw. The way you openly write about your own (past) insecurities and stuff. It's kind of rare. Hats off!
Nice to hear that you've got that impression about exploration, cause I was trying to fit that into this draft but it didn't make the final cut. That's why the Indiana Jones reference feels so right for me.
I'm not familiar with Rick Veitch, but I'll keep that in mind!!
Thank you so much for saying that about the openness. I was a bit anxious after scheduling this one. It's kind of a relief to get it out and distilled into something though. I think I've become more honest about this kinda stuff since starting this.
Would you say you're an explorer?
It makes great sense that writing these makes you more comfortable with those aspects of life, in a way. Maybe an upside to being an explorer is that you're always actively looking for the new, so you don't end up "locking yourself up" inside old fears and habits, to the same extent as someone else might. I get the sense from you that you're always looking ahead - in multiple directions! Hehe..
I'm not in the same explorer category as you and Rick Veitch. You both seem to have a constant need to produce. Veitch is super prolific; he wrote AND drew Swamp Thing -which is a monthly comic - for about a year.
If I am an explorer, then my sails are set very inwardly. I do all kinds of inner work (and exploration?) - maybe as compulsively as your doodling is, or whatever. And I am exploring but I do almost always have some inner notion of what it is I'm after.
So maybe I'm an explorer with a shopping list in his pocket :)
I think I give the impression that I do a lot more doodling than I actually do, I actually write a lot more than I draw. But I get why you would get that impression. Just saying that I think my exploration is quite inward too, but I also get the feel that there's something different about how we both explore.
You might be an explorer with a strong inner compass! Shopping list is quite a fun imagery too though, hehe :- )
Point taken. In my defense, I did write “or whatever” afterwards. Lol
I am very loyal to my intuition - so maybe that is my compass (or my shopping list)
Ahah, no harm done!
Sounds like a comic book deserves to be made then....
:)
I like your approach to surmount and I’m going to try to emulate that once I find a partner and a project to collaborate on
A comic definitely does!
Do you have any ideas or people in mind yet/already?