Mulling on some blurring lines from my here-and-now.
{The photographs above were captured on a Holgaroid on FujiFp 100 C instant film}
Tag: musing
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Just as it is.
This is a found word accordion book I made from scratch, when I was in San Francisco recently. It was an exercise that involved discovering an order in the randomness of tearing out words from a novel, and placing them in a new context, or the lack of it. By the end of the exercise, the pages had developed a flow of sorts, unbeknown to me. There are images, image transfers, dry leaves, twigs and whatnot that overflow through the rest of this book, but what held my specific grasp was tearing out words and unconsciously letting them rearrange themselves.
This little project was momentous to someone like me, who likes to have things in “control” What it started, I don’t know, or it was perhaps just a catalyst to something that was already on a roll. I just don’t feel there’s any need to tamper with the natural order of things and the universe. Simple but a constant awareness seems to be enough for now – it does the job and has the immense capacity to take us through, complete with the unraveling of directions to wherever it is we want to go. It is working for me. How, I don’t know. And I’m trying not to fight that too much. I’m not asking. When I was a little girl my father once flung me into the pool because he thought there was no better way for me to learn how to use my wings. He said, don’t ask too many questions, just learn. The wisdom behind that, I feel in it’s entirety.
As we speak, in the background there are looming deadlines, bills to be paid, responsibilities, and that big little rascal, ego, always telling me what to do. But for now, this moment is beautiful. Just the way it is. My puppies beside me breathing peacefully as I write, my heart is beating fast and I’m letting it be. The heady fragrance of lemongrass and roses in my studio fills me. A moment of euphoria. A pang of post run hunger. My favourite old tamil music keeping rhythm with my fingers as I type out these words….the natural order of things…
What’s up next.
I don’t know, and I’m exhausted looking for what I don’t need to know. It is beautiful just as it is.
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Blues and Random Thoughts.
“Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again”
– L Frank Baum
…and wonder at how fresh those citrus hues look against the blues
…or catch the tingling aroma of street food and watch how it colours the air with it’s steam
and then stop to greet this patiently waiting basket…
and the dispersed petals about to join the winds of change.
It’s ironic that I have so much to say here, but feel completely blank once I start a new post. It’s not a rut for sure, but a blankness that comes with being overwhelmed by life’s potpourri in general – but in a good way. That heavy, heady blend of joy, confidence, sadness, love, creative flow, and fear.
So. on another note, I was surprised to see how many images of blue had found their way into my computer. Mostly from strolls in the mountain markets while scouring for fresh produce – sights and smells thereof. Like the fiery reds of the Indian summer, I like to think that these blues correspond with the Indian winter, which, I am savouring completely at the moment.
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Haiku and the Morning Mist
A misty morning here in San Fran(above) and a monsoon back at home (below). Both so beautiful, both so soothing. I miss the latter, and can’t wait to catch up with it, which should be in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I’ve been reading some Haiku these days and writing some as well — for an exciting collaborative project that is in the final stages (details soon!). I find it so calming and clarifying.
To express with such eloquent simplicity and yet keep the richness of layers…what a beautiful way to exercise the mind, don’t you think ?
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Stars in my Way
"Keep your eyes on the stars…
and your feet on the ground."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Late January 2012. When the Goa coast is at it's most beautiful. A little star fish came in with the gentle waves and brushed against my foot and stopped awhile on the shore. I stopped a moment too and sat down on the sand. We exchanged simple, good energies and I continued my walk. When I turned back he too had moved on.
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This Dream is Real
Galibore, on the banks of Cauvery and in Coonoor, August 2011I am in love with the Lensbaby ! Talking gear is definitely not among my favorite pastimes, but it does feel amazing not to be walking around with an immaculately engineered heavy duty lens but opt for a completely new way to see my world. And feel it, swimming through abstractions and infinity. I've been playing so much with this baby and doubt if I'll ever tire of how it lets me interact with the world. There's nothing like simplicity. Don't you agree ?
