I make stuff.

I was never a great drawer. Even when I did eventually major in art, illustration was my least favorite course. There is something intimidating and vulnerable about doodling and drawing and expressing yourself visually isn't there?

However I simply like making stuff. I enjoy exploring different mediums and often at times my interests are evolving. Honestly, I couldn't have picked a more high maintenance hobby (ahem, expensive)

These are some of my projects I'm shooting for this year, I'm allowing myself the entire year so I don't think that's aiming too high right?

-Film
My old print and contact sheet, I really enjoy shooting film but its much more time consuming than I would like. I'm hoping to experiment on film more this year.

-Crocheting
In 2014 I made 4 oversized infinity cowls which were all gifted. I have 1 more I need to finish and will still have quite a bit of yarn left so I'm brainstorming on how to recycle them altogether and make 1 large project. Maybe a lap blanket...

-Quilting
Hallelujah~ I hear the choir singing as my brand new sewing machine (still in its plastic) is in its shrine aka craft room aka fairy room. I'm giving myself the entire year to finish this project of quilting a lap blanket so I'm not feeling rushed.
Man, I love these fabrics so much I just don't know if I can bring myself to butcher them to pieces!

-Fairy room is the craft room

What I need to do this in room is 1) Clean 2) Organize 3) Paint

I have refused to paint because I haven't cleaned and definitely its not as organized as it needs to be. I just have too much of everything in this room which makes it quite daunting for me to do 1) & 2). But I really need to streamline and somehow make it more efficient so that I can work in it easily. Its just, I have too many different types of mediums and materials in there that makes it impossible to minimalize it anymore than it is.

 

-Drawing
This is my absolute achilles heel. I get too impatient and frantic when I draw anything. I also get super self-conscious which is weird why but I simply need to just sketch more this year.

 

-Painting

Ahhh, painting. The last time I painted was this oversized painting I did when we first moved in, 5 or 6 years ago. I love painting but it just requires so much of discipline on my part to prep because I'm that lazy. I would like to paint more, its quite therapeutic throwing paint and mixing and getting messy.

 

{3} movies

I love movies. Let me rephrase that, I LOVE movies. I love movies so much if I were to pick my favorite job of all time in my 35 years on this earth, I would pick my part time job working at a local video store when I was 16 (I really do love my very grown up 9-5 corporate job though, really I do!).

I love movies so much that had I not majored in graphic design which I utterly do not use in my current profession, that I would've majored in film which I probably won't be using currently either.

I love movies so much that I used to belong to a film club. Yes, I was a very nerdy movie loving freak who would voluntarily join a film club, alone.

I love movies.

So when I knew I would be back to the living-life after working so many hours in December I was sure to make no plans but rent movies. Lots of them. A lot. Did I say a lot?

Let's be real here, none of the movies I rented were life changing to the core. But they were all surprisingly very good. So here is my rundown of my (not all, just 3) New Year's movie all-nighter I pulled, alone: My favorite way of watching movies.

 . The Hundred-Foot Journey



Now I'm not sure why I was surprised that this would be good with Helen Mirren starring in it but I just haven't had the time to keep up with the news lately and couldn't remember if this was any good (translation authentic/serious). But it was inclusive of my 2 favorite things in the world so I thought why not. Food and Europe.

This sucker was good, subtle but good. I'll be honest, its quite light hearted so not exactly your mind-probing revelation but it was simply heart-warming. I don't pay attention to the critics so not sure what reception its received but in a nutshell this movie is about family and soul. Soul food. Love. Passion. Finding yourself.

Takeaway: Food porn added with you getting the urge to bike through the countryside of France where it was actually filmed. (I wiki all the production locations of movies I watch so I know exactly where I'm watching. I told you I'm a movie nerd!)


 . Wish I was Here

I have been distracted away from Zach Braff since "Garden State" which I absolutely love. I don't know why. No that is a lie, I just have found him annoying. But I think he's brilliant so what do I have to lose?

It was...it hit me in the gut. Yes, the movie can be very cliche. Its your "I'm in my mid 30's with a family but don't want to grow up" type of movie. But you see, I am in my mid 30's sometimes feeling like I too don't really want to grow up.

I like the message of the movie. That we are all searching for something to matter in our lives. That we want to matter. We want to live. We want to breathe. We want to break something and feel something. I didn't have an epiphany myself but was a good catalyst for my gut to stir up some elements.

Takeaway: "We move forward, its the only direction God gave us"

  

. The Grand Budapest Hotel

I won't lie, I'm already biased with this movie because I am in love with Wes Anderson. I mean Wes Anderson's movies. I have seen many of them. I already knew that whether this movie sucked or not or didn't make any sense and lacks depth or would be overly stylized that I would love it nonetheless. He has a distinctive style and dialogues which I love and somehow always works with really solid actors.

What is this movie about? Hmm...well first the above image is a set so this castle doesn't exist in real life. But the movie was filmed in Germany I think.

I would simply say that this movie is about history. History of a friendship. History of life. History of death. History of love. The time it takes place also has a vital placement in history.

However for me on a personal level it reminded me of the visual aesthetics which I love so dearly. I had forgotten, that I am a very creative person. That because of my progression in 2014 I had forgotten that I thrive in the midst of anything creative. Perhaps this is why I love movies so much. It is an amazing form of medium to express so much as a creator.

Takeaway: Visual porn, you really don't need much more than that. It is a beautifully constructed film literally and technically.



project {2015}

2015 initial assessment

I'll be honest, I "think" this blog was created over a year ago. It took me (1) year to actually post something to this blog. This is the kind of blogger I am, not a very efficient one.

Like with anything else in the new year I felt it was appropriate to turn a new leaf, which naturally meant starting a new blog. But its actually much more than that.

2014 was a year filled with inner healing and adjustment. I allowed myself to ponder (translation counseling) and be distracted (translation neglected housework) for most of the year. This, is not my usual self. My usual self would've maximized the year to indulge in all the interests and passion I've jotted in the above scratch pad. But no, 2014 was the year I would be anything but myself. 2014 was the year I would regroup and reassess and realign myself with not only God but with the most important person in my life: me.

Therefore with the year ending I came to a place of starting over not because of the new last digit in the new year but because it is time, it has to be, I feel it is, and 2014 was enough. I am so ready for 2015 and to be myself again.

I had to ask myself what this space will look like. If it will have a direction or intention or objective or mood or anything a proper blog needs to be. Then the above inspiration board aka doodling on last of tissue paper (I recycle them all) came about then the birth of this very first post to this blog. Now I realize I need to spend some generous time to customize this space, let's face it the design of this template is quite archaic. But of course I probably will not have the time to freshen up my html nor to design a banner any time soon. I will work on it though, I like the idea of this place being a work in progress and evolving not only in content but design. As a former graphic designer it annoys me how simple this layout is but I see that as a challenge. Plus I eventually will need to start taking normal pictures again and take my Rebel out of the closet (NOT on my blackberry) which also means in general I will have to take care of this space.

This space will simply be a space for me to share any of what I have jotted down above and to expand on which I have neglected to remember (beach, red wine, European farm table, and coffee, oh yes coffee and coffee and coffee).

This is going to be fun, I am a project driven person and this blog itself will be one large mountain of a project for the year 2015.

Happy new year 2015, let us try to be nice to eachother!
-j

p.s. Rambo is our dog and Monkey is also our dog. We are proud parents (yes we are one of those folks) of 2 rescue dogs of unknown breeds of unknown age.