What shows
how little
we know?
What can be is
oft far less than
what we expect.
What is now
has never been
what it was.
07/25/2024 j.g.l.
value beyond
Simplicity.
Is there emotion in austerity?
Humanity?
What do you see when attempting
to define your limited visibility?
Minimalism, abstract impressionism
or incorporeal thought.
Less is more, but is it enough?
Texture, tone, and value beyond
your current scene. If you take it to an
extreme, you will question
what it means.
What is really there?
What line do you cross?
Can simplicity be complicated, or
should it even be attempted?
07/23/2024 j.g.l.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Things will not go as planned. Intentions will be disrupted, even overlooked, in the aftermath of an unexpected reality.
Where you are headed will not be the place you end up, undoubtedly or undeniably. No matter how hard you attempt to make each gesture, brushstroke, promise, prayer, or pastime as perfect as you believe it can be, many times you will not arrive at a perceived destination. All too often your endeavors never hit the mark; at times your work may be better than expected (celebrate those moments), but everything (even your judgement) is subjective.
You are not limited to, or by, the colours in your paintbox or progression of your process.
Imagination is as limited or expansive as you want it to be. Give it time to blossom; in certain instances, you may even have to reel it in. This is all about possibilities, no matter which media, method, or style you are beholden to.
You owe your art (or life) nothing but your presence; the value comes from the practice, as rudimentary or spontaneous as it is or will become.
07/22/2024 j.g.l.
I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Soon
Posted on March 25, 2020 by j.g.lewis
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There is a magnificent building on a corner in downtown Toronto. It used to be a reputable, longtime Italian restaurant (I’m not sure when it closed) but there are now signs up in the tall windows (I’m not sure when they went up).
Opening soon. Yummy healthy plant based.
You can read the optimism in the signs.
You can only imagine the confidence of the entrepreneurs planning this new unnamed enterprise. It’s in a great spot, right around the corner from another popular restaurant, and so close the both the financial and entertainment districts.
This space has the top three requirements of good real estate: location, location, location.
Plant-based food has been trending for a couple of years. People are eating healthy, and thinking healthy. There’s a popular gym right across the street.
The restaurant business is built on optimism. There is decor to plan, equipment to purchase, menus to figure out, prices to set, suppliers to arrange and staff to hire, and everything is planned around the hopes that people will show up on opening day and beyond..
Opening soon.
It can take months to set up such an enterprise, especially one that will be operating out of such a large, fine space. But, who knows how soon soon will be?
Restaurants in this province have been required to close because of the coronavirus; except to take out and delivery. It hasn’t even been two weeks.
It wasn’t in anybody’s plans. Heck, 10 days ago I was out enjoying a Saturday night dinner at another popular downtown Toronto restaurant. The place was full. At that time the stock markets were beginning to tip, and a coronavirus death was not even in this country, or on this continent.
Since then some restaurants have remained open for take-out. Others have simply shut down for a while. We are now talking pandemic, and social distancing and self-isolation, and staying home.
Two days ago the mayor of this city declared a state of emergency. Later that day the premier of the province ordered that all non-essential businesses close for a period of two weeks, at least.
That’s not good for the restaurant industry. That’s not good for any business.
The sign in the window of a nearby family-owned grill reads: This too shall pass.
That’s the optimism of the restaurant business. People need to eat. People will soon be out and about after the danger of COVID-19 has passed.
How soon is soon?
Soon is a subjective word. It could mean next week, or next month, and hopefully not much longer than that. Depending on which politician you are listening to, it could be either weeks or months; or maybe, not at all.
The economy is tanking. Everywhere. Recession? Depression? Market correction?
The restaurant business has traditionally been about survival of the fittest. Some will not survive another couple of weeks without cash flow. Some restaurants will not reopen.
Some may not open at all.
