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.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Posted on August 10, 2020 by j.g.lewis
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What do you do when your desire to create is stronger than the will to do so?
I had one of those days yesterday.
Having returned from my morning wander and resolved something lyrical (which had been overwhelming me for a couple of days), I felt, at first, that I could make great strides with whatever I chose to work on (being a Gemini, I’ve often got two, three, or more projects on the go). None of them were calling to me yesterday, and the few scant lines on a fresh poem would not motivate me further.
I decided to get away from it all and go for a bike ride.
I thought maybe some fresh air and adrenaline would quell my inner conflict or move my mind forward.
I ended up in Trinity Bellwoods Park, after navigating traffic far thicker than I though it would be. It was a glorious day, and people were out and about (like me).
I parked my bike, sat under a tree, and did nothing but people watching and taking in all the colour. I didn’t even take my camera. A Dixieland jazz band then marched on by and brightened my spirits.
I took out a random notepad and jotted down a few more phrases, a couple of words that had come to me during my ride, and a part of a poem that, right now, makes little sense.
But it might someday.
On those days when nothing makes sense, and really nothing has to, take good notes.
Tuck away the motivation and inspiration for later, when your mood or your mindset improves.
Untill then, enjoy the outside or whatever else you have planned (or unplanned) for the day.
08/10/2020 j.g.l.
