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 February 22, 2021 by j.g.lewis
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How thankful are you?
Do you, each day, express your gratitude to those deserving of acknowledgement?
I know I don’t, certainly not often enough, and I have so much to be thankful for. We all do. Yet, how many of us practice an attitude of gratitude?
There are so many things to be thankful for, and even more people.
I was reminded very early this morning as I listened to a podcast. It was too dark to get up and too warm under my covers, so I selected the most recent TED Radio Hour episode entitled The Gratitude Chain.
In the podcast, lifestyle experimental journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about his latest book Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey, in which he thanks everybody involved in making his morning cup of coffee; from the barista to the workers who harvested the beans.
Coffee is a subject near and dear to my heart, especially morning coffee (the best kind), so I settled in for a good listen.
Jacobs has a reputation for deeply exploring a concept when he writes, perhaps most widely known for his 2007 book The Year of Living Dangerously: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.
Interesting about this particular extended TED talk was that Jacobs included in podcasts that inspired him, those he was most thankful for, during the writing of the book.
I could write so much more on this topic, and the overall benefits of gratitude, but would encourage you to listen to this work.
I’m thankful I did.
I was again reminded that we don’t express our personal gratitude enough to those who care, those who listen, and those who furnish our lives with good food, good company and conversation and, yes, good coffee.
Thank you.
02/22/2021 j.g.l.
