10:30 - 11/06/17
State of mind: anxious.

Thoughts: from feeling - my intuition and reflection take some sort of form. Like a guide or guardian showing us the next move or way forward.
Over the years, it's becoming easier to connect. It feels like a low frequency, like latching on to something faint and distant.

Rolling in the deep has a double meaning.

Questions: Is there a way to permanently latch on to this shadow? Is that healthy? Would we not become as faint and distant?

13:30 - 12/06/17
State of mind: calm; serene; peaceful.

Thoughts: from experience - of being in an alcove of a secret garden, lost in the maze of my mind.

Questions: none.

Edited: 10:20 - 13/06/17
Original Post:
Near the alcoves of      a secret garden
you'll find me lost in      the maze of my mind.

Edited: 10:20 - 28/10/17
Original dyad reinstated.
Edited version:
You'll find me in the     alcoves, the cradle
of secret gardens,      lost in my minds maze.

(A coincidence I noticed afterwards, that the time of both edits is exactly the same.)

18:30 - 12/06/17
State of mind: sadness; acceptance; peaceful.

Thoughts: from memories - past.

Questions: none.

03:30 - 14/06/17
State of mind: restless; over-thinking

Thoughts: from experience - of being awake at the crack of dawn and watching the indigo glow lighten by the hour.

Questions: none

Notes: part 1 of 3

04:45 - 14/06/17
State of mind: restless; over-thinking

Thoughts: from observation - of watching the sunlight diffusing the darkness. Light breaks into my room, spreads across the walls, like an enlightenment or a sudden realisation.

Questions: none

Notes: part 2 of 3

05:10 - 14/06/17
State of mind: restless; over-thinking

Thoughts: from thinking - about anything that will distract me from the swallows.

Questions: none

Notes: part 3 of 3

15:00 - 15/06/17
State of mind: concentration; focused; thoughtful.

Thoughts: from thinking - about an illustration I saw from art & philosophy's Facebook page. It was a criticism of the modern, narcissistic, selfie-taking culture.

Questions: How can we design working environments that makes laziness difficult and productivity easy and enjoyable?

18:00 - 16/06/17
State of mind: euphoric; ecstasy.

Thoughts: from feeling - the storm within.

Questions: none.

13:45 - 21/06/17
State of mind: defiant; reflective.

Thoughts: from conversations - about an analogy for emotional stability being like a pivot as the pendulum swings.

Questions: How can we achieve a level of confident composure that watches over the constant turbulence of emotion? How can we be like a pivot to the motions of the pendulum?

13:30 - 22/06/17
State of mind: calm; pensive; reflective.

Thoughts: from reflections - on a quote by Nietzsche, "Those who can breathe the air of my writings know that it is an air of the heights, a strong air. One must be made for it." combined with listening to London Grammar sing their version of "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaak.

Questions: how will the voice of your soul take shape?

30/12/15

00:00 - 23/06/17
State of mind - calm; thoughtful.

Thoughts: from thinking - about creativity and how amazing it is that human's can bring such wonders into this world.

Also from conversations - on talking about extroversion and introversion with my friend. I put it so introversion is like kindling a light in darkness and extroversion spreads that light. They are both instrumental and equally valuable qualities in a person.

Questions: can it be said that creativity is the instinct to create a nature of our own?

...Or is it that our nature creates us specifically as a creative tool of its own?

15:20 - 24/06/17
State of mind: calm; content; nostalgic.

Thoughts: from memories - of the time I saw a painting by Wassily Kandinsky at the Pompidou Centre that reset my course, gave me the direction I now travel. A sort of paradigm shift, in that instance of realisation, I had discovered who I am.

Questions: none.

11:20 - 25/06/17
State of mind: excitement; curious; thoughtful.

Thoughts: from thinking - about paradoxes and emotions. The combination of joy and fear is awe, I believe. It is one of the most sensational feelings.

You don't need to be on top of a mountain to feel awe.

Questions: When will you pluck up the courage to talk to the stranger you admire? It might feel... awesome. It might be... awe-inspiring.

12:30 - 25/06/17
State of mind: curious; deep thought..

Thoughts: from paradoxes - when affection is not received, the affected may become distant to their surroundings and begin to internalize the process of neglect. Distance is accepted when closeness is needed.

Questions: How can you give what you need?

16:15 - 01/07/17
State of mind: sorrow; hope.

Thoughts: from feeling - optimistic/loved. The higher we fly the further we are from being grounded. A good vantage point in high places is as important as our dreams, but it is a harsh and lonely place to soar through the thin, mountain air. In the face of hardship and austerity, it takes courage to not give up on what you believe in. I believe lost souls can find their home when their cries are heard... and answered.

Questions: How can we be heard by someone who is unwilling to listen?

Notes: credit to Sun for helping me with the idea.

Listening to: Duran Duran - Ordinary World

12:00 - 02/07/17
State of mind: joy.

Thoughts: from thinking - If you listen very carefully and thoughtfully, directions can be found in everything... the choices we make; a yes or no to the emerging map of our existence, unfolding like the petals of a flower.

Questions: what direction is taken if given?

11:45 - 03/07/17
State of mind: calm; thoughtful.

Thoughts: from thinking - about dreaming big. If something is too hard, get help. There are people out there who believe in you because you believe in yourself.

Questions: Did Sisyphus ever laugh?

Listening to: Van Morrison - Crazy Love

12:30 - 04/07/17
State of mind: longing; hopeful.

Thoughts: from thinking - about the beautiful movements of flight and all its intricate geometries.

Questions: none.

Listening to: The Beatles - Across The Universe.

18:50 - 04/07/17
State of mind: optimistic; thoughtful.

Thoughts: from thinking - about how people who get on really well just seem to set each other in motion. As if it is a chain reaction.

Hope and persistence can overcome a great many obstacles. But people are usually given hope. So, optimism is a valuable thing to carry around with you.

Questions: If, as it is said, a smile is contagious, how far can optimism be spread?

23:15 - 06/07/17
State of mind: calm; tired.

Thoughts: from dreams - of being stuck in a maze. As soon as you grabbed my hand, we both knew the way out. As you focused on where we needed to go, I remembered where we had been.

Questions: none.

Listening to: Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

30/12/15

23:30 - 07/0717
State of mind: calm; deep thought.

Thoughts: from thinking - about faint memories, ideas that are hard to grasp... subtle touches. This expression represents the fleeting moment. Their brevity, here in an instance, then gone forever.

In Celtic folklore, the hazel tree is a symbol of creativity and wisdom.

Questions: none.

Listening to: Christina Grimmie - With Love

14:30 - 08/07/17

State of mind: focused; contemplative.
Perspective: empirical; philosophical.

Thoughts: from observations - of turning the tap on too much, by mistake, and watching the water swill around the concave of the cups base, only to rebound back.

Be patient and gentle and things will gradually sink in.

A metaphor for the mind.

Questions: none.

17:00 - 08/07/17

State of mind: calm; thoughtful.
Perspective: empirical; spiritual.

Thoughts: from observations - of watching crops in the garden swaying with the breeze. The storm is analogous with struggle. People who know they can fight through something stick at it. There's silence in knowing the storm will pass.

Questions: how far can the stem bend before it is broken? Know thyself...

Listening to: Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence

21:20 - 09/07/17

State of mind: joy; peaceful.
Perspective: personal; spiritual.

Thoughts: from thinking - about impossible dreams. There is something instinctive about striving after goals that are hard to reach or have never even been thought of before. To achieve this is to have walked the road less travelled.

The fourth part - 'the road less travelled' - is inspired by M Scott Peck's book of the same title. The overall message of the book correlates with that of this dyad, which is that love is not necessarily a feeling but an activity... such as a dance, I would say.

Questions: would you care to dance?

Listening to: Ed Sheeran - Perfect.

00:15 - 11/07/17

State of mind: content; tired.
Perspective: empirical; spiritual.

Thoughts: from observations - of pressing a paint-loaded brush against the rim of a glass, watching it all run down the inside, diffusing throughout the fresh water.

A single idea might change everything. A single act might mean something. Ripples from the butterflies wing.

Questions: What can be done to make a difference?

Listening to: Coldplay - Everglow

18:30 - 13/07/17

State of mind: calm; rested.
Perspective: natural; philosophical.

Thoughts: from thinking - about rest and recovery. The soul sings best when it is well rested.

Unseen and deep within the dormant volcano, there is lava flowing.

Questions: none.

Listening to: Coldplay - A Sky Full of Stars

13:10 - 16/07/17

State of mind: blissful; calm.
Perspective: natural; philosophical.

Thoughts: from thinking - the reason we can draw parallels between human, natural, even universal behaviours so easily is because they are all connected. The information of one feeds into another. That is why our mood is affected so strongly by things such as the moon's gravitational pull or polar levels of sunlight.

I swear cultural temperaments are born of such simple things as the weather. This links in to how an environment shapes you. If you want to change or discover who you are, do so with your environment. You will be forced to adapt to it (or force it to adapt to you). Successful or not, keep changing how you live until you find something you're comfortable with... somewhere you were born to be.

Listening to: David Bowie - Changes.

Questions: Does success mean different things to different people?

18:00 - 16-07-17

State of mind: sadness, deep thought.
Perspective: philosophical; spiritual.

- GAME OF THRONES SPOILER ALERT -

Thoughts: from watching - Game of Thrones. Series 6, episode 5 - 'The Door'.

In memory of Hodor. We will never forget the strength and servitude you gave to keep Bran alive. That kept hope alive.

Something unreal can still be a vessel for what is true about reality. Fantasy, legends, the spirit of myth and make-believe... stories give us our values, teach us wisdom, and truth. They are a retreat in memory or reading, a silent place of honesty, when all around us the world is riddled with lies, deceit and corruption. They are the pillars of religion, the backbone of our beliefs, the conversations with old friends over coffee, or a pint.

Questions: none.

23:15 - 19/07/17

State of mind: awe; deep-thought; curious.
Perspective: universal; philosophical.

Thoughts: from conversations - about microcosms and macrocosms. About the uncanny similarities of the small and large of natural phenomena.

Questions: Why can all the cells in the body get along with their differences but humans are incapable of this? If we fear what we do not understand, does that mean love is the path to understanding?

12:30 - 21/07/17

State of mind: nostalgic.
Perspective: personal; spiritual; existential; philosophical.

Thoughts: from memories - of walking along a riverbank, deep into a Welsh forest, the sunshine glowing and dimming, dappled light dancing with the summer colours.

I think I experience true joy and peace in times of solitude and exploration. These times always become strong memories. Ones that can be visited, as if they were never left.

It makes me wonder about those adages that state how if pain is felt deeply, joy also can be felt strongly. But it doesn't end there. We have sensitives, which draw us to the things that make us feel a certain way. They become our habits, if easily obtains. Our dreams, if not.

When, for real, I walk through the dappled light of that Welsh forest, I will be living my dream. But the dream is not the goal, for desire is only an urge. It is when we are there, this place of dreams, that we can comfortably give life to our thoughts and thought to our life.

Questions: Where is the place that gives life to thought and thought to life?

31/12/15

14:40 - 21/07/17

State of mind: nostalgia; sorrow.
Perspective: personal.

Thoughts: from memories - a tribute in remembrance of Chester Bennington from Linkin Park - he made some of the best music I listened to growing up. Mostly from my teenage years.

Words from the last line are derived from their songs Numb and Papercut.

Listening to: Linkin Park.

Questions: why?

10:45 - 25/07/17

State of mind: reflective; thoughtful.
Perspective: personal.

Thoughts: from observations - of myself. Ironically, I am not that observant. When I look at something, the information being perceived is primarily spatial and atmospheric. Visually, things I clock onto quickly are colour and pattern recognition.

So, motion and light effects fascinate me, naturally... This explains how my art style has developed the way it has, over the years. If I start noticing details, it's usually because I'm switched on and thinking about it consciously. Thus, the blur becomes my focus... making sense of what is hard to grasp.

Listening to: Linkin Park - Meteora (album)

Questions: how greatly does the way we perceive contribute to the person we become? How many different perspectives can we see the same thing?

12:50 - 26/07/17

State of mind: playful; curious.
Perspective: comical.

Thoughts: from thinking - about the camera obscura.

'You get the picture' has a double meaning.

Questions: none.

16:30 - 27/07/17

State of mind: focused; thoughtful.
Perspective: personal.

Thoughts: from feeling - loved and cared about. Also from conversations, when Sun mentioned 'taking a leaf out of my book'.

Questions: none

22:50 - 27/07/17

State of mind: pensive; longing.
Perspective: personal; natural.

Thoughts: from feeling - like I miss someone.

Listening to: Linkin Park - My December

Questions: none.

00:00 - 28/07/17

State of mind: pensive; longing.
Perspective: personal; universal.

Thoughts: from feeling - like I miss someone.

Listening to: Linkin Park - Leave Out All The Rest

Questions: none.

00:25 - 28/07/17

State of mind: pensive; longing.
Perspective: personal; universal.

Thoughts: from feeling - like I miss someone.

Listening to: John Murphy - Adagio in D Minor

Questions: none.

12:30 - 31/07/17

State of mind: calm; deep thought.
Perspective: natural; spiritual.

Thoughts: from thinking - that to truly understand something, you have to experience it for yourself. To read about it, or know of another's interpretation, dilutes the power of witnessing something firsthand. In the instance of the oak tree, its knowledge is in the understanding; the understanding is in the sensation; the sensation is in the experience.

We know only what our senses reveal, and they are rooted in our nature, the nature that makes of men what it has made of oak trees. What truth has been revealed is that which makes sense. What is beyond sense, may well be beyond us, simply because it is too much. The light that shines, increases gradually, so there is time to adapt to the intensity that awaits.

There is a memory that exists in nature. It remembers. We can learn all we want to from what has been recorded, but if we should reveal something for ourselves, of ourselves, in ourselves... those things can be found by reflection. The knowledge of ourselves is in the reflection of experience. Make of life what you experience.

Questions: What exists beyond sensation?

21:45 - 31/07/17

State of mind: calm; reflective.
Perspective: spiritual; existential.

Thoughts: from thinking - that, maybe a rich life is one where you are never truly lost or found but always a wanderer, giving as much colour to life as you can.

Questions: What colours would you paint life?

23:20 - 06/07/17

State of mind: reflective; deep thought.
Perspective: natural; structural.

Thoughts: from observations - of an ivy cutting that grew its roots, not only from the base of the stem where it was cut, but also all along the stem, at the intersections where the branches grew out its leaves.

We grow from what wounds us, but also from where we are allowed to grow. If that place is fear we grow fearful, if that place is want we grow wanting... and so on for any state of mind. Societies, too, have a state of mind.

If fear or want is to be overcome, it must be in a place where they are not familiar.

When conflict arises from fear or want, the peace must be bridged by creating an atmosphere of respect, understanding, and communication.

Questions: how can an atmosphere of respect, understanding and communication become the emphasis for interpersonal relations?

02/01/16

22:45 - 10/08/17

State of mind: divided.
Perspective: natural; spiritual.

Thoughts: from thinking - what makes us human is an expanding capacity for love. It's the thought that counts... and your actions that add up.

Questions: What will you do with the sum of your addition?

Listening to: The Lumineers - Angela.

15:50 - 15/08/17

State of mind: melancholic.
Perspective: personal; natural.

Thoughts - from thinking - that over-thinking is like skimming stones on the surface of a level mind.

Questions: none.

11:30 - 20/08/17

State of mind: calm; deep-thought.
Perspectives: natural; ethical; structural; spiritual.

Thoughts: from conversations and thinking - that some structure's seem so concrete, so fixed and unyielding it can be daunting, almost impossible to have your impact felt. This is why we must be persistent and relentless in our ambition. We must be like the river.

This dyad specifically came about from a conversation on women in religion, feminism and gender equality. The metaphor in the dyad came like a flash of inspiration after hearing the humorous remark ~ 'If women ruled the world, men wouldn't have time to fight'.

Perhaps, the struggle's of humanity unto itself, through time, are like the river eroding away the embankments of ignorance. This viewpoint runs contrary to the opinion that history repeats itself. Instead, it hopes mankind is in a process of understanding, defining a destiny of its own, different to its basic, selfish nature. Figuring out the best or just way is learnt from trial and error, observation and reflection. This applies not only for the individual but for evolution itself.

Questions: Instead of using force, how can the integrity of an ignorant belief, be chipped away, piece by piece?

13:00 - 21/08/17

State of mind: pensive; calm.
Perspectives: natural; spiritual.

Thoughts: from thinking and observation - of butterflies. Beauty is carried on the wings of your sensitivity. Deep insight is born from the nuances of your intuition. The butterfly may be fragile, but there is power in beauty that draws the eye to follow where it leads.

A butterfly ***** its wings...

Questions: none.

Listening to: Evanescence - My Immortal and Going Under.

22:00 - 30-08-17

State of mind: calm; tired.
Perspectives: philosophical; spiritual; structural; natural.

Thoughts: from thinking - that the capacity for knowledge is only as great as the structure that has been build to contain it. A web is a good metaphor because it is a framework on which things are caught. If a bird flies into a small web, it passes straight through it. A great mind will catch great ideas because that is what it has been developed to do.

Questions: What happens to a person when they challenge themselves to become familiar with what they have an aversion for?

14:30 - 01/09/17

State of mind: mellow; tired.
Perspectives: personal.

Thoughts: from feeling - mellow and tired but generally quite content and relaxed. Like an overwhelming tiredness, returning from a long but beautifully, wild adventure.

Questions: none.

Listening to: Sigur Rós - Dauðalogn