beauty and inspiration that never fail

this weekend i went on a nature hike with a friend at a park near by. we spent the afternoon taking pictures, and i just wanted to share some with you. i took about 275 total, but here is just a sampling of the ones that stood out. it's incredible how complex and intricate some things in nature are. it just makes me wonder how there must but some perfect order to it all. many things just seem too difficult to have just happened out of coincidence. no matter what you believe, nature still leaves you awestruck. hope these make you smile, be back soon,

-Genevieve

he is the corporate silence: dread him not

studying lately has given me a bit to think about silence. i'm normally the kid that can study with music on, the tv in the background, talking online to a few friends, texting back someone and someone talking to me in person. well, let's just say it takes a bit more than the usual person sometimes. so i've been trying this revolutionary idea lately, studying in silence. well at least attempting. i still leave my aim and skype open and i have no control over my cell, but at least i turn the music off. this crazy idea has led me to write the following. enjoy...

silence.

condemning

strange

unexpected

but beautiful

all the same.

i fear to

be with you.

i ignore

the possibility

to be left

alone

with just you.

your best friend

is solitude,

your cousin

is loneliness,

but your estranged lover

is peace.

i wonder

if we could

get along.

if i could

let you

back into my life.

technology

has been good

to me,

but you

were first.

and then i had this weird feeling that i had read a silence poem before, so i googled it and found it. one of the greatest poets and short story writers of all time: Edgar Allan Poe. 

Silence

There are some qualities–some incorporate things,
That have a double life, which thus is made
A type of that twin entity which springs
From matter and light, evinced in solid and shade.
There is a two-fold Silence–sea and shore-
Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,
Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces,
Some human memories and tearful lore,
Render him terrorless: his name's "No More."
He is the corporate Silence: dread him not!
No power hath he of evil in himself;
But should some urgent fate (untimely lot!)
Bring thee to meet his shadow (nameless elf,
That haunteth the lone regions where hath trod
No foot of man,) commend thyself to God!

Edgar Allan Poe (1840)

hope you liked them, and i suggest trying silence for a bit, some really cool ideas come out of it sometimes.

-Genevieve

go with the flow

when asked what time period i would go if i had a time machine, i'm pretty sure that it wouldn't be too hard for me to pick. granted, i do love earlier centuries like the 18th and 19th, but i would just end up picking the 60s. ever since i can remember i love the decade, the music, the style, the movement, the clothes, the art, the revolution. i would go back in time to be at Woodstock in a heart beat.

this week on Important Things with Demetri Martin on comedy central, Demetri Martin introduced the trailer to 'Taking Woodstock', his upcoming movie. words cannot describe how excited i am. here is the trailer, it looks like it's going to be pretty funny and awesome.

i love Janis Joplin, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix. i would have walked through rain to been able to see them live. here are two songs that were actually played at the festival, Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" and Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". the Hendrix vid is actually of Woodstock. i tried to find one of Janis Joplin at Woodstock, but she sang at night so they're all pretty dark and don't do her justice.

i highly suggest checking out Demetri Martin if you haven't ever heard his stand-up. it's definitely not for everyone, but for those who enjoy it, it's hilarious. hope you liked the music, they're classics. have a good weekend and don't forget to do your own thing.

-Genevieve

it's the little things

i was sitting outside on one of the picnic tables reading my textbook when out of the corner of my eye i see a red bird fly by. i was startled because it was a bright red, almost orange in color. i followed it's path until it came down to the ground about five or six feet away from me. today was the first time i have ever seen a red cardinal in my life. i thought the bright red color of cardinals was an exaggeration by the cartoons and team slogans. my mouth fell open and i couldn't help but stare in wonder at this beautiful creature. it was a shame that i didn't have my camera on me because this cardinal was so peacefully walking around trying to find something to eat. i still can't get over how amazing it's color was. i really hope that i encounter another one and that i have my camera on me next time, i would love to try to capture how graceful and beautiful they are. i found these pictures on flickr, i especially liked the mosaic.

hope you're off to a good start this week and that a breathtaking bird flies your way,

-Genevieve

stand back and see the bigger picture

mosaics are small pieces of color that come together to form a bigger picture. it's like all the little intricate separate pieces unite to form one majestic sight. it made me wonder sometimes that many little things in life, the good and the bad, when put together as a whole and looked at from afar can be beautiful. these two pictures come from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. it is an early Christian funerary chapel with mosaics from ca. 425. i thought they were beautiful and colorful, and must be more interesting in person. a picture of a mosaic is difficult to capture, because some are so intricate that they end up looking like a paintings. either way, mosaics were intriguing to me ever since i was little. i liked the mixture of colors and how the shapes were chosen and placed. and my favorite part was to stand back and see all the little pieces turn into a big picture. they really are incredible feats.

and the following band was a little random find that i came across on itunes, the Photographic. they are really cool to listen to when studying or writing or especially just to chill. they have pretty trippy video projections when they perform, i'd love to see them live. my favorite song by them is "Secure", definitely recommend taking a listen. i couldn't find a video with the song, but this video is from the visuals part from their enhanced cd. and of course, i'm digging the editing. it's a simple complexity with very indie, unique clips.

enjoy the music, may it relax you and help start off your weekend.

-Genevieve

it's in the air and it's all around

i just had a little random burst of inspiration. the idea for this pic started when i saw the 'stretch' tag and then it grew from there. and i love the texture that a piece of paper gets after you crumble it multiple times. it becomes really soft and fragile. it looks like it's been through a lot and has a story to tell. maybe it does.

and this song has been stuck in my head all day. i subscribed to Strawburry17 on youtube originally and she was part of putting together a 'punk goes pop 2' contest to pick a video for A Static Lullaby. they did a cover on Britney's "Toxic" which is really catchy and i definitely like it more than the original. anyways, on top of jamming to the song, check out kennychiwa147 's submission. really creative and love the card board box. totally subscribing to him as we speak.

so i hope you enjoy the pic, song and vid. i recommend checking out the youtube channels, i love watching people's mini creations. they're pretty inspiring. hope your week is going good,

-Genevieve

spring nirvana

ok, this time it has been a while. it has been an entire week since the last time i blogged. which isn't really that much time but it feels like a long while. i'm back, no worries. i am recharged and ready to face the last few weeks of school before summer. and i'm back to share some shots i took over my break. of all of them, these are my favorites. i was very interested with the contrast of nature vs. concrete. i love concrete's texture and appearance. although it is rough, cold and hard, it has some sort of beauty in my eyes. i enjoy taking pics with interesting angles of it. the song at the bottom, "Syndicate" by The Fray seems to capture the vibe of the pics and my current mood. if you haven't checked out their new cd, i highly suggest you do. they came back with a bang. the entire cd is worth purchasing, all of the songs are amazing. it's hard to pick one favorite. 

hope you like the pics and the music, be back really soon with more...

-Genevieve

take my hand and let's dance

it feels like i haven't been on in a while, which is partially true. but i've been home for spring break since friday so time has just slipped by. i promise i haven't abandoned you lol. the break has been so relaxing. i've been getting some writing done and last night i sketched a bit. i love being home, it's very soothing. i feel that i can concentrate better in letting my mind wander and coming up with creative ideas. i feel very liberated.

anyways, back to what i wanted to post. i don't have much to say but that i've been feeling in a very calm and content but pensive mood lately. and these artists capture that mood.

so first is Adele, she has an incredible voice, singing "Make you feel my love"

and second is Meiko singing "Reasons to love you"

both artists have a voice that relaxes me. the songs have melodies that make me feel like i'm in a dream and my mind just drifts off. they're very romantic and poetic, and i can't help but forget about the rest of the world and just listen. i hope you enjoy the songs and that they have the same relaxing effect they have on me. hope your week is going good, be back soon.

-Genevieve

great methods of procrastination

i took this pic of my sushi lunch today, the rice's texture looks kinda cool, so i thought i would share it with you.

and i got this little random activity from Life at Willow Manor and thought i would give it a try. it's my future album of my imaginary band lol

1. BAND NAME: go to wikipedia. Hit "random article" or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

the first random wiki article you get is the name of your band.

2. ALBUM TITLE: go to "random quotations" or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

the last four or five words of teh very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3. COVER ART: go to flickr and click on "explore the last seven days" or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days

third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

woo, i think i'm some sort of emo, heavy or screamo band. definitely rock, but i'm feeling something intense and captivating. i don't know if it was pure coincidence but my wiki article is of a famous video game designer and artist, the quote worked with the vibe and then the photo just magnified my album. crazy awesome. anyways, i must return to studying...hope you liked the photo and activity. they were great methods of procrastination today. hope your week is going good,
-Genevieve

perfectly intertwined scheme

have you ever had an occurence in your life be so perfectly in tune with something else? like it's pure coincidence? i kind of like to think that it's not. that things are sometimes happening in a perfectly intertwined scheme, and all we can do is sit back and watch. well today, i went to go see an interview of Zach Braff here on campus. it was pretty much perfect. he was hilarious, very witty and random, and he seemed like he was about to explode everytime he spoke. i have been a fan since i saw Garden State sophomore year in high school. not only is the movie awesome, but so is the soundtrack. both are a must. he wrote, directed and acted in the movie, and chose the soundtrack (which he won a Grammy for). on top of the fact that he's hilarious in scrubs and directed the last couple of seasons. he has a great taste in music and directs music videos, too. basically, i would convert to Judaism for him. and the perfect coincidence of it all is that i've been wanting to make a movie. to write out a story, film and my favorite part: edit.

since about friday night, with a few friends, we've decided to make a movie. we've created characters whose story, at this point, must be told. and the idea of making a few shorts has also been thought up. and tonight, the first question that was asked by the audience was about advice to film writers. his answer was simple, but from experience. i hadn't thought of it, but he made perfect sense. i usually see occurences as things that are meant to be, and i believe that experiences are always beneficial. if they are good experiences in life, you can celebrate them; and if they are bad experiences in life, you can learn from them.

tonight, this one was good. it was the perfect boost to my creative juices and he inspired me more than he will ever know. i can't wait to shoot and edit some shorts and especially the movie. and if you haven't seen Garden State or heard the soundtrack, i really hope that you do go out and experience them. here is "New Slang" by The Shins and clips of the movie. 'You gotta hear this one song. It'll change your life. I swear'.

hopefully next time i'll have something to show you that i created, but until then, i must go back to studying for midterms. be back soon,

-Genevieve.