traces

William Fox Talbot

WFT says:

 "The most transitory (temporary, impermanent) of things, a shadow, the proverbial (well known) emblem of all that is fleeting and momentary, may be fettered  (handcuffed, put in chains) by the spells of our "natural magic" and may be fixed forever in the position which it seemed only destined for a single instant to occupy."

http://www.agallery.com/Pages/photographers/fox_talbot.html 

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(butterfly)

big words: INSPIRATION

inhale
(the act of breathing in)  

guiding light, example, model, muse, motivation, encouragement, influence, spur, stimulus, lift, boost, incentive, impulse, catalyst, vision; eureka moment

creativity, inventiveness, innovation, ingenuity, genius, imagination, originality;  insight, bright idea, revelation, flash; informal brainwave, flair, brainstorm

I often use the word inspiration or inspire in my blog and in my Masters Thesis. I was asked the other day, by my supervisor Liz: What the word meant to me. I am going to try to answer that with this post, not directly but rather by way of exploration of some random impressions that come immediately to mind. I suppose if I did this blog post tomorrow_ it would be different, I like that, I like the fluidity or organic-ness(ness) (as Bwalya would say) of creative thought and ideas. I think that is characteristic of 'inspiration': open -ended, flexible, flowing, seamless...




So this is how I am inspired...

---> Interactions with 'cyberspace' inspire me... movement and connections...
Paulo (now in 2nd year) sent me this video last year... take a look buka lapha

---> I am inspired by discovering more about something...
The Mac dictionary gave me more insight into the words inspire/inspiration.
To inspire someone: one fills someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something •  this creates a positive feeling in a person and  animates and influences that person because of that feeling. 
 
---> language and art_ the play on words and poetic metaphors inspire me...
Below is my personal Mantra used in 2009/2010. I used these slides as an introduction to  first years, outlining my lecturing practice and beliefs. I use 3 words as a mantra: seek/to/inspire. The works of MC Esher intrigue me as remind me to be open to transformations...

---> I am a collector & sentimentalist of objects that house memories. I am nostalgic about times, places and people and the reminded experiences... 
 

20 tokens of inspiration: Inspiration wall... see the photograph of my office wall and some stories behind the objects.

1. Hologram of 'Madiba' bought from a street vendor in Argyle road_ R30 
2. Brown and White 'Huletts' sugar packets with quote on by famous people_ 'borrowed' from various coffee shops around Durban_free
3. Pegs that are symbolically arranged to mimic the South African flag, bought from Pick 'n Pay_ R15 
4. Blond 'winking Barbie'_ bought in Amsterdam Market_ R6
5. Drawing from Adam Bond's journal given to me as a gift_ free
6. My old external harddrive that crashed_ memories and data from 2006 - 2009_ stored in this small hard device as opposed to my soft spongy brain_ R2000 to replace.
7. My first flash-stick_ 256mb_ cost R700
8. Photograph of students from 2007/8_
9. Blurry photographs of my son Sebastian when he was three. he is now 11. These photographs should have most properly been thrown away because of their 'quality'.  I love their blurriness as they look more like paintings_  more mysterious captured expressions of my son.
10. Notes passed under my door from students explaining their absence.
11. Drawings from my son.
12. A photograph I took at Ushaka Marine World of sea anemones_ I was intrigued by the pink colour and the flower/flesh-like connotations of that_ 'breathing' underwater_ osmosisPINK?
13. Beautiful cards for my 40th.
14. Print of a Henri Cartier Bresson image that I love.  I 'Googled' it, downloaded it off the internet and printed photographically_ this technique questions the photographic process and raises issues of originality and authorship_ the power of pixels? This photograph also reminds me to look beyond the frame. The 'implied' movement created by the cyclist and the spiral formed by the stairs 'defies' the rectangular quality and corners suggested by a viewfinder or frame. 
15. Triptych of photographs that I found at the Rustic market, Durban North. They have sound... ones eyes become ears
16. Certificate I received for a Photographic course I attended_ Joey and Vernon were instructors.
17. Tinted image of a baby I bought from the Car Boot Market for _ R5_ I think some of Susan Sontag's writings.  I think of the subject, the baby, who the baby is as it smiles sweetly back at me. I think of the baby's life after this photograph was taken, is he/she still alive. I think of how photographs are not just memories and historical documentations of time and place but questions about past and present.
18. Motivational quote by mentor Professor Joan Conolly, pulled from a basket of quotes she offered everyone on her retirement from teaching for over  45 years. 
19. Large ominous black plastic rat to chase away cats. Bought by my nephew Daniel for Halloween from a Party Shop.  
20. I asked the crafters at Avonmore Spar to bead the 'inspire' lettering for me.

 ---> I like to question_ unpack_ learn from other perspectives... so please:

• Tell me about a recent experience that inspired you? 
• Where do you feel inspiration?
• What do you do with inspiration?

                                        ☕

 

big words: TRUST

trust

©liza_2012

Steve Jobs says in the previous post: 

"You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever!"

•

To trust one needs a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something...

confidence, belief, faith, certainty, assurance, conviction, credence; charge, care, custody;reliance, confide in, rely on, depend on, be sure of, safekeeping, protection, hope, give, hand over, turn over, assign, assume

•

• Who can you trust?
• How do you know you can trust this person?
• Why do you trust?
• How can trust be developed or built?
• How do you know when to trust?
• What colour is trust? Why?

☕