Stories

Stories
Aren't stories wonderful? When  the weather is bad outside and you have no plans that day could you honestly think of anything better to do than lay for hours on end, safe in the warm embrace of a great novel? Or when you are tired from getting up early that morning, working hard all day, and still have more items on your to-do-list than you can count on two hands. Is there anything better than curling up in a chair with more pillows than you need and forgetting all the cares and woes of life in a thrilling adventure found within the thousands of words of a great book?

I certainly know that for me  nothing better comes to mind at the moment. Stories have always been special to me. They are the friends that never judge, never get angry or offended. They are teachers who won't simply tell you facts about life but show you the truth through carefully spun tales. Stories are the comforters who are always there. The thrill that is always missing. The full moon on a cloudless night. The warm bowl of your favorite food waiting for you after running through the rain.

They are the blood that flows throughout a great game. The softly spoken words that lull you to sleep at night as a child. They are broken and sad. Ugly and angry. Frustrating and lost. Grand a small. But overall, a well written story is simply put, beautiful.

The Mind
I find at times that my mind is like a lucky dip, like a gamble or a feather on the wind. One day I might wake up to find I obsessed with combat and strength at which I will work on day after day with a boundless energy. Only to find myself a week later totally obsessed with the idea of gardening or some such. The mind is a wondrous thing is it not?

Make Good Art
But regardless of how fickle my interests seem to be I find myself quite enamored with stories lately and enjoying it immensely. It started in full when I listened to Neil Gaiman's Commencement speech titled 'Make Good Art' which is a breath of crackling inspiration. Here is the link for the youtube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWexCID-kA. I highly recommend watching it if you have any interest in anything vaguely related to the art of creation. And even if you don't I think you should still watch it so you can get into the art of creating anyway. I won't spoil the speech for you so go watch it as soon as you have time.

The Name of the Wind
If anyone has read this book (and I suspect that the vast majority of people able to read to have done so by now because it is simply so awesome) then you know what I'm talking about when I say it literally takes my breath away. I'm reading this for inspiration and to admire the art of a master craftsman at work. Or should I say I'm re-reading this for perhaps the 5th or 6th time.

Patrick Rothfuss is blessed with a way with words that would put the angels to shame. His subtlety is beautiful to behold and his cleverness weaves such a tale you will be reeling for days. He spins emotions into his words as mesmerizing as a great loom weaving the story of the world. His words are poetry.

Enough said - if you haven't read his book then do yourself a favor and go read it. And while  you are at it read the sequel 'A Wise Man's Fear'.

Well that is quite enough from me for now. If you have anything that inspires art or stories then let me know.

Peace and Love,
Yanto

Keeping things going and mood cycling

Keeping things going
That's the hard part isn't it? I always get super excited about things. I see something new and want to learn everything about it and only think of that thing all the time. I will really excel at doing that thing for a short period and then I will have no desire to do it anymore. This has led me to a history of starting things and then not finishing them.

This blog is a fine example of this. I started it again recently and I was writing everyday for a short while and then one morning when I went to sit down and write I couldn't write anything. I just sat and no words came to mind or anything I thought about seemed so unimportant. This has led me to the conclusion that I must read 'The power of habit' by Charles Duhigg.

My thought was to create a habit of writing everyday even if it was something small but perhaps I went about it the wrong way. Perhaps I need to start it off slower - perhaps two posts every week? and maybe I can increase the number as I get more comfortable. I guess I'll need to read the book first to plan with more certainty.

Mood cycle
On another note I was reading Tim Ferriss's blog and he posted about tricks to help with depression. One I found especially helpful was realizing that it is normal to have periods where you are down and periods where you are perked up. I was somewhat aware of this before but the way he put it was really good. He said that neurotransmitters need time to recycle.

I know some neuroscience from studying chiropractic but I'm not sure about how long it takes for neurotransmitters to recycle. I feel like my cycles will last a few days and then I will suddenly feel good again. Do neurotransmitters take that long? or is it a bigger picture kind of cycle? the human body is a strange and wondrous thing.

Either way it's good to know. Now when I'm in my down time I am more understanding of myself and when I'm in my up time I just enjoy it more naturally. I understand that I can get things done easier and simply do them. More than anything it just gives me peace of mind which is great!

---

Well that's it from me. If anyone else experiences mood cycles or has trouble keeping things going let me know. Also if you have any other tricks for when you are feeling down or making habits feel free to share.

Peace & Love
Yanto