#37 / Festivals are a departure from everyday life
Happy Spring Festival🏮
Recently, I stumbled upon a phrase that really struck a chord with me: “Festivals are a departure from everyday life.” I used to think of holidays just as a time for indulgence, a break from work, spent overeating and drinking. But with this perspective, everything clicks into place. We adapt to the routines, structures, and formalities of daily life, but perhaps, at heart, we lean more towards a Dionysian spirit. Thus, we need festivals to briefly escape.
Growing up, I never felt a strong connection to the Chinese New Year or other festivals. This phrase might explain why: I seem to enjoy working and being productive, even associating my sense of achievement and joy with the number of projects I complete.
Yet, rest is essential to both work and life, and it can be enjoyable too. This year, I’ve even made a list of “me time” activities, full of things I can do during weekends or free time.
What are your plans for holidays this year?
Here’re a few things I’d like to share with you today 🙂
Sudden Thought: Our Minds as Octopuses in the Chaos of Thought
How I Recharge
In Viewing Art, Ask “How Does It Make You Feel?”
Some of my reflections on a fashion design exhibition
video:
Have a great one and see you soon!
Sudden Thought: Our Minds as Octopuses in the Chaos of Thought
Just had a thought about human thought: it is like a chaotic, soft creature, such as an octopus. Questions act as its tentacles, probing the unknown through inquiry and response, shaping the formless chaos into something tangible and concrete. Ultimately, through the definitive medium of words, our thoughts are captured and recorded.
How I Recharge
When I’m Not Feeling My Best, Here’s How I Recharge:
Using a salt gun to hunt flies – It’s oddly satisfying and distracts me from stress.
Gaming – Losing myself in a virtual world helps me relax.
Taking a sick day to just chill – Sometimes, doing nothing is everything.
Basking in the sun – A natural mood booster.
Taking a walk for over half an hour – It clears my mind and rejuvenates me.
Working out, lifting weights, strength training – Physical activity is a great stress reliever.
Playing the guitar – It’s therapeutic and helps me express myself.
Drawing – Channeling creativity into art is a great way to unwind.
Skateboarding – It’s fun and a good change of pace.
Browsing through electronics stores in the mall – It’s a pity there’s no Apple Store in Auckland.
Grabbing drinks with friends – Socializing can be a great mood lifter.
Coffee with designers I haven’t met before – Networking and sharing ideas can be inspiring
How about you? what’s your tips to recharge?
In Viewing Art, Ask “How Does It Make You Feel?”
When going to an art exhibition, the key question isn’t “Why,” but “What do you feel?” Art serves as one of the best tools for honing our ability to perceive and feel deeply.
Some of my reflections on a fashion design exhibition
We recently visited the Auckland Art Gallery to see the fashion design exhibition by artist Guo Pei. Here are some of my reflections:
Importance of Artistic Medium: The medium chosen by an artist for their art plays a crucial role. Guo Pei’s choice of fashion design, a vital part of daily life, garners more attention. Historically, art often revolved around religious themes, primarily through paintings and sculptures. In modern society, finding the right medium and content form is essential as the focus and lifestyle of people have evolved.
The Artist’s Environment: The relationship between artists, entrepreneurs, and their environment is profound. Fields like bespoke fashion design, unlike internet content, need a nurturing environment for creativity. In a resource-limited secondary city, a haute couture designer like Guo Pei might not survive. But in places like Beijing and Europe, there are ample opportunities, customers, clients, and market support.
Balancing Self-Expression and Commerce: For a fashion designer, balancing personal creativity and commercial aspects is necessary. Attracting clients for custom designs, hiring artisans, and securing funding are business essentials. However, maintaining creative freedom is also vital.
The ‘Hungry’ Artist: Reflecting on a book about art and business, artists like Michelangelo were more like workshop managers than hands-on sculptors. Guo Pei’s exhibition echoes this - after being inspired, the artist directs those who can bring the vision to life. For instance, a dress taking 50,000 hours to make is not the effort of one but the collective labor of many.
Unique Characteristics and Competitive Edge of Professionals: As a professional in a field, mastering the basics and turning them into unique features is key. For instance, Guo Pei’s heavy use of embroidery in her fashion designs showcases a craft common in both East and West. Yet, in China, embroidery is at the pinnacle of handcraft. She invested time and effort in nurturing artisans, setting her unique signature and competitive advantage.
The Artist’s Mindset: An artist’s ability to connect diverse elements is vital. Guo Pei’s haute couture blends plants, Eurasian cultures, religious and mythological narratives – showcasing a rich fusion of diverse influences.
Art and Economy’s Symbiosis: There’s a strong correlation between art and economics. If it weren’t for China’s global economic trends, high-end custom fashion might not have gained global recognition as an art form. Other contemporary artists born three decades earlier might not have had such opportunities.
Overall, the exhibition was a fascinating insight into the fusion of art and fashion, reflecting the intricate balance between creativity, environment, and commercial success.
**Bear Academy Newsletter@2023**
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