The below work titled Perspectives is open to interpretations.
While watching the TV news about Russian Ukraine war, my body felt and resonated with the fear, sadness, and love of the people I could see on screen affected, torn, sad, and in pain. The many Goodbyes ❤️ .
Later in the day, I found a long line of ants moving along the trail several meters across a piece of open land.
While walking around them, cleaning the area, I tried to visualize my giant legs over their trail where my mind stood with the ants. The way they cleared up the trail pretty quickly after spotting my movement.
The following work titled Perspectives was inspired by the Fear, sadness, and Love I felt in my body. I do not wish the former to be a part of this collective consciousness we call humanity (virtue).
The process of painting gives me Joy and peace. I love this means of expression.
Fear
For me, it feels like a fireball in the heart and it throws energy through my body and out into infinity.
Once I detect this, I can give attention to the body and let this energy dissipate.
Let's try and explore the fear of disappointing people.
It grows on me from the inside.
If I don't detect and feel it through, I may not be able to reflect on it that easily.
This was definitely more difficult to detect in the past than now.
Often my fear of disappointing people gives way to other core feelings like shame (embarrassment), guilt (regret), pain (sorrow) - often linked to past events in retrospect.
However, when I ask myself whether I want to feel the fear, the answer is NO.
Well, I need to feel it as it’s involuntary, I need to observe as well to let it dissipate and reflect on it.
There's one way through the unpleasant and it comes with meditation - when I can observe my thoughts, slow them down and feel the Joy in stillness. DIY anytime.
Meditation in a single sentence for me is:
When I know what’s joy and peace, I know myself.
The Strange Order of Things
This is a great listen.
Book 1: The Strange Order of Things, Antonio Damasio [Thanks to Valyachan for the reference - one among many; also the conversation about Perspectives].
While painting this work, I was at one point listening to Chapter 8 (Strange order of things - Antonio Damasio) - "The body and The ghost". The organism's inner workings are minds of its own - say the trillions of microorganisms in the human body.
Both in themselves and as a group, they adapt for survival while being part of something bigger. That’s where the ghost part comes in - it's what that’s outside the organism (say environment) and yet plays a significant role in its existence.
Dhammapada talks about knowing - The body, mind, intellect, ego, and atman.
- According to Buddha himself, (as in The Dhammapada), the way to know Atman (Joy and Peace) is through meditation (observe thoughts; observe self).
Book 2: The Dhammapada, Eknath Easwaran
The Gita talks about gunas (tamas (darkness), rajas(passion), sattva(knowledge)); Atman being the supreme self above and beyond the guna.
"knower of the field and its knower is true knowledge" - Gita, Chapter 13.
"be gentle
forgiving
upright
pure" - Gita, c13.
Book 3: [Where I go back and find calm] The Bhagvat Gita, Eknath Easwaran
The Work
Below, I ask the self, some questions my coach helped with to detect/break a bottle I could be in. A bottle I could break and come out to find new perspectives.
This one night, I am wondering why I am rather anxious and I try to use some of these questions.
What do I want to feel right now?
Joy! Peace!
Why can't I feel that right now?
Am I in a bottle?
What is the bottle and how to break it?
What do I want to feel right now?
Joy! Peace!
Again, Why can't I feel that right now?
At this time, the bottle starts to break.
I was not feeling happy because it was under this blanket of fear that I will disappoint people - partner, friend.
What is the worse that can happen?
I Meditate on my thoughts here.
I can! I feel Joy.
I feel Happiness. The energy throughout my upper body - my torso.
The bottle breaks!
I feel Joy! I feel at Peace!
“Digital nomads are people who conduct their life in a nomadic manner while engaging in remote work using digital telecommunications technology”.
One of my goals is to be a Digital Nomad, exploring places, people, and the self, while I do my best work. The process of finding the balance between these experiences and life with relationships is a challenge I consciously work on.
I was able to travel and work from beautiful places (Oregon, CA, NY (Corning), Kerala) with amazing people in 2021. My work includes self (experiments to experiences), art (the process gives me Joy), and Engineering work (the process and people give me Joy).
A recent conversation, “So You Want to be a Digital Nomad” hosted by Danielle Letayf, Ariel Malloy, Natalie Greaves, and Neal Ludevig was an absolute pleasure to attend.
Fun and insightful!
Tips and interesting notes among many, from the speakers and audience, were:
1) weekend flights vs weekday flights; Find what’s best for you.
2) use the calendar; block time; focus time, time to run;
3) Importance of time, about recreation; champagne; take time for self - Natalie;
4) Know the time to work; early in the morning; late in the evening.
Could plan activities around working hours.
5) "slowmad"; learn the language!
"Really! no pressure!" - Neal.
6) within the US - airBnb is great. Outside: hotels.com, bookings.com
Kerala: airBnb works well for me - amazing places/stays in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Once you find a place, please look them up on Google and contact for local rates.
7) Q from Danielle: How to approach people and places when you don’t know the local language?
Answers: Learn the language! (slowmad), ask for help, be polite and immerse yourself in their culture.
7) Monthly rentals.
8) Neal - “the walk of the day and schedules”.
9) Note inferred - carve out the ego and find humility.
10) Q from Danielle: Describe in one word - being a digital nomad. Answer: "Cultures" - Ariel.
☮️
Comments