Tag Archives: Balance

The Troglodyte

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I feel the need to think and be reclusive for a while so I can put my thoughts in order. I’ve started reading again which, in my case, is exceptional but I guess the words come looking for me in a different way when I decide to be quiet. It’s funny because it’s the book that I still haven’t finished *working on it though* and that I mentioned several times in previous posts. Last night I picked it up and started reading instead of playing a few of the very addictive Professor Layton puzzles on my Nintendo DS Lite…

In quiet moments, if there ever is one, I’m working on my business website which will be a combination of a front page representing the business, a flash portfolio with work examples and a blog where I’ll discuss design in general, my own work for clients and other design related topics. Quite often I receive emails from companies asking me to write something about a product, design contest or an event. I received one from New York last week with the same request but this is a personal blog so I’ll use my other outlet.

Last night I read a chapter about ‘The Red Shoes‘ with an explanation about the deeper meaning of this fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen: ‘when a woman has a famine of the soul, she will take any substitutes offered, including those that do absolutely nothing for her, as well as destructive and life-threatening ones that hideously waste her time and talents or expose her life to physical danger. It’s a famine that makes a woman choose things that will cause her to dance madly out of control too near the executioner’s door.’

‘And when we hit bottom, it is exactly there where the best soil is to sow and grow something new again. In that sense hitting bottom while extremely painful is also the sowing ground. There are always more opportunities to get it right, to fashion our lives in the ways we deserve to have them…’ And that is exactly why I need to become the Troglodyte for a while: I want to create and design, be quiet, think, be in my own world/cave and like I said above allow answers to come looking for me, in other words: let things happen…

A very addictive game… with amazing drawings and cute characters, a mix of Japanese and European [Eurasian *hehe*]

Au Contraire

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I can’t think right now, I’m kinda brain dead after an evening of confrontation. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place and it doesn’t feel nice coz things get stone-cold, things like my feelings, emotions and my brain. The situation I’m in is not healthy, it wouldn’t be healthy for anyone, it’s absurd to say the least and most of all it drains me from my energy and positive thoughts that I’m trying to hold on to. That I have been trying to hold on to for quite some time now. Holding on to positive thoughts keeps me sane, it keeps me from looking over the edge and watching the abyss open up before me once again like it did tonight…

Writing helps, it puts everything in order so I can make a decision. One that will shape me again for the rest of my life, one that I’m not likely to forget. Life is never easy but I could really use a break right now, I think I’ve had enough on my plate over the last three years ever since I decided to trust and jump into the abyss. Back then it was easier, well at least I thought it was because I had a bit of support coming from someone I thought I could trust. Nine months later that trust was crushed and hasn’t changed since. I’m taking full responsibility realising that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, but at what price exactly?

I often wonder what I’m supposed to learn from this experience, it seems I’ve only been stuck in this prison while I expected to gain some freedom. Au contraire… I know I’ll survive and I know I will gain in the end, I don’t have any doubts about that but what I’m forced to face would’ve been so much easier if I wouldn’t have to face it on my own. These are the times where I miss my friends, where I could use a proper Dutch ‘koffie verkeerd‘ and the company and uplifting words of those who never have let me down in any way. There aren’t many but those that I have are close to me no matter the distance or that bit of water…

One actually sent me a letter for my birthday along with a beautiful symbolic gift and his words echo in my head ever since. It meant/means more to me than I’ll ever be able to put into words. It’s hard to have no self-doubt when everything seems to be working against you and you’re in a constant struggle with circumstances. I’m a Capricorn, I’m not complaining… just extremely aware of facts and trying hard not to lose faith, but those words came at a moment where I needed them most and it’s still something I hold on to whenever I do end up seeing everything in black which is a typical Capricorn trait that I will conquer once again.

It’s time to make a decision and come up with a plan, deep down I think I already have. Not one that is made lightly, not one that will be easy to pursue. One that will definitely get me out of balance for some time but if I was to look at the positive side of it all I would say that at least I’m happy I won’t have to sell my couch that has been in storage for some time because it doesn’t fit through these narrow Victorian front doors…