No Fear.

 

I’ve always believed that with every mistake there is a lesson learned. This I continue to believe along with the impossibility of making the same mistake twice, for the second time a mistake is made it was by choice. I’ve made an innumerable amount of mistakes that I truly wish I could take back, and I’m sure the same goes for you. Alas, we are stuck in the confines of consequence, only to improve and progress from the past.

Without going into extensive detail, I can confidently say that many mistakes I have made resulted in so much positive growth and happiness.

 In the past I have endured negative words and unkind actions of others, leaving both my heart and mind beaten down and bruised. There was a period of time where I felt as though darkness was swallowing me whole and there was no way to escape it. I thought I would never heal. 

Fortunately I was wrong, and shortly after that point in time I have grew into a stronger individual. It’s incredibly hard to forget the past, especially when it effected you so deeply, and often times fear develops. My past has caused me to develop a fear of getting hurt (again), and has in turn hindered me from going forward. 

It’s easier said than done to set aside your past, mistakes and all, but when you’re in pursuit of true happiness the fear of being dragged back to a place you once were can prevent it. Thankfully I’ve found true happiness with a certain individual and plan on casting my fears away to keep what I love most. 

Do More.

Incredible.

Pied Type

Photo: Gamma Gallery

This 6′ × 24′ graffiti mural is the work of Gamma Acosta, Longmont, Colo. “Crayons” is his statement about the Sandy Hook school massacre, done a day later. It’s gone now, boards and all, to an anonymous art collector who wanted it preserved. Normally Acosta, who paints on his uncle’s vacant building, would have painted over it to make way for his next mural. This is the first time in five years that one of his murals has been preserved. The collector will replace the planks.

Gamma Acosta and his mural “Crayons” (Photo: Greg Lindstrom/Times-Call)

When I first saw “Crayons” during a local TV interview with Acosta, I thought it was powerful, a kick in the gut, heart-wrenching. The horror of that day summed up in a single image. An unforgettable statement about something we must never forget.

Then I found a very long discussion about it on…

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The Cortex

UPDATE: I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 48 frames-per-second 3D. I felt that this format deserved its own article. Check it out here.

BENJAMIN ZAUGG: Right at the beginning of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there is a wonderful scene depicting Thrór, the Dwarf King of Erebor, surrounded by mountains of gold, going completely mad with greed and power. As I watched the rest of the film I would frequently find myself recalling that scene and substituting that Dwarf King with Peter Jackson.

At a little over 300 pages long, the original paperback of The Hobbit is a rather and short straightforward tale. Originally, Peter Jackson was going to tackle it in two films, adding some backstory/sidestory elements to fill out two separate features. This was a bit of a surprise, but given Jackson’s relatively strong track record I was cautiously optimistic. When I heard that he was…

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Happiness

Individuality

The beauty behind this quote is that its meaning is so utterly true. However, I’ve found in the nineteen years I’ve tread this earth, being yourself can be in fact very difficult.

I find it rather amusing that individuality is encouraged and even taught at a young age, but as the years pass and our childhood and innocence fades, being “different” isn’t exactly accepted. To me, there seems to be a social stigma looming around every individual who embraces their differences. I mean to say, those who stray from the cultural norms or distinguish themselves as unique seem to be disapproved by society in a way. But who’s to say what the “norm” is?

Media. 

Everyone knows that the television programs we watch, the magazines we read, and the music we listen to have every bit of influence on how we portray ourselves to society because of a certain following or popularity. That doesn’t mean that everyone conforms to something they’ve heard or seen over and over such as gym, tan, laundry (made popular by Mtv’s Jersey Shore). Yet, there are those motivated enough to follow something and make it apart of their daily routine.

I’m not saying that I haven’t been affected by social media. If I said that I am solely my own person with my own original thoughts and ideas I would be flat-out lying because that is simply not true. However, I can say for certain that I am now more of my own person than I was earlier in my life. Compared to the dreadful days of Middle and High School, I can honestly say that I’ve become more of an individual; I’ve learned embraced my differences. And I say “dreadful days” of Middle and High School because the person I was back then was simply a mold of what people expected of me and told me to be. Now, no one directly told me the person I should become, but actions definitely spoke louder than words, for I felt judged and therefore (in my mind) forced to be something I was not.

The older I get, the more I come to realize who I am and how important it is to differentiate yourself from everyone else. I’ve found that although it’s easy to find or create similarities between you and the rest of the world, it’s more fulfilling to accept what sets you apart from everyone else and be yourself.

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

Geeking Out

(Above: An amazing illustration by Marie Bergeron) 

My inner geek just loves this type of thing, and of course it’s imperative that I give credit where credit is due. I am truly amazed by things such as this, not only because it’s pretty damn cool, but because of my aspirations of becoming a Graphic Designer someday.

(More geekdom to come)