The Mezzo Void

Journal

While this journal may focus on daily experiences and personal reflections; it is also used as a space to explore broader topics like the highs and lows of artistic expression and life’s seasonal rhythm. As a result, you'll find a mix of personal updates and deeper thoughts, since I'm going with what feels most authentic to me.

Archive: 2024

My Birthday- 11/15/24

For my birthday, my bestie bought me an art kit to help take my creations to the next level. It includes Canson multimedia paper, 2 kneaded erasers, a white eraser, a pencil sharpener, 2 sandpaper pencil sharpeners, a set of 16 blending stumps with the case, a pencil extender, a 6 pack of Staedtler pencils and a mechanical pencil with the lead replacements HB and 2B. A middle range of art supplies are a good thing to have as they set me up for a new journey. I bought myself some Liquitex acrylic paint and professional brushes too. Success is part tool/ part technique; a sweet spot can usually give the desired results without excesses or restrictions but while unwrapping gifts; I thought about the bigger picture. It becomes apparent that it’s good to have a passion, a hobby or something to be inspired by. It’s good to have these things that help to give me a break from the daily grind, otherwise I might just crack under the pressure of routine. When monotony begins to suffocate my senses, this can lead to pure madness but there is a way out. I’m sure that just about everyone has something that they enjoy whether it’s fishing, photography or traveling. Whatever your thing is; it’s good enjoy it to the fullest and allow it to enrich your life.

Me, Fall & the Earth’s Cycle- 10/31/24

It’s that time of year- Samhain, which in ancient Celtic culture it is believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest; allowing spirits to roam. This pagan festival has since morphed into a contemporary celebration, such as Halloween bringing with it a reminder of the earth’s cycle. As a result, it's easy to find myself turning inward during this season. This also means that my mood is sulky, creating is less often and those seasonal cravings are sneaking up.

You’d imagine that I could be bursting at the seams of creativity- inspired by the changes in the external landscape; drawing up some fall themed pieces or writing about apple orchards but this is not the case. It becomes apparent that the patterns of the natural world impact our mood. As a result, being curled up—swaddled in layers of quietude, nestled at the bosom of fall is the norm. It’s wise for me not to think of this sulkiness, as part of any impediment but perhaps an opportunity to explore new ideas.

By surrendering the need to know what direction I’m heading at every moment and going with the natural flow of things, I welcome the divine order. We, as sentient creatures are not apart from life; we are part of it. The leaves are turning gold, the air is filled by pumpkin spice and daylight subsides revealing a palpable, feeling Goddess. Embracing the beauty of fall means accepting the fact that nature is on a retreat and this transformation is also taking place within me.

Many things slow down: certain plants become dormant, outdoor events like weddings become less frequent and summer vacations end; signaling a reflective period. It is during this time that the planet recharges and we are encouraged to re-connect with ourselves. Being less active means that my efforts can be re-focused during these long days. Many of us are creating fertile ground from which ideas will hopefully bloom. Nevertheless, there is a lot of free space allocated to development; once creativity re-emerges.

Is There Such a Thing as Original Thought?: My Take- 10/29/24

I sometimes wonder if there is such a thing as original thought, in an age where we are being clobbered by the metaphorical bludgeon of AI. Mass amounts of information are being generated making us feel as though our brains are expendable. It’s also true that we all borrow from the same experiences; we all borrow from the same literary word cloud. While it seems like everything that there is to say has already been said and done, we recycle old ideas. We can cite many examples of this throughout history.

An artist by the name of Claude Monet fell under the influence of early impressionsists but became famous for his interpretation by painting under a different lighting condition. It becomes apparent that there is a bit of Monet in all of us who offer up our own context but it was a philosopher named Albert Camus who takes this a bit further. He states "The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy." Camus alludes to the notion that by struggling to have an original idea; we tap into that originality. This is irreverent making the ultimate absurdity- the ability to find satisfaction in chasing our pursuits; regardless of the outcome.

Philosophy teaches us that we enjoy being on the wheel of independent thought or at least chasing it. The relationship between ontological inquiry (what we know) and epistemology (what we think we know) invites us to explore how we extract insights from the totality of our experiences; distilling new meanings. What I propose is that originality is not what is needed but transformation is in the realm of human expression. Creativity is not solely restricted to just the novelty of ideas. In using our senses to filter out perspectives like a light refracted on our disposition- habitual way of thinking, we learn that revisionism matters and that the journey is just as important as the final product.

Hopefully we develop an appreciation for the evolution of concepts, since we bring old topics into greater dialogue within contemporary contexts. This happens when we tackle age-old questions like “Is there such a thing as an original thought?" We do stand on the shoulders of giants, according to another philosopher named Bernard of Chartres. The fact of the matter doesn’t prevent us participating actively in a conversation that is ongoing. The creative process urges us to enrich our understanding of the world and this is a joint venture. It’s not the quest for originality that best serves the advancement of knowledge; it's the ability to learn from each other.

We can begin to re-envision these frameworks; in good faith by bridging the gap between the past and present. This reminds us that even in the world of ideas, there is still room for more insight—no matter how small. It becomes apparent that we build on top of more established theories and what we experience is nothing less than a vibrant cultural exchange. This interplay between the old and new invigorates human relationships by creating discourse. Newer perspectives and their antecedents both add character to the narrative of culture, weaving our experiences into that thing which we call the human collective.

Site Overhaul- 10/28/24

While javascript can be great if you’re looking to ensure that your website won’t be just another cookie cut-out (although some make up for it in material), this programming language has its drawbacks. My site recently underwent an overhaul, since I wanted to reduce js dependency. As a result, my design relies on css; which offers a more streamlined approach. This site now uses a small js code, which gives users the ability to control the homepage design. There are a few reasons, as to why js has been less efficient, although this new layout proves that a mix of both css and js can be effective.

A website can often become bogged down by gaudy elements used in interactivity, for example. A cleaner experience makes it easier to navigate the site- fewer distractions mean that visitors can concentrate on content. #2 Emphasizing css simplifies maintenance, which ends scouring through js codes to locate the one that needs troubleshooting. #3 Js can be a bit unpredictable when it comes to event handling, for example, because it relies on scripting logic. The implications are that bugs can potentially pop up more frequently.

What I’ve learned is that css has come a long ways over the years from its infancy of styling websites. Tasks that were once done by using js can now be accomplished by using css, with far less complications. One example is animation, which can be achieved by using properties such as @keyframes and it relies on painless syntax. This puts the ball back into the court of web design instead of coding/ programming. Overall, this transition has led to a balanced strategy that best meets my needs and those of my audience.