Imagine this—started with a small notebook, a freebie I snagged from a random conference. Little did I know, this simple act would reignite a long-lost passion, drawing. But as I drew, I soon realized something—I had lost the touch. The answer was crystal clear: nearly a decade had passed since I last practice this. Thus, my journey to reclaim my skills began, driven by a single principle: consistency Not so long ago, I rekindled an old hobby of mine—drawing, specifically character sketches. Some of you may have noticed that over the past few months, I've been sharing a lot of my drawings. Drawing has been a passion of mine since childhood, which is why I pursued Architecture as my major and profession (sounds stupid, I know). However, after entering the world of Architecture, I found myself missing the pure joy of drawing. Don't get me wrong, I still love designing buildings, but there's something different about drawing something you truly adore.
It all started with a free notebook I received at some random conference on green building. "Great, free stuff!" That was my broke ass mindset speaking. That same notebook sat untouched for nearly a year until one day, out of sheer boredom from reading papers, I picked it up and started doodling with an (also free) IKEA pencil. Ah, the life of a broke graduate student, hahaha. Stroke by stroke, a long-lost sensation began to flood back, a feeling of getting drown into drawing. Before I knew it, I had filled five pages of the notebook with random doodles. Then came the human characters, and that's when it hit me, I couldn't draw as well as before! My pencil strokes were stiff, and the proportions were disaster. I wondered why. There was only one answer: I hadn't been doing this for almost 10 years! No wonder my strokes lacked fluidity, as I had become accustomed to drawing building plans and sections, losing my delicate touch in the process. Being unemployed (some argue that a Ph.D. is a job, and I agree) and having the time, I was determined to reclaim those skills. There was only one way forward—learning and practicing. We often come across individuals with remarkable talents—an extraordinary sports player, a gifted artist and musician, or someone who excels at their job. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and think, "Oh, they're so amazing! I'm nothing compared to them," or even doubt our own talents, believing we have none. But what we often fail to realize is the amount of time and dedication these people invest in building their skills. They all have one thing in common: consistency. They consistently devote themselves to what they do, gradually mastering their craft over time. Returning to my own story, I've been diligently practicing my drawing skills since last year, even picking up a few new techniques. I've been consistent (believe me, I've tried) and have come to a single conclusion: being consistent is incredibly challenging, especially when it's something unrelated to your job. In my case, I'm not an artist; I'm an architect and a doctoral student who is currently focused on research, writing, and reading academic papers. On top of that, I'm also lazy. So, being consistent with something that's not directly relevant to my job is tough. However, as I write this, I'm still making progress. So, let's embark on this journey of learning to be consistent together, shall we?
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Humanity is a weird thing. Each of us possesses our own unique perception of the world, and it varies from person to person. Have you ever felt that time sometimes runs faster than it should? Einstein once suggested that it could be due to differences in gravitational fields between places. But is that truly the case? Psychologically, we often experience time moving swiftly when we're happy, and slower when we're sad. Personally, I've noticed that whenever I'm engrossed in something I love, time flies by. It's as if the duration of time is influenced by our moods or, in other words, relative to each individual. Have you ever come across memes featuring a serious scene in a movie with an oddly mismatched background sound? Or watched a film that intended to scare, but instead left you feeling emotional? Have you ever noticed some people who are undisturbed while sleeping with noise in the background, while others can't do anything if there's even a slight disturbance? Our perception of sound varies from person to person and can greatly influence our emotions, triggering anxiety or other responses. Not long ago, my parents visited me while I was abroad. Strangely enough, as we hugged and said our goodbyes, I felt an overwhelming surge of emotions, and tears streamed down my face. It was bizarre because I knew I would be returning home to them in a few weeks, and I had already been away for over two years. The act of touch intensifies our emotional experiences; it enhances our feelings. This doesn't just apply to sad emotions but also to other emotions. For example, when I attended my graduation ceremony online, I didn't experience any emotions or a sense of accomplishment. However, when I attended my graduation in person a year earlier, the emotions felt more real. Perhaps it's because we can physically connect with one another—through hugs, handshakes, and congratulations—that our emotions are heightened, even if it sounds strange. We, as humans, are fragile creatures. Sometimes we find ourselves crying uncontrollably, and other times we burst into fits of laughter. Whether we like it or not, our emotions are an integral part of us, and they define our humanity. Our heightened senses, which amplify these emotions, further contribute to our humanity. It's what sets us apart from machines or so-called artificial intelligence. Yes, we're weird creatures, but it's this uniqueness, shaped by our emotions, that makes us truly human. |
Just some random talk and ideas . . .
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