Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic is part self-help, part-fable, an attempt at presenting an alternate view of creativity. You may not agree with all that she says; I didn’t, for one. Many of the good quotes and ideas in the book are from existing literature, stories and people, quoted in detail; parts which’ve made what should be a blog into a book. 

She contends that ideas have a life-form, a consciousness, and move from person to person. She shares some anecdotes which I just can’t believe. When I reached this part, I suspended reading the book for a couple of months. She has no clear and final views; she travels through thoughts and presents all that she feels, so it’s unclear what she wanted to convey. 

Some good ideas in the book include 

1. Don’t expect your creativity to support you financially (easier said, but I agree with the thought); 

2. Don’t fetishize suffering; art doesn’t have to be achieved through suffering; 

3. Art is paradoxically meaningless and meaningful, a paradox you should comfortably inhabit (got me thinking); 

4. Treat your creative pursuit like a passionate extramarital affair, not an old marriage; pursue it while no one is watching; 

5. Question is not what would you do if you knew you could not fail? Question is what would you do even if you knew you would fail? 

In all, a quick read, with some food for thought and some takeaways.

Yatho Bhavoh, Tatho Rasah!

"Yatho Hastas, Tatho Drishti; 
 Yatho Drishti, Tatho Manah; 
 Yatho Manah, Tatho Bhavah;
 Yatho Bhavoh, Tatho Rasah" 

A beautiful quote from Natyashaastra. 

Where the hands go, the eyes follow; 
Where the eyes see, the mind follows;
Where the mind wanders, the feeling follows; 
Where the feeling is, the emotions arise. 

Kamal Hasan, in his character in the movie Saagara Sangamam (Confluence with the ocean, language: Telugu), dubbed into Tamil as Salangai Oli (Sound of the bells) and Malayalam as Saagara Sangamam, says these lines to an acclaimed but arrogant dancer. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagara_Sangamam

You can see it in youtube at the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV-smzc09Cw  from 5.15 to 5.30. Do see it! 

Memory lane.... KL.... Yaariyan....

Memory lane in Kuala Lumpur 

Music of Yaariyaan from Cocktail 

Sunidhi Chauhan and Pritam  

Video by Kartik Kumar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCikmQQPGBQ

The first few days of the new year!

The first few days of the new year are always difficult. Coming at the back of the pent up expectation and euphoria of the celebrations, it almost always is a dip. If you're not suffering from a hangover, there is the immediate gap you feel between what you thought you'd do on the first day, and then the second, and then the rest of the year. In fact, I don't do much in the last few days of the year, except write resolutions, and try to make them as exhaustive as possible. So much so, that I could call it a plan to fail. It is never possible to achieve so much, even routine things, in a day. And if by some stroke of luck or discipline, it does happen, it would be only for the first few days. If you are one of those who is able to get it all done in the first few days, the challenge lies ahead, and only ahead. 

I decided to skip the usual resolutions list and instead looked at what I won't try to do. In the normal course I would've listed something like learning guitar, starting to cycle, see more movies, read more books, in the standard resolutions list. But I decided to not make any such resolutions; for two reasons, one that I needed to settle down at my workplace before I get a sense of what is achievable realistically, considering the available opportunities. And resolutions like these, I thought, should be made on the go, as the year progresses. Having said that, I thought I'd focus on a few broad areas which need my attention and time. And I put the out in key words - HEALTH, ORDER, MONEY, PEOPLE. And the associated work that is necessary to achieve all these. 

Health is of utmost importance, considering age, and the expected stress in my life.The first 3 days have not been good in this respect, because I'm already recovering from illness as I entered the new year. I've to get better before I intend to keep fit. And the tearing need to get order into my life, de-clutter my surroundings and de-clog my brain, of all the unnecessary and superfluous. And to get things done on time, not procrastinate. The most simple of these would be to submit my claims on time, and the more difficult ones like being on time and reaching a No-Pending list and maintaining it, would require more effort and resolve. 

The last few months have raised several challenges with respect to relationships and this will be the most difficult in the coming years.