KawaiiChan789

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I think a problem I have with the West is that people seem to think everything created needs to have a meaning. Books, poems, movies, video games, painting, drawing, digital art, music... you name it. Outside of the classroom, I often notice this when listening to Dir en grey with friends around. They'll ask about the current song I'm playing, curious, and once I give basic details about the name and who it's by, their next question is, "so what does the song mean?" Now, some Dir en grey songs certainly have meaning, the most straightforward perhaps being songs like "mazohyst of decadence," which is pretty blatantly from the POV of an soon to be aborted embryo/fetus (the song really isn't quite clear on that part) and how it wants to be born, wants to love, and wants to be loved. It has a meaning clearly connected to abortion. People often misinterpret the meaning, in my opinion, but that's a topic for another day.

In the context of school, I notice this when writing papers or discussing things I've read for class with the professor. They are always pushing me to go deeper and deeper and then even deeper until I find an exact meaning and have used all of the evidence I can drum up from the book to prove that meaning. Don't get me wrong, I certainly do love over-analyzing things and writing papers (Why else would I have a second major in literature?), but there's a certain point where I wish to stop and appreciate the complexity of the work. I don't feel like I always need to reach a sound conclusion, I just want to stop and appreciate the story and the words. I like to find the meaning, but then leave things open-ended so either I or someone else can think about it in the future when we want to consider the topic again. But my professors just won't let me be satisfied. "Look deeper, look deeper!"

That's something I love to do, appreciate words themselves. How they sound. How they roll off the tongue. How I put them in my mind and just experience what's there. How two or three of them can combine to bring up totally different connotations, what it's like to put together two words that don't quite seem to make sense but make up their own experience in my mind.

While I don't exactly think this view I have formed is completely Eastern, I certainly know that I now completely prefer Japanese poetry and that Japanese writing has certainly influenced the way I appreciate literature. It shouldn't always be about a meaning, but just appreciating the moment that the poem has created. (Go look up some Japanese haiku, translations are okay, to see actual examples of what I'm getting at.)

I think that's what I'm going for in my month long project. I just want to appreciate words. Some, I've put together because I wanted to experience how they clashed. But many, I've just wanted to see what it would be like to experience them together. The visuals help me to experience those words by allowing me to move the letters around, place them somewhere on a page, and experiment with composition. Don't look for meaning. There's obviously no concrete meaning or point that can be deduced from two words. Just experience them, and enjoy.

Hope that makes a little sense for everyone as an artist's statement about these pieces,

~<3キミー

I have also found the most meaningful works to have come from people who don't try at all to put meaning in their works. While in the past I was all about "meaning," as I've grown, that's one of the biggest things that has changed about my art and writing styles, I think.

...And I'm getting through it relatively strong. I really can't wait to get through the week two slump, although I did have some strong days in there.

I think that, so far, my favorite day has to be day 11. I find the visuals fun and the words playful yet something that can be taken very seriously.

Let's see what the rest of the month brings! >

I decided to write a journal because its been a while. ...Just a little while, though.

Artistically, I've explored some new directions for me through college art courses. Some have worked out well for me (India ink and wash) and others not so much (painting). I'm mostly into experimenting with "unusual" writing forms right now. It's helping me get over my obsessions with quality, which have been greatly hindering any chance I've had at creating anything.

I'm competing in a minimalist poetry contest this month. I currently love the concept of using as few words as possible, so micropoetry is a good fit for where I am right now.

I'm also taking a course in hybrid forms, which includes anything that mixes creative writing with other forms in some way. It's given me a lot more options. I feel like traditional forms have been holding me down, so trying out new things that people wouldn't even think of when considering "creative writing" is good for me. (Although hybrid forms can include such classics as comics and music, not just modern, "out there" forms and concepts). Sadly, the course includes far too many extra readings and essays to really concentrate on my creative writings... it's a shame and unfortunately something I've had to live with during my college creative writing courses. I'm hoping the visual micropoetry will be my ticket to success in this environment.

With this said, I am looking forward to my continued growth in my creative endeavors. :3

All right, so I think it's about time to admit that I no longer have the time in my life to thank everyone for fav-ing my Pokemon stamp. And even if I do one day find the time, is it really sensible to thank someone for a fav six months after the fact? Thus, I think it is now best to just write a journal entry and share the love that way.

I was completely shocked when I looked today and saw that it has been a whole year since I first posted the stamp. I couldn't believe that it had been that long. Since then, there have been so many views and comments and words spread... believe me, I have the best artists I know in awe of my page views on that single deviation.

So there is just one thing I want to say to everyone.

Pokemon is not anywhere near dead, nor is there not enough love to go around. I believe that there aren't that many haters in the world, but that the voices of the haters are the loudest. So what does that mean? We just need to be the loudest.

I see that we are there. Sure, at one point, we were all scared to death that Pokemon was going to die. But Pokemon sells millions of copies and sells out even before the pre-orders have finished. Games as far back as Diamond and Pearl still sell well enough to sell at full price. Seriously. I can't find a new copy of D/P anywhere for less than $35, and I am looking into pre-ordering a brand new game for $30.  And sure, the anime's quality has always been subpar and annoying sub games are being made. But who should really care, when the core of the franchise is still just so hard not to love?

Pokemon will never die, and it is because we are there. Each and every one of us needs to continue to share the love, so stay strong.

Hmmmm... this was way too deep for a comment on a kid's franchise, wasn't it? *laugh*

~♥キッミー