Vancouver, April 2017.
AlunaGeorge - Hold Your Head High
Tora ft. Potato Potato - Overcome
SZA ft. Travis Scott - Love Galore
BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow ft. Sam Herring
Drake - Passionfruit
Frank Ocean - Biking ft. Jay - Z & Tyler the Creator
Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean & Migos - Slide
Future Islands' album, "The Far Field" (2017).
Kendrick Lamar's album, 'DAMN' (2017).
Originally posted on Medium.
I’m not talking about financial debt. I’m talking about this subconscious feeling we have towards certain people in our lives. That classic but deadly feeling like we owe someone something. Something we can’t physically hold in our hands but this unconscious weight of not enough. This ‘enough’ ranges anywhere from a lack of material abundance to a lack of self-worth. Whatever it is, we’re a slave to it. A motivation to prove external forces wrong. A drive to receive outside validation and approval. An underlying effort to make others happy. It’s all very non-existent but the hard truth is, our brains are so good at turning nothing into a problem.
But for what? Why do we do this? Why do we care what others think? Why do we feel so small inside if we don’t meet this fabricated societal expectation/deadline/measurement of success? Who fucking knows but it needs to stop — the worrying about judgment from others and the unfair judgment of ourselves. We all have our unique path/plight in life so why is there only one standard? We need to remember this and ignore that imaginary pressure put on us. This aligns with Mark Manson’s principle of not giving a fuck. There is so much noise out there. Don’t forget, the loudest and most effective noises come from those closest to us, so be extra badass and carry on.
“You have to confirm to yourself, not anybody else, confirm to yourself that you’re the best, period.”
— Kendrick Lamar, Beats 1 Interview 2017
Moving forward, stop giving a fuck. Ultimately, we know what’s best for ourselves. And yet we continue to look outside of ourselves to find answers. It’s time to listen to our own voice and know our value. Trust ourselves even if everyone and everything around us says otherwise. (Pssst, I think this is what they mean by ‘following your heart/gut’).
Be mindful! It’s absolutely crucial we’re aware of our behaviour and belief. We do not owe anybody shit. Remember that. All you have to do is make yourself proud. Everybody else is secondary. Know your worth and always remember to love yourself. That way, the next time someone tries to make you feel remotely insignificant, you can laugh it off and be totally unaffected by their negative vibes — their silly, ignorant, critical attitude and none-of-their-business expectations that don’t actually exist. It’s like that saying—fuck the haters and keep doing you. As long as you believe in yourself, nobody can bring you down because you are making yourself happy. Always see yourself through your own eyes; that’s all that matters. The way we see life or see ourselves creates the experiences we have.
What I’m getting at is, you can’t be in debt if you’re rich on the inside.
First person videos are super cool but extremely nauseating. Remember how awesome Smack My Bitch Up music video by The Prodigy was? Maybe it was the original Go Pro aesthetic. Then there's the director, Ilya Naishuller, of Hardcore Henry, who is now making his rounds of making cool p.o.v. music videos for artists like The Weeknd. I'm all for this first person view, such a wicked storytelling experience for viewers. It really gives those an opportunity to experience a perspective they might otherwise not ever get to experience in their lifetime. That is so, so amazing to me.
Uncensored (NSFW) video for the single released 17th November, 1997. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
Directed by Ilya Naishuller
Directed by Ilya Naishuller
"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
- Lao Tzu
This beautiful soul is about to embark on an incredible journey transitioning from Female to Male (FTM). Jack, formerly known as Bre, has graciously allowed us to be apart of his deeply intimate, life-changing experience from within himself and outside of himself. His mission is to inform and educate everyone around him to bring awareness to a complicated matter. I am beyond proud and in awe of his courageous act of sharing his story with the world and most importantly, for following his heart. Please check out his YouTube videos!
Left: Jack giving me the usual affection when we see each other. A photos doesn't do it justice but it's a glimpse into his energy and impact he has on those around him. Jack Major, I am deeply happy for you and proud to call you my friend!
Happy Birthday to me! Someone gifted me Tim Ferriss' latest book, 'Tools Of Titans'. I discovered him last year and have been an avid listener of his podcast since. I highly, highly recommend checking him out if you haven't. He continually interviews world class performers on The Tim Ferriss Show, providing us, the audience, a platform to discover life lessons his guests have learned along their journey to success. If you love to learn and wish to design your life, Tim Ferriss is here to help achieve that. He expertly gathers resources so we don't have to! Lucky us.
Side note: remember that grade school insult, "you're a tool!". Now, you can compliment your incredibly helpful friends by saying, "Thanks pal, you're a great tool!". You're welcome. #LifeHack
Sometimes I'll hear a song I really like and put it on repeat. I'm talking about allllll day kind of repeat. No exaggeration. Let's vibe together. I present you my January Playlist.
Took a picture of this winter wonderland through the door of my family's home in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. 2015. #RealLifeFilters
During an annual doctor's appointment today, my specialist approached me to participate in a research study. If this proves successful, it'll be a groundbreaking moment in history that will help thousands of people, including myself. I'll keep it vague but if you are curious, shoot me an email.
Here is my doctor pinching me to collect a 3mm long, 1 mm wide sliver of skin. The biopsy process took about five minutes. I left with a minor wound and slightly numb arm. Not too bad. Unfortunately, it'll be a long while before I receive any updates.
TLDR: The future is looking bright!
I recently watched Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and it was disappointingly unfunny. Although, there was this little gem in the script that made up for it. I'll share the best part to spare you from watching the entire movie.
This is when Adam (left) is acting nonchalantly as he's getting Jacob (right) up to speed on the current state of their society. Meanwhile, watching their friends participate on a show called Choozy Doozy.
Jacob Dorchen: So there are no more sex taboos?
Adam Scott: Well, I guess beastiality but only from a community property perspective.
Jacob Dorchen: What do you mean?
Adam Scott: What? You don't remember Llama vs. Ferguson? Guy tries to divorce a llama but the land is in dispute because the llama needs to graze.
Surprise! Instagram's not just for posting selfies and your morning's latte art. This is an #ArtistAppreciationPost on Mrzyk & Moriceau.
Instagram has become an increasingly narcissistic community, however, I'm grateful for the ones that utilize it to display their talent. I wouldn't have discovered nearly as many interesting people if it weren't for Instagram's platform. Do give them a follow and check out their illustrations!
Bonus goods: They've directed a music video as well. Enjoy!
This is an #ArtistAppreciationPost on Brian Viveros. I can't eloquently express why I'm drawn to his art but here is a direct quote taken from his personal website.
His highly detailed paintings of defiant doe-eyed beauties summon a raw poetic of intractability. Beautiful and yet barbarous, they draw from the power of the feminine and its reconciliation of vulnerability, beauty, and power. His subjects are fighters and survivors, rendered immaculately, and just bloodied enough to remind us that they are formidable opponents not to be taken lightly.
Viveros' work is so kickass that if I were to post all the ones I liked, this would be an extremely long post. Do yourselves a favour and google Brian Viveros pronto! Or check out his Instagram here.
To further my obsession with Viveros, I did some digging and came across these sketches supposedly by Brian himself. Enjoy!
What?!
Your view of the Super Blood Moon didn't look like mine? ;)
Kidding! I missed it but in honour of the rare sighting, I made a poster using photos taken from that same evening.
The sky glowed brightly, all sorts of reds, oranges and blues! It was glowing so beautifully that it made up for missing the actual Blood Moon.
Welp, see you in 20 years Super Moon!
When your friend is a huge fan of Jurassic Park, you honour their coming of age by forever immortalizing them as a dinosaur. Happy birthday Mike!
Once in a while, I'll revisit old favourites and they'll still make me feel the way I did when I first heard them. In this case, I thoroughly enjoy Harriet's Burbank music video, as I feel they've really captured the essence of the song. I appreciate the colours, the angles, the storytelling - all the thoughtfulness that went into it. To me, this is a music video beautifully executed. The video is bizarrely romantic and even though I've never been in love with a stripper, I want to run away with one now.
P.s. the music video is slightly NSFW. Enjoy!
Tell me you don't like this shot, I dare you.
She is the dreamiest bride-to-be stripper I've ever seen.
Sharing this little excerpt from my current read, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, as a great reminder to everyone that we only have a short stay on this Earth. Personally, I struggle a lot with the idea of time. Anxiety creeps on me. I get irritated. I get flustered. I worry. Overall, this non-existent time constraint controls me. Take a moment to breathe. That's all we ever need to do.
For whatever reason, I don't write nearly as much as I used to. Although my notebooks lay untouched, I hadn't really noticed I stopped. I mentioned this to someone and they said, "Maybe you don't write anymore because you don't need to."
*Long pause*
Damn.
Those words couldn't be more true.
I'd like to start writing again; for a different reason this time - self-expression. I'm going to start a collection of screenshot moments that catch my attention or have impacted me, (bless the CMD+Shift+3 buttons, amirite?). Below is a powerful exchange between Nick Carraway and Dr. Walter Perkins in The Great Gatsby. Enjoy!
I screencapped this at this exact moment they exchanged dialogue.
Nick Carraway: I don’t want to talk about this Doctor.
Dr Walter Perkins: Then write about it.
NC: Write about it?
WP: Yes.
NC: Why would I do that?
WP: You said yourself writing brought you solace.
NC: Yeah, well, it didn’t bring anyone else much solace and I wasn’t any good.
WP: No one need ever read it. You could always burn it.
NC: What would I write about?
WP: Anything. Whatever brings you ease. A memory, a thought, a place. Write it down.
This is an #ArtistAppreciationPost on cinematographer Marc Gomez Del Moral. He is the genius behind this catchy yet fittingly bizarre music video - an absolute pleasure to watch. I should mention it's NSFW. Enjoy!
