Another response to this month's theme

The Sultan of Sai Ying Pun has played along as well this month with a wonderful photo essay. I really want to travel to HK now!

a simple solution

Here is another submission by Tania Ritchie. Click on the image to enlarge, I love her idea!
Image by Tania Ritchie.

Marrying left your maiden name disused

My response for this month didn't actually get to the production stage, but this theme has been my favorite so far. It has really got me thinking about maiden names - to change or not to change!!

My idea is a locket (surprise) that has a little domed gold piece inside that could come out, perhaps with some text on it or some symbols that symbolize a previous maiden name.

My idea is that even though maiden names may become disused, it doesn't make them any less precious, or important. A previous name is still a special thing that symbolises past experiences and memories and it is the name that has gotten you to a certain point in your life. I wanted to explore the idea that maiden names are still important and something to be treasured, and disused doesn't have to mean insignificant and forgettable.

I am disappointed that I didn't get around to making my piece this month, I have been very busy finishing off another big project which I will be sharing soon!

Ahem...

Seriously, every month I tell myself I'm going to be good. This month I will get my post up on time, I swear. And every month that fails to happen. Sigh.

Anyway, no real excuse this month. I've been working on this story for a while now and I'm at the point where it's actually driving me insane. But it will continue to do so unless I finish it, and so I must continue to toil away.

Wish me luck!

Thanks to Pseudo Rhys and Megan Blom for playing along this month. And good luck to Hybrid J who is taking part in NaNoWriMo. If I were a braver writer I would do so too.

Rain, rain

Wouldn't it be nice to stay at home dozing, reading, writing?

A poem

This morning I came across this poem by Philip Larkin, titled Maiden Name. I wonder whether this is where your teacher got the idea from, Sophie? I quite liked it so I thought I'd share it.

Marrying left your maiden name disused.
Its five light sounds no longer mean your face,
Your voice, and all your variants of grace;
For since you were so thankfully confused
By law with someone else, you cannot be
Semantically the same as that young beauty:
It was of her that these two words were used.

Now it's a phrase applicable to no one,
Lying just where you left it, scattered through
Old lists, old programmes, a school prize or two
Packets of letters tied with tartan ribbon -
Then is it scentless, weightless, strengthless, wholly
Untruthful? Try whispering it slowly.
No, it means you. Or, since you're past and gone,

It means what we feel now about you then:
How beautiful you were, and near, and young,
So vivid, you might still be there among
Those first few days, unfingermarked again.
So your old name shelters our faithfulness,
Instead of losing shape and meaning less
With your depreciating luggage laden.

 -- Philip Larkin

these are the thoughts that i think...

So. I've been busy pondering lately. As I have talked about on here before, not a day goes by that I don't dream of being a crazy and free-spirited artist, creating and making whatever it is that my heart so desires that day, without worrying about money or whether anyone would want to buy it. I find that part of the process (the selling part) is such a creative killer. I find it really hard to just play and experiment when my mind is already reeling ahead to the customer and the marketing part. I find it really tough to get out of that mindset of "will this work?", as oppose to just going with it and seeing what happens.

I really wish for a day where I can just wake up and create and do as I please and know that abundance and success will follow. (And I don't mean riches and fame... I could really care less about that, I just mean being able to eat and put and roof over my head).

Do you think that it is possible to achieve this? I don't think I think it's impossible. My question is this: Is the reason that most people seem to tell me that you can't actually live like that is because you can't? Or do most people not live like that because they think they can't?

I don't know if I'm even making any sense hahaha I'll stop rambling now... Please share your thoughts and try to help me make sense of my thoughts...

beautiful image from here