Graffiti - Art that makes thou think beyond!

This is one of the few art-forms which has been fascinating me for quite some-time. It is something in which the artist scribbles delicate strokes ( initially appears as careless ones to the audience) which eventually results in a master-piece. A master-piece that gives new definitions to thoughts. It projects an entirely different version of a subject (it can be a design, name or a portrait).

In most countries, painting Graffiti without the property owner's consent is considered to be serious crime and vandalism. But to me, this art is really beyond words could explain. If photography is an art, then Graffiti should be provided equal importance. Scribbling is easy and any toddler can do it, but to turn those scribbles to an image which evokes a different angle of thought, that requires great-level of imagination.

What inspired me to Graffiti ??

The world can never be perfect, there will never be one religion, one race, one lifestyle and that is what makes us who we are! If the world look at the same picture there would be millions of comments, all with various points of views. In this world we are faced with a handful mental journeys and attitudes, optimism , pessimism, dreamers, realism, curious, logical... Were all different and we should not be ashamed of who we are, and it should not be forgotten in our heads, and this is expressed by some people and we like to call it graffiti. - Anonymous

Upon reading the above statement, I found myself searching the web for possible graffiti artists or training centers in my city – the cosmopolitan hub of South India, Bangalore. My search ended in vain and it eventually stroked my left brain that Graffiti is still not legalized in my country, as well. However, my right brain never gives up so easily..I still had a chance (in fact my only chance) to make this my next desiring passion. The best teacher in present-day is Online Learning and Youtube.com ranks first. I buffered numerous tutorials and learned the basics, strokes, styles,fillers etc..etc..for the past 2 months. A few of my attempts which I dedicated to my friends are shown below

However, I strongly believe that any art that brings pain to the audience can never be justified by any means. If a store owner wakes up and finds his store front vandalized then that is when the line should be drawn for legal and illegal behaviors. There is a difference in graffiti and vandalism. Wanton damage of property should not be encouraged but I have seen some fine examples that could be photographed and placed in a museum. Sad, but true, Graffiti will never be recognized as true art by a wider audience!!!

Dual Shades of Success

Throughout our life-time, we all go through different phases. What is that one thing in our life that we are so worried about the most and keeps changing every-time we accomplish-- SUCCESS

As per Wikipedia,Success refer to: "a level of social status", "achievement of a goal" or "the opposite of failure". According to me SUCCESS is just a word that cannot have any pre-set meaning. Let me elaborate.

How can 1 word have different meanings in different context when its impact in every scenarios don't have any connection. In order to come to a definite explanation, the impact of the word should be measured at similar level. How did this word "SUCCESS" end with so many meanings? When a child is born, its aim will be - to speak or at-least walk,when that is accomplished it is SUCCESS. But SUCCESS does not stop there, as the child grows the bar-raiser for attaining SUCCESS keeps getting higher. At one point it is studies, another time it is finding a soul-mate, later it will be financial abundance or even high status in society. Eventually the word "SUCCESS" keeps coming back to everybody's life, the very moment previous mission is completed. Hence SUCCESS should actually be a plural word.

Let us analyze what happens POST-SUCCESS? Nothing, absolutely nothing. This is because SUCCESS is a ghost that vanishes as soon as SUCCESS is attained and it adapts the human brain to set-up new SUCCESS heights. What does SUCCESS bring to the competitor? In material terms, maybe something is gained, but in reality- NOTHING. The phenomenon works like this- as long as you breathe, we all are SUCCESS-CONSCIOUS. There are 2 categories of after-effects for this ailment.

1- By being a SUCCESS-CONSCIOUS individual one risks all of their natural abilities/talents to strive to out-perform. Life is a race and everyone wants to cross the finish-line first. However, everyone forget that there can only be 1 winner. Winner wins the race, stands on the dais, pops out champagne and receives the gold medal. Upon alighting the dais, the winner's brain marks a new GOAL. Today's winner again becomes tomorrow's candidate to emerge as winner again day-after tomorrow. SUCCESS is a CANCER indeed as it can turn a passionate working individual to a serious WORKAHOLIC. End result- individual with NIL happiness-quotient.

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose_Bill Gates

2- Second type of effect is that being SUCCESS-CONSCIOUS actually keeps the devil off a disturbed and unsuccessful man's head. I don't promote fatalism- The doctrine that all events are predetermined by fate, instead what I wish to say is that being self-conscious about failures can at times make a man to keep trying harder in life. Number of SUCCESSFUL personalities in today's society is just like finding a girl who does not have a Facebook account. And we all are aware of this, so all those unfortunate people around us always keep trying harder each day to become SUCCESSFUL in their own ways.

There is one more detail about the above mentioned "unfortunate people". Who decides one is a success or failure? What all are the deciding factors? What is the threshold or minimum benchmark? So the subject here is not actually SUCCESS, because it is only a SCALAR Quantity- decided by magnitude or just numerical value. The reality is that the fruits of SUCCESS does not actually have any value. Eventually, so SUCCESS is not what matters, instead what matters is the outcome - HAPPINESS. If the SUCCESS you achieved does not offer you 1 lbs of emotional state of well-being,then you actually FAILED!!!! SUCCESS should never be governed any material results, instead should offer the candidate an elixir of joy.

David Frost (English journalist, comedian, writer) said - Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.

Are your decisions in life turning SOUR?

I am back to the spot in my room where I like to sit and pen lines for my blog..my black bean-bag placed besides the window. Looking outside I see dark clouds taking positions to pour heavily down. Closing my eyes, I go back to those days I can recall from when I began taking decisions in my life.

Teacher asks students of grade 5 about their ambitions in life and everyone starts answering their picks. Few doctors, some engineers, 1 or 2 scientists (at an age when
they really can' figure out what exactly a scientist do) etc.. My turn came and I looked outside the window of the classroom and saw dark clouds taking positions to pour heavily down, I replied that I want to become a PILOT !! I wanted to fly..teacher smiled and my friends too.

Years passed by and when life brought me to the verge of opting different path..I decided to do 1 thing from which I can learn something new - Engineering- and not merely to fetch a job..I wanted to learn about airplanes- magical inventions that gave us wings to touch the clouds. That decision of mine, at the age of 20, landed me at  an Engineering college in South India.

Decisions we make at different aspects of our life will only make us self-driven and capable. We tend to mould ourselves from the kind of decisions we make. Taking decisions are easy, when compared to sticking to them and striving hard to make the world believe that you chose the right one.!!!!
How many times you swore for not being able to accomplish what you have decided in your life?? How many time you have cursed yourself for taking some life-changing or a life-turning decision. Cross-roads is the INTERMISSION in everyone's life. You should be able to visualize the end of the road you decide to walk. But there is hidden catch to this formula.....this does not help always, fore-seeing success will pull you back from putting your best. Instead, your thoughts will be clouded with success-mantras only.

Rain began pouring, just in time to wash away the disturbances in my mind. Some decisions disturb you throughout your existence. They follow you everywhere and they raise their ugly-head when you see success coming very easily to a few around you. I realized a dirty-truth of decision-making.
We take decisions to please our family, sometimes our loved ones, sometimes to compete in our life, and very few to prove their existence in this society (I  salute them !!). Anybody can tell big words and back it up with great stories. Nobody actually remembers, what you said or achieved, they will only remember how you made them feel. Before you inspire others, try inspiring your INNER SELF, the one person who reflects in your bedroom mirror. You inspire him/her, then you will never feel bad about your decisions. And for this you need to have charisma- and that comes only when you are nice. When you are nice, your thought process start turning out nice, you make nice decisions, this starts inspiring everyone nice around you. You eventually get an air of confidence in you.

I close my eyes, memories flashes through, decisions gets highlighted----wake up there is a lot more to be part of in this world than just getting worried about.
This is dedicated to all my friends who believe that they are not part of this system....folks..remember we all have a purpose in here...figure it out and strive hard to excel in that. Everything else will fall in place on its own.

Teaser

Today on April 2nd, this blog of mine is going live. Before, I start, let me brief you about what I wish to hear from everyone.

Have any one of you thought about that one thing which we all used to do at one point of our life, but we stopped recently.
Think hard people, its nothing else, just TALKING...SPEAKING FREELY without any strings attached.
Why have we all become like this? What made way to this change?
Is it Technology, Globalization, Trends, Lifestyle....
No, its none of the above, it's just our own attitude.

Let's start this once again..lets talk.. you can talk about anything and everything around you. Somethings that really matters you and other things that you really don't care as well. You can very well talk to me about anything that strikes your mind while you are reading this line...

Just think this--- no body is stopping you from talking to me...no body is going to question you why you talk to me....best listeners help you come out with the best.

PS: I am not a therapist, I can't cure any ailments or solve any of your problems..

Remember, everything fanta-bulous we see around us are just seeds of thoughts that were born,when people started talking openly. Troubled minds never belong to creators.

Feel free to write and let's bring this world together..Post your views. Let's make some difference..

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.