Usefulness of Dreams

To dream and then to experiment with the same dream in probably one activity humans can look to pursue. Although, when I notice Banjo -- note a dog not a human being -- dreaming while sleeping I wonder if he is also looking to convert them into reality? Anyways, it doesn't matter if he is or not. Probably, his life because of his dreams is already much interesting; probably more entertaining than the human observer who believes more on reality.

And, since the dog's interpretation of dreams also relates to us, the humans, should the task of dreams converted to reality matter more to us? And, so, shall we look to pursue it?

Two hours for work, two for chores, two for somebody else's errands. Rest eighteen for dreaming which includes sleep could be Life worth living probably.

Why Stop

I think I am missing on a beautiful activity on most of my days. That is, to spend time writing, and hence-on, also improving my hand on the craft; the craft of writing.

Call it critical writing, observational writing, creative writing or so on, perhaps this pause in my writing output can be called  Writer's Block, as famously put by many. And, I think it is an insulting remark. For, it shows- One, I have become lazy. Two, I probably don't enjoy writing. Or or And, three, the writer in me isn't confident that what I am doing is creative.

Then, I notice why people don't face this Writer's Block when carrying out writing activities, such as writing exams, filling out application forms or creating petitions. Why? Perhaps, simply because,  these things do not suffer from requirements of a creative force, or if I am right, a motivating creative force which will eventually create something new. And also maybe, creative writing is such a beautiful animal that though it cannot be undone it can always be redone, redone again or newly done again.

Genuine creative written matter, doesn't suffer from any block, I think; for anything written genuinely will create something new. Creativity just doesn't equates with any stoppage or a block. Writing is about flow of words, free flow or hindered flow but yet a flow. Hence, the term Writer's Block, is therefore clearly a weed in the process of creative writing; maybe an expression which is unnecessary.

Someone who likes writing should just keep writing, perhaps.

What can Bhola do?

Bhola is in mid twenties and runs a small shop in a desolate single lane road which connects two obscure regular villages in a typical flat arid terrain in India. The ten by five feet mud shack doesn't serve any tea, but keeps some handy bidis, biscuit and chips packets, a bicycle repair kit, and perhaps some other handy items of local village consumption or a local passer-by's use. A shade next with a mud floor and a mud  bench is also handy to usual gathering of the youth in the hamlet.

Many reports on many youth like Bhola and my personal observations after meeting him show an evident charm in him towards innovative farming, participating in improvement initiatives in his village housing environment, and also nearby travelling as a desire. But for the farm hand and part time shop owner, lack of income opportunities accentuated by inclination to stay with own in the villages perhaps keeps Bhola still in the village, and continue a frugal life. Perhaps, as Bhola says, it could also be lack of good jobs in nearby cities, as they are hard to pursue because of inability to adjust to demanding working conditions, out of context exam questions and the question of settling in a new environment.

Seems for Bhola now, there is no-place exciting to go to -- or stay -- for any new ambitions, when really a lot can be achieved by him and his gang of scaterred youth in his own very hamlet he is living in these days.

***

In the the above lines, something's seriously wrong. Isn't it?

Classy Road

As I walked up the few hundred yards to my workplace from my rented house here in Dahod I listened to a Thin Lizzy's 'Cowboy Song', a much unheard classic, thanks to
http://www.dailysongfix.com/thin-lizzy-cowboy-song/

Usually, my mornings after I wake up stay shitty for a few hours. This is one reason, perhaps I am so afraid to go to sleep the previous night. Therefore and admittedly, I am also an insomniac. And, so I
was really glad because of this song that happened to me this morning. Seeking a suitable APP for a daily classic song, which I couldn't find one, the dailysongfix website came up in my search. This drove my morning blues away to an extent, and now I am happy too that this site will give me some good daily fodder of at least  some good classics I will ever hear; so, that Dahod's conditions, including walking conditions, will stay good for me until my patience expires here in this town.

Now, as I walked this morning, the 'Cowboy Song' admittedly and weirdly drifted me to classic times; in those sixties and seventies. The narrow road I walked was dirty, droppy, and dusty; a rough and a badly maintained and kept surface. The path stank too because of cattle droppings and the house waste scattered typical of these classic times we live here in small towns of India. This rough small walk of few hundred steps were a road it seemed I walked within a classy time, which I evidently relished. And, to complete this five minute or so song I walked some more, taking a drift within my usual Dahod route, re-listening the song once again.

Good Cocktail

Do the two fields of Human condition , i.e. Development and Art make a good mix? Think about it, it can either be nicely cocktailed or it can go really bad. Asit is right in reminding me, that tradition is something to learn from, and what really have you done when you haven't added your art to it? Hence, where will development and empowerment come from otherwise?

These words inspire me to think about all the work we do with building houses in poor regions, rural settings and disaster situations. Shouldn't the rural artisans or regular contractors involved in daily work must be inspired to put art in their development work?

Really, how much of this cocktail can really go bad?

Good Morning Gloominess

Is it isn't because of the gloom and the feeble struggles of lights trying to seep inside this room from the few windows it has that I can see the vapour rising from my new hot cup of tea?

Imagine what would happen when suddenly you find that this next morning you have your tea cup missing from its usual place?

Nothin. You just might wanna sketch it.
 

Watercolors

To enable you to make a painting or draw a sketch, you need your mind in peace, or a certain restlessness.  Let me try to explain this.

Well, today I am looking outside my window and all I see is grey trees, windows and everything grey.  Really, everything is grey indeed.  The head gets gloomy and numb.  And perhaps, the only way to deal with this gloom is to draw something colourful.  In my opinion Water Colours can be one good choice here.  There is no need to draw something within boundaries or any specific colour, just find something cheery, I mean a cheery colour, mix a few drops of clean water, to it. Pankaj says, "thicker the paper the better it is; so,  the colour water can flow within as well as on the surface of the paper".  Just look outside the window, your window, and draw what you see.  Remember, no boundaries or no fixed lines, just your few cheery water colours flowing.  And, using "black" for colour here would only give more contrast.

Keep colouring keep drawing, you might get so absorbed in your work that next time you look up at the window, you will find that the beautiful darkness has arrived.


Below, one wintry day in Delhi...