Friday, January 23, 2009

a river runs through...

I am chatting to a writer buddy; and we're discussing love, life and relationships; toothpasty* kinda talk... nothing unique or unheard of, but forever enticing of reflection.

And so I said something and the advice was: 'Don't Change. Stay who you are.'

Aah. Words are strange things. Acknowledgment from friends means so much of course; but let's be totally honest: Change is inevitable. Sometimes fundamental things change, and other times its little nuances that may not show.

Life moves through us, and changes us... Just like a river moves by banks and towns, replenishing and feeding; bringing along with the tide, it's flood of enthusiasm and sometimes leaving destruction in it's wake.

I wonder, if we had to map out a canvas of these changes... what on earth would it look like?

Will it be filled with colour, streaks running down in the dance with gravity's pull? Or will it be adorned with something natural, wholesome and felt; textured by the seasons, tarnished by the rust and glowing with days of eternal sunshine? If I had to paint one for every person that I have met in my life, I imagine filling hallways with amazing design; some gregarious and dark, other's awash with soulful inspirations. Wind chimes would signal laughter and drumbeats for passion, love and sadness; fear, malice and anger would flow as the bark used on railway sleepers, and joy would appear as mirrors reflecting the eyes of all who hold them close.

Joy is as it does. In all of us. A whole new world exists, just by thinking about making something that reminds me of everyone I have encountered on my path; everyone who has made an undeniable impact on being who I am. On the evolution of who I am at this moment. Evolutionary relationships are the basis of all we do, and all that makes us; A blog I enjoy reading by Azra also discusses this most beautifully in a recent post.

It's inevitable that some will be immortalised in the words I write; while other's will find their way into the light through the colours that my eye picks out. A river runs through me; every day I am replenished, destroyed, and filled to overflowing again. Words are strange things indeed.

So. What will your change canvas look like?

Shafs


*word and concept, courtesy lady h as added to discussion about my toothpaste theory; and her toothpasty chats with the Guy.

10 comments:

Nuraan said...

my change canvas would have yearly peaks. On each yearly peak there would be collages of activity and lots of bright everchanging visuals. Inbetween yearly peaks, there would be gentle winding slopes of confusion, between dark and light,sad and happy,but adorned with every colour you can think of..

hmm would the way i described this, tell you anything about me? ;)

nice post,and so true.

Anonymous said...

A river runs through me; every day I am replenished, destroyed, and filled to overflowing again. Words are strange things indeed.

INDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDD!!!

what will be my canvas?

now it will be my soul and i will let my reflection mold the images already drawn on it. something like an abstraction but a lot more sense in it than now!

Thanks Shafz... this is an immense booster. truly I am beginning to re-liv life!

Anonymous said...

Mine would be green. And it would have chilli's (green ones) dangling off the bottom. There would be mirrors, too. And some sort of newspaper cutting - maybe more than one of those. And there should also be a remote control hanging from the bottom..WithOut batteries.

And one more thing: the canvas should be torn, patched up or stitched up, and have the smell of garlic (for warding off vampires) and the smell of sandalwood (for warding off jinn) and roses (for keeping my loved one close.

Anonymous said...

I just got back. Sorry I did not reply, phone died on me. I am so angry with the airline. I want a canvas with a screaming face and a broken plane hanging with a rope. Also it has to show my luggage falling from it into a place called 'We Dont Know'. #*@&!

JT

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

Green Chilli: It would be army green for you, hun :P

nk: it tells me that ur an analytical person; economic analysist? i shudder to think ;)
but at least u cant say u'v got a boring life...

seher - there are truly not enough colours to portray your energy, lady :)

JT- no flying things please...makes me dizzy just thinking about it!

hmm... re limits and boundaries and painting things with a particular someone in mind... an old friend once asked me to paint him a map of africa... i couldnt do it cos i imagined that he was capable of more things than a geographical symbol and the boundaries that go with it, might allow or imply... who knows tho.. interpretation left to the eye of the beholder.

sometimes it just takes a piece of the sky... to say it all... or the moon, sun, a star, the ocean... etc etc etc

i agree with seher.. the abstractions say far more than the practical details that we try too hard to depict.

on another note, my sister-in-law is a fascinating artist and i have been watching her at work this past few weeks...

i haven't painted in a while tho...

desert demons said...

hmmm cool mental image , here's wishing humanity a beautiful collective canvas for 2009

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

thanks dd! :)

Anonymous said...

my canvas is... of late.... being stretched across its frame, threatening to rip in places... but i stitch it up again... and splash some colour across the fraying bits.... hopefully enough to disguise any signs of tearing and carry on.... sorry for the somewhat morbid imagery... need to get me a new box of oils methinks : )

Az said...

Awww my darhling Shafs :D

It's taken a while to get here, I've been lost in a maze of reveries, reminiscence, nostalgia and daydreams...and I'm happy to report that I'm throughly enjoying every minute that I'm concsiously LIVING!

So anyways...every minute we experience contributes to our evolution...and I'm lucky I get to evolve with you :D *gush*

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

CC: new oils sounds like a plan! try amsterdam :P

Azra... i sent the email for ths comment out to a friend of mine as soon as i read it! LIVING consciously is all we're meant to be doing. It's everything! thanks for your inspired ways and words, lady... drops of amazement every day ;)