Current inspirations collated by Ivy Nina Valentina xx
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Wow! It’s been a quarter of a year since the last MOOD I posted! Time flies and it’s beautiful and scary and wonderful and electric. This MOOD is pretty simple. I’ve been trying to simplify my life recently. Enjoy!!
Imperfections in film photos
I remember reading somewhere that the fact that film photography even exists is a chemical miracle. My knowledge on the process of taking and developing film photos isn’t extensive, but I do know that it is an intricate system of steps that has to be strictly followed lest there be any mistakes or blemishes. However, it is when these imperfections arise that I think the miraculous nature of film photography is not only evident, but shines. The flaws that appear display the magic of film but also the perseverant beauty of the human spirit which demands attention even in such a stringent process. The light leaks, misguided framing and out-of-focus-ness of some of the film photos I have taken make them all the more dear to me. These “faults” tell a greater story that extends beyond what was captured by the lens, perhaps indicating the conditions the photo was taken in or the amount of time given to the picture. It’s all very sweet and endearing to me. A few new year’s eves ago, my older brother opened the back of my film camera which caused light spillage onto a decent portion of the negative roll. It’s that little story that now comes with those photos when I look at them and I think that’s beautiful.
Making faces in my food
Bringing back a little bit of childlike wonder! Personally, when I focus on being more playful, it increases my gratitude for life. This is naturally a quality that I want to foster, particularly around food and eating which I often write off as mundane and something I just have to do to keep moving along. To eat is a privilege! I want to make sure I don’t forget that. So I’ve been tapping into a little bit of fun and nostalgia to really appreciate what I’ve got sitting in front of me. Taking in the components of my meal and making them into something funny or cute to look at before I dig in. It’s been a nice little shake up, particularly around breakfast time as it encourages me to really slow down and be thankful for my food and thus in turn, my life.
‘Veronica’ by Mary Gaitskill
Veronica by Mary Gaitskill is a novel about the friendship between Alice and Veronica. A former model and middle-aged proofreader respectively, the two form an unlikely bond and the novel tracks the path each takes through life moving swiftly between the hedonistic glamour and narcissism of the 80s and the wreckage it left behind for the women decades later.
This novel traverses some very dark territory, particularly in regards to the world of modelling and the seedy and outright abusive situations women often have to endure to make it in that industry. I would definitely ensure that you know what you’re getting into before reading. But my goodness, Gaitskill’s writing is outstanding. I have a particular adoration for writers who are concise with their words and are able to apply this same exacting style to their metaphors and similes – Gaitskill’s writing is a masterclass in precisely this. In prose, her clear voice cuts straight to the meat of human experience, holding up a mirror to society with the level of detail employed. In allegory, Gaitskill somehow is able to draw on the most outlandish ideas and then in the same line exercise them perfectly to create the most apt comparisons. Writing like hers is the reason I love literary fiction. It is based in reality, but the lyrical detail brought on in her expert use of metaphor and simile provide the pleasure of escapism. It’s admirable and brilliant and refreshing. Like being the first person ever to bite into the crispest apple on the first day of autumn. Here are some of my favourite passages:
‘I didn’t know how to pose, but it didn’t matter; the music was like a big red flower you could disappear into… I was going to be a model and make money walking around inside songs everybody knew.’ p.41
‘Her rage was like gentleness trapped and driven crazy with sticks. It was flailing and helpless.’ p.58
‘But prettiness is always about pleasing people. When you stop being pretty, you don’t have to do that anymore. I don’t have to do that anymore. It’s my show now.’ p.44
‘I went back to New York just before Christmas. The piss-elegant city wore salt-stained winter clothes and soiled jewels, its colours stunned and mute in the cold.’ p.222
‘Brightness poured through his eyes in hot little pieces. I followed with my own eyes, thinking if I could stop one little piece and see what it was, I would find a whole world. But he never let one stop.’ p.74
‘There is my father, listening to his music hard enough to break his own heart. Trying to borrow shapes for his emotions so that he may hold them out to the world and the world might say, Yes, we see. We feel. We understand.’ p.143
Creating before consuming
Admission! I have only done this a few times. However! Every time I have, it has been SO fulfilling. But what does ‘creating before consuming’ even mean? Quite literally, I have been aiming to produce some creative work before I take in anyone else’s creativity or irrelevant media junk. In practice for me, this usually looks like doing half an hour of free creative writing in the morning before I have consumed anything else (books, TV, social media etc.). What I have found has been quite remarkable and very inspiring. I’m writing stories that I didn’t even know I had in me. I’m barely breaking focus. I feel strong in my word choice and tone. By not influencing my mind with the consumption of external media before writing, it seems I have given myself direct access to my raw creativity and a real sense of clarity as I write. What’s more, I often get into a rhythm that keeps me writing for longer than thirty minutes. And the motivation I feel from the accomplishment of having so easily banked hundreds of words? Unparalleled. Tedious tasks that follow throughout the day seem to come and go that much easier. This has been a super rewarding and eye-opening practice for me. I feel like it’s one more step towards decentering social media in my life and focusing more on the things I actually care about.
That’s the fourth MOOD! Thank you so much for reading through to the end and please feel free to comment any of your recent obsessions below. Love you all endless and oodles!!!! <3
Image source:
Running horse sourced via fR7dT4mYxP2Q, SOURCE
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LOVE the food faces!
YIPEE! Me too <3