[breathing #17] life is a bamboo tree

Nothing happens by chance. This is one thing I believe on. I discovered Les Brown today. I never heard about him before, let alone hear one of his talks.

He's a great motivational speaker: inside him there's passion, knowledge and the will to share. I also admire his strength, however what most inspires me in his life story is: he never gave up. That's a great lesson we need to learn.

"If you can't see it, it doesn't mean it isn't working".

15 Great Lessons From A Bamboo Tree!!! from Sompong Yusoontorn

In this video I'm sharing with you, Les talks about nurture, constant nurture. That metaphor of the Chinese Bamboo tree is a great reminder, and the seed I needed to continue to pursuit my goals. To remind myself that I'm capable enough to achieve them.

We live in a world of instant rewarding, he says. We want what we want, right here and right now. But life isn't a one ladder stairway. Or has a trampoline that let us jump from the first ladder to the last. I lack this asset: of being patient. It's something I need to work on.

Right now, I think I wouldn't be able to water that bamboo tree every single day for 4 years. One day I would forget it, another I wouldn't feel like having all the work to just water it (and just tell myself "it's just one day, what harm can it make?", and then make of this an habit), the following day I'd question myself "What's the purpose? I can't see any outcome" or "I must be doing something wrong. But what?". One day, I'd be so full of excuses that I wouldn't be even conscious that I haven't gave any chance for that tree to grow. Here's my opportunity to change and grow.

I do it with most of my dreams: I do something and nothing happens. I continue doing it for some time and, still, nothing happens. I change here and there, but, well, nothing happens! So I quit and try another dream. I do this in a loop, growing to infinity. This talk taught me that I'm doing everything wrong, even when I'm thinking "I must be doing something wrong". My efforts are an Escher painting, with all that climbing and downing stairs.

Nothing happens by chance, and yet it's curious that, once again, another big lesson in my life is carried in the voice of Chinese history and culture (and nature!). I admire Chinese people very much for all this reasons (and correct me if I'm wrong):

• They fight endlessly, no matter the obstacles;
• Everything in their lives has a purpose and is useful (aesthetics aren't a purpose);
• They search for an equilibrium in all areas (mind and body, traditional and western medicine/philosophies/wisdom, history and innovation, among others);
• They are always polite and grateful.

I once read a wonderful article by Garr Reynolds in Presentation Zen (still one of my favourite blogs!), which talked about this bamboo tree. I think you should read it too.

On my endeavours about this awesome Chinese plant, I discovered a great YouTube video, with all the lessons we can learn with a simple seed:


Also, even if you don't like animation movies, you need to watch Big Hero 6. This is one of the best Disney movies I saw for some years now. It teaches us to persevere, even when everything goes wrong or we don't know what to do any more. The motto is: keep doing and keep failing until you make it. I've made a clip with all the tests Tadashi ran, in order to Baymax to work (84!). Subtitles are in Portuguese, because it's my mother language. After the clip, I'll transcribe the whole dialogue, in English.

Baymax - Tadashi is here.

Tadashi - Here is Tadashi Hamada. And this is the first test of my robotics project.

Baymax - Hello. I am Baymax.

Tadashi - Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.

Tadashi - The seventh's test of my robotics project.

Baymax - Hello. I...

Tadashi - Ugh! Wait. W-wait. Stop there. Stop.

Tadashi - Tadashi Hamada again. And this is the thirty third test of my robotics project.

Tadashi - *sights* I'm not giving up on you. You don't understand this yet but people need you so let's get back to work.

Tadashi - This is... uh... Tadashi Hamada and this is the eighty fourth... test... *sights* What do you say, big guy?

Baymax - Hello. I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion.

Tadashi - It works. It works! Oh, this is amazing! You work! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! You work, I can't believe it! 

Tadashi - Ok, ok. Right, big moment here. Scan me.

Baymax - Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated. This indicates that you are happy.

Tadashi - I am. I really am. Oh man. Wait until my brother sees you... You're gonna help so many people, buddy. So many!... 

Tadashi - That's all for now. I'm satisfied with my care.

This scene was my favourite one, from all the animation. Here you can see a young boy, trying to change the world by helping people. Quoting a wise man, he is mad enough to believe he can change the world, so he changes it. His early efforts are unsuccessful, but he has faith in the project so he keeps going. He wants to help people so much that giving up is not an option. So he tries and tries again: one, seven, thirty, eighty four times. And then he gets it. Can you see the excitement on his face? How much is he happy? He can't contain himself. And then, we wants to share his victory with his brother, Hiro.

Love and confidence can really change the world. So, don't ever give up on your dreams. Don't listen when others say you won't make it. Erase your thoughts when your conscious whispers on your ear that you don't have the skills yet. Those are all lies, obstacles you need to surpass. And those obstacles are the ones that will show how much you want this dream. So, open your wings and fly. Open your heart and be amazed. You can do it!

breathing #16 [#YouCanLearnAnything]

My dear dreamers,

This is a campaign by the Khan Academy, inspiring us - again - to be the best we can want. There are no limits to what we can learn, I believe in that {read this amazing article, by Sal Khan - Khan Academy's founder}. I also believe that, no matter how your grades at school are/were, it doesn't mean you aren't smart enough or capable to achieve a certain (level of) knowledge.

This has more to do with the way we learn than to what we learn. Everyone has different interests and ways to memorize information. The difficult part is to realize how we personally do it.

I've started learning Chinese a couple of years ago. Some say is the most difficult language in the world, but once you know how it works and what are the best tools and time for you to learn, it becomes incredibly easy. I still make a lot of mistakes and did not achieve the level I wanted yet (put lack of effort here), but that's what learning means. I don't force it so I don't drop it.

We often judge people by their grades, or how fast or slow they learn or even for how many mistakes they make in a certain period of time. We tell them they're smart or dumb according to that. Well, that's stupid. Yes, ironic.

I don't believe in smart, or dumb, people. I believe that some of us use our brain and others don't. Some of us seek challenges, while others hide on their comfort zone. That's what makes the difference.

 (...) by struggling, your brain grows. 

It seems common sense, but the truth is we always punish people when they do something wrong, even when they made the effort to do it right. This kind of behaviour only has one reaction: it keep us from trying again, and hence learn, because we're afraid to fail again, to feel dumb again and to disappoint others, once again.

So remember, you can learn anything if you try hard enough.

 

|| All images and videos are credit of  Khan Academy.

breathing #15 [what's your excuse?]

My dear dreamers,

I was searching for something inspiring. Something that would blow my mind away in a heartbeat. And I finally found it through the work of Janet Echelman.

I didn't know her until today, but I saw her work everyday I took a walk by the sea in the city I'm currently living in: Porto. Without knowing it. Today I discovered a little bit more about where I live. About its story. Today I feel connected with someone would also had been rejected, but found her way in the end. Which is successful and hadn't afraid of believing in herself. Who brings a little bit of joy and beauty to the urban place. A little bit of colour. A little bit of ancient. A little bit of life.

Be amazed by her sculptures:

She Changes @Porto, Portugal (2005)

The Expanding Club, @New York City, New York (2007)

Roadside Shrine I: Cone Ridge @ Houston, Texas (2000)

Target Swooping II @Burgos, Spain (2001)

Her Secret Is Patience @Phoenix, Arizona (2009)

Target Swooping Down... Bullseye! @Madrid, Spain (2001)

I leave you with her story.


So, what's your excuse?

breathing #14 [rain and blankets]

My dear dreamers,

This weekend I spent my time at home, enjoying a good book by Anaïs and watching a several array of inspiring films. I often say it's hard to find them, but I had good luck this time. France, Kenya, England, Turkey, China and Germany.

(the trailers are in their original language. I disdain copies. ;) )






(the second isn't that great)

~The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. Anaïs Nin

What's the last great movie you watched?

breathing #13 [one road only]

My dear dreamers,

♥ via Haruki Murakami

[this was supposed to be published at 8 a.m. today. but it seems blogger has a problem with following rules.]

In The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, more precisely in his short-story Sleep, I read the following words:

The author maintained that human beings, by their very nature, are incapable of escaping from certain fixed idiosyncratic tendencies, both in their thought processes and in their physical movements.

I had to transcribe that to my Moleskine and add some notes beside it. I thought about the way I am and why I am like that. Who or what made me with these characteristics. Why am I shy and clumsy? Why do I like to read so much? Why am I never satisfied? Why do I have an interest about strategies but don’t seem to understand them? Why am I always seeking for perfection?

And can't I be other than myself? Am I stocked to the way I am until I die? Can't I do anything about it? It's scary, don't you think?

Both Murakami and Times of India talks about tendencies. We gather the world with our five senses and a part of it stays with us and shape us in ways we aren't aware of.

How you became the way you are is just a tendency that you developed because of the information you gathered. Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

It's a cycle, isn't it? You process the information this way because of your personality. And that information will change you, conscious and unconsciously, and the next piece of information you'll get will be perceived differently. What if we relived our whole life again? How will that change us?

How you became the way you are is just a tendency that you developed because of the information you gathered. The Times of India

This is the same thing in another words, black in white without the beauty of literary composition. A tendency. "So can we blame others by the way they look to the world? Can we blame ourselves for not being as cultural beings as we'd like or dumber than we wished it to be?", you might ask. Of course we can!

 It doesn't matter what impressions you have gathered, what you make of it is in your hands. Times of India

We are critical beings. We can always rethink our actions and shape them. We have goals and we can work towards them. We can read more, travel more and communicate more.

I do believe that our core will never change, that we can change little things like be kinder or deal better with stress. In a sort of way, enhancing our qualities and hiding our peculiarities. Not that I think that we should conceal them (when we're not hurting anybody, if you were wondering). It’s what makes us unique.

I’ll make an experience. It may sound stupid, but it’s me finding myself so what do I care what others think about it? I’ll record myself doing the things I do every day. The ones I don’t even have to think about. Whom are (almost) automatic. The ones I could even do with my eyes closed. And then do everything over, exactly like that: with eyes wide shut.

Clumsy as I am, maybe I’ll screw everything up and my analysis will go straight up to the can. (Well, at least I’ll try. Good excuse, ah?) But… maybe if someone joined me at this experiment… will you give it a try?

This is my inspiration of the week. No cute photographs, no amazing art works, no relaxation. It's Monday, the weekend is over and we better be prepared for the rest of the week. Your energy is now restores so you better do something useful today. Because tomorrow it will all be drained. Inspirations should lead to action. I'm doing the tough part. You better do yours! ;)

breathing #12 [not here]

My dear dreamers,

Are you ready to travel? Let's go to Switzerland first and conquer the world from there. :)


Helvetia's Dream from Alessandro Della Bella on Vimeo.





What's your dream destination?

breathing #11 [here comes the rain]

My dear dreamers,


Rain by `yuumei on deviantART
I don't know about you, but here, winter came for good. Yes, winter. So I might get used to the cold and rainy days that awaits me. Apart from the headaches, I don't mind this weather. I used to, but what harm a little water can do?

Here are some warming outfits by Alix, the girl behind The Cherry Blossom Girl to inspire you up until the sun makes his appearance. I'm ashamed to say this, but I only found her today! (I'm going to look inside her closet now, see you later!)

♥ What's your outfit for today?

breathing #10 [i love my body]

My dear dreamers,

Monday is finally here to give you some inspiration. But today I want you to take a deep breath and continuing to read this post if you have a strong stomach. October, 8th is all about eating disorder.

This is a subject I often struggle about, I don't quite comprehend it yet. I always had problems with my weight, I've never be thin. Even at my best (and called ideal) weight I always had this bits of fatness that doesn't make me feel perfectly comfortable with my body (anyway, I still love it). But I never starved or induced vomiting. I exercise but never at the point of having no more energy at all. I'm not criticizing anyone, no one gets hill because they want to. However, I'd like to understand how someone reach that point. Because it's a kind of suicide. And I don't understand suicide either.

When I see pictures of ANA and MIA (acronyms for Anorexia and Bulimia) and the comments people leave at them, I feel ashamed of this society. They often say: "Oh! So beautiful!" but how can a disease, that leads you to death!, be beautiful? How an healthy person can desire to be only skin and bones? How this society is so wrecked?

Take vanishing from Laura, that I used to illustrate this post, as an example. How do you interpret this image? Does Laura wanted to show a romantic scene? Or does she wants to tell you than anorexia is anything but pain?

Thr background sets the mood: it's neither black (grief) or white (peace). It's grey. And grey is nostalgia  loss, depression. You can see that boy and girl are both sad. He's comforting her, but almost afraid to touch her fragile body. Notice that he's dressed and she's not. She exposes her body to the fierce nature, fighting and subsiding at the same time. Yelling for someone to support her. For me, this shows unconditional love. Being there at your worst moment. Helping you facing your fears.

I'll let you compare the following photographs and decide which one deserves to be perpetuated. And, please, remember always: learn how to eat in an healthy way and don't let anybody hurt you by their "standards". Beauty comes in all forms and sizes.

The first image I'm about to show you was found in Tumblr, in a blog about skinny girls and re-passed along as something beautiful and desirable. I was in shock.

♥ via she is so pretty

♥ via lady 2 be fit

As I prefer brighter images, I'll end this post with how we should feel about ourselves.

♥ via fuck yeah ashtanga yoga

♥ via asia-asia

How is your relationship with food?

breathing #9 [earth day is everyday]

My dear dreamers,

Yesterday was the Earth day and I acted accordingly. I did not plant a tree as I wished but I turned this blog into a greener place (haha literally too!). I hope you'll like it and enjoy to spend here a little more of your time.

I'll explain you all the details of the logo and the colours I chose for the blog, as I want you to understand why it is the way it is. There will be some more things that will be changed as the RSS and the about designing dreams&me and Facebook page, for example. If you have any suggestions drop them on the comment's box. It will be much appreciated.

So... as you can see the logo is representing two leafs with the two D's together, one white and a gold one that is turning into green. The first leaf represents the perfection I want to achieve. And because...

White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness. Wikipedia

You know I love colours!

The second leaf is what will lead me to that goal. Memories are fine to remember and to learn with but we need to move on and do something with the day we have in hands. Gold turning into green is the representation of a new life, a new opportunity to turn yourself into a better you and gaining an award for each golden leaf you shifted from.

And...the background: black and green. Black gives us a negative feeling most of the times, but it's here to save power. Black doesn't need as much energy as the other colours as it is the absence of light. And green, well it's obvious, it represents nature, hope and this wonderful Universe we live on.

It's now time to be inspired by the wonders of nature, follow me into this whole new world < along with the soundtrack. (Click on the images to go to the source.)
















What did you do on the Earth day?

breathing #8 [I lace you]

I know you hate Mondays, but I love them! It's the day of the Moon, my favourite luminary. I usually call myself as Luna, that means Moon is Spanish. However, that's not the only reason I prefer Mondays to Fridays or Saturdays.

As each day is a new fresh start, Mondays symbolizes a clean week where we can accomplish all our goals. Monday is energy. You're replenished from the weekend and you need to have your mind settled for the next five days. You'll not be as powerful as you are today, even if you can't feel it. That's why you need to feel inspired.

I'me here to wake you up and make you see the wonders of your life and how easy it is to put your hands to work and your hearts to love (yes, we can have more than one). Let's start!




♠  On the wonderful blog this is glamorous I read a long, but beautiful and invigorating article about lace (one of my favourite fabrics, along with silk and velvet). Make sure you read it too, don't be scared by the length of it as once you start to read you only want to know more and more. [Who is the girl who doesn't like lace? Lace is intricate, sweet, beautiful, delicate and sexy just like us.]

♠ If you're looking for great typography, you'll find it on Peter Hammarstrand's Behance Portfolio with 100 // Great things come out of boredom. Thank me later. 

♠  Travel to Rome in a white stair.

Did I changed your views about Monday? Tell me about it in the comments box.

breathing #7 [one per day]

My dear dreamers,

If you're visiting me today it's because you want to feel inspired. Am I right? You wont feel disappointed. Keep on reading.

A photo a day does you no harm, not even three or a dozen. We can dream and face reality, we can be fooled or learn something new. We can travel in space and time. We can share ideas or moments. What more is photography to you?

I'm not sure a picture worth a 1000 words, but it captures that one single moment in the life of the Universe that will never repeat again. How precious is that?

That's why I feel inspired by websites like 1x + FWA + National Geographic and their One Photo a Day. Take a look at them with me:

What's your photo of the day? Share your moments with me!

breathing #6 [the new&the old]

I'm so sorry everyone! I've been so distant from this blog and I think in the next couple of days I won't have the time to update designing dreams everyday.

I started a new course so I can give formation in my area, it's intensive and I have a lot to do. Anyway, every
time I can, I'll keep you posted.

I'll start this week with a (tiny) list of the most interesting articles I read last week. Hope you enjoy them!

♣ Wikistream: see how fast Wikipedia is updated!

♣ Most Powerful Photos of 2011: It's beautiful and scary!

♣ Awesome People Hanging Out Together: the title says it all.

breathing #5 [dreaming is the only way]

A new year comes with old and new dreams. Today's inspiration is about inspiring you to achieve them and show you some of my current desires.

Be a better you in 2012. :)

[via Etsy]

[via Etsy]

[via nani-naniblahblah]

Typography by ~kinol on deviantART