7 Ways to Help You Get Inspired

Sep 16, 2011 by Sami

When I met @RachelYeomans for the first time over coffee and pie she asked why I haven’t been blogging about art. You see, like any seasoned social media type would, she glanced over at my blog before meeting in person. It’s great because I did the same and we had things to talk about even before we met! Twitter, I love thee.

I told her the same thing I’m about to write. It’s hard. It’s really really hard to write about art or become inspired to write anything for that matter. Whenever I need to come up with a new idea I try to follow these steps to help me get out of my funk.

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Once Upon A Shakespeare Saturday

Apr 30, 2011 by Sami

I don’t know if it was because it was Friday at 5pm, that I was having a Boddingtons, because I saw all those crazy awesome hats from the “wedding” or because I posted a link on Chicago Shakespeare Group fan page few hours before but the moment that @AJLeon tweeted me, I swear I felt my heart skip a beat. Check out the Happy Birthday Shakespeare project to learn more about #HBWS!

Shakespeare was to me what comic books were to many teenage boys. Only thing is, I wasn’t a teenager. I was a 20 something learning English and my escape from reality was to go home and read Hamlet and laugh with him. Read Othello and disagree with him. Read Romeo and Juliet and sigh with them. I idolized theses characters, they become my mentors, friends, enemies, crushes, family and teachers.

I’ve already written about my affair with Shakespeare and it would seem redundant to keep doing it. To say that Shakespeare changed my life is not an exaggeration. That said, I’m going to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday with you by sharing what might be my two favorite sonnets.

The first one appeals to the cynical side of myself. The side that doesn’t believe in happily ever after. Although one can argue that this sonnet represents what, ultimately, it is to be happy. It’s sonnet #138. Once you read “therefore I lie with her and she with me, and in our faults by lies we flattered be” you realize that sometimes having someone in bed might just be your only option, regardless of that person’s feelings or actions when you’re not looking. It’s not hopeless or giving up but it’s a form of un-pitiful acceptance that many can’t achieve. Give it a read and share your thoughts!

The second one is the kind of sonnet you read to yourself in the warm spring breeze, right after you’ve had your first kiss with someone you’re so in love with. With someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with. That person is the realization of every romantic thought you ever thought you could have. It’s the can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t breath sonnet. It’s when will I get to see you again sonnet. It’s sonnet #29. Go on, read it and fall in love again!

Happy birthday Shakespeare and thank you for shaping the man I am today.

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Shakespeare: Always relevant!

May 1, 2010 by Sami

For the past five years I have had the pleasure of attending, almost, all of the Shakespearean works productions at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. It’s always a nice treat for me to be there. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater breaths life into the words I’ve read for so long. For a lack of a better word, it’s magical! Not too long ago, I got to see Taming of the Shrew.

I am not going to bore you with a mediocre synopsis of Taming. That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to tell how un-mediocre Taming was.  I’m not an educated critic. I’m here as an audience, heck I was excited to get a picture of me in the theater!  Yes, some critics looked too harshly on this production of Taming. Yes, some audience actually left during the play. However, I will go there again in a Shakespeare second! In fact, I’m already planning another trip there.

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Once Upon an Art

Mar 21, 2010 by Sami

Yesterday, I’ve discovered something about myself. I was at the Chicago Cultural Center, showing a friend around, looking at artsy stuff and talking about it. Yes, I realized that I can express my thoughts about art with words. That’s pretty much the best high I have felt in a long time. Do you know what it feels to fly? I do now.

Furthermore, I’ve always had the blessing and curse of seeing things with both my eyes and heart. Actually it’s only a blessing.

I’ve also been lucky to notice these things that one usually does not. Seriously, without my luck I would have never decided to go for a walk and see this extremely beautiful coincidence of  a perfect photograph. I don’t know if someone left it there deliberately. I usually try to imagine the history of an object but I was so taken back by the smile inflicted upon me when I saw this that I just didn’t care how it happened but happy that I was lucky enough to see it. Also, I’ve always been into balloons. It’s being able to fly but still restrained to Earth. I took this one in 2005. I didn’t actually realize that there was an airplane in the photograph when I took it. Can you find it? How could a balloon be so much higher than an airplane but so close to the ground at the same time? Half a decade later and I’m still obsessed with these flying objects.

Another thing I am obsessed with, crosses. I see the above one everyday on my way to work and wonder how long it’s been there and what feelings does it bestow on other walkers. I end this by recommending that you  always carry a camera because you never know what you’ll see that will inspire you.

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A letter to my photography professor

Feb 21, 2010 by Sami

JM, how are you? I really miss you, especially that I haven’t spoken to you ina really long time. I hope you are doing well.

You know they say that people come into our lives and impact our future. Some more than others. Some less than others. Because I ordered a drink from a certain Barista will mean that I’m getting a stronger latte. You, my dear friend, did so much more than giving me a strong espresso drink. You altered my perception of reality.

There I was, almost done with college, needed extra credits and found photography 101 accommodating to my schedule. Of course it’s an easy A, I told my friends. I went to the first day of class and I left it knowing that I can’t survive it for the rest of the semester. Not going to survive it, not because it was hard but because I knew it was going to change the rest of my life.

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