1.
Untitled — abstract paintings by Carly Ashdown
From the Community
I didn’t elicit a title for these mesmerising abstracts from Carly, but if I were to give it a title I would call it: “Lens Into The Cosmos and Dreaming.”
When I consider these paintings, I see and feel a lot of things simultaneously - some of which feel contradictory. I see the ephemeral nature of our human experience and at the same time life’s endlessness. A continuous movement and flux (even though these are still images), and I also see stillness - an expression captured in time. I see ‘time’ disintegrating. I see infinity and ‘everything’, and I see an abyss of ‘nothing’.
I find myself in the middle of these contradictions and perceptions, but all there really are are pigments of paint. More precisely, pixels of light on a screen.
No different than one’s life - there is nothing unless we dream it, create it, and share it. And this may be everything.
2.
Harlem — a poem by Langston Hughes
From the Library
Harlem What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? - Langston Hughes
When I first came across this very short but very poignant poem, I experienced a moment’s pause that had me lean into a ‘contemplation’ of his question: “What happens to a dream deferred?”
In the end, I concluded, “nothing.” 😅 😯 🤷🏻♀️
3.
On Comfort — a quote from Dean Karnazes
From the Internet
“Don’t confuse comfort with happiness.”
— Dean Karnazes
BONUS
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I think society is geared towards teaching us to confuse comfort for happiness. Another great post!
Cool paintings. All 3 are great! The top one makes me think of the colors you see in a sunrise, while the third one reminds me of an ocean scene.