Reading Notes 2/52: January

2/52 Carmen Maria Machado's Her Body & Other Parties (2017) might be the best book I read this year. I know it is early to say that because its the second book I have read to the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. Most certainly this collection of short stories will be one of the best setting 2018 standard very high. I know there are many interesting books coming this year so I really hope to get happy surprises. 

Following might contain some spoilers! Her Body & Other Parties is full of honest and truthful stories which give many perspectives to what it is to be a woman. I found it easy to relate these women and their lives, experiences and feelings. In Real Woman Have Bodies women start to lose their physical body. The thought is haunting and horrible but maybe not science fiction or fantasy at all. Also Eight Bites examines the same theme. Why do we take it given that we are not enough and we need to change. Maybe we don't always even realize the pressure and it's effect on us. 

I read Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth (1990) last Autumn and it provoked me to think these themes too. Wolf opens the mechanisms of beauty industry and the ways we are made to think we have to upgrade ourselves to become qualified and wanted. This task takes all our energy from active participation in society, career development and healthy relationships. After reading Machado's stories I came to think why do we let ourselves vanish. Is it actually other things than so called perfect body that we want? I often find myself thinking that maybe things would get better, maybe I would be more successful and happier if I looked different. That different might not be me anymore and in that sense it would mean vanishing and losing myself. It sounds horrible said like this but when it is done in little mundane routines, in the name of healthy eating and good manners it doesn't get us shouting for justice even though we are modifying ourselves and being modified by reward and punishment method. And by reward and punishment I mean for example the comments we get and give to each other considering appearance.

From the stories The Resident was also one that spoke to me personally. In the story main character is accepted to an artist residency. The place of residence is near her old girl scout camp which makes her reflect happenings from childhood and how those have formed her. I began to wonder how it affects to your adulthood whether you are insider or outsider in childhood and/or young age. Sure all experiences we have in our lives makes us what we are. A new perspective I found in this story was that being outside from a group might allow you to see yourself, hear your own thoughts and decide your path without the group's pressure. If we are used to being part of the group we seek groups in our lives and act to fit in. These groups also affect to our thinking and how we see our possibilities. It might be that the fear of being left out makes us go through life in a way that we feel we get accepted. Being alone to get to decide all by yourself is not a life goal because we need people around us, love and friendship. But having an experience of being outsider might boost the inner motivation and dreams. It is no longer a goal to do things right according to social norms. Instead it makes you see the situations where you are being manipulated and tamed to fit the so called ideal. I loved the part where the main character shouts her right to be as she is and not to act as someone else orders her to. So often the norms push us to be what we are not, in the name of good behavior or acceptance. 

These are my thoughts of the book. I truly recommend Her Body & Other Parties as there are so many excellent and thought provoking stories. 

Spontaneous Home Tour

 

Today when I came home the whole apartment was bathing in sunlight. I rushed to my camera and started taking pictures. Even on a sunny day we have light about 2-3 hours so I had to be quick. After several snowy days and quite dark December it was wonderful to see all the colors in their full bloom. Now that I have edited the photos I can see a leading theme in my home and it is bold pink. There is no corner in my home where there is no pink. Pink is reckless, energetic and inspiring color. Especially small pink details make a nice modern twist to bohemian style that can otherwise look too shabby.

I haven't shared that many interior pictures from my home lately the lack of light being the main reason. Kitchen corner is the only place that has a bit more light even on a cloudy day. It would be impossible to get good quality pictures in a living room when it is dark outside. It has worked fine to take most photographs in the kitchen and play with styling. Now that there begins to be more sunny days I feel inspired to start decorating other corners of this studio apartment. I have no plans to change the whole style. I like the mix of colors, old and new furniture, grey and pink combo and big wall posters and mirror wall. Yet I feel super inspired by the 2018 trends: Earthy hues, terracotta, berry colors and Pantone's color of the year ultra violet. To bring 2018 into my home I am going to go with small home decor DIYs. I already visited thrift stores today to get materials for projects. 

Sometimes it feels that nothing has happened in home decoration sector so it is good to have these reflective moments. Usually home decor DIYs that I make take their place in my home and I take a picture of that corner. Then after a while I change the order of furniture and decor and it looks a bit different. Last year has brought more pink details to my home. Ikat inspired lampshade DIY, wall clock that I made of an old plate and a new quilted blanket that I put on the wall. Two new pillows have found their place as well as furniture makeovers like the magazine/book stand with marble details. I have had many fun and inspiring moments making these projects and I can't wait to have more ideas and experiments this year! 

This year one of my goals is to post more often and write about small things and thoughts. As I told on Saturday's post I have taken the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge so you can expect posts about books and reading. I will also post about DIY projects because crafts, old stuff, recycled materials and experiments are my true passion. Without making and creating I am not truly alive but merely existing. I will continue to play with colors and recycled materials. This year's leading theme in home decor, DIYs and lifestyle could be ecological maximalism. Multitude of colors, textures, layers and atmosphere can be achieved with creativity and upcycling of existing materials.

Reading Notes 1/52 : January

During the Christmas holidays I went through reading challenges and book lists. There are so many great books to read in this world and new ones coming each month. Those who have followed me a bit longer know that 2017 I made a decision to read more. It was one of the best decisions I have made. It took a while to learn how to concentrate on reading and enjoy books again. I had developed bad habits with my phone, computer and TV trio. Sometimes I had all three on at the same time and the level of concentration was low. No wonder it took lots of effort and motivation to pace down and read a book. It is so easy to slip into constant surfing and mindless browsing these days. 

I value good books, writing and learning. It is magical how many thoughts one book page can give if you read the words carefully and take time to ponder. Now about seven months later I have better skills to concentrate. I can pick a book and read hours. My to be read -lists are becoming longer and longer. Social media and book blogs are excellent sources of inspiration. Many classics are waiting to be found and I can´t wait to get my hands on 2018 releases. 

After going through excellent reading challenges I thought I will go with the most simple one. One year, 52 weeks and 52 books. No categories. I just get to read 52 books. What I love about this idea is that it challenges to read more through the year. I can also go according to the current mood and read mainly new releases or classics or scifi or what ever feels great and I don't have to remember what category is still unfilled. While reading I am going to take notes to learn more and develop personal thoughts. 

1/52 This year's first book is Lidia Yuknavitch's The Book of Joan (2017). Following might contain some spoilers! I had gone through book reviews on Goodreads and knew that The Book of Joan doesn't open easily. This in mind I started reading and enjoyed poetical and thought provoking style. After finishing the book I did not have a coherent picture in my mind. Story had brought up different themes that I connected to things that are currently happening in the world. For example in the book nature is exploited and ruined and a dangerously charismatic father figure gains supporters in the middle of crises. 

The story is set in near future where Earth is ruined. Towns have become deserted and nature's resources have been used. Natural catastrophes have lead to crises and wars. The world's elite has left the Earth to live in a constructed platform CIEL. Only few people live on the Earth hiding from CIEL. Humans have become creatures living in an environment where nothing is alive anymore. Only one who has not been affected and has kept her full humanity is Joan. 

The story itself opened to me one night, exactly 24 hours after reading the book. It describes the corruption of humankind and questions what is left of culture and humanity when nature and Earth are destroyed. It made me think whether culture and humanity can exist without nature. Nature gives us life and is an essential source of inspiration. 

In CIEL nothing is authentic anymore and the whole environment and system is the result of human made technologies. Maybe because the link between nature and humankind is missing people have become creatures. I wonder how would it be like to live in a fully constructed environment that is built in emptiness. I would have possibility to eat, exercise and rest but there would be no nature and interactions with other people would be restricted. The world of CIEL is brutal and violent. Only form of self expression are stories written on skin. Makes sense. 

Joan is the counterforce for CIEL. She has kept a connection with nature and seen some of the future happenings beforehand. Maybe the ability to listen what Earth has to say has kept Joan unchanged when others have lost parts of their humanity. After the wars Joan is still living on deserted Earth with Leone, with whom she has gone through many battles. Their love story is a big contrast to CIEL's artificial and horrible reality. It makes you think what is humanity and the threats that can destroy it. Now we have a good time to evaluate what are the things actually worth living for. In a material world it is easy to neglect the message nature is giving us. But it might be that without the Earth as we know it there is no humanity we would recognize. 

Have you read The Book of Joan? Have you made plans to read more this year?

Relaxing and peaceful weekend to you all!

Sannu

High Hopes for 2018

It is 2018, do you already feel the difference? Last week when the new year began to approach I started to feel more energetic and positive. Reading Twitter and Instagram posts made me feel like there is a collective decision made to have a better year.  Last year no matter how hard we tried to make a turn to better we always got back to the starting point or even behind that. 

There seems to be consensus that 2017 was challenging, wearing and frustrating. The year was not entirely bad but overall atmosphere is drained both personally and generally. It feels like the year never actually started and gave it's full potential and possibilities. I can't say the year before was easy with all the things happenings in the world. Maybe two difficult years in a row has been too much. Even though there have been personal breakthroughs and moments of success it would be impossible to just focus on those and keep the world outside. It has been positive to notice that  bravery and no more -attitude have stand against fear and acts of hatred. If the year 2017 was the year some of the dystopias became reality, now referring to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and it's resemblance to current reality, 2018 could be the year of utopias. 

I would like 2018 to be the year of shared possibilities. It has been wonderful to see creative and hardworking people to succeed. It is great that like minded (in broad perspective) people connect in social media and share their creative paths and tell about their personal lives and everyday thoughts. It is inspiring to read how different ways people have caught their dreams. Maybe in 2018 utopia one way to give each other possibilities is to avoid criticizing each other's dreams and goals. As we all know doing creative work (whether paid or not at the moment) demands courage. Everyone has their own criticizers inside their head's, no need to give a return ticket back to earth. We all wake up under the ground every morning, gather ourselves, have an inner talk and confront what is coming. This year more energy could be addressed to creative work instead of self doubt. Without it we would have so much capacity to make world better; create beauty with pictures, sounds, movements and words.  

Last year I waited every day new updates about how bad things can turn in so called modern world. It seemed greed had no limits. I had creative blocks because I spent time wondering what comes next. Stuck could be a good word. I tried yet moved nowhere. Not that all went wrong personally speaking, I fulfilled some of my dreams, made new friends, put an effort to be more active and take part. Still lots of capacity was wasted. Quite often I was about to write. I had opinions and ideas but thought it was better not to because someone might get me wrong. One cannot please everyone and be afraid that people will read good meaning words as the opposite. To have diversity we can't allow just loudest voices to win. Hope this year more people will feel save to open discussions and participate. 

We are living in a world where it is technically relatively easy to publish and spread thoughts. We have seen both good and bad results. It is also easy to comment and criticize. Keeping a blog and being active on social media is constant debate between whether to create and publish this or not. At least my head is always full of ideas and thoughts and I evaluate which ones are worth the effort or fit to my blog's focus. Not every singe thought we get needs to be said out loud but there is no point to censor all thoughts out. Then again sometimes there is a pressure to take part on every discussion and make grand moves. It is good to remember though, that part of being active is to give space for others to participate and spread the word they are saying. After all the best part of blogging and social media is to connect with people and do things together. 

Peace, Love and Understanding! Happy New Year 2018!