Tag: discovery

Viewing yourself as an architect to redesign life

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

It’s empowering to view yourself as an architect.

Some time ago, I came across the quote “you’re the architect of your own destiny.” At the time, it didn’t seem so relevant for me, but since creativity and architecture have some principles in common, I think it all makes sense now.

Architecture is a field that requires knowledge in many areas. While not all of us get a deep grasp of the tasks and responsibilities that architects take everyday, we do know something basic: they build. They design.

They plan carefully so that they complete their projects successfully.

An architect doesn’t design a house without paying attention to details.

unmistakablecreative.com

Our daily lives are full of little details that impact our moods and perceptions. It’s crucial to pay attention to then implement important changes.

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20 things that made my 2021 interesting

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany, Personal

We’re just about to finish 2021, a year full of life-changing events. I’m grateful for all the experiences I had, and all the opportunities that came my way, especially for writing.

New priorities redefine the way I live my days, but there’s always a chance to make room for all the things that matter to me. I’m confident 2022 will teach me how to become better at it.

Here’s the list of 20 things that made my 2021 interesting.

  1. Getting pregnant and giving birth to a baby boy
  2. My mom’s visit for two months
  3. Publishing an article on women’s empowerment in Excelsior, one of the most prestigious newspapers in Mexico. (The article is available in Spanish only).
  4. Collaborating as a blogger in Apocrifa Art Magazine. I wrote about indie authors, creative entrepreneurship and writing life in general. (All articles are in Spanish).
  5. Taking a course on creative writing for the first time in my life. It was wonderful.
  6. This video on the importance of being yourself. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever watched on YouTube.
  7. Reading more in Spanish. This year I read El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera, Ficciones, Cuentos Naturales, Plagio, La Ciudad Oculta 2, and Mucha Madre.
  8. Discovering the following musicians: Chet Baker Quartet, Debussy, and Vangelis.
  9. This song
  10. Finishing my book!
  11. Dave Gahan’s Imposter album
  12. Depeche Mode’s photo book
  13. A playlist I made to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day
  14. Discovering that I want to explore folklore through dancing. Watching Amalia Hernandez’ ballet was inspiring.
  15. Deciding that, someday, I’d like to become a judge at the Olympic Games
  16. Playing Mario Kart again
  17. Meditation as a more regular practice
  18. Writing about beginnings
  19. Writing more in Spanish
  20. Buying books for my son

Learning mode: a constant process of discovery

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, ThoughtsLeave a comment

We all need to be on learning mode at any stage of our lives.

It doesn’t matter how experienced we are in our professions. It doesn’t matter if we aren’t going to school anymore.

As snow falls outside and confinement remains the same, I’ve been thinking about my days as a university student. I look back and see myself sitting near the lecturer’s desk to avoid any distractions. I see my notebook ready for notes along with a black pen and a red pen to scribble as much as possible.

I was receptive to learning.

For the real world, I believe that same formula is worth implementing. Our lives and professions nowadays are demanding us to adapt to new forms of operating. The transition turns difficult when there’s resistance; however, in learning mode, it is possible to approach challenges with new eyes.

At the same time, learning means being willing to accept that there’s a whole world inside of ourselves that we know little about. We need to stay curious to unblock our own minds.

Learning is discovery, the discovery of the cause of our ignorance. However, the best way of learning is not the computation of information. Learning is discovering, uncovering what is there in us. When we discover, we are uncovering our own ability, our own eyes, in order to find our potential, to see what is going on, to discover how we can enlarge our lives, to find means at our disposal that will let us cope with a difficult situation.

(…)

Learning is definitely not mere imitation or the ability to accumulate and conform to fixed knowledge. Learning is a constant process of discovery and never a concluding one.

bruce lee

Quotes taken from brainpickings.org

What are you learning about yourself nowadays?