Aisha Urooj's Blog - Posts Tagged "thoughts"

I am still in search of that list but that won’t stop me from starting a new blog series centered around Things You Might Not Have Seen or TYMNHS, for short lol. Why? Because like Ellie says in My Dear Ellie, the world is more wonderful and weird than you know and we should explore it.

So what will I be focusing on the TYMNHS posts? Anything that catches my fancy and sparks the creative mind. I would limit it to Books, movies, shows and art though because if I fall down the black hole of strange nature phenomenon, cute animal videos or funny clips, there is no getting out of it.

For my first entry, I present to you this Art: ‘Dawn’ – Edmund Hodgson Smart, 1907. Dawn is a symbol of hope and new beginnings and I begin my new blog series with this image.

What a lovely image..though it could be renamed the ‘Quarantined Life’. I hope that you hadn’t come across this painting before and that I introduced you to something brand new.

I will continue to feature more books, movies, shows and art for you to see. I hope that you find them as mesmerizing as I did.

One of my favorite paintings, that I had the pleasure of seeing in person at an Art gallery, was the Nocturne in Blue and Silver; the Lagoon Venice by James Whistler (Oil on Canvas, 1879-1880).

When I was growing up, my teacher asked the class to sketch two professions that we wanted to be in when we grew up. My first sketch was, no surprise, a Doctor 😅 (In my defense, I did end up in research). My second sketch was of an Artist.

I have taken art classes throughout High School and I still paint today. I would be enamored with the paintings in my art book, not realizing that it didn’t show (pardon this pun) the ‘whole picture’.

An image on a page can’t show the true scale or dimensions of an artwork nor can it capture the layers, brush strokes and rough surface in its glossy representation.

I was in awe when I saw that some of the impressionist paintings in the exhibition I attended spanned the length of a room. This painting, however, was the size of a magazine. I had seen pictures of it but it wasn’t my favorite until I saw it in person.

The best way I can describe how I felt after seeing this painting is that imagine that you get sucked into a void where you cannot see or hear anything else. There is absolute silence. That is how I felt looking at the ghostly boats and the small lights off to the distance. I could imagine crickets chirping in the silence of the night and the sounds of water rippling in small waves.

I still get chills thinking about the powerful impact this painting had on me that day.

Thank you for reading! I hope that you discovered something new with me today.

“There is only childhood and death. Between the two, there is nothing.”

For this edition of TYMNHS, I will talk about the animated film The Physics of Sorrow by Theodore Ushev. The film is based on a book of the same name by author Georgi Gospodinov.

The Physics of Sorrow is an half hour animation showing us the life story of one man. It is a saga of his childhood reveries and adult regrets.

It is the first-ever fully animated film using encaustic painting. What is an encaustic style? It looks like a moving Edvard Munch painting. Once you see it, it becomes easily recognizable. It is smudged pastels whose edges are blurred, animated with wisps of dreams.

What is Sorrow in the film? It is a time capsule. It is nostalgia wrapped in regrets. The protagonist carries a briefcase with him with small life mementos. A gum wrapper. A dinosaur given by his daughter. Tin soldiers. Toy cars. We see him playing toy soldiers to becoming a soldier himself. He goes through a strict childhood, to enrolling in the army, to post-war PTSD, a marriage then a divorce.

The Physics of Sorrow is a poignant story. It is a moody and deep portrayal. Grief and sorrow are a constant companion. They are more familiar than happiness.

I want to read the book the film was based on. There are beautiful lines weaving through the film that touch a chord.

“Sometimes the end of the world is a purely personal matter.”

“How are you? How’s it going? How am I? I am not. Period.”

The protagonist regarding his briefcase and the end of the world: “To be opened after the end of the world. There must be something that remains though. Something He could use to start over. The day after the apocalypse, there will be no news, newspapers. How ironic? The most significant event in the whole history of humanity will get no media attention. Nobody will post on their Facebook page ‘The world has ended’.”

I hope that you liked today’s blog post. Thank you for dropping by!

This is an update on my current writing pursuits. As you know, I just finished the second book in the love and friendship trilogy, Eleanor’s Travels. I thought that after I completed this book, I would either:

1. Complete the sequel to my dark comedy novella, Divine Error. I was already halfway done.

2. Start on the final book for the YA trilogy. I have the first few chapters ready.

So, what am I working on now? I am working on 3. A brand new project because inspiration struck and refuses to let go 😅 So, all my other projects are on hold while I work on this new book.

So far, this is what I know. It will be a standalone, epic, love, fantasy novel based on a mythical creature (I won’t reveal what yet). It will also be my longest project to date. I hope that it will be 90k in length, but as I have mentioned before, underwriting is my weak point… so wish me luck 😔

The good news.. if all goes well, it will be ready in a few months. I will excited to share it with all of you. I have already work on the book cover, and it is so pretty 😍🥰

I also think I won’t do pre-order this time, and I will publish it straightaway. I am a small fish author in the large ocean of literary works, and my pre-order rates are just depressing at this moment lol 🐟🌊

Thank you for stopping by, and following me on my writing journey.

In today’s edition of Things You Might Not Have Seen, I will talk about the memoir Educated by Tara Westover.

When I started this book, I didn’t realize that it was non-fiction. I had heard so many people praising the book, that I wanted to see it first myself. The writing is compelling and gripping. It is raw and emotional.

I think that saying that the book reads like a great fiction would be ignorant. Educated is the true life account of a woman’s struggle with family abuse, and how her education allowed her to finally break free. Despite getting her PhD under extraordinary circumstances, we watch Tara struggle in trying to stay connected with her family.

What this memoir says truthfully is this: You might recognize the abuse, you might even learn what to do to keep yourself safe, but you still can’t stop loving your family. It is ok to want a better life for yourself. It is also ok to grieve weakening of family ties.

By the end of the book, you might have a few revelations. You might realize what education can provide:

It can stop financial dependency.

It can stop others from dictating your lifestyle.

It can stop others from dictating your own thoughts.

That is powerful.. and you can only realize this is significant, once you take a step back from the situation.

You can only understand what you are missing, once the chains weighing you down emotionally, mentally and psychologically are slackened. Once your thoughts are allowed to breathe on their own. Getting an education gives you that chance.

Education is a privilege, in every sense of the word. Don’t ever take it for granted.

I hope that you liked today’s blog post. Check out Educated by Tara Westover, if you haven’t already. I wish you good health and happiness today, and always.

I thought I end the year by talking about my latest project, one that I hope would be ready by February.

I am 53k into my 90k YA fantasy book. This is in a way most alarming to me 😆 I hadn’t expected this rapid pace, but I am sure it will be slower now that I am stuck. The ending is done, it is just the middle part and the action packed climax that I have to write. I am still not sure that would be enough for my total word count goal.

I still won’t reveal the cover or the premise of the story. I will drop the book on you when it is complete 😁 I will, however, share with you one little tidbit. In my newest project, I like the male protagonist better than my female lead.

This is rare because I love all my characters equally in all my books, regardless of gender, even if it is a minor character. But he is a complex being, equal parts frustrating, tragic, and oh so charming ❤ I can’t wait for you to meet him.

I end this blog post by wishing you the very best in the coming year. My hope is to improve my writing, my books and share with you all my triumphs and challenges. I hope that you will continue to follow me on my writing journey. Thank you for reading 😊

🌸 What does it mean to have a happy life? Why do we seek happiness? 🌸

For this edition of Things You Might Not Have Seen, I will talk about the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. I thought that perhaps this book was a good way to start the new year 2021 😊 May it be a year of healing, Ameen.

The book tells us that our ikigai is hidden deep inside us, something that we carry with us, even if we remain unaware. To find it, we need to search for it patiently. The secret of a happy life is as simple as it is difficult: it is to find our purpose to each and every day.

The book ikigai talks about the steps we could take to a healthier lifestyle, including diet and exercise. It talks about the dangers of stress, living a life of frantic pace and constant competition. Ikigai is letting go of harmful practices, living life with serenity and enjoying the journey. Ikigai is a journey of self-discovery, and finding a newfound passion for life that helps us overcome obstacles and face our sorrows.

I asked two questions in the beginning of the blog, I will try my best to answer them.

What does it mean to have a happy life?

It means to live your life with purpose.

Why do we seek happiness?

This is more difficult to answer. There is a constant internal battle within, between what is expected of us, and what we truly want… perhaps this dichotomy leads us to searching for a better way, a better answer. This is part of Eleanor’s struggle and journey too, and part of the reason I wrote the love and friendship series.

Japan is one of twenty-one countries that Ellie visits in Eleanor’s Travels. Even in the first book, My Dear Ellie, we hear her speak of the Japanese philosophy that touched her deeply.

Have you found your ikigai? When Ellie asks Cassie this question, she mumbles an indecisive answer.

I can’t remember whether I looked up the philosophy of happiness and Ikigai to write this scene, or if I wrote this scene because I had learned of Ikigai. Regardless of the order of how it happened, I am very glad I came across this philosophy.

I wish you a long and happy life. I hope that you discovered something new today. Thank you for reading! 😊

It seems a little frivolous to be working on a blog post, especially with what is currently going on around in politics, but I will at least try to make it relevant.

For this edition of Things You Might Not Have Seen, I will talk about a children’s book called The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. How could this book possibly have relevance to what is happening today? I am glad you asked that question.

We find Milo, a bored ten year old, who is disinterested with everything in his life. He doesn’t have any friends. He finds no joy around him. Not in his school lessons, not in his surroundings. One day, he receives a gift of a magic tollbooth and, having nothing better to do, drives through it in his toy car, transporting him to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

The magical kingdom was once prosperous, but now is troubled. The source of the kingdom’s trouble are two kings who refuse to listen to one another. One king wants to declare words to be more important than numbers. While the other says that numbers should be more important. They both have locked the two princesses, Rhyme and Reason, away in the Castle in the Air.

It is Milo’s quest to bring Rhyme and Reason back in the kingdom and make the two warring kings listen to one another. Without Rhyme and Reason, the Kingdom is under threat of being taken over by dark forces that thrive on chaos and disorder.

See the relevance yet? Lol

I love fantasy stories like these for many reasons, but I will talk about the message in the Phantom Tollbooth that was especially moving.

1. Apathy is never the solution, rather it is the problem. Milo learned how how he was drifting through life without seeing the wonder around him. As his spark for learning was ignited, so was his appreciation and love for life.

2. Sometimes, only one voice is enough to change the world around you for the better. That voice can be anyone’s. That voice can be yours.

The Phantom Tollbooth is an imaginative story with wonderful imagery. I especially loved how daily things were seen with a different lens, where a sunset was a symphony of colors played by an orchestra.

I hope that you liked today’s blog post. Thank you for reading! 😊 Stay safe and healthy

For this edition of Things You Might Not Have Seen, I will talk about the dark fantasy animated series, The Ancient Magus’ Bride . I will talk about the first season (I haven’t seen the second season yet… so no spoilers, please)

The Ancient Magus’ Bride starts with an auction. The object? A young girl being sold as a slave. The girl is fed up of her life. Her family has abandoned her and her neighbors mock her for being different.

She feels like giving up. Either she will end her life, once and for all, or she feels that being sold as a slave is a better option. At least her life would be useful to someone else. Yes, it is a pretty dark start. But life has something else in store for young Chise Hatori.

The auctioneer is excited that she is a sleigh beggy, a special magus who can draw magic from her surroundings and from within herself. Sleigh Beggys also have short lives because of their talent. The magic severely strains their bodies, making Sleigh Beggys very weak, and fated to die prematurely. The auction ends with Chise being sold for five million pounds.

She is sold to Elias Ainsworth, a seven-foot-tall humanoid with an animal skull for a head. Elias tells her that she will be his future wife. Chise is surprised, but doesn’t disagree. All she wants is a home and to feel that she belongs. Elias takes her to a beautiful country home in Great Britain. From here, their story begins…

I love this animation for the characters. Both Elias and Chise are ostracized in society for who they are, but they find comfort in one another. Although Elias already declared his intention to marry her in the first episode, the animated series savors their courtship. We see whether Elias can save Chise from her early death. We see whether Chise can save the magus from completely giving in to his demonic side.

The animation style is beautiful. Each frame has a surreal, romantic, and supernatural feeling. It is the perfect series to escape to another magical realm, with fantastic and memorable magical creatures, such as dragons, shapeshifters, demons, etc. The anime feels like a cross between Spirited Away and Inuyasha. Each episode has it own story, but adds to the overall narrative.
Watch The Ancient Magus’ Bride to see characters grapple hideous external demons, but you might just find that internal demons are the hardest to overcome.

Thank for reading today’s blog post. I hope that you discovered something new today 😊

If you are in the mood for watching something fun, you might like today’s blog post. For this edition of Things You Might Not Have Seen, I will talk about the animated series, Unikitty.

The greatest threat to the kingdom of Unikitty is a citizen becoming sad… or worse, bored 👀

Meet the main casts of silly characters:

Unikitty: a perky, happy unicorn, kitty princess. Her greatest power… being happy. She will stop at nothing to make you happy too, including (frequently) destroying her kingdom.

Puppycorn: Unikitty’s little brother. A silly puppy that want to eat hotdogs, take naps, and rap.

Dr. Fox: Scientist, genius fox that loves science. Her experiments are dangerous, often adding new adventures for Unikitty and friends.

Hawkadile: Personal bodyguard. Love interest to Dr. Fox. Brave warrior with both brawn and heart.

Richard: Royal Adviser. The voice of reason, or in Unikitty kingdom, the voice of boredom. He likes quiet fun, like making cookies like his meemaw… or doing taxes 😂

Master Frown: evil doom lord from Frown Town. He wants to spread unhappiness in the kingdom of Unikitty. He gets his butt kicked by Unikitty and friends.

Brock: Master Frown’s roommate and friend. He likes playing video games rather than help Master Frown with his plots. He is friends with Unikitty and friends, despite Master Frown frowning about it.

This is a light and fun series to watch. Thank for reading today’s blog post. I hope you discovered something fun today 😊