What Is at Your Disposal?

Before you’re overcome with defeatism, look around, and look closely. You are not without resources to be resourceful with. In one way or another, something must be there for you to gain an advantage, keep up, or not fall too far behind.

We often overlook what we have while being distracted by what others have. Maybe what’s theirs is more obvious, more commonly credited and sought after, or maybe you’re just not even paying attention to what’s with you.

Being an artist isn’t only about having the best and the most of whatever is currently being recommended by this or that ‘expert’ source to work with. Being an artist is also about spotting what others wouldn’t and coming up with ideas that others couldn’t. Literally making the most and the best out of what you do have. Then the most unthinkable and unimaginable may come out of it. Which may surprise the audience - and even put you at the lead of a novel technique that others would aim, failing or not, to follow. 

You can look where it seems most unlikely to have something that you could use. Maybe a weakness can be a strength. A shortcoming be a guideline. A flaw be a quality. Maybe if you suspend the judgment you’ve been conditioned to have you can see numerous ways in which something could be handy.

You can look where it is most likely to have something useful too. Your talents, your skills, your knowledge, your expertise, anything you’ve mastered. Don’t take those for granted. They might be exactly what is giving you an edge that cannot be beaten in competition. It’s great to be constantly pushing yourself and developing where you’re lacking, but don’t forget to use what you have already developed.

Take inventory. See, within the concrete and within the abstract, inside and outside of yourself, what you can gather and what you can put together that would serve you toward reaching a goal or through solving a problem. 

Don’t be afraid of having a few silly attempts that prove not to deliver after all. You won’t know for sure until you try. Visualize, simulate, or even put it to the test.

Barren Grounds Vs. Lush Gardens

Don't make grounds barren and then claim lush gardens are mere fiction…

The ongoing debate about being realistic or being idealistic keeps getting on my nerves, so might as well bring it up and offer my point of view.

Too often, people assume they have the most correct and accurate perception of the self, people, life, the world, and/or the universe. What they fail to realize is that they are not accounting for what, with what is, could be. In some cases, they are not even accounting for what, despite what now is, has been. Quite literally, they are being short-sighted. Yes, you can see what’s right in front of you and around you with clarity, perhaps even in precise detail, but there is a lot more that goes beyond that.

It’s no lie that many idealists have given idealism a bad name. And this is because, alternatively although similarly, they also fail to take more into account. They ignore the what is in favor of their whimsical imagination. And that’s fine, outstanding even, if you’re working on a piece of fiction. But when it comes to reality… Well, reality significantly matters.

You shouldn’t be convincing yourself that all would be wonderful, when it wouldn’t, the same way you shouldn’t be convincing yourself that all will always be brutal, when it doesn’t have to be. These are limited and incomplete views that keep you from making the most and the best of what you have and could have. In both cases, you are deluding yourself - either trapping yourself within an alluringly escapist dream or trapping yourself within a barely bearable nightmare. And what’s worse, you are letting or even calling others to join you there.

You have a hand in what happens. You, me, and everyone else. So until there is enough of us believing in and working towards an Ideal Reality, we’ll be settling for an ever-elusive fantasy in a grating dystopia. Don't be a fool.

The Callousness of Stepping Over Others

Is it cruelty? Is it done with malice? Or is it mere carelessness? It can be hard to tell when others can’t even be bothered to watch where they’re going, let alone watch their steps. But the result remains the same: something is destroyed in their path.

Excuses and justifications abound. And trying to reason it out of them can take forever, going in circles or downright hitting a wall. They might be terribly dense or have terribly contorted themselves away from the reality of it. That not always, actually only at times, are you legitimately entitled to steamroll and demolish others.

You can only shout “Survival of the fittest!” so much before you find yourself alone, without what supported you, nourished you, brought wonder and astonishment into your life, or at least spiced it up. And if that’s what you prefer, then maybe moving by yourself to another planet would be the appropriate solution.

Pushing through matters, there’s no denying that. There are instances in which you are blocked or expected to make countless turns, of no relevance, only to get from point A to point B. And there are instances in which your opponents, to serve their own interests, would obstruct you from moving forward. So you must be resolute and not let undue consideration hold you back. 

There’s an art to it because it definitely isn’t simple to determine when it is what, why, and how to best proceed. But that’s exactly what not being careless is about. And it is something that the more callous struggle with. 

A lot of the time, they cannot wrap their heads around all that is implied and all that it entails, nor can they grasp much nuance in between. It frustrates them, which then adds to an anger that they like to mistake as righteous. They refuse to accommodate sophisticated complexity and demand that you accommodate their coarse plainness. Assuming themselves victorious merely for taking the easier route.

However, you can be in touch with your nature and raw about it without becoming primitive - a brute that is upset when asked to use their brain or their heart, even if only a little. Worse when, while failing to do so, expects to be welcome or even to dominate areas that require delicate attentiveness to subsist. Understanding that you don’t have to turn everything around you into a reflection of your shortcomings in order to be comfortable and able to roam.

Advantageous NOT Deleterious

Facing and overcoming adversity builds character, but too much of it, at the wrong time and in the wrong place, can instead break your spirit and beyond.

There are times when we can take on more than we realize, when challenges push us to give more of ourselves and foster abilities we otherwise wouldn’t, times when all it takes is stepping out of a comfort zone and adopting a can-do attitude. And that is indeed important, essential even, if we’re ever to grow past the minimum.

However, it also holds true that having space - yes, a safe space - free of the risks and dangers that could harm us is part of what can keep us going. When you’re too young, when you’re too weak, when you’re wounded or ill, or simply tired… These are not the moments in which you should be enduring and attempting to overcome all that goes against you. These are moments to have patience with yourself and tend to your lacks. So that then you can go out there and stand a chance.  

Harm can come at large, all at once, or as bits, little by little, and still ultimately deter you. The former is the most noticeable and, consequently, tends to be the most validated. However, you shouldn’t overlook the latter, which does and accumulates damage over time. And next thing you know, you’re far from who you used to be and who you could have become.

So if something bothers you, if it stings, or it just doesn’t seem right, it is not an overreaction to ask yourself if that’s something that you’d be okay having more of or if you’d be better off without it. Perhaps it is nothing to worry about and it comes with the day-to-day, as part of the package, and can be remedied or countered with ease - and this would be a solution. But if it is no more than chipping at you for no good reason, and you can’t even make enough out of it to compensate, and it is possible to be without it, then why would you allow it to continue? You could look for ways to create an environment that is without needless harm. ‘Needless’ being a key word here.

Many might find it an inconvenience and possibly accuse you of being too sensitive or problematic, but that’s because they’re thinking more about themselves (or how they’ve been conditioned) than they are about you, specifically, and what it takes for you to be well and reach your greatest form.

If you’re honest with yourself, you can have grit and the sort of toughness that’ll take you through harsh conditions, if that’s something you’re meant for, but also keep watch of what is making you less rather than more. 

Aries' Season

♈ ARIES

As we enter the season of Aries, it is believed that the universe will be affecting us with energies that will cause us to act boldly and embrace challenges. We will be more in tune with our inner drive, and abilities to initiate and take risks will be enhanced. If you are receptive to them, you might be imbued with courage and determination. If you are resistant to them, you might be conflicted with impulsiveness and restlessness. If you are completely blocked out, you might not notice them at all. And if you don't pay enough attention, you might miss opportunities for daring new beginnings.

Motivational Quote: "Fortune favors the brave."

For context and more of relevance, please read about The Zodiac.

The Elements In The Zodiac

As we go into the Zodiac signs, a significant distinction to make, that can set apart or bring together different signs, as well as grant more perspective on everything, is the element that they are associated with. They encompass certain traits that contribute to the qualities of each sign and what they bring to a person, time, or place. The elements are Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. 

• Fire
Fire essentially stands for dynamism. Fire impulsively, reactively or proactively, does it.
It is the domain of action.
As fire signs we have: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.

• Earth
Earth essentially stands for matter. Earth tends to the details of concrete reality, grounded in what is, prudently examining and/or altering it.
It is the domain of practicality.
As Earth signs we have: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

• Air
Air essentially stands for concepts. Air figures out how and why, along with other factors of relevance.
It is the domain of technicalities.
As Air signs we have: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.

• Water
Water essentially stands for flow. Water comprehends, connects, fills, and refreshes, giving life.
It is the domain of humanity.
As Water signs we have: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

So we can take a look at ourselves, or at a situation, and see which elements are abundant and which are absent, which are repressed and which are dormant. Rarely are all four in perfect balance, nor should that be the aim. But we can take note of where our shortcomings and blindspots are, in general or within given contexts, and see where to delegate, be assisted with, or put in more effort.

The Roles of Relaxation & Delight

Speaking of waste… Of course, we’d like to be productive. And of course, many of us are born into environments that pressure and demand of us to always be on the go, lest we fall behind, barely taking any breaks. But this overlooks one important fact: you are an organism, not a machine.

Beyond what you do outside of yourself that is evident and inside of yourself that is more subtle (which also tends to be minimized and disregarded), you must give yourself time to just be. Otherwise, not only will you suffer, but also your work will.

You must relax. Sorting out your thoughts, deciphering your feelings, having epiphanies, and coming up with the best solution to a problem. All of this happens most optimally while you aren’t pushing yourself to execute some other task. When you can relax and let things come and go around, allowing your brain to do both its unconscious and its conscious processing, giving up control (or the illusion of such) so that it can deliver something novel or at least outstanding. Deny yourself that and you will turn into a factory that does mediocre cookie-cutter production at best or have a disastrous assembly that won’t even meet any standards at worst.

And what about delight? How much more of you is on when you can genuinely experience joy, enthusiasm, and fascination? And how much of that transfers onto what you’re doing? Ever heard of something being judged as empty or dead? Well, it is not necessarily an exaggeration. Whether in craft or performance, more gets passed on and achieved if you aren’t completely miserable.

Being able to relax and delight yourself is, then, part of your job as an artist. More so when you aim to specifically transmit those states, but also when working on other types of pieces that might seem or be opposite to these. Because it is through these states that you can most fully channel and capture any condition. Yes, even for the most stressed or numb moments, some level of relaxation and delight is required to pull it off masterfully.

So next time anyone, including yourself, tries to deprive you of that, be aware that you’re depriving yourself of what would have you do your best.  

How Finding and Manifesting Yourself Matters

As we go through life, we pick up and absorb bits of this and that. We make them pieces of ourselves and let them carry us further. However, if we’re not careful, we may end up living a life that is not quite our own.

You see, just because you were able to incorporate something into yourself it doesn’t mean that it is what suits you the most. And maybe, for a while, it got you through without issue. But ultimately, is it what will take you the furthest you can go?

We try on other people’s lifestyles. The way they move through life. Their recipes and their remedies. Their solutions along with their excuses. And they could work, but only to an extent. Eventually, you hit a cap and realize that, while this is working for you, it is not working as well as it does for somebody else. This seems to suit them perfectly, but not you. So it is time to pause and rewind. Go back to the point before you took that on. 

You may have often heard the encouragement to find yourself, cheesy as it sounded, which was then replaced by an encouragement to create yourself, as though it was the more practical and productive approach - and rendered the other pointless. Yet, it isn’t pointless at all. Because where you build matters. If you are ‘creating’ yourself up on and out of something that you are not, then you’re artificially fabricating a persona rather than growing in your authenticity. And at some point, it might be so heavy and suffocating to you that you will be forced to find yourself after all, a self that would then be even more buried underneath piles and piles of quick grabs. It's that or be doomed to an existence that seems bleak and bland.

Sitting with yourself could seem like a waste, but it is essential and fundamental to manifesting what you have to offer, radiantly so. You ought to get to know yourself. What do you genuinely like and what do you genuinely dislike? And why. What energizes you and what drains you, what comes effortlessly and what is a burden, what is most endlessly fulfilling to you and what is a passing fancy? These and more questions can set you on the path of self-discovery.

That said, you still ought to figure out how much you must devote to it. Some people are more inclined to continue digging, leaving no stone unturned, and arrange their lives around that, while others don’t have to search that deep to remain real and true to themselves. It could be anywhere from untangling all the hidden secrets kept in human nature to simply ensuring that your principles and values align properly.

Finding yourself to manifest yourself then puts you at an advantage, for you are working with yourself and not against yourself. And the traits that set you apart and make you stand out are more accessible and put to more use.

From a Seed to a Full-Blown Tree

What are you, in particular, capable of? While it is true that all of us have at least something of value to bring to the Earth, it is also true that within us lie different gifts. And we’re given a lifetime to discover and uncover what they are to make them a part of all else. Playing a role in the ecosystem.

It goes back, to your parents and their ancestry. It relates to numerous factors during your formation in the womb. And it continues on from the moment of your birth. What made you exactly? And what turned out from that? You are both your nature and your nurture. And that, for better or for worse, can be a highly specific result. You may be anything from the most awaited savior to the most catastrophic menace. Perhaps a step in evolution. Or someone who can, directly or indirectly, awaken and foster more advanced qualities in others.

Undeniably, whether we notice and acknowledge them or not, multiple forces, in and out, are at all times influencing and impacting our development, affecting us in ways that may or may not be reversible. It becomes who you are, temporarily or permanently. As what you must be to survive or even thrive. Maybe what you inescapably exist as. 

You may realize that your needs and wants aren’t so predictable after all. Yes, there are basic things we all need and many things we all want, but it can get more detailed than that. And when that happens, it can be a hassle to explain them, let alone justify them, to those who do not (or cannot) relate. The formula works for them, so why doesn’t it work for you? Well, maybe because you’re built and wired differently, to serve a different purpose - one that is worthy too.

Like any other being, you’ve got your limits. We might not like to admit this, but we do. Some are imaginary. Some are self-imposed. Some are imposed by others. And some are very real, no matter what. Furthermore, some serve you and some don’t. Making these distinctions and identifying what your limits are can help bring you more into alignment with what is meant to flourish out of you.

You’ll encounter obstacles obstructing your better and greater version. And when that is the case, you must overcome them, go around, get through, or even demolish them. So that you don’t stagnate. Or what is worse, die from a lack of life. Meaning, your growth was so stalled that the flow throughout you was impeded. 

If all goes well, though, you could be one of the fortunate ones who achieve their full potential (or close to it) as a symbiotic organism within a larger organism. And what a grand blessing that would be to the world! 

Unfortunately though, when people are short-sighted and narrow-minded, they are prone to miss or even shun this possibility. Instead, attempt to force conformance to a mold that was never made for you. Robbing you and those around you of what would have been your most splendid, possibly unique, contributions.

Content Consumption Guide

At this point, there is already plenty around here to browse through and dive into. It can be overwhelming, exhausting even. So a guide is due!

Before you continue consuming the content stored and displayed on this site, you can go over and consider the following:

• All the content on TintySun, in one way or another, ultimately ties back to the mission of “Unbridling & Sustaining Artistic Abilities”. So if you’re wondering why a piece is here and what its purpose is, it is essentially that.
• Not every related keyword is included in an article, but they’re still quite searchable through the more central ones.
• Posts are tagged, organized into categories and subcategories, which are accessible via the various menus plastered all around. (And more to come.)
• Mainly, this place is meant for artists and art enthusiasts. However, the definitions of such aren't strict at all. It might be for you too.
• What is covered can go from basic to advanced, from vague to specific, and from general to specialized. But in any case, having other sources of information is still encouraged.
• A release may not bring you something you don’t already know. But if that’s the case, you can take it as a reminder, a confirmation, and/or an emphasis. Or even simply as something that puts into words (and/or other mediums) what you already know.
• Certain posts are spontaneous, made and published within the moment, but a large amount of them were done ahead of time and scheduled to automatically publish on their own at a given date (with or without revisions the day before).
• Posts will be brought up again when, for any reason, the topics addressed become relevant once more and it's worth revisiting them.
• Minor and major changes might be made to existing posts. An “edited” sign may or may not appear, depending on significance.
• Finally, you must be discerning. See for yourself where what is explained or described applies or is applicable.

If you have any questions, you can also send them in.