30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

Remember today, for it is the beginning.
Today marks the start of a brave new future.

Our previous article, 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself, was well received by most of our readers, but several of you suggested that we follow it up with a list of things to start doing.  In one reader’s words, “I would love to see you revisit each of these 30 principles, but instead of presenting us with a ‘to-don’t’ list, present us with a ‘to-do’ list that we all can start working on today, together.”  Some folks, such as readers Danny Head and Satori Agape, actually took it one step further and emailed us their own revised ‘to-do’ versions of the list.
So I sat down last night with our original article and the two reader’s revisions as a guide, and a couple hours later finalized a new list of 30 things; which ended up being, I think, a perfect complement to the original.
Here it is, a positive ‘to-do’ list for the upcoming year – 30 things to start doing for yourself:

1. Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways.  They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give
the right things a chance to catch you.

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.
Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

Steve Jobs

Drowning Beautiful

Sometimes an artist creates something so beautifully simple that it takes your breath away…. literally. (hack line – couldn’t help it) Artist Jason de Caires Taylor creates life-size cement sculptures of people and submerges them into the waters of South America. As time passes the sculptures become part of the underwater landscape and slowly become artificial reefs ripe with marine life. The process of experiencing artwork out of a traditional gallery and underwater is described with intimately vivid detail on his site. Absolutely incredible execution merging art, life and the wild seas into an ever-evolving textured aesthetic that will hopefully stand the test of time. Although, I wouldn’t hold our breath. (Dammit! I did it again) Wow.

Sometimes All You Need Is A Little Inspiration to Keep Rolling

Quit your job
Buy a ticket
Get a tan
Fall in love
Never return!

Just You and Me Zee Avi

When He Finally Leaves from itscindyyall on 8tracks Radio.

Piccs

100 Tips About Life, People, and Happiness

1. True wisdom and insight is always free.

2. Give your power over to no one.
3. Going into the unknown is how you expand what is known.
4. Get a library card.
5. Spend more time around people that both challenge and respect you.

6. Remain skeptical forever.

7. Fight for what matters.
8. There is a method that works. Find it.

9. Join a movement.

10. Drink your coffee black.
11. Never let anyone photoshop a picture of you. It creates a false sense of self-confidence.
12. Read more. Especially things you disagree with.
13. Get used to feeling stupid. It’s a sign of growth.
14. It’s easy for people to talk a good game, so watch how they behave instead.

Wild Ones [Flo Rida Cover] Timeflies

All Things Covered from vintage195 on 8tracks Radio.

Great covers of a variety of songs and artists, such as Lana Del Rey, Arcade Fire, Kid Cudi, Train, and more.

I found all of these songs on YouTube, so you can just click the little YouTube button (shown on the name of the track) and download them from there, as opposed to me emailing you the links. Thanks for liking my playlist and enjoy!

40 Day Dream Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

For your awkward bedroom dancing needs. from basementperson on 8tracks Radio.

 Music that you literally will not be able to stop making awkward muscle twitches to.

We Are Here

The World As I See It

"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving...
"I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed empty to me. The trite objects of human efforts -- possessions, outward success, luxury -- have always seemed to me contemptible.
"My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a 'lone traveler' and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude..."
"My political ideal is democracy. Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized. It is an irony of fate that I myself have been the recipient of excessive admiration and reverence from my fellow-beings, through no fault, and no merit, of my own. The cause of this may well be the desire, unattainable for many, to understand the few ideas to which I have with my feeble powers attained through ceaseless struggle. I am quite aware that for any organization to reach its goals, one man must do the thinking and directing and generally bear the responsibility. But the led must not be coerced, they must be able to choose their leader. In my opinion, an autocratic system of coercion soon degenerates; force attracts men of low morality... The really valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the political state, but the creative, sentient individual, the personality; it alone creates the noble and the sublime, while the herd as such remains dull in thought and dull in feeling. "This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of herd life, the military system, which I abhor... This plague-spot of civilization ought to be abolished with all possible speed. Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

Surfboard Maker

The Sound of Dust from Hidden Notice on Vimeo.

Film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard shaper Tim Stamps. A look into Tim's world of quality and craftsmanship.

DOP_Jonathan Bennett, Brian Hanson
Edit_Brian Hanson
Colorist_Jonathan Bennett
Audio_Keith Culver, Bill Keller
Audio/Lighting Coordinator_Matt Pindroh
Director/Producer_Bill Keller
A Hidden Notice production

50 Life Secrets and Tips

1. Memorize something everyday. Not only will this leave your brain sharp and your memory functioning, you will also have a huge library of quotes to bust out at any moment. Poetry, sayings and philosophies are your best options.
2. Constantly try to reduce your attachment to possessions. Those who are heavy-set with material desires will have a lot of trouble when their things are taken away from them or lost. Possessions do end up owning you, not the other way around. Become a person of minimal needs and you will be much more content.
3. Develop an endless curiosity about this world. Become an explorer and view the world as your jungle. Stop and observe all of the little things as completely unique events. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone and try to experience as many different environments and sensations as possible. This world has so much to offer, so why not take advantage of it?

Read Body Language to Reveal the Underlying

You've likely heard that body language accounts for up to 55% of how we communicate, but reading non-verbal cues isn't just about broad strokes. The same gesture can indicate a number of different things depending on context. In this post, we're going to take a look at three common situations in which non-verbal cues are especially important—detecting lies, going on a date, and interviewing for a job—then explain how to interpret body language more accurately so that you can read between the lines when a person's words aren't necessarily conveying the way that they honestly feel.
We lie a lot. When having a conversation with a stranger, chances are we'll lie in the first ten minutes. Sometimes we'll lie more than once in that same period of time. These may not always be big lies, but we still do it. We all willingly partake in deception from time to time because it helps us avoid conflict, but often we're better off knowing the truth. While words can be deceptive, the human body is a terrible liar. This is where reading body language and using your own effectively, can be extremely useful when communicating with others.
First, the basics.

Body Language Basics

When you're reading body language, your primary goal is to determine whether or not a person is comfortable in their current situation. Once you do this, it's a process of using context and other cues—which we'll get into later—to figure out the specifics. There are plenty of ways a person may indicate their comfort level, but here are a few of the most common.

Old Grandma in to a Superhero

A few years ago photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91-year-old Hungarian grandmother Frederika feeling lonely and depressed.  So to cheer her up, and put a spark back into her life, he turned her into a superhero! He took a series of awesome photographs of her wearing costumes in unusual superhero type posses. "Grandma reluctantly agreed, but once they got rolling, she couldn't stop smiling."
Frederika isn't only a superhero in these photos, but she was a real hero during World War II. Here's her story...

Frederika was born in Budapest 20 years before World War II. During the war, at the peril of her own life, she courageously saved the lives of ten people. When asked how, Goldberger told us "she hid the Jewish people she knew, moving them around to different places everyday." As a survivor of Nazism and Communism, she then immigrated away from Hungary to France, forced by the Communist regime to leave her homeland illegally or face death.

Aside from great strength, Frederika has an incredible sense of humor, one that defies time and misfortune. She is funny and cynical, always mocking the people that she loves.

These photos are great, and they definitely put a smile on my face. If you're having a hard day, these are sure to make your day a little better. I hope you enjoy the photo collection below!

Before being artist

Sidewalk

Hey Jude

Surprising Stories Behind Famous Rock& Roll Lyrics

One of the best things about rock&rollâin addition to the sex and drugs, of course”are the sweet, often obscure lyrics. Sometimes they âre political or spiritual, the rockers attempt to get serious; other times they’re just nonsense, the product of dope and booze. The best rock ând  roll lyrics are the mysterious ones. Of course, sometimes they have no real meaning, but are just gibberish (for example, every Grateful Dead song). But sometimes there âs a real story about how those lyrics came about. So, with that as our inspiration, here we present to you 9 Rock ‘n’ Roll Songs with Weird or Surprising Stories Behind their Lyrics. Sometimes it’s crazy, sometimes it’s just not what you think, or sometimes it’s a lot deeper than you realized. But each of these classic songs has a story.
9. Losing My Religion (1991)

The Ultimate Rejection Letter

Herbert A. Millington
Chair - Search Committee
412A Clarkson Hall, Whitson University
College Hill, MA  34109

Dear Professor Millington,

Thank you for your letter of March 16.  After careful consideration, I
regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me
an assistant professor position in your department. 

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually
large number of rejection letters.  With such a varied and promising field
of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals. 

Despite Whitson's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in
rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at
this time.  Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor
in your department this August.  I look forward to seeing you then. 

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,
Chris L. Jensen

I'll Be Seeing You Billie Holiday

slow dancing from kisslock on 8tracks Radio.

CGTalk Art

Left and Right brain

Lori nix - The City

56 Inspirational Picture Quotes That Will Motivate Your Mind

Manual Photography Cheat Sheet

 

Source: livinginthestills

Heike Weber Installations

Utterly amazing installations by Heike Weber. She draws with permanentmarkers on acrylic floor and walls – surfaces that have reached up to 600 m2.
I can’t begin to imagine how time consuming these breathtaking installations must have been.

Thousands of Crayons Beautifully Form Pixelated Portraits

When creating his artwork, American artist Christian Faur does not utilize pure dabs of paint to create these Pointillist-style images. He uses simple crayons as the medium for his artwork, but not in the way that one might typically expect. Working with thousands of colorful wax sticks, Faur stands the crayons up and arranges the tips into pixelated patterns that form stunning portraits.
Some have equated Faur's work to an interpretation of digital photography. The Kim Foster Gallery says that Faur replaces digital pixels with more than 145,000 crayons and that, "This expansion of the pixel allows us to see the structure and scaffolding behind the surface of an image, opening the viewer’s eyes to the hidden patterns and complex arrangements of points that make up a photograph."
As viewers move around the space and adjust their perspective, the visual experience of Faur's work changes with the movement. The full image is best viewed from a distance, but up close is where the best understanding of the three dimensional piece can be most fully appreciated.
To see more work by other artists who utilize everyday materials in creative and unique ways, check out this top 20 list here.

Luke Mancini

Luke Mancini is a professional concept artist and illustrator currently working at Blizzard Entertainment. Luke has created concept designs for game titles like StarCraft II and World of Warcraft.

Link: mr–jack.deviantart.com

 

Steampunk Star Wars Illustrations by Björn Hurri

Concept artist and illustrator Björn Hurri has been releasing a series of steampunk illustrations as a tribute to Star Wars. Björn is currently working in the entertainment industry as Lead Artist for Opus Artz.

Link: www.bjornhurri.com

 

John Lennon

Imaginative spirit

The mind is not contained to the cranium. It’s province is of the infinite imaginative spirit.

 

Landscape Gallery - II

Beautiful sandy beach along Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

Landscape Gallery 1

Fog rolling in, Marin Headlands, California

Cityscape Gallery

Glowing Gate, San Francisco, California

Urban Exploring Gallery

7 Brilliant Quotes

Alice - Schetchbook

Alice - Wall

Alice - ILLustration

60s Skate

Did you know that from 1960 to 1963, over fifty million skateboards were sold in the US? Skateboarding was clearly becoming a growing sport and eventually in May of 1965, this fun-loving street activity landed on the cover of Life Magazine. These images, snapped by staff photographer Bill Eppridge in New York City, are as stylish and timeless as they were over 50 years ago. Wouldn’t you love to see more New Yorkers on skateboards these days like in California?

Food & fashion mash ups

So who says food and fashion don’t go together? Certainly not the foodies behind Bon Appétit as they’ve invited South African blogger Diana of Miss Moss to share her brilliant food and street style mash ups as part of a weekly series on their blog.  In it, Diana takes an entirely visual approach matching the textures, colors and patterns of an outfit with a complementary dish. Oh, and she’s a food lover, of course, who has “a penchant for nice cheese, good beer, and the Internet.” We die. Please get inspired!

Everyday people required

 

Spencer Tunick loves to put on a show, preferably one with tons of naked bodies. Location (public)  is essential, although he can no longer shoot in the USA.  Because of the nature of his work which explores and expands the social, political and legal issues surrounding art in the public sphere,  Tunick has been arrested five times while attempting to work outdoors in New York City.
Soon after his fifth arrest in Times Square in 1999,” determined to create his work on the streets of New York, the artist filed a Federal Civil Rights Law Suit against the city to protect himself and his participants from future arrests. In May 2000, the Second U.S. District Court sided with Tunick,  recognizing that his work was protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
After the fact, Tunick  has been all over the world creating his amazing images. They are not images one recognizes at first glance, they require thought and concentration. His use of composition and color add layers to the socio-political implications ; arresting, interesting work emerges.
His work has taken him to countries such as Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Mexico and Australia, in fact, in Mexico he broke his previous record of attendance ; over 18,000 naked people showed up at The Zócalo in Mexico City.

Living paintings

Alexa Meade is an American artist. While Meade has worked in a variety of sculptural media, she is known for her installations, which feature real models situated in tableau scenes painted to look like two-dimensional paintings.
Rather than creating representational paintings on a flat canvas, Alexa Meade creates her representational paintings directly on top of the physical subjects that she is referencing. When photographed, the representational painting and the subject being referenced appear to be one and the same as the 3D space of her painted scenes becomes optically compressed into a 2D plane.
Alexa paint the surfaces of the human subjects, the material objects, and the architecture of the installations so as to collapse the subject, foreground, and background into one continuous plane. She presents her ephemeral portrait/performances as both live, interactive installations as well as permanent photographic indices of these experiences.

Funny monkey portraits

Jill Greenberg was born in July of 1967 in Montreal, Canada, and grew up in suburban Detroit.  She graduated in 1989 form the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Photography and moved to New York City to pursue a career in photography.  Jill was based in New York until 2001, and now resides in Los Angeles.

For the series “Monkey Portraits”, Greenberg has created a series of monkey portraits and asks us to consider, in another way, where we are coming from.  We look into her monkey’s expressions, their faces — their peculiar physiognomy — and somehow see ourselves.  It is frightening and disorienting and exhilarating and awesome. She mischievously shows us another type of mirror-stage, where we confront an ancient and distorted reflection, another startling spectacle, and try to make sense of who, or what we are seeing.  By intentionally anthropomorphizing her monkeys, we can’t help but identify with their gaze, and be reminded of people we know, expressions that we have seen before.

An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men. Charles  Darwin