After Image, The Travel Inside My Visual Diaries

When my first official Visual Journal came one solemn night around 1995 I never thought I would make the hard decision to move away from the conventional wall intended paintings and settle to a longer and more time consuming passion. I transform the book "The Literal Colour" into "Realizationism, an artist journal"   from a sudden Realization as I turn my manuscript or collection into a laboratory of experiential learning using visual expression. 

   Prior to The Literal Colour, I had other scrapbook and portfolios whose intentions was to collect and make amends from my shortcomings. Also to solve the growing numbers of fire hazards in my room.  These other books are then incorporated into Realizationism...while others are either lost, given to friend, sold or taken by time and nature. I had this difficulty in giving away my work too...and that is another story. 

   Calling these books as visual manuscript or interchangeably journal or diary;  it has now grown into a mini library of its own. Now series 1 to 7 are mostly for my private pleasure and self-evaluation so very few people get the chance to see them. As I have said, Realizationism is my life time thesis therefore it may even take my entire existence before a single book get exhibited. These books also are ever evolving according to my state of being. 

FROM THE LAB TO THE NET

   I have been contemplating lately if I am ready to serve what I have been doing inside my laboratory. I would be needing another long long hours for this new project so I have to weigh all the matters if it is achievable. The private revelation aspect are not that easy to deal with since I am not a transparent person. Then I would be under obligation to keep an oath...I will have to stress my limit (and on my viewers part stretch their mind to my complex artworks) and yet I came to this acceptance from long ago that as an artist I have the  responsibility to the society I am mingling with. 

   The original intent of my visual journal are post-mortem analysis of my work and my life so meaning it should be concluded after death. My disambiguation. That would be keeping my agenda till the Lord decided to call me back.  It would be unfair to keep my friends guessing what are inside these journal or what are the process it undergo so I have to make AFTER IMAGE to answer in that direction. 

THE RE-CREATION

   First, a visual manuscript would either begin as a loose collection from previous artworks, then have the courage to tear them and make it as a collage item on the journal; and or a pre-fabricated book like sketch pad or hand-made bookbinding if you want to make it really more personal. Additional item should be  FOUND objects around you. Resourcefulness is a vital key in making a visual diary...it is important that everything on it must hold a special meaning to you, down to the tiniest detail. 

   You will understand the journey as I take you from nothingness as I begin my latest (eight) visual manuscript and hopefully by the Lord's grace will let me finish before the end comes. 

    The cover page as I have posted on facebook.com something like these: More than a week contemplating for the concept; about 3 hours thinking for a proper title, and an hour and half doing the cover...

   Inside this blog I would let you travel and work with me, if you wish, what is eating FherMission the self-proclaim visual artist. As to finally understand why I prefer that label than plainly calling myself as an "artist" and then maybe you can start creating your own and realized the health benefit it has been giving me. Recognized by psychologist and clinical science to relieved stress plus seeing the world in better perspective. Instead of stealing valuable energy from another human being...you can argue with yourself here and still feel safe as not to go insane. 

   

Visualization...art journaling

So way back in 2010 my bestie Margot encouraged me to do a vision board.   Now for those of you that do not know what a vision board is, it is a collection of photos, magazine clippings, quotes, words.... well just about any visual reminder that has everything to do with you.  -- Lisa Schmidt 

http://www.lisaschmidtartstudio.com

Acting on your dreams is really much better than visualizing it on your mind and it even surpasses the power of declaration. By actually taking some concrete steps to build your visions and goal you are inviting all the good energy to fill you. Constantly looking at those images will remind you constantly of your plans and goals and  by doing so you are making your dream within reach. So having a visual journal or art journaling as Lisa calls it, you are already laying the foundation to your dreams.

   These steps also help you evaluate the exact nature of your dream. You will have a free taste of the exact feeling once your goal is achieved even if it is not yet there. So you will still have the time to make amendments or resolutions afterwards. 

   There are many avenues to explore in a visual journal...the possibilities are endless as well as the results. It may also serve as a mirror of your self or a historical footnote. A visual diary grow on a case to case basis dependent on your true identity. Be honest as possible...anyway, journals are not created to please others. 

   To give you an idea I presents here some Schmidt's art journal.

   In the future I will let you peek at some of the pages in my Visual Manuscripts...for now, I encourage you to start making your own art journaling. You don't have to be a good artist to own one...just be yourself.

Fearless Hand in Expressing Reality

   I have asked myself too when did all these started? Why consume time and exert extreme effort without any material gains? 

   There are basic urges within us, I believe on a personal basis that needed to be filled. It is not just the mere joy of painting brings but far more spiritual than that. We are partly by nature spiritual aside from our physical needs therefore we also had to fill that essential. It is why we sing and listen to music. Singing has nothing directly to do with our physical well-being, we can survive for years without singing or even for our entire life. I am not discounting here the health benefits of music in our life BUT what I am trying to point out here is that we can live normally even without music or the Arts for that matter. So why do we need arts? Why at times we feel certain emptiness without expressing ourselves through arts?

   The answer lies from something beyond the tangible. It is not a hunger we can feel on an empty stomach BUT we can sense it.  So it really amazed me to hear an atheist painter or a musician. When you are an atheist you do not believe in what soever spiritual form...anything beyond the senses is not real. But the reality of those things Not seen are obviously a craving we all do feel.

   Now back to our first question, why the need to express myself using visual arts? Perhaps, there would be no more need to explain my position. 

A CALLING

   Since everything has a reason for something, like we drink to satisfy thirst...I paint to fulfill a spiritual need. Painting is like praying, it is like touching the divine dimension. Further evaluation of that principle...I came to a point when this "Need" has to serve a deeper purpose. To "bless" others with this core gifts. Then I have already reach the point of "Realizationism"  within my Art.

   Others may gain material rewards with their professions as a painter, a dancer, a singer, or a writer yet the difference of being an artist with divine purpose is that it gains a spiritual salary. My emptiness during times of drought would often poke me and even haunt me for days until all are quenched. By sketching I have serve even a little portion of my cravings...of the need of a human spirit to fill the gap in an emptiness void of explanation. To be satisfied with your bare hands points toward the giver of this gift.

   I saw how magnificent life...how beautiful it is to live. I had shared the beauty of creation within me. I became one with my Creator.

PREPARATION OF THE MIND

On the blog Help From Above, written last February, we have left a hanging issues on the importance of coincidences. We have discuss how this Divine intervention are often overlooked and considered just as pure luck....Now maybe I have called your attention enough to draw your focus on its Role in our evolution.

   Considering tiny details that somehow caught our attention but have no significant value at the onset or at least for the time being have no connecting direction on our daily lives...may be just a waste of time, BUT looking at the bigger picture, these little strokes create the situations that compromises our future.

   Why therefore I encourage you to have a Journal (see The Benefit of a Diary) to retold the story to yourself...and on my case I create Visual Manuscript, which does not only retold events but also preserve images. All may seems irrelevant or pointless yet base on my experience these re-focus and gives new light to random events, that when I take it to a deeper understanding create the fullness of my life story. These collections of tiny events (details) transpose into a bigger picture of the process being taught in my life. 

(1) How to create instances that draw more divine guidance?

   When we give constant attention to something it will grow. Like when we daily tend to our garden, regularly removing weeds, watering and cultivating the soil...in like manner, our brain should be cultivated as well. We must always educate or re-educate our mind...practice your mind to think. To think of what? To think what we want to happen and must resist evil thoughts like discouragement and impossibility. It may seem hard at first especially when an immediate daunting problem knock your focus and steals your attention from the beautiful images we are trying to cultivate. It would be very helpful to divert your mind for awhile into a activity you like doing...caution here though is that we might get addicted to these activities and become dependent on its temporal joyful source.

   We must remind ourselves that these activities like playing the piano, singing, or dancing are just diversion and not the destination we want to reach. It must be clear to us that we are playing for FUN and remind our selves that these are not our ultimate goal. With that kind of thinking we are able to detach ourselves as well if our diversion also fails. Playing or doing a hobby for the fun of it guarantees a more satisfied life. The problem to some is that they becoming disappointed if they did not win the game and therefore would seek another venue that might even lead them to addiction or feeling of frustrations, guilt and revenge.
   The main point of our existence as a human being is to live for others and for GOD. 
   Now, after our game we return to our REALITY. The reality that we want for our life by creating opportunity and situations that we want to linger into. If you do not want to stay in poverty don't focus on want you do not have...give your attention to what you have already and make it grow. Some guru of positivism will teach you to focus on what you want and advise that you attract those want to you. Positivism in concept are nice sounding but they just doesn't work on the long term. How can you give something you do not have? Or how can you create without the raw material? 
LOOK FOR THE SEED

   Some preacher would even quote you uplifting verses to utter daily, which is a very sound advise and I believed that should be our attitude most specially in crucial moment YET as I will say again, these does not totally solve everything. We must create the situation...this step is further than positivism or declaring faith. Some people will pray for fish but a wise man will hunt for fish. Inspiration usually comes to a busy body. 
   We must create a total atmosphere for prosperity to attract prosperity. We pray to God for the right person to come but of course you must take step to meet someone. 
   There was a guy who is keep on praying to God for a good job but when someone ask how many company he went to submit application he replied he visited only one establishment. Most believers in God look for miracles in almost every aspect of their lives but what they fail to realized that God often gave important lessons along the way. He can give to you a House and Lot instantly according to His riches and glory, after all He is the owner of the universe, But do you think that is His ultimate plan for us? Why would God promise the Land of Milk and honey to Moses and the rest of the Israelite and yet allowed 40 years to pass before it was realized? In fact most of the elders including Moses who had been given the original promised did not enter the place. Why is that? There are many reasons and one of them because of  disobedience. The lesson we can draw from Israelites Exodus are the importance of our "readiness" to received the blessing. God seeks the heart. 
   Can your emotion really handle the situation we are dreaming? Do you really know how to love or take care of a baby before rally having a baby. Most failure happen because of unpreparedness. Is your psychological wallet ready for the Millions you been targeting?
   Now if we want the situations...create the situation...by preparing to received it.
PREPARING FOR THE BLESSINGS  
   Reading or educating ourselves Make us Prepared.
   "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." -- Romans 10:17
  Hearing the word of God is not a one time event. Attending Bible study should be an activity one must include in ones itinerary as well as having "Quiet Time" as devotion. Quiet time mean a one on one talk with God. Jesus Christ as an example regularly pray and we can read many situations in His ministry that He often prayed long hours, from dusk till dawn. "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed." (Mark 1:35) When we are awake early in the morning while it is still dark we can follow Jesus' example and pray to God.     More so, to us being only human that have the tendencies to be tempted on a regular basis.
   How Jesus Christ prepared on the night before he was crucified should be our guiding principle.  "who, in the days of His flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Heb. 5:7-8).
  
   So when we want some Divine guidance to happen to us to avoid making decission that might imperil our life and our family, we have to be Spiritualy prepared. Realizationism on the other hand gathers experiences that will equipped us with the readiness for future challenges. The importance of focusing to coincidences or rather Divine Inspiration may bring us more clarity to where our direction is heading. Coincidence can deter a wrong action if we are aware of the situation, having prepared (previous knowledge) our mind from past experiences.


(2) Understanding the value of the coincidence, what it was trying to say to us.
   Pre-knowledge is central to Bible Prophesy as a warning. I have a blog in Wisdom of a Fool that discusses the value of a prophesy and I suggest you take a thourough reading of it too.
   While Prophesy focus on things to come in general theme, most coincidences happen for our personal directives. Both are important to be learn or none of them should have been written or revealed to us. Coincidence gave us a short glimpse of the future as well. Sometimes this are in symbolic form too like a prophesy.
   I can not pin-point the purpose of your own coincidences because as I have said, these are for your personal benefit. And often, you alone can determine if the situation is indeed a coincidence or just a daily routine. Seeing someone as a long lost friend may ring a bell to you but to your friend it simply mean a reunion. Seeing the person may remind you of a project you have forgotten to finish or a former advocasy you have set aside.
THE CASE OF URGENCY
   Divine guidance although important doesn't RUSH. Inspiration from coincidence are often soft-spoken and not intimidating. It usually happen in series and not a one time blow. That is the difference between an Evil thought which are always intimidating you with the urgency to be accomplish at once. I think Satan want temptation to act fast for fear we might renew our mind and "realized" the truth.
   When in doubt DONT.
   One of the reason for early pre-knowledge by educating and exercising our mind is to alert us on matters that are guided by God and not that of a devil. When I first had the coincidental moment of seeing my purpose as an artist for God (1985) it have to be impress on me by another 10 years and then another 10 years to put this into writing.
   Before Paul was called; he have to be educated first with Jewish laws and religion. He had the faith already in him prior to the Damascus incident. Although he had accused first-Christians of spreading blasphemy against the God of Israel, it is clear that he had strong devotion to obey God.  That same knowledge of the scripture he had from past education was utilized by God to spread Christianity. Before David killed Goliath using slingshot, he had vast experience as a sheperd hitting lions as practicum.
    Determining a situation whether brought by an angel or a devil requires a discerning heart. This is in parallel to knowing what kind of sufferings you are experiencing. One must know he is in pain because of past sin and or must determine if this is a test from God or suffering for the right advocasy. 
   The effect of right guidance never change and constant. The rule are always the same and the purpose doesn't alter or contradict itself.  
  
  

 (3) Why coincidence occur on this specific problem and not on other trivial matters.
   The answer to this are what we have already discussed above. This simply mean that the trivial matters are not God's intention but are self-inflicted. God want you to focus on the real issue and not on the issue you want to be address. He simply want you to take a pause, look at Him and listen. "Never mind those other daunting images because that is not yours to fix but mine." That is what God is trying to say here. 
   Divine intervention are there because you needed them. God doesn't want your help on matters He will take care for Himself. He alert you on situations that you have the power to conquer. If you think God is not helping you pay your bills by giving you financial breakthrough or employment, He maybe is fixing something first so you are ready for your request. 
   God want to give you everything But first He want to see that you are worthy of the gift.

"Let us prepare our hearts and mind for His blessings."



"And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray." (Mark 6:46)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.-- Matthew 6:33

Muscle Memoire

If you think, the brain is the only part of our body that can remember then all we have to do is read book about arts, then we can go directly and proceed painting. But that's not the case, often taken for granted was our muscles capabilities to retain or memorize activities.

   

Observation needs practice too. At first glance we might miss the different grains and tones but constant looking will lead us to various shades and hues (plus eye strain too). Learn or discover to see things as they really are and not what you think they are.

    Matters are a combination of substances. If we look deeper into the material composition of things it would be easier to translate them into reality....

    Two things must take place; the substance of your model and the properties of your medium. See how the pigment behaves; like to what extant it will move or the limitations it displays. In every action there's an equal reaction and that every color has an individual characteristic -- 

   Don't be afraid to experiment, and even if you don't get what you expect you'll still be discovering something...our muscle (pulse) will still develop because constant activities forms a habit. Teaching our hand to paint...will SURELY gain what it has invested. 

HELP FROM ABOVE

TURNING POINT

   There are turning point in our lives that define what we are now and who we are in the future. The option for us is whether we would do something about it or ignore the choices presented to us. Actually, choosing not to chose is also a choice. We can very well determine what we shall become by analyzing possible results from the choices we had made. Take a look at your Résumés now, isn't the data you've put on are actually results of the choices we had made from the past. We have talk about FOCUS and how everything we put our attention into grows, therefore if we put our attention into the choices at hand, we are directing our subconscious to concentrate to the best possible solution/s. 

A walk in the rain (Marcel Germain)

AFTER EFFECT

   I've mention the background of our bio-data how it came into being. I have gone to great lengths expounding about the importance of Cause-Choices-Effect, yet there is another principle we must look into. Another factor that we sometimes take for granted But equally as important and needed special attention as well. Going back to our personal statistic we will discover that aside from causes, or before the cause occur (although in some cases during the process of making a choice) there are events we call as coincidences. These seemingly random events appear to be illogical because it does not follow the course of Nature. Sometimes after realizing such incident  to have happened we can look back in awe and often make us smile with utter amazement what if this instance did not occur. The feeling is always that of wonder. 

   This phenomenon are sometimes called a "magical-effect" but I prefer to call it Divine Intervention. How many times have we been so worried about unsettled bills, with no definite answer where we will get the source of payment. Then an unexpected knock at your door from someone settle the exact amount for you. Coincidences comes in varied forms, it could be like a graffiti written on the wall; an overheard conversation from another table; a fallen leaves lifted by the breeze; or an old familiar love song played on the radio. Coincidences are help send from above like a whisper from a trusted friend. In most cases, these invisible guidance or unrecognized tools are often revealed to us in the form of Realizationism. 

CREATOR OF COINCIDENCES

   That is the goal of Realizationism at some degree--to be able to recognized and benefit to the divine guidance. That is what we shall explore further in future blogs, on (1) how to create instances that draw more divine guidance. (2) Understanding the value of the coincidence, what it was trying to say to us. and (3) Why coincidence occur on this specific problem and not on other trivial matters.

   We have grown too materialistic to acknowledge the source of coincidences and attribute the matter to "mere chance" or random event without no real purpose but just pure LUCK. People fail to give thanks to the giver of life, who does not only give us lungs for breathing but also provided the air in abundance.

VISUAL MANUSCRIPTS

Immortalizing memories or sometimes telling stories; 

expressing feelings or simply spending the moment; searching for an answer or experimenting with the medium; all these and much more are recorded on my Visual Manuscript.  

            The process of creating a visual journal came to me one time while doing a design for my folder to be used on my portfolio of art collection. Eventually, that discovery coupled with my intention to keep memories and retain work for future references, which included works that I even considered a failure had became to be a passion that ultimately at the same time develop into a personal style that I’ve been searching.

            As I self-search and analyzes each and every aspect of what the world offers I came to my lifetime thesis which is Realizationism Art – or simply the process of careful discernment of everything and anything. Thus, translating occurrences which transpired around or within me; by interpreting them as visual idiom and honest recording of feelings, I was able to comprehend the lesson in the process.   

preface to "The Quantum Fragment"

   I never believed in accident or random event. Things happened as a direct result of something being done or the law of cause and effect. Miracle is something that takes place without the natural law. Sometimes, we ignore coincidences and dismiss the idea that it happen by mere chance. To me that seemingly random act was a direct intervention from God. I saw that divine guidance as an inspiration, or something that needed our full attention.

            Although my art works appears to be just a playful juxtaposition of images and colors I never consider them as mere accident but a preconceived intent and careful placement of thoughts to achieved the desired revelation. When an inspiration arises (coincidence) I welcome them with an open mind and carefully distinguish the relationship. When the symbiotic of things are concocted perfectly into a piece of artwork with all the elements of arts put together such as texture, colors, colors and shapes we can call it a success.

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