This picture was taken during Hari Raya Eve and my (best) friend and I were in a festive mood, so we decided to get our hennas done by a henna expert. Henna is very well known and is practiced by people mostly in India, Pakistan, Africa and the Middle East. Henna is a beautiful natural traditional type of body art and is commonly worn for special occasions like weddings and festive seasons. There are no restrictions on the kinds of designs that you should create with henna, it is all up your imagination and creativity. Usually the bigger/special the event that you are wearing your henna on, the more extensive your henna designs will be just so that it will stand out from regular henna designs, to make the event, weddings mostly, more remarkable. Nowadays, henna is also adapted by westerners for hippie music festivals such as Coachella or any other events. Henna is also temporary which makes it very convenient for those who are not comfortable about getting permanent tattoos and wants to decorate their body.
I've just only recently been to a Kpop group concert and this group is called, iKON. iKON is a korean group consisting of 7 guys, 2 of which are rappers, formed by a very well known South Korean record label, YG Entertainment. The kind of music that iKON makes is mostly of those up-beat/catchy range, the kind that when you listen to it, you can't help but to bop your head along to the beat. They also do the more slow and downbeat kind of songs as well and they are equally as good but if you are looking for a song to hype up the atmosphere an iKON song might just do the trick. I might be bias since iKON is one of my favorites but their dance choreography are also as upbeat as the song and it radiates so much,in the teenage slag, 'swag'. Of course they are also many other Kpop groups that does something similar might even be better, in some other's opinions but these are mine.
Try and listen!!:
iKON: Rhythm Ta
BTS: Fire (This is another upbeat song by another Kpop group that is raved by MANY)
Why Kpop?:
What sets the Kpop music apart from Western music is probably how much more unique/dramatic their music videos are. The effort they put in making their music videos is one of a kind, with the use of effects, makeup and outfits.
I also feel like the lyrics that they use in their songs are much more meaningful, like when you listen to it, you can feel all the emotions that the songwriter is trying to convey.
It is very common for any Kpop group/idol to dance while singing. This just shows how much more harder they have to try and practice because not everyone can dance and sing at the same time. Since they are a lot of Kpop groups, each and everyone of them has to think of a more unique choreography to stand out from the rest. How much they have trained can be seen as proof when how they performed it live is similar to what you see in their music videos.
Not only is the Korean industry known for their music, but also their dramas (which are sososo good) and their variety shows that helps the Korean industry be known to many people all around the world.
Makeup is also a form of art as it allows one to be creative in how she would want to 'paint' her face and being creative is what art makes you do hence, makeup is art. Of course not everyone might agree but makeup has been such a great confident booster for a lot of girls. Girls who wear makeup are sometimes deem as fake but not all of us are bless with such flawless skin, is it really that bad of a choice if some of us wants to feel pretty just for once in our lives? Again the choice to wear make up is all in your own individual hands. But I feel like putting on makeup is also a process of learning, it takes a lot of practice to master the skills to create the perfect arc for your eyebrows. Similarly to art, only after countless times of practices is how you will learn how to be skilled in a particular technique.
I have always loved the city lights. I'm especially mesmerized with the reflections of the lights on the water, just like what is shown on the picture above which I took in Clarke Quay. This picture shows exactly the kind of beauty that I am captivated by; how the image being reflected is something so vague but yet so eye-catching due the variety of colors illuminated by the city. Some might be a true believer of being in love with details but having something so unclear, we are allowing our imagination to take over and let it decide whatever it wants. Sitting by the lake, under the stars with such a breathtaking view gives me this settling kind of feeling and it allows me to think clearly, setting my creative juices free to wander around.
Summary of Tim Brown: Tales of creativity and play
In this video, Tim Brown explains the relationship between creativity and play, how trust connects these elements together and form a key role for people to be as innovative as they can be. Studies have shown that as we grow and age, we tend to feel more insecure about ourselves when we are surrounded by our peers. We also start to take people's opinions of ourselves more seriously than we ever did as a child. We allow this fear of judgement to consume us and this is what stops us from going beyond our limits and is holding us back from sharing our ideas with people. When instead, we could have been trying to expand our ideas even further.
Tim also points out that designers/artists should work in a lively environment as it helps to keep the creative juices flowing and the vibe of playfulness open. Apart from that, friendships will naturally be made with the people you are surrounded with and as the bond between friends grow, the trust among them intensifies as well. Trust is the essential push for those who wants to take creative risks. With that being said, being in such a positive environment with friends makes waking up in the mornings less of a routine and more of something to look forward to.
When a child is introduced to something new, he would be more open about it and would want to explore it, this openness leads to exploratory play. This differs from adults as the first thing an adult would do when is met with something new is to categorize them which is why adults should relearn playful activities.
The useful behavioral act that we have adapted when we were all children is role playing. Who would have ever guessed that playing dress up and acting out to be someone else when we were younger is important in the designing world? I certainly did not. Designers create things for people and to create something beneficial, they try to put themselves in their clients shoes so that they can understand their perspective even better.
As an art student, I feel that this video has open up my eyes to see that in order for us to create something magical, we must first be fearless, not be afraid of making mistakes because only through mistakes is how we learn to grow.
To sum it all up, every designer/artist should always keep this in mind:
