Me

Nobody, nothing, non-existent

[fiercebodhisatva]

[fiercebodhisatva]

[peacefullymindful]

[zenmister]

Ego-Reflection vs Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is thinking about yourself. Ego-reflection is thinking about what you think about yourself. Your True Self is a pure being that is perfect just for being. It is a part of nature like the sun, a mountain, a bird or a flower. Nobody worries if a flower is wasting its time or wasting its life just being beautiful. It is the same with your Self.

We don’t generally think about our Self when we think about ourselves. We think about our ego. Our ego is an idea that we build about ourselves. It is generally built subconsciously by all the judgements we make over our lives. We incorporate our parents judgements, our friends judgements, society judgements and we come up with something that we think is us. With all those judgements we no longer see our basic goodness. We see a manufactured concept that is good if seen from one angle and bad if seen from another.

When we feel bad, we often look at ourselves from a bad angle, and we pile on bad judgements. We construct a bad ego. From a bad ego it is hard to see beauty without feeling jealous, or wanting to grasp it and incorporate into a sense of self. The ego continually builds itself, unconsciously.

Consciousness of the ego, lets it build itself consciously. When you notice the judgements that are harsh and negative, recognize that those thoughts are not building the type of ego that you need. Remind yourself that it is not you. When you notice that you’re measuring yourself against other people, that is more ego. That is not you.

When you see beauty in the world and simply appreciate it, without trying to grasp it or consume it, that is you. That is you reflecting and resonating with your basic goodness, without interference from your ego.

[kafkasapartment]

[fiercebodhisatva]

Color added to my previously published doodle #doodle

[fiercebodhisatva]

Color added to my previously published doodle #doodle

[fiercebodhisatva]

This rooster also greets visitors along the driveway, which we call Artgirl Lane #yardart #art #metalsculpture

[fiercebodhisatva]

I built this guy from bicycle parts many years ago, now he has his own place along the driveway greeting all who come in peace. #yardart #art #metalsculpture

[fiercebodhisatva]

A #doodle unfinished, of course

[birdhouseiys-deactivated2017041]

On the “Tumblr Art Style” and censorship discussion

Alright, actually, I’ve got some serious thoughts on this issue, so bear with me while I try to express them coherently.

I really don’t like to criticize artists for style choices, and I think everybody should just be able to draw what they want, but I think there are some things that need to be said about styles that purposefully feature intentionally ugly, character-warping traits, like the now-infamous Kill La Kill fanart that’s been floating around, which I will include here for reference.

(I have yet to find a source on this picture, if anyone has one please tell me because I think art needs to be credited even if, or rather especially if it is being criticized.)

It’s obvious to anyone who is familiar with the characters that this is a gross (gross as in obvious or very pronounced, not gross as in disgusting) misrepresentation of what they look like. One character has even had their race changed for no reason, which smells like fetishization to me.

Lots of people, including me, have expressed that they think this style is ugly, and said they don’t like it. To which others have responded, “THIS IS LITERALLY CENSORSHIP!” It’s not. 

Everyone is well within their rights to draw what they want, and everyone is also well within their rights to criticize art styles they do not like.

Now, there is a bit if a soft rule in the art community that if you don’t like something about someone’s art, it’s probably best to just move on and not voice your displeasure, to avoid upsetting or discouraging artists, who very often struggle to stay confident and motivated (a feeling anyone who knows me at all is well aware I struggle with.)

However, this style is intentionally provocative. It is clear from looking at this that the characters being unattractive and strange-looking was a mindful choice on the part of the artist. It’s a social statement - the characters have almost all been placed into some minority group they aren’t canonically part of, and intentionally made to look, well, pretty ugly. 

So it’s kind of stupid to say that it’s censorship to criticize an artstyle that was crafted to attract criticism. Unlike some other incidents that have happened with artists here on tumblr, no one (that i have seen) is demanding that this be taken down, doxxing the artist, or telling them to die/kill themselves. They’re simply expressing that it’s ugly and they don’t like it.

And that isn’t censorship.

[fiercebodhisatva]

It is only censorship when the government tells you you cannot produce or display art. As an artist my feeling is love it, hate it just don't ignore it. Nice article!

[fiercebodhisatva]

#doodle

[fiercebodhisatva]

Why I support Transgender Rights

Open letter to all who care to read it.

A few years ago a raging debate took place here on Facebook over the question of whether gays and lesbians would be granted equal status with straight people, in the eyes of the law, and be allowed to marry. As a straight man, I felt that it was my obligation to stand up for my many gay and lesbian friends and I advocated strongly on their behalf, because I know that they all faced potential discrimination if they took a public stand. I refused to back away from ignorance and bigotry then, and I know that I unfriended/unfollowed dozens of people over it. I am certain that at least that many unfriended/unfollowed me as well.

Now we stand in the middle of a another raging debate, again based on the fear driven hysteria of a few people who have suddenly become aware that there are people whose gender identity is different from that which was indicated by their genitalia at birth. Ignoring the fact that they have been sharing bathroom facilities with transgender people for most of their lives, these suddenly aware folks now want to trample on the rights of people who have done nothing wrong, who pose no threat, and who just want to use the restroom in peace like everyone else.

Since I was born a straight male and identify as a straight male, you may wonder why I am so adamant in my defense of transgender rights. It is because I have dear friends who are transgender. I know them to be just as compassionate, loving, hardworking, morally upright, and faithful as any of my cis-gender friends. They are people who run businesses, attend church, support their communities and raise families.

They don’t deserve the vilification and the ridiculously vile associations with sexual predators. They don’t deserve to be treated as second class citizens, and they don’t deserve to be forced into restrooms that do not align with the identity that they have presented for decades because of the fear and hysteria of a few misguided people. What’s more is that we live in a world where it is still very dangerous for them to publically express their identity, and so they cannot speak up for themselves.

I can speak up for them. I will defend them against fear and bigotry. I will not refrain from engaging with people who spread the fear, and I will not apologize, and I will not stop. If you don’t like it then be ready to engage with reason, logic and facts or unfriend me, unfollow me or block me. Either way it’s your call.

#lgbtq #transgender #antibigotry

[fiercebodhisatva]

Om tattoo 30 years looking for the right tat finally paid off. #om #tattoo

[fiercebodhisatva]

#doodles #drawing #ink

[fiercebodhisatva]

Finish the following in the comments: He walks with the confidence of a man ...

[fiercebodhisatva]

Typically I spend more time drawing than I do writing, however recently none of my lines are straight and none of my curves have the sexy lines of a voluptuous woman. So I wrote this.