HAVOC_REVERIE.exe

Hello stranger. Welcome to my lab. Please follow the instructions below: 1. Check the README folder. 2. Explore the rest on your own.

[giacuynh]

ILLUSTRATION [The Curse of Clarity]

"Love yourself, and the universe will love you" is a comforting saying, but it shouldn't be the defining belief of anyone. The universe doesn't know who we are; that indifference is precisely why we should cherish ourselves. Self-love, at its deepest level, isn't about flattering the ego to feel superior or privileged, but about accepting the death of that ego to understand that in this vast galaxy, the only thing we possess is the heartbeat in our chest, and only we have the power to decide what to do with it.

Once people reach a point where they no longer define themselves by external things and have no desire to control them, they will have to live with their eyes open, witnessing themselves unconsciously destroying superficial things as an inevitable law. The more responsible we are for ourselves, the more we realize our powerlessness in controlling everything else in the world. The more we believe in ourselves, the less we expect from others. The more we understand ourselves, the less we crave to be seen through.

Self-awareness is a one-way street; it strips away the right to be naive, the right to blame, and the right to indulge in illusions just to feel good about oneself. It is freedom to those who seek it. Solitude to those who possess it. And terrifying to those who cannot comprehend it.

[giacuynh]

ILLUSTRATION [Self-restoration]

I believe that people never truly lose themselves; they simply carry too many burdens. If a person truly loses themselves, what is telling them that they are losing it, isn't that same "self" that is tormenting them?

So, when it comes to discovering one's true self, for me, it's not about "adding" or looking outward to find a perfect role model to become, but rather turning inward, shedding what has been learned about oneself, separating intrinsic value from what one possesses, from the opinions of others, and even from oneself.

That process is like restoring an ancient painting that has been covered by personal images, illusions, and societal expectations. It requires a great deal of curiosity, meticulousness, courage, and patience to back to square one, to face the truth. We're not what we want to be, what we have, what we have lost, or what people say about us. And maturity lies in managing, navigating, and optimizing that self – instead of forcing ourselves to play the role of someone else, or completely letting our instincts take control of our lives.

The question was never what defines us, but who we are when we have nothing.

[giacuynh]

ILLUSTRATION [All you love is just a part of me.]

The objectification of women. This piece reflects a reality where we have no choice; we are objectified, dissected, and consumed by distorted, romanticized notions. Our emotions are put on a pedestal and labeled as a weakness at the same time, yet our hunger for intellectual respect is quietly overlooked. We are forced to stifle our natural instincts because we’ve been told they are "dirty"...

It is always a part, never all of me.