Thursday 13 January 2011

Giving Myself Some Good Advice #2 : Memories Are Treasures Worth Saving

I have been carrying on with life recently, just running and doing, that blogging became somewhat neglected. I suppose the beginning of the year is always a rush and work is already pulling me to scurry along. Do you ever feel that life seems to be moving a pace faster and you constantly look back, afraid that you might have missed something? Well, I have been feeling like that ever since my daughter first went to school in kindergarten. I don't know, maybe motherhood makes your biological clock ticks louder and you can hear it tick-tocking in the back of your head. Makes a pretty good reason to just slow down and watch my children create their memorable moments.


It just so happened that I came across this picture the other day. Yes, that little girl is me, stuffing myself with a very curious sort of snack. And the boy is my older brother, who was a friend and a foe back then, all in a loving sort of way. Take no notice of his unbuttoned shirt and opened fly! Makes you wonder about the kind of things he was up to those days... Well, this is one of the very rare tokens I have of my early childhood. Sadly, I don't think my parents were the photographing type, so most pictures I have as a child are the embarrassing ones my siblings took when we were older. Which I'm afraid will never grace the walls of this blog! (^_^)

Later on that day, I created these paintings, inspired by the two little birds in my life... and both are available in my Etsy shop.

 The Philosopher, 4x6", acrylics and tea stains on paper

The Clown, 4x6", acrylics and tea stains on paper


So with all the flashbacks and memories flowing in, I realized that time can, in fact, stand still. All I have to do is slow down and just sit quietly as I watch every little thing marvels around me. After that, life will carry on as before, but I'll always have my chest full of treasured memories.

I'm sure your chest is as full as mine.

~Amalia~

oxox

20 comments:

  1. Love the photo of you and your brother! (I have no siblings, so I have complete control of the *never-to-be-seen* photos....almost ALL!)
    Time does go faster; as one ages, the desire to be in the moment more often, to create, to hold fast to a single second is stronger and stronger.
    I think artists are blessed with the ability to do so. You did today! ;)

    XXOO~~♥
    Anne

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  2. these are so very beautiful Amalia! You are a blessed woman indeed.

    Love hearing about your take on motherhood, these early years go so very quickly don't they.

    Hugs and wonderful artwork!

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  3. What a sweet picture of you and your brother, it certainly is amazing how time flies....
    I am with you....I am in need of slooooow down time,too.

    time to enjoy the little things....like our children's giggles, chocolate covered faces and little feet!
    LOVE the artwork, too!
    xxoo

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  4. Oh you cutie patootie! This is great. Both you and your brother are a good looking bunch.

    Okay, I get upset when something spills on my drawing and here you are pouring tea all over it! Hahaha!

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  5. Well an open fly? I wouldn't have noticed! They are very fashionabl in some parts of oz as well.

    Life? You know the secret of having it last longer. To do something different every day. Doing something different every day helps you isolate the days.

    Not that you know, but young males in Oz always remember the hangover days. They are the ones when you feel like a moose has kicked your head several times. You remember those days a lot more than the other 349 days of that year when you felt really really good. They just blend into each other.

    The other trick is to park your car in a different spot every day.

    It does have drawbacks though. Last year I lost my car eighteen times....

    I now write my name and phone number on my car so that people can find me if I lose it.

    Lovely work as usual. Your drawings are of angels (not angles - that would be geometry)

    gweetings from oztralia :)

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  6. love that picture Amalia. I don't have many photos from my childhood either, just a few in fact. I also love your illustrations they are precious. Take care Amalia. Hugs

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  7. bagus banget sih mbak Lia duhhh

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  8. My dear friend,
    Thank you for this post! Your words opened my "chest of treasured memories" and made me ponder, and remember, and even take a decision. The decision to pay much more attention to my memories, no matter from which period of my life. And what is more important - to search for new sources for them to come, to find something to provoke and "awake" them! As I am growing older (because I'm really older than you!), I turn back to my past more often than usual. I like to remember the years our lovely son was a little boy, the time my husband and I had just fallen in love, as well as some very special moments of my childhood, reigned by the marvellous Summer vacations, spent with my brother at my aunt's house!...
    I have a lot of albums from my childhood. All the photos are in black and white, but this doesn't make them less beautiful! I've found out that I feel better when I take a "small dose" of watching photographs, because I usually become sad...
    Yes, life if going fast and we CAN stop its run (or maybe it's more correctly to say "our run") by taking a rest just for a while and paying attention to the smaller things from Yesterday and Today that make our lives colourful and thrilling!
    The photo of you and your brother is so touching! Thank you for sharing it with us!
    Your new drawings of your little precious birdies are lovely!! They are drawn with so much love, that we can feel it, too !
    Oh, and the last, but not least... I'm very much impressed by what you said about our children - that they "create their memorable moments". Yes, they do! While we are rushing, working, troubling, hoping, dreaming, losing, fighting, searching, loving... And I don't want to miss them!! I will try not to!:-)))
    With love:R. xxx

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  9. it is so beautiful to see you picture and of your brother.
    you were adorable children.. those steep eyes are a charm.
    I don't also have many pictures of my childhood.. no why didn't mine want.. but we were very poor and photographic camera was something very rare for us.
    they are beautiful the paintings.. I adore that soft and nostalgic coloration that it has.
    a fort hug and a 2011 replete of blessings.
    xoxo
    yasmin

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  10. What a lovely post Amalia, you seem to be full of wonderful memories. I find that they can be the greatest source of inspiration at times, and I can see that the inspiration has definitely turned into two great works of art here :) I keep a lot of my memories in a box these last few years, the really special ones, but of course the best kind of memories are the ones that replay over and over in your head like a beautiful film :)

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  11. Such a lovely photo of you and your brother Amalia. You both look very cute! :-)
    I can imagine that you treasure every moment with your children. Time does seem to fly by and the years are a blur sometimes.
    Your new works are very beautiful and sensitive images.
    Have a wonderful creative 2011.
    Hugs and love,
    Jo. xx

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  12. The picture of you and your brother is just adorable!! It's enlightening to take time to look at the past. And our children do grow up so quickly! So yes we need to enjoy the present, too. (Not always easy when we feel busy.) I love these two illustrations!

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  13. My chest is more half-full. I'd never make it as a Victoria's Secret model.

    SQUEAL!!! Oh, goodness! That photo is absolutely DARLING! So much cuteness. And obviously, that sky-high adorableness factor is genetic judging by the beautiful drawings. My kids are my biggest inspiration, so I have no doubt they are yours, too. Gorgeous!!!

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  14. Thanks for the lovely words, my friends!

    Anne, I must agree with you...as I grow older, I DO have the need to hold on to moments and yes, artists like us are so lucky to be able to spill out our feelings into art. Thank you, luv. :)

    Julia, thank you! Oh, you are SO right! Sometimes I recall the times when I first taught my daughter the ABCs and now she has a cabinet full of books she treasures!

    Heather, yes, sloooow down, please. :)) Easier said than done, though. It's definitely one of my priorities this year!

    Ces, Oh! You're a cute patootie yourself!! Hahaa... Don't you just love old photos? They make you smile and the embarrassing ones, well, they make you laugh and want to die in the same time! And I'm glad you don't pour tea all over your art...that way your blog would be Ces and Her Tea Stains! (ACKH!) :D

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  15. Monsieur Finnie, why am I not surprised that your choice of subject out of my post would be the opened fly??! Hahaa.. If it's a trend over in Oz, then I will sure to keep my huge sunglasses intact at all times when I go there (for better viewing that is!!). And thank you friend, for the inputs... Actually, losing my car would be a good reason NOT to park my car on a different spot everyday! Hehehee...

    Hello Karen! Thanks deary... I know what you mean, sometimes I wish I had more pictures of myself as a toddler. Still so innocent and sweet, unlike the next coming years! :))

    Ana and Cecil, thanks so much! ♥

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  16. Oooo...Rossi! I LOVE all your insightful comments! You are always so willing to share your thoughts and feelings on things. Yes, memories are like jewels, aren't they? Even the bad ones teach us something in the end... I can imagine how beautiful your life must be in the past, because you came out to be such a beautiful person yourself. I hope you find so much more memorable moments in the future, my friend. oxx

    Yasmin, hello! Thank you sweetie for your kind words... It's such a shame that you didn't get the chance to have more photographs in the past, but memories like those are the ones that keep you strong, are they not? :)

    Vanilla, I agree! I mostly love the memories that are nicely saved inside my head. Every little thing could trigger them to come flowing out. Is that the case with you too? Anyway thank you, you are so sweet.

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  17. Thank you, Jo! You know, 2010 was especially fast for me... Things happened so quickly. So many rushed decisions, so many changes. I hope 2011 will be a year to settle down. Oh, I wish it would. :)

    Ann Marie, I'm with you!! Enjoy the present! Hear, hear!!... (^_^)

    Bella, my sweet. I think I'm beginning to know you better because I SWEAR I knew you'd be the first to mention the "chest" part in another meaning!!! Hahahaa... Thank you, deary for saying those nice things. oxx

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  18. ah, I love seeing the photo of you, so small and lovely. Fun to hear you talk about your brother too.

    Your paintings are quite charming. I love looking at them and enjoying the details.

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  19. I like your series of good advices :) It makes us think of what is the important things that we should be treasuring in this life <3

    The other day I saw from Discovery Channel that the closer we get to the light speed, our 'time' will be slower and slower.. well that is kinda off from your topic XD But I guess memories last in whichever moving time frame, whether in the past, present and future :)

    Thank you!!
    xx

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