flower viewing
What nostalgia is evoked when you see your favorite flower in bloom?
allergy season
inhale and exhale
transient beauty
…
the traditional custom
for experiencing the evanescent nature
and beauty of flowers
with family, friends, and tissue paper
pink bunny
What type of fuel do you consume in a day?
a drumming bunny
publicly marketed to
keep on keepin’ on
…
derives it’s fuel from consuming
alkaline batteries instead of carrots
to feed the march and drum
that everyone recognizes
as endless energy
pillows and blankets
What kind of games do you remember playing in your youth?
Was one of them building pillow and blanket forts?
childhood castle
the tv remote control
hidden under sheets
…
common construction
materials used when building
an indoor fortress
for enjoying a slice of pie
reading your favorite book
to protecting the living room
from imaginary invaders
the intelligent dryer
How many pieces of technology do you use in a day?
Do they bring warmth, joy, and supplement vitamin D deficiency?
the tumble dryer
textiles disintegrate
final spin cycle
…
equipped with groundbreaking
artificial intelligence alongside
a one year warranty
sounds like the next best thing…
yet, when will we realize
this dryer can never replace
a clothes line facing the sun?
a riff on waffles
Are you baking too many waffles at once?
What’s the batter that holds them together?
five minute timer
reheated waffle iron
awaiting batter
…
the “quick breads” leavened pastry
made from batter and or dough takes
minutes to make
but, while most anticipate
topping, syruping, and consuming
few take time to truly reflect
what went into making these masterpieces
philosophy of
Who and what personal philosophy do you live by?
only yesterday
society’s reflection
in a drop of dew
…
buddhism, confucianism
to taoism and even skepticism
schools of thought
originated from personal pondering
lightning and thunder
Like thunderstorms, what kind of ideas have flashed before your eyes?
To then disappear with a loud bang?
Did you write them down?
cumulonimbus
electricity wakens
the sky cracks open
…
amid other types of
naturally occurring phenomenon
are witnessed daily under certain
circumstances yet,
sometimes make the perfect storm
requires flashes of motivation paired
with humdrum rumblings.
"but are you a different animal and the same beast?"
What are the five pillars of the late Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality?
How will you apply them in your life?
natural instinct
a mamba mentality
emerges from grass
…
Kobe Bryant asked Kanye West
in the 2012 Nike ad series
the “Kobe System”
wasn’t only meant for drawing laughs
and marketing his seventh signature shoe…
but to challenge and cultivate
beastion within the celebrity & viewers.
the hourglass paradox
Have you heard the song "Peaches" with Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar, Giveon yet?
infatuation
audience justifying
peaches in georgia
…
innovators & early adopters
seek something special
that changes perspectives
then slowly but surely,
early and late majority’s
develop trust before laggards enter
until the hourglass is flipped over again.
illuminate
How will you illuminate representation and give hope in a time of fear, grief, and anger?
japanese maple
generational trauma
radiating heat
…
“to supply or brighten your light”
defined by merriam-webster
is our best response
in the wake of a pandemic with
rising xenophobic diction and anti-asian racism…
raise your voice, hate has no place.
This question has been swirling in my mind trying to make sense of generational BIPOC trauma and recent asian hate crimes..
Nearly five years ago, I volunteered as part of the speaker selection committee for @tedxuofw
The theme of the conference at the time was one word: Illuminate.
In our search to curate community leaders, educators, and artists I realized no matter who we spoke with, each and every person had such a passion or a spark of light within them.
Ideas, projects or lifes work that radiated energy and were waiting to be heard.
In the wake of a pandemic with xenophobic diction and anti-asian racism, I hope you find your light to inspire action, peace and unity.
Raise your voice, hate has no place.
points of intersection
What practices have you adopted in an effort to reduce your carbon footprint?
reservoirs and sinks
eternal revolutions
the carbon cycle
…
where demand and supply intersect
creates equilibrium price and quantity
or in other words…
balance in the market for products like
candy, coca-cola, and carbon.
the difference between
How can you turn what you learn through allyship and accompliceship into action?
sadness and sorrow
eroded by rainwater
the bamboo forest
…
actors, allys, and accomplices
actors - perform
allys - educate
accomplices - tilt the status quo and shift paradigms to
make today better than yesterday.
a memo to your present self
What would you write to your present self? And how would you feel when you read the memo in a few years?
the battlefield
collection of bullets in
short-form sentences
…
to call your loved ones
to make miso soap
to sing “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran
to wash the dishes
and take a power nap
are the tasks completed in your bullet journal.
the bird, the wire, and the cage
Are you approaching today with gratitude to expand your knowledge or take on a new interest?
telephone wire
modern history signals
a murder of crows
…
you see it everyday,
birds on a wire free to fly and
birds in a cage sitting behind bars
no matter the place,
birds always spread their wings
rose-colored glasses
No matter what filter you put on, how will generation-c change society’s view on resolving world issues?
in the waiting room
medication settles in
for fifteen minutes
…
worn by the masses
even in the dark
standing six feet apart
the world’s mask off
to the people’s cough
what is the next case
generation-c will face?
aesthetic as...
Where have you noticed moments of yūgen?
golden humming bird
hovering and collecting
the sweetest nectar
…
watching the sun rise above skyscrapers
wandering through a forest lost in thought
welcoming early spring flowers
are all experiences
originating from the sense of beauty that
comes from a subtle awareness of the unseen
yūgen 幽玄
an empty room
What memories come to mind when you think of your childhood room?
a fond memory
manifesting happiness
inside heads and hearts
…
holds many memories
of eating dinner, calisthenic exercising, and belting karaoke tunes
living in a box
or room of possibilities
never felt so alive.
define: anxiety
How do you overcome and destigmatize stress in your life?
garden makeover
overgrown dandelions
dumped into yard waste
…
my visual definition:
shows a garden
filled with weeds
overgrown and spreading…
yet it may seem daunting
becoming aware of your restlessness
is the first step in unearthing the roots of your worries.
setups & punchlines
How do lecturers, comedians, and battle rappers engage their audience?
open mic night set
spotlights illuminating
audience laughter
…
devices for composing prose
it doesn’t matter if the story is
a long anecdote, knock-knock joke or battle rap verse…
you need to find out what resonates with your audience.
save the lady, save the world
Happy MAR10 Day (known for the classic Nintendo character Mario)!
What was the last video game you’ve played?
construction platforms
jumping over barrels to
defeat donkey kong
…
would’ve been a great tagline for
Nintendo’s 1981 arcade classic
“Donkey Kong” as it proved
not all heroes wear capes…
as one unlikely character
wears blue overalls & a red newsboy hat.
Happy MAR10 Day! What was the last video game you played?
Being completely honest, it was Super Smash Brother’s and that was well over three years ago..
While one of my favorite childhood hobby’s hasn’t seen much recent daylight, it’s quite amazing to see and read how fast and global the gaming industry has grown over the past four decades. From arcade games to now playing mobile apps, entertainment is literally at our fingertips. Who knows, being in quarantine may bring this hobby back into my life. But first, comes more haiku, piano and acquiring the Japanese language.
To quote Mario… “Here we go!”