I Miss Writing

(Written on April 30, 2009)

I am here at Starbucks with my brother, during one of those rare brother-sister dates that used to be quite frequent when I still controlled my schedule. He is reading one of those glossy high-society magazines where the cover subjects have more attractive clothes than smiles (and I’m being kind), and where they are chosen not necessarily for their value as human-interest subjects, but for their standing in society.

I, on the other hand, up until a few minutes ago, had been reading flow, a magazine I had been curious about but only got to browse just today. I was pleasantly surprised to find the name of interior designer Miguel Rosales (with whom I had collaborated briefly when I was still writing “Living” features for MEGA) as editor of the magazine, and famed furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue as its curator. It’s a magazine that, despite the absence of faces and names on the cover, is much more interesting to me because it’s filled with art, design, and beautiful things that make life much prettier than it is sometimes.

And as I was browsing the pages of flow and appreciating the photography, the layout, and the writing, I silently declared to myself: I MISS WRITING.

More specifically, I miss writing about art, interiors, design, and all the beautiful thing that make life much more interesting than it is sometimes.

I miss going to exhibit openings and galleries and talking to artists about their work. I miss looking at art pieces and being lost in their colors and textures. I miss thinking about the complexities of creation and how much love, passion, and patience it takes for a piece of work to be considered finished (and, sometimes, as artists will tell us, it never really is.) And I miss having the time to process all these and put them on paper (or screen).

I miss talking to people, not always about politics or changemaking or what makes the world a sicker/better place, but about what makes THEM tick, what makes THEIR lives interesting, what makes THEIR worlds go ‘round—politics or changemaking aside. I miss just reveling in the “beingness” of things and people, regardless of their social status, political affinity, or profession. I miss the challenge of turning subjects into friends, of connecting with people JUST BECAUSE.

And again, I miss having the time to process all these conversations and interactions and turn them into my own works of art.

I miss coming home at the end of the day with enough time to sit down, think, and process the events of my past 24 or so hours, to share my thoughts and reflections with anyone who would care to read them. I miss blogging about the adventures and misadventures I share with Paul (which I used to blog about regularly in my first blog A Spoonful of Sugar). I miss blogging about the out-of-the-universe things I discover and read about (which are the subjects of my entries in my blog Out of the Universe). I miss having the time to research on blogging and social media and share them here in Long Live Blogging. And I miss having the time to read and process my Daily Oms and share the inner workings of my soul in my blog Soul Work.

Most of all, I miss reading. I miss feeding my brain with all the great food that nourishes and stimulates it.

Undoubtedly, my job is filled with intellectual stimulation and challenges, and I wake up every day thankful for the opportunity to serve our country and our people through my work. But I miss those quiet moments when I can just be, when I can just let my mind float, when I can let my thoughts fill a page or a screen, and when I can connect with people like you through my words.

Help me pray for more time and energy so that I can continue to do the ONE THING that means the most to me.

Team RP and Flippyknows hold first Bloggers Night

BLOGGING MIXES FLARE FOR ART

By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

http://blogs.inquirer.net/blogaddicts/2008/10/13/blogging-mixes-flare-for-art/

Blogging and art mix at the Team RP-Flippyknows Bloggers Night

SAN JUAN City, Manila – They start late at night, with bags of junk food and pizzas. They sit on floors covered with mattresses and small tables and put their footwear on the cold cement. Around them are paintings and sculptures from fine arts students and their mentors. It’s a scene typical of an art gala but people here are not talking just about art — they’re hoping to share in national change through their blogs.

And at the last small and intimate gathering at the My Little Art Place in San Juan City, the group of amateur and professional bloggers talks about how blogging is changing information dissemination.

The event is simply called Philippine Bloggers’ Night. Essentially, the event is a workshop on creating a blog and how individuals and other institutions are using it. Some bloggers gave insights about how they built their blogs and what they focus on. Others shared how media companies are adapting to the changes brought about by the Internet. The realization is that media is not the gatekeeper of information anymore. The power to disseminate has also been given to the ordinary individual.

Paul Zialcita with his Kali Drum and water bottle drum (photo by JP Manahan)

Of course, being in an art place, the event also has some creative essence to it. Percussionist Paul Zialcita showed some of his instruments, such as a daiko-like drum that is actually made out of a garbage can and a drum made out of a half-filled water gallon placed on top of the opening of a hand-made baby walker. There is also a performance by “spokenword” artist Miko Pepito and recording artist Nityalila.

The event is organized by a group of bloggers calling themselves Flippyknows, whose name is a play of the word “Filipino.” Just as their tagline says, “Because the Filipino Knows,” the group focuses on encouraging Filipinos to develop their creativity and also on technology.

For this particular night, the group also partnered with Team RP, who is advocating change in the society for the sake of truth, accountability and reform.

After a successful night, both groups are hoping to continue holding such events to encourage people to get involved in social issues while enjoying creativity at its simplest.