We haven't been to Europe, not yet, not now, but thanks to technology, transmitting those scenic views into our homes is no longer impossible. Somehow, by osmosis, this tricked our brains into thinking we, in fact, have been to those places. Nah! What works for now is utilizing the power of our imaginations.
To add variety, I reach for narratives from other personages, imagined or real, by reading novels, shifting my perspective off from the pall of the monotonous.
Interestingly, this humdrum of repetition has also rendered itself to the walking tours playing on the TV screen.
Don't get me wrong, Europe is a place like no other, but it appears at a certain point, the stunning design architectures repeat itself from place to place. Sometimes, it felt like something I've already seen in Montreal or Quebec.
Until... I've chanced upon Antoni Gaudi's works of art.
[photo source]
Have you heard of the La Sagrada Familia, Casa Battlo (referred to as the House of Bones), Casa Mila, Park Guell? I'm sure you have. (See photo above).
If you look at them, they look so out of this world, eclectic, bizarre, sui generis, yet look how celebrated they are. Can you believe seven out of the 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Barcelona, Spain are the works of Gaudi? Amazing, huh!
Somehow, this makes me wonder about Gaudi's thought process while working on his masterpieces. Did he second-guess himself? Did he worry about people's opinions of his works? And how is he able to unleash his creative genius without inhibitions?
Because personally, I not only battle somebody's opinions of myself, I also debate against my own critical thoughts, constantly shunning me down.
It won't work! That's a crazy idea! It had been done before, why inject yourself into an already saturated landscape? You'll only appear like one of those prevalent architectural structures, or worse, you'll sound like a brash advertisement disrupting a piece of soothing classical music!
We all have them. I'm sure you battle your own critical predispositions too, feeling like you're good enough.
But here's the thing. How will you know what works from what doesn't if don't try? If at the outset, you talk yourself out of it, shunning the idea down before doing any work?
Who knows, it could be the beginnings of a masterpiece, which sadly, will never see the light of day if you allow your critical mind to rule the day.
The Bible talks about this too, here's a verse from the book of Ecclesiastes.
In the morning sow your seed,And in the evening do not withhold your hand;For you do not know which will prosper,Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.~ Ecclesiastes 11:6 NKJV
Of course, this applies to you and me.
Determine to do something about your idea first, no matter how outlandish they may appear. Draw a conclusion later. Appropriate your creative imaginations, allow it to free flow, silencing your disapproving mind.
And when in doubt, remember Gaudi's creations. It may look so out of the ordinary, but these masterpieces stood out from the rest of the crowd. ;)