September
- (Hindi Movie Quote): in mutthiyon mein chaand taare bhar ke
aasmaan ki had se guzar ke ho ja tu bheer se judaa – take the moon and stars in your fist, crossing the sky, become separate from the crowd. Although I haven’t realized this before, there is something elegant, magical, and insightful about writing from different languages; that is, these languages don’t have the same controlled structure as the English language, which makes it beautiful in its differences. - The Step Not Taken – Paul D’Angelo: For some reason, when we had gone through all the short anecdotes in class, this one really stuck to me. It is a non-fictional account of an event in the author’s life where he met a man, who seemed to be a junior executive, on his way up the elevator. However, during the ride up, the man had fallen and was crying inexplicably, and D’Angelo got off at his floor, not bothering to look back. His guilt for not asking what was wrong really got to him, which is why he recorded his account and apologized for not stepping ‘forward in his time of need’.
- The Tempest – Shakespeare Company: “Prospera, the duchess of Milan, uses magical arts to bring within her power the enemies who usurped her title and banished her to a remote island. Thought to be one of his final play’s, Shakespeare’s epic drama of family, loss, reconciliation and revenge is brought to life in this visually striking production.” It was a really powerful performance as they knew how to set the stage in a very controlled and artistic fashion. Every time I see one of the Shakespeare Company’s shows I just feel like acting should be my only pursuit in life, but then I get brought back to reality shortly afterwards.
October
- https://writershelpingwriters.net/ – Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi both have contributed to the creation of this site and share different book suggestions, give tips on how to craft different parts of a story (creation of conflict is the most recent tip), and just overall become a more skilled writer. I haven’t been on this site enough to say any more about it, but I can say that it is definitely worth looking at.
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Zindagi-Na-Milegi-Dobara-Movie-Review/articleshow/9233774.cms – Zindagi na Milegi Dobara (this life we will not get again) is a Hindi movie which is centered around three friends who go for a bachelor trip in Spain before one of them has to get married. After facing their fears on the trip, he realizes his lack of compatibility with his future wife and experiences a complete shift along with his other two friends, one who meets his biological father and another who falls in love after dealing with a break-up. This whole idea that we only have one life and that we should make the most out if it is the basis of this film and is something I never get tired of watching.
November
- Poetry Anthology
December
- https://www.ted.com/talks – TED Talks are influential videos which is built around a simple mission statement in that it makes people aware of ‘ideas worth spreading’. They are very powerful because experts on different fields of study speak on issues they are passionate about and feel attached too.
- https://www.nfl.com/ – Although this doesn’t seem much like an inspiration, football is something I have always enjoyed watching and even playing. There is something about the sport that just inspires me as all I want to do in that moment is grab a jersey and run out on to the field.
- http://www.acku.org/ – ACKU(All Canadian Karate Union) is the name of the organization I am apart of. We are involved in Shotokan Karate, and I have been in this program for the past 7 years or so because of how much Karate has changed my life. It is something I need to do to deal with my stress and also helps me be a better person in that they teach us discipline – something we often lack.
January
- https://www.dailyactor.com/ – To get into more of an acting mindset I have been occasionally visiting this website and a few others to better my own skills. I feel like there is a lot that I don’t know about acting because of my inexperience, but I want to change that. For me, the best part is going on stage in character, being present in that moment, and manipulating the audience through emotions. Seeing the reactions afterwards on whether the people couldn’t stop laughing or felt a deep sense of sorrow and regret is what I feel lets me know that I completed my role as an actor. What I really like doing is watching successful actors and listening carefully to their suggestions.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I88LduMZ26g – Oliver Miguel is a musician who has his own band, which he created by playing different instruments and syncing them into one harmonious melody. The different sounds can be heard clashing and opposing one another in the background, but, in the end, it sounds much more unified. I only recently found out about him through our Performing Arts Director – Mrs. Orchard – but I feel that if she finds him to be an inspiration for the people who are in choir, then I will definitely look up to him as a role model.
