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Earthquakes – How They Changed My Outlook
Saturday’s Showcase Sketches: I have a relatively busy day today (I am in the midst of rearranging rooms and creating an office/art space in the spare room -maybe this will give me reason to start painting again!) therefore, this is going to a short(ish) post. I have some good news that I also want to share before getting onto the actual post. I have been asked to contribute towards a newsletter (I will let you know which newsletter it is in a future post when the article is ready to be seen) so I am really excited about that! I also will be starting (hopefully) my ROW80 goal today so I am looking forward to that too -get ready for some Twitter #wordgoal and #wordmongering -if you have time this evening why don’t you join me too? 
Now back to the post, today I want to share one of my favourite paintings’ with you; albeit it is not a new piece (it was painted in the year 2000 for my Degree Show); however I feel this epitomizes my current situation in life; a change is coming…
(As always, there is a pdf document at the bottom of the post for those who may find this a difficult read.)
About the Exhibition
How do you attempt to portray what you felt when you thought you were faced with death? It’s almost impossible, words, images are rarely enough to explain what you went through, it only scratches the surface of something so deep, so emotional… Keeping this in mind, I have attempted to’re-present’ my feelings of the day of 17th August 1999. The day nature played a cruel trick on the people in Turkey, the day I realised life was precious, the day the earth shook at precisely 03:02am, the day that could have been my last… The floors were covered in red tiles that were once the roof of buildings…
Copyright © Ozlem Yikici 2000 & Copyright © doodllz™ 2000. All Rights Reserved.
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Exhibited 2000 -as part of my Degree Show at University College Chichester
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This is just a taster of the exhibition; when I have a bit more time I will exhibit the whole exhibition here I will include detailed thoughts on what I wanted to portray. In the meantime, I will leave you with this thought; earthquakes are scary occurrences’ but also a part of the world we live in, the exhibition I presented was not focusing on the despair of the natural disaster but a message of hope. I wonder if you can guess how I incorporated hope into the sadness of such a ferocious activity. I would love to hear from you. As you already know, thoughts and comments are encouraged as always -even if it is just a word -as all good discussions start with just one word.
Copyright © Ozlem Yikici 2011 & Copyright © doodllz™ 2011. All Rights Reserved.
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Thoughts and comments are encouraged as always.
Pdf document: Earthquakes – How They Changed My Outlook
My Encounter with Fate!
Monday’s Meandering Muse: I am sitting looking blankly at the screen; I am unsure what to write -well I know what I want to write; I just don’t have a clue how to write it (it seems my inspiration muse has deserted me -not the best moments for my muse to do that; let me see what I can come up with without her). Maybe I should start with a prompt…
(As always there is a pdf document at the bottom of the post for those who may find this a difficult read.)
“Fate – everything happens for a reason. And when fate happens look for the good in it as it is there.”
This is very true; I try to remind myself of this all the time. Sometimes when something happens beyond our control and it is not the desired outcome we become disgruntled and moan about how life is unkind to us. We rarely think of what it is fate has presented to us; we do not look with unclouded eyes; we do not allow the haze to clear so we see the other possibilities -we do not see clearly until the very last minute and then when we do, the relief sets in; wouldn’t it be great if we did not worry about what has happened; but embrace what opportunities are ahead of us? Why think the cup is half empty when it could be just half full.
You may ask why I am talking about fate… Well, asides from the fact that I am fascinated by the concept of fate I have had to look at it a bit more deeply than normal recently, why? Well I have recently just been made redundant due to the recent Government spending cuts; I know the news sounds terrible when you hear it like that but; there is a silver lining behind it; this development has enabled me to think more clearly with what I have been living through the last few years and I believe I have had an epiphany with this current upheaval in my life. All the missing pieces of the puzzle finally(ish) fit into place and makes sense -please note, it is not my intention to say anything untoward to my past employers; I enjoyed working there heaps (see fact no 6 on post Awards? -Aww *Blushes* -You Shouldn’t Have!); it has given me insight to a lot of things and helped me understand myself and my needs.
In brief; I started work, part-time, as a Support Worker about five years ago (bizarrely; July 24th 2011 will be five years to the day -talk about coincidences!); I loved it -the variety; being able to find solutions for those who really needed it; being proactive and above all having a wonderful team to work with! So when I was offered a full-time post think of the joy I felt -I was ecstatic! I never saw it coming; my attention to detail; my ethos in life: give %100; ensure the work done is perfect; my empathetic nature -they all were a concoction of potions waiting to become a disaster; individually they are great but collectively it was to undo the essence of me -I would only realise this three years too late. At this point, a normal person would just despair and worry to what will happen next; maybe we just need to have a fresh outlook on life…
“Do not worry about the future for it is not yet come. Live each day in the present and make it beautiful.”
Stressing about what could be, how things may work out; rarely does any good -other than cause your health serious harm! So if you do not want to be well, then maybe you should just continue the way you know best; keep worrying… -I am not saying that to be mean; it’s just a true fact -we are all guilty of it (including me). I am a huge worry wart; if I can worry about anything -I do so without thinking; it automatically sets in (well I am trying to kick that habit; but having empathy does not help -especially in the line of work I have been in; my mind rarely switched off I was constantly thinking of what might happen if I was not about). It’s tough -I know! By worrying we forget about the most precious gift we have: today -with today we can do anything and things happen; things fall into place or a wheel of motion is set into action; so why do we fail to utilise this day? Let’s not forget and try and enjoy the precious moments we have today and make it beautiful.
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Are We Individuals or Are We Sheep’s?
Wishful Wednesday Wanderings (one-off theme for days like today):
Following my apology on Monday, I wanted to also apologise for not showing up at all yesterday (I planned to post Monday’s article as part of Tricky Tuesday’s Treachery (another one-off theme)). Unfortunately, my low moment hindered my plans -these moments can hit you in the middle of nowhere and can last longer than you really care for.
I am still not 100% (I’ve had 2-3 mini-panic attacks these past 3 days; my motto is still as I said in my previous article). I am determined to at least write something today -be it my blog post article, my WIP to meet my ROW80 goal, a flash fiction piece or even a follow-up storyline for Our Story Begins over at DiRosaYikici (or a combination of the above). Any success stories to be heard will be shared on Friday (hopefully) as part of Frivolous Fun Friday. Before I continue with the article I planned for Monday; I want to say a HUGE thank you all for the lovely comments and warm encouragements. I really appreciate every single one of them (I will do my best to respond to all as soon as I can); you cannot guess how much your positivity and empathy has helped during these tough two days. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Just a quick note: The below article is a continuation from Monday -which means I have not changed any part of it; I will just continue from where I stopped writing it (that will be from: ‘I was truly amazed.’); I hope you all enjoy the read despite its delay. Oh and before I forget –yep the bookshelf is assembled and adorned with all my books/files and random stuff that was eating into my space!).
(As always there is a pdf document at the bottom of the post for those who may find this a difficult read.)
The long awaited:
Monday’s Meandering Muse:
All this changing of rooms and creating space for my office/art space has limited my time and hence why I am now sitting amongst piles of books and files awaiting the delivery of a bookshelf which I hope will ‘magically’ bring a calm to the current chaotic space. This disarray does not help me think clearly or indeed make me feel if I am on time…right now I feel like I am running behind schedule with the blog -oooer! My only solace is that you are all very understanding of my predicament *looks ups with a marvellous/timid grin* -you are right?
Of course, you are -that is what I love about all you lovely visitors/readers of my humble blog! 
Ok, now let’s get focused and see what my muse wants to discuss today… Oh and by the way, if there is a topic you would like me to look into and explore in my own yikici-kind-of-way then please feel free to leave a suggestion in the comment box below or for those of you who are a wee bit shy drop me a line via my contact page.
ARE WE INDIVIDUALS OR ARE WE SHEEP’S?
Image sourced from: http://cache2.allpostersimages.com
I have heard this (and or similar) terminologies throughout my life and it always made me ponder how much individuals we are as opposed to being a sheep. I even recollect a very vivid memory from my childhood, which visualises this whole idea to another level; maybe this is why it has stayed in my minds-eye throughout the years.
I must have been in my early-mid teens (or maybe even younger; I cannot quite remember); as part of our family holiday (which incidentally was always a trip to Turkey) we visited family in Tokat –a region in the Northern part of Turkey. There I was gazing out of the window, which was looking out to the main street where a river (or maybe it was a stream) was gushing through it (not freely flowing onto the roads silly! It was below the roads surface, barricaded with walls and a bridge was available so people/animals/and all forms of transport could cross over it). Whilst marvelling at this sight and wondering the dangerousness of the rapid flow of water, I spied a shepherd with his flock of sheep moving along towards the bridge.
I hear you say that there is nothing fascinating about that; bear with me, there is more…
When they reached the bridge, the sheep, scared by the sound of the water I assumed, refused to cross over; the shepherd tried many tactics –one of which worked. He held one of the sheep by its two front legs and gently pulled him/her across the bridge so he/she sheep-stepped over the bridge. At this stage; I’m with you here -I was thinking ‘what is he doing!’ Then something amazing happened and in turn, that occurrence gave me the epiphany that was to stay with me throughout my lifetime. The remaining sheep started to follow the shepherd and the poor (two-legged) sheep –they all crossed the bridge; blindly following the semi-captive sheep up-front with the shepherd.
Soooo that’s where the terminology ‘sheep’ comes from.
I was truly amazed. To think all it took to sway the remaining sheep to cross the bridge, against their better judgement, was to hold ransom one of their kind and then et voila! I guess the term ‘lead by example’ also takes an interesting form when thinking of it in this context. Are you really leading by example or are you forced to do so?
Let us think some more… Hands up those of you who have been in the following situations:
Did you raise your hands? I have for all four scenarios (in the past when I was younger). I remember once writing a poem for a poetry module at university; the tutor insisted I separate my poem into two; convincing me, it would be a better read and more evocative (well according to her). I refused (I did) and I guess my artistic temperament took centre-stage at that point –I submitted it as one piece; my argument, the two themes were a necessity for each other. Was it a sound judgement call? I believe so –despite being marked down for my refusal to conform to the tutors ideal; I felt good for standing up for my belief in my work and my vision –that was the day I became aware of my individuality and realised a difference of an opinion should not deter you from speaking up.
Guidelines are great; but these should not force you to carry out tasks/create works of art/novels in a style that has worked for others –why must we copy others? Why follow in their footsteps when we are all unique in our own little way? We have been born into this world; created as individuals –all with our own unique DNA (our fingerprints are good examples of how individual we all are physically; is this not a good indication for what also is within us spiritually?). –I know this is a vast topic we can get lost in; but for now let us just think of our place in life; are we individuals or are we sheep’s?
Copyright © Ozlem Yikici 2011 & Copyright © doodllz™ 2011. All Rights Reserved.
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As you already know, thoughts and comments are encouraged as always -even if it is just a word -as all good discussions start with just one word.
Pdf document: Are We Individuals or Are We Sheeps