Sunday scribbles #5: Tomorrowland and paint: two highs on life.

At the moment of writing it is Saturday the 16th of July. This may sounds like a standard Saturday but nothing is more untrue. A couple of months ago I was one of the anxious people trying to get a Tomorrowland ticket. Belgian pre-sale, Belgian sale, worldwide pre-sale, worldwide sale,... once again no luck. Until out of a sudden they announced 10.000 tickets to be sold because of people not being able to make it, unfortunately still due to Covid regulations. So I tried my luck one last time, and praise the lord I got my ticket for my preferred day at Tomorrowland: Sunday the 17th of July. I couldn't have been happier. There are a lot of great DJs coming that day, but my main goal was to see Marshmello at this unique place. Ever since he released 'Keep it Mello' with Omax LinX back in 2016 I have been a huge fan of this artist. So yeah, absolutely stoked of seeing him at this magnificent festival. Now how does this relate to my art business?

Well everything and nothing to be honest. I tend to see art as something which is part of who you are. It can't stand alone. That is why people who create stuff are bound to determine their own style, a style which is completely theirs. Art isn't just about what you are trying to make. Marshmello for example makes music, which is quite clear. But Marshmello isn't just his music. Of course this is his main niche, but he made a brand of himself. That is something I really love. When listening to music, looking at pieces of art, or whatever you are into, a lot of the times the creator adds a certain spice to it. A personal spice which can only be delivered by that artist. It is this spice that makes you fall in love with something even more. I will love a song more because it is made by Marshmello, because it has that special topping only he can deliver. If someone else were to make the exact same song, I am quite sure I won't love it equally. Is this only because I am blinded by my love for the artist? No. Because there are songs out there, made by him, that I will turn off when I hear them. The first part about liking something is 100% feeling. If you don't feel it, you won't like it. The only exception might be stuff made by a loved one, your spouse or your child for example. This unconditional love is something special that goes to a deeper level, something far too deep to dicuss right now. Back to the plot.

Since the artist and the piece of art are two parts of the same puzzle, it is important to tell you something about Tomorrowland. For years I've had a note in my phone which was titled 'Highs on life'. As everyone probably does, I am always seeking to do stuff which makes me happy. Being almost thirty years old I have been fortunate enough to find a lot of things which actually do. Among those things are a lot of daily or weekly habits, but they are better described by keeping me content. Constant happiness is quite impossible and highly overrated. To be able to appreciate stuff like vacation, boat rides, adventures with your loved ones, you need a certain baseline, best at the 'I am content' level. Now in that list were also some bangers, and these bangers were the ones who made me feel really fucking happy. A feeling where you actually think you can take on the whole world. Feeling invincible, however long the duration. So I used this list, because even how happy my life is, there have been and will be moments of darkness. Moments where I don't feel as powerful as I want to, or where I feel more down than I would like to admit. It is at these moments that I use this list, to remember the exact opposite. To remember the moments where I felt uplifted beyond measure. In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Sam describes this quite well to Frodo:

"But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

So combining my use of this list, and my love for everything visually stunning, I hung a Tomorrowland flag in my workspace. Because I am now starting to realize that working with colors and pursuing this vision, is giving me the same feeling I experience at Tomorrowland.