Rilke & Zettelkasten

Only someone who is ready for anything and rules nothing out, not even the most enigmatic things, will experience the relationship with another as a living thing and will himself live his own: existence to the full.

Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet


Finished picking important quotes from the book over the weekend. I am building up my first Zettelkasten box. A completely manual index card, real paper, and a box. Started trying this about a month ago, still 20 or so cards. Pretty exciting. More posts that I found interesting here.



Back to the quote. No preconception, no judgement, no expectation, in a good way. No limits or restrictions, so naturally lives and breathes possibilities, sky is the limit, open minded, here and now, amor fati. These things come to mind. 'Existence to the full' sound exciting.

Georges Pompidou

Pompidou


Found a great documentary on the development of the Pompidou Centre. Watched half of it yesterday, planning to watch the rest today and will take notes.


Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou (5 July 1911 – 2 April 1974) came from a modest farmer family. He studied literature, and started as a teacher a public secondary school in Paris. In 1953, Rothschild, a bank, hired him, and appointed him general manager in 1956 - 1964. President Charles de Gaulle hires him to manage a Down Syndrome foundation. Becomes Prime Minister under President Charles de Gaulle from 1962 - 1968. President of France from 1969 - 74. He continued the de Gaulle policy of modernizing France. 1977 Centre Pompidou inaugurates.


His ascent from teacher to banker to politician is impressive. Especially with he was a novice as banker and as politician.


Based on the documentary, Pompidou was an avid art collector. He had a keen eye on modern and contemporary art. The story of having a conteporary art hung in his presidential office was quite telling.

The French Revolution Rabbit Hole

Watching documentaries on the French Revolution. Things that I did not know. The ideals "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité", and the event's profound impact, I recall. But I was less aware of the long social unrest and the Stalin like atmosphere. Planning to re-watch the doc to further understand the event. I plan to add notes to the post.


I am curious how the French Revolution and the ideal developed our ways of thinking. Not only the French, but how it continues to influece our lives today. Such a large topic with many branches to explore, including music, art, and literature. Rabbit hole. Fascinating.


Morning hours.

Morning hours.

Los Angeles, Saturday 6am. Sky is blue, grey, light orange. My writing table, aka dining table, look toward the balcony. Potted plants, white rail, then two large strong trees. Partial leaves. They trim them down to the bare in winter. In Spring it grows with fresh. In Summer, the most deep green, thick, glowing with energy. Plume of foliage packs the frame. I reach and touch. There is an owner. A squirrel. He visits us daily onto the balcony and digs through my plants. A feisty one, loves one cactus, not others. Then there is the pair of doves every now and then. They like to flap and sit together on different branches. My cats love to watch them. Of course, the humming bird that zips by, but you wonder if you saw anything. Finally, there is a small, chirping bird that comes by every spring. It sits right in the middle of the tree, on a branch, that looks staged, made for it to parch. It is a chirper. Oh does it chirp, into my living room, talking to my cats. It comes everyday, for weeks, until early Summer. She is my favorite.

It should be back soon.

Palazzo, window sunlight

I met Mikele, a young gallerist last November, in Venice, Italy. Tea, my host, an architect, went to the opening reception a few days prior. She was adamant that I go see the exhibit and meet the young gallerist.

A Venezia local, spent ten years working at a gallery in Los Angeles. A year ago, opened his own magnificent gallery space, steps away from the Accademia Bridge. Doors were open, the entrance space kept dim with paintings lit along the long side walls. A local Venetian contemporary painter was on exhibit. Psychologist by training. Colors, fire, strange, and wonderful.

The second floor is where the midday sun was pouring in. Large paned windows, overlooking the square with a statue of a linguist in the distance. Alone in the space, warm, wooden creaky floors. Spacious palazzo rooms, three of them, fifteen or more pieces by the local painter.

Standing, inside the painter. I close my eyes to see.


Checkout Barbatti Gallery, Venezia Italy.

Fuoco, vuoto by Venetian painter Riccardo Muratori

Due North

I love birds. It grew on me, since I saw the Audubon exhibit at the Huntington Library. I must have had interest from many years ago, but this is the first point that I can pinpoint.

They live around me that live in the same environment every day. Then there are geese that fly over me as I drive on the 405 freeway. When I see the migration, I talk to them, in Japanese ‘gambare-, gamareyo-’ No good direct translation. Google it, and it says ‘do your best’, but doesn’t feel right. In this instance, especially, there are many feelings involved. And some are mutual.

I hope you get there. Admiration. What strength and endurance! Wish your species remain forever. How lucky to come across you. Glad the weather is nice. Must be tired. Be careful with the falcons.

All that they see, to the north.

do check out All That Breathes, if you have not yet seen it.

Balse 2.0

What is balse? This is the question that is consistently on my mind.

Balse originally materialized as a quarterly techno event, in Brooklyn and then in LA. Inspired by the legendary LOFT, by David Mancuso, an eclectic selection of sound that defies genre and unparalleled sound reproduction, this spirit of LOFT is at the core.  The process of research is something that should be shared.  The daily studies, routines, connection, and collaboration. Growing mind,  transforming self, expanding horizons, reaching new ground.

This is what drives Balse; from literature, philosophy, history, art,  music, language, culture, this world is a playground. Following the fun.

What is our purpose?

Creating the next Pompidou.