The Ways We Express Ourselves Say More Than We Know

A Thought On Expression

"All thinking begins with wondering."  ~Socrates

Note: Before we get started, please keep in mind that this post is for entertainment purposes only. These are just my thoughts and theories and are not intended to offend or label anyone.

Quite some time ago, I thought about something which I decided would make for an interesting blog post. Unfortunately, this took me a very long time to finish... Every time I wanted to finish this draft, I met a mental wall. Was it procrastination? Was I uninspired? Or was it doubt? Until now, I am unsure. I considered several times to drop this and delete it, but something kept me from doing so.

I ended up re-reading my previous two posts belonging to this series, and that's where I must have found a spark because here it is! Another completed post.

Returning to what I mentioned earlier, one night I was thinking (I know, shocker) and I attempted to read between the lines, (to understand what is implied but not expressed on the surface; construe, interpret, see, make sense of; and assign a meaning to) about the ways people express themselves through art, music, photography, etc. I realized that you can tell a lot about a person that way, and these are my thoughts on it...

[Note: This is a very long post...]

Picture Taking 📸

One of the ways people can express themselves in this modern-day world is through photography. Some people might think it's just pointing a smartphone/camera at something and pressing a button, but no. You can see much more about the person behind the camera in the ways they take their pictures and present them.

Editing: Editing can enhance, bring out certain details, or change the aura of the image. It works as a great tool in adding a unique and artistic touch. In a black-and-white photo, one wants to focus on the details, the structure, and the texture of the scene or object. As Monty Roberts said in his book The Man Who Listens to Horses, colors can be very distracting and you miss many details. Colours brighten up a picture, making it more vibrant and bringing a scene to life. Different filters change the mood and feeling as well. Here is an example of one of my own pictures using different filters (original, grayscale, and retro). See the difference?

    

(Pictures taken on September 2, 2022).

Angles: The way one angles their photos, or how close or far one gets to an object of interest, can say a lot too. Perhaps you like to look at things from more perspectives than just one. If you tend to take close-up shots, perhaps you're more detail-oriented, whereas if you use a wide-angle lens, you may prefer to look at the big picture. Or you're simply trying to remember everything about a place or event, and you don't want to miss anything. Maybe you're somewhere in the middle and do some of both?

Of course, I'm not saying one only takes pictures in the same way all the time, but often they'll have a preference or habitually do one thing. Here is an example, where both images tell a slightly different story, due to where the focus is directed.

I took this picture of my backyard in April 2021. The focus is on the landscape and the entire tree.

This is the same scene, but I used a different lens to show the top of the tree in closer detail...

Perspectives: Looking at my own photos and how I present them, I noticed that the majority are unedited full-colour landscapes. That shows that I want to remember as much about something (such as a place) as I can, just as it is. After coming to that conclusion, I decided to try and become more flexible and creative with my photography skills. I want to have lots of varying and unique pictures, not a hundred conveying the same impressions.

For the past year or so, I have been experimenting more; testing out different angles and capturing the details of things up close. I've even been editing/enhancing some of my pictures, or changing the filters to give it a different feel. I've been having more fun and using photography as a form of art. I noticed that from an overall perspective, my pictures started to change. Perhaps, it's a reflection of my shifting mindset, as well as the way I view my surroundings.

 

These are both pictures of the same scene that I took in Germany in 2017 with my old camera. The image on the left is natural and unedited, while the one on the right has the colour vibrancy enhanced. I did this often at the time, so I reckon it shows that I wanted the world to be different from how it was. Or maybe I just liked bright colors. 😉

I still seldom edit my photos [if I do, I will write it in the caption like so: (Edited)] since I like to show how things naturally are. I don't try to change it to the way I want it to be; I accept it as it is. Perhaps it's a reflection of my more laid-back personality?

Either way, while taking pictures is one of the best ways to capture a memory, it can also be useful to show others a glimpse of how we view the world.

Music 🎶

This is probably one of the most popular ways we express ourselves. Whether we make or play our own songs or simply listen to what others created, music speaks to our innermost selves.

Depending on what type of music you like to listen to can reflect parts of your personality, such as if you are an introvert or an extrovert. But I will not go into detail on this in particular, since there are plenty of videos out on YouTube about it. Here is one such video from the popular channel Psych2Go:

Creating Music: We all listen to music, I have no doubt about that. But creating music ourselves is a slightly different matter. I believe everyone can make some sort of music. All you need is a beat/rhythm and sound. Whether that sound is created with your body (whistling, snapping, singing) or with another physical object, it can all be used in an indefinite number of ways to compose music.

But despite those facts, not everyone has the confidence to express themselves through making their own music. Is it too much effort to learn how to play melodies on an instrument? Are you afraid of singing (or making music) in front of other people? Perhaps you're scared to express your true self, or you're afraid of judgment?

[Meena from Sing GIF]

Instruments: Of course, singing is not up everyone's alley, as they might prefer playing instruments. The instruments that draw you in, grab your attention, and that you choose to play... what does that say about a person?

Whenever I ask someone which instrument they'd want to learn or wish to play, the answer is often "piano" or "keyboard." How so? A keyboard or piano can play the tune of almost any song and genre. They are versatile and can be used to express a wide range of emotions and tell many kinds of stories. 🎹

Woodwind instruments, such as flutes and recorders, typically go very high and are used for cheerier parts in songs. But certain kinds can play lower, resonating deeper, richer tones. What comes to mind when you think of American Indian-styled music? I bet it's the deep flute-like sound, produced by something like my #1 favourite instrument, the Quenacho Flute. 🦅

[A video that briefly explains and demonstrates the sound of the Quenacho Flute.]

Often associated with country, pop, and indie songs, guitars are very popular instruments as well. Their rhythm and upbeatness make them well-known and sought after. They are also fun to play (and require less time to learn than a piano, if you stay consistent with practicing). How many of you used to have an air guitar? Or perhaps a tennis racket guitar? 😂 Much like the piano, they can play almost any tune and can have a calming effect or an energizing one. There are many instruments out there that share the same basic design as the guitar. Think of ukuleles, mandolins, and banjos. They all have their own unique feel and sound, with ukeleles being upbeat and cheerful, and banjos standout for their recognizable sound.🎸

When I think of brass instruments, such as the French horn or tuba, I think loud, haha. 😅 I have not met many people (yet) who play an instrument as such, but my guess is that those who do (and enjoy it) want to be heard and noticed. They want to make a statement and stand out. 🎺

[Lackadaisy GIF]

Every song has a beat/rhythm, and no other instrument can hold a melody together better than drums. They are loud and also make a statement. They help to move a song along and keep the other instruments in check. They are not often heard in calm/quieter parts of a song though, let alone in ambient pieces. Understandably so. 🥁

Then, of course, there are the strings, such as violins, cellos, and violas. Violins tend to be more popular and are versatile as well (to a certain point). It can play sad tunes, but also more energetic ones, like happy or intense ones. 🎻Cellos are more profound sounding instruments; the vibrations fill you as you play (one of my unproven assumptions as I have never actually played one myself). Cellos express one's deepest emotions. A viola is right in between. It is more manageable than the cello, but the sound is lower and richer than a violin's. That's how the viola drew me in. Once I teach myself how to play it, I feel I'll be able to express some of my feelings better than I could with a guitar or piano.

Some may play just one instrument while others many. But some people also connect to music more than others. Either way, one thing I'm sure we could all agree on is that Music is a language everyone can understand.

Art 🎨

Art can come in many forms, from drawing on a flat surface to creating a three-dimensional masterpiece. When my father went to school, his art teacher said that there was no way to grade art. That would be like grading someone's personality!

Common Tools: Pencil-sketch drawings might be seen as simple or plain, but I think otherwise. As well as what I said about black-and-white photographs in the Picture Taking paragraphs, it gives you a different perspective. Even the slightest details in the shading and lines can reveal so much more than sometimes a coloured picture would.

Markers are a common and simple tool to draw with, but in my opinion, they are quite limiting. You can only create two kinds of lines, thick or thin. It's very difficult to add any texture or shading. Also, where we live, markers tend to dry out after a few months (despite the lids being on tightly). At least some are scented (if you're into those)! So no, I am not much of a marker fan.

A picture I drew on July 25, 2023, with the Procreate app.

I find that crayons are better at creating textures and shading than markers, but it's a challenge to do fine or small details. So that's what makes coloured pencils my go-to when adding colour to a picture. There are thousands of different colours, and you can use different pressures and stroking patterns to create the desired effect.

Watercolour is a wet form of creating colour (believe it or not). They are mixable, and depending on how much water you add, you can make the colours more vibrant or more washed out. My favourite thing about painting with watercolours is the natural little "accidents" that add something exciting and unintended. For example, if a drop of water drips onto the picture, or a watery colour starts flowing into another. It's those little imperfections that make watercolour pictures so unique.

An example of what happens when pigmented water takes its natural course (found on the internet).

The kind of paint I mainly use is acrylic paint. Whether you're painting a figurine or a landscape, I find that one can create a near-perfect image from the mind with acrylics. You can use acrylics on pretty much any kind of surface, and it really does bring things to life. You have to be careful though to not let it get onto a surface where you don't want it, such as the carpet (speaking from experience). While it is washable most of the time, it's still glue-based. So if some paint were to end up on the carpet, hopefully, you have a nice rug to hide it... 😶😅

A newer form of creating art is through digital methods. There are programs and apps such as Krita, Paint3D, Photoshop, and Procreate where there are endless options to create some pretty impressive art with effects that are impossible, or very difficult, to achieve on paper. My sister Yokoshi has a blog dedicated to showcasing her digital art creations, and I highly recommend you check them out! If you haven't already, that is. 😉

Anything Could Be Considered "Art": Of course, there are many other tools you can use to create art, some of which I have yet to try out. Some are mosaics, clay, stone, wood, glue, metal welding, etc.

I'm aware that I've been sharing my theories for the "hidden" meanings behind certain things, but I thought I'd mention something one of my friends (Evi) once mentioned. She said that when people are observing some form of art, they wonder what thought or intention the artist had while creating it. Often people have big discussions or debates about their different thoughts and theories. But which one is right? Something that is not often considered is there not being a particular thought or reason behind some art.

A second picture I drew with the Procreate app on July 26, 2023.

Evi herself carves things out of wood, and you can see some of her carvings on her Blog. She doesn't decide beforehand what she wants to carve, let alone why. She lets herself be surprised by what comes out of it. And if a small piece breaks off, it happens; there's no particular meaning behind that! All in all, art is art, as simple (or complicated) as that.

Concluding

Phew, what a heck of a long blog post! Whether you read it in its entirety or just one section, I hope that this was insightful in some way.

Everyone does a bit of each, but they either excel or prefer one or more of these. For me, I prefer writing (it's quite obvious at this point), photography, and music. I like doing art, but I struggle with getting an image I see in my mind onto paper, so it often frustrates me. I'm also quite insecure when it comes to drawing, but it's something that I intend to work on.

Wow, all this thinking, writing, and editing has pretty much drained my energy! I shall now retire to my nest of warm blankets and pillows... Or "hit the hay," as one of my friends would say. 😉💤

What is your preferred way to create art?

Is there a particular instrument that draws you in?

What are your favourite ways to express yourself?

"To express yourself needs a reason, but expressing yourself is the reason." ~Ai Weiwei