Listicles/Project Finding Beauty

A Way of Looking at Autumn’s First Breath

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

1. Once again, September graces us with its presence.

2. A month that offers a perfect blend of summer weather and autumn’s laid-back vibe.

3. With the arrival of autumn, nature invites us to embrace a slower pace and fully appreciate the exquisite transformation that unfolds before our eyes.

4. Autumn is like returning to a well-loved neighbourhood, I’m told.

5. I cannot confirm or deny. For I’m a vagabond about the world in pursuit of beauty, taking and keeping all things to savour before it’s too late.

6. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

7. A city can vanish overnight in this era of steel birds in the sky. Their whirring hum fills the air as the silent watcher, like a predator, prepares to strike.

8. What I know for sure, the first breath of autumn always stirs something within, bringing a heightened sense of consciousness.

9. It’s time to indulge in a sensory experience, as the vividness of our surroundings intensifies to engage all senses.

10. A way of looking at the first breath of autumn is to pay attention —

11. Like nature, we are always evolving and changing with seasons.

12. Both autumn and spring are transitional seasons, a profound similarity. There’s room to grow into yourself, regardless of the direction you face.

13. May the season nourish your body, expand your soul, free your spirit, and illuminate your mind!

PS. Happy Autumn (or Spring), Good People! 🙂 I hope the season started well. As for me, I haven’t settled into autumn yet. I’m travelling off the beaten path, exploring the Baltics and Central Europe, searching for beauty.

I’m hoping to share lessons I’m relearning as I travel along. But I’m also eager to hear what you’ve been you’ve been up to. Please do share!

Writing & Living

Blogging Break

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

Summer is the word, and I’m off… It’s that time of year again when I consciously prioritise areas of my life I’ve neglected. This includes connecting with nature, myself, and loved ones.

It’s possible that we’ll run into each other while out and about digital streets. But mostly, I’ll be [staying] away from the screens.

See you in autumn, good people. I hope you have a splendid summer, or any other season you’re in! ♥

Writing & Living

Little Epiphanies On My Writing Trajectory

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

Each time we sit down to create something, we are risking our whole selves. But when the result is the transformation of anger, disappointment, sorrow, self-pity, guilt, perverseness and wounded innocence into something deep and concrete and abiding — that is a personal and artistic triumph well worth the long and solitary trip.” — Dani Shapiro

Spring is a season of transformation and rebirth. Every once in a while, I make room for personal growth by re-potting myself. I once touched on the idea of “being suited to my calling” or holding myself up to a particular type of artistic identity, in a post titled On Questioning My Writing Poetry.

Since then, I’ve been exploring other forms of writing and genres. And even though, I’ll never write a full-on memoir, I still find the personal essay/short memoir both attractive and scary as hell to write. But as the quote above indicates, risking ourselves has its own personal reward.

Anyway, the following snippets and dialogue are from my latest personal essay, where I share about my non-linear writing path.

The path and little epiphanies along the way

[at 6 years]
Me: “I want to be a teacher when I grow up.”
Class Teacher: “You could tell stories.”
Me: No way I could talk all day.

[at 10 years]
Me: I love reading and retelling forktales. I enjoy writing letters, too, to share the latest. But earning pocket money is splendid!

[at 17 years]
Mother: “You have the freedom…”
Father: “Time to craft your own story.”

[at 26 years]
Colleagues: “You should be a writer.”
Me: But I like the dynamic world of business. Besides I have rent to pay.

[at 37 years]
Me: I’m done with the rat race; it’s time to employ myself. And I really miss stories...

[at 40 years]
Me: Oh, I didn’t realise I love languages until now! I like speaking foreign. I also enjoy answering questions about my birth country.

[at 42 years]
Me: Hmm…Maybe teaching could be a path back to stories and a way to impart knowledge.

[at 43 years]
Literature Professor: “You could become a poet.”
Me: LOL! It’s a joke, right?

and the story continues…

You can read more of my little epiphanies and everything else in between from my essay, When You Get Tired of Your Own Nonsense. The key message I hope to convey is that if you have a deep passion for storytelling, you’ll always find your way back to it. But as we know, the path to this deeply satisfying vocation is long, arduous and non-linear.

Care to share the evolution of your artistic path or career? Regardless, keep evolving and never stop learning, and remember to be kind to yourself!

PS. The featured image was created with Gencraft.