https://youtu.be/bZ9HG0pvysM
Let me know if you pick up course. I, for one, want to be able to draw hands better for my sand animation videos.
Good luck with your goal, whatever it is.
-w
Let me know if you pick up course. I, for one, want to be able to draw hands better for my sand animation videos.
Good luck with your goal, whatever it is.
-w
YouTube
The Best Online Art Courses (That are FREE Right Now!)
Because of the ongoing social distancing and quarantines many companies and sites have some free trials going on for the software and online courses. Here is a list of 5 that are definitely worth checking out if you were looking to get started or polish your…
24.05.20
No Electricity
We'd given up on the electricity coming back anytime soon. So, I went to a nearby cafe to resurrect my phone.
There, I was assaulted by the smell of burned oil and the high-pitched vocals of mid-2010s EDM. Strong odors and booming speakers are a couple of my migraine triggers.
Now, I'm perched on the couch with a headache and a candle glowing nearby.
And Zeppelin hits different when one is high on painkillers.
I'm supposed to be working on my thesis. But I barely did anything this week.
This whole situation reminds me of what my thesis advisor told me a few weeks ago. When I told him that we weren't working on our thesis because some of the students lived in places without Wi-Fi and other resources, he told me that nothing can stop us from thinking. We can come up with sketches and show them to our father or anyone we can take an opinion from.
University was never meant to train us how to use software or other tools; it's supposed to teach us how to think.
People had ideas since way before they could translate them the way a lot of us could now.
So, I think existing in a place like this gives me a good reminder of what I really need to solve problems. And apparently, I don't need as many things as I thought I did.
Also, over the past couple of years, I learned to allocate specific tasks to electricity-less hours.
Last year, when most of the city had scheduled hours with electricity, I decided to continue reading a book on my mom's phone whenever the lights went off. I was really busy with my assignments, and my laptop had no functioning battery. But when I had no architectural model to work on or thinking to do with my design, there was nothing I could do about my university stuff.
So, at some point, my brain began to translate 'lights out' to 'reading time'.
And to this day, I haven't finished as many books as I did then. I would have never purposely read so much while I was nearly missing deadlines for my assignments. And since I only had a few hours with my computer, I didn't waste as much time on social media and other unproductive things whenever the electricity returned.
But since the electricity schedule wasn't fixed and our university professors mostly refused to give us more time, it was also a frustrating time. My teammates and I tried to sleep whenever the electricity was gone. But sometimes, the lights were out for days. Some of my classmates traveled from cafe to cafe in different parts of the city to get some work done, even as the lights went out wherever they went. It's frustrating to not be able to work when you're ready to.
But that level of inconvenience forced me to be a lot more dynamic and disciplined.
Still, today feels like its made of too many inconveniences. But then again, what had convenience done for me, anyway? Did it make me any more creative or more empathetic? Did it help me make better food?
For instance, I've eaten my best eggs in an off-the-grid village in the northern part of this country.
So convenience may be a little overrated.
But honestly, I'm still not working on my thesis properly. I'll hopefully get back to work at some point tomorrow.
-w
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
No Electricity
We'd given up on the electricity coming back anytime soon. So, I went to a nearby cafe to resurrect my phone.
There, I was assaulted by the smell of burned oil and the high-pitched vocals of mid-2010s EDM. Strong odors and booming speakers are a couple of my migraine triggers.
Now, I'm perched on the couch with a headache and a candle glowing nearby.
And Zeppelin hits different when one is high on painkillers.
I'm supposed to be working on my thesis. But I barely did anything this week.
This whole situation reminds me of what my thesis advisor told me a few weeks ago. When I told him that we weren't working on our thesis because some of the students lived in places without Wi-Fi and other resources, he told me that nothing can stop us from thinking. We can come up with sketches and show them to our father or anyone we can take an opinion from.
University was never meant to train us how to use software or other tools; it's supposed to teach us how to think.
People had ideas since way before they could translate them the way a lot of us could now.
So, I think existing in a place like this gives me a good reminder of what I really need to solve problems. And apparently, I don't need as many things as I thought I did.
Also, over the past couple of years, I learned to allocate specific tasks to electricity-less hours.
Last year, when most of the city had scheduled hours with electricity, I decided to continue reading a book on my mom's phone whenever the lights went off. I was really busy with my assignments, and my laptop had no functioning battery. But when I had no architectural model to work on or thinking to do with my design, there was nothing I could do about my university stuff.
So, at some point, my brain began to translate 'lights out' to 'reading time'.
And to this day, I haven't finished as many books as I did then. I would have never purposely read so much while I was nearly missing deadlines for my assignments. And since I only had a few hours with my computer, I didn't waste as much time on social media and other unproductive things whenever the electricity returned.
But since the electricity schedule wasn't fixed and our university professors mostly refused to give us more time, it was also a frustrating time. My teammates and I tried to sleep whenever the electricity was gone. But sometimes, the lights were out for days. Some of my classmates traveled from cafe to cafe in different parts of the city to get some work done, even as the lights went out wherever they went. It's frustrating to not be able to work when you're ready to.
But that level of inconvenience forced me to be a lot more dynamic and disciplined.
Still, today feels like its made of too many inconveniences. But then again, what had convenience done for me, anyway? Did it make me any more creative or more empathetic? Did it help me make better food?
For instance, I've eaten my best eggs in an off-the-grid village in the northern part of this country.
So convenience may be a little overrated.
But honestly, I'm still not working on my thesis properly. I'll hopefully get back to work at some point tomorrow.
-w
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
04.06.20
The cockroach song
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a worship song. But I just thought of some of the most reviled creatures in the world creeping up on me during guitar practice, and this song started coming to me.
You can judge what it qualifies as for yourself. But I believe there's wisdom in the design of all of creation. In the Bible, St. Peter saw creeping creatures in his vision before an important visit and they're mentioned in Genesis, the very first book.
So, I wondered what their true forms would be like when the curtains of history fall down. St. Paul wrote that all creatures have been experiencing something like birth pangs. I'm excited to know what the animals who share this planet with us will be like when that's over.
But this song just puts the emphasis on our relationship with cockroaches, one of our least favorite animals.
-w
By: @wintaassefa
https://youtu.be/Up7O7nmMjHQ
The cockroach song
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a worship song. But I just thought of some of the most reviled creatures in the world creeping up on me during guitar practice, and this song started coming to me.
You can judge what it qualifies as for yourself. But I believe there's wisdom in the design of all of creation. In the Bible, St. Peter saw creeping creatures in his vision before an important visit and they're mentioned in Genesis, the very first book.
So, I wondered what their true forms would be like when the curtains of history fall down. St. Paul wrote that all creatures have been experiencing something like birth pangs. I'm excited to know what the animals who share this planet with us will be like when that's over.
But this song just puts the emphasis on our relationship with cockroaches, one of our least favorite animals.
-w
By: @wintaassefa
https://youtu.be/Up7O7nmMjHQ
YouTube
The Cockroach Song ° Winta ft. home-bred roaches (not a meme song; not smelly cat)
Instagram: instagram.com/wintaassefa1
Facebook: facebook.com/wintaassefa1
Tiktok: @wintaassefa
This song was born at home. I was in the sauna room which is inside a washroom. I like playing guitar there because of the wood walls.
But one day, I saw a cockroach…
Facebook: facebook.com/wintaassefa1
Tiktok: @wintaassefa
This song was born at home. I was in the sauna room which is inside a washroom. I like playing guitar there because of the wood walls.
But one day, I saw a cockroach…
Do you have electricity in your hood?
Anonymous Poll
73%
Yes
19%
Nope. But it left today or yesterday
8%
NOOO. IT'S BEEN GONE FOR DAYS-EVEN WEEKS-NOW
winta
Do you have electricity in your hood?
It's back here after over 10 days. This poll looks different every time I open it
09.06.20
Baby Steps
I wish I could say that my transition from a relaxed university student's routine to an efficient online freelancer's one was a smooth one.
But I also wish I could just drop 6 kgs without moving a muscle.
I haven't summoned the energy to begin tackling any of those things, though.
So for now, I'm settling for baby steps.
And in my case, baby steps could take at least six forms so far.
-w
(1/5)
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
Baby Steps
I wish I could say that my transition from a relaxed university student's routine to an efficient online freelancer's one was a smooth one.
But I also wish I could just drop 6 kgs without moving a muscle.
I haven't summoned the energy to begin tackling any of those things, though.
So for now, I'm settling for baby steps.
And in my case, baby steps could take at least six forms so far.
-w
(1/5)
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
09.06.20
1. Wearing my nice clothes at home
That includes my brightest-colored pants, clothes that I wore as a teenager, and a traditional scarf that my aunt gifted to me back when paying visits was normal. I also turned a piece of the abaya I wore in Saudi Arabia into a bizarre but royal-looking headwrap that I bet will be trendy soon.
(2/5)
-w
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
1. Wearing my nice clothes at home
That includes my brightest-colored pants, clothes that I wore as a teenager, and a traditional scarf that my aunt gifted to me back when paying visits was normal. I also turned a piece of the abaya I wore in Saudi Arabia into a bizarre but royal-looking headwrap that I bet will be trendy soon.
(2/5)
-w
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
09.06.20
2. Have a beverage or meal out in the yard
I usually do this around sunset, a few hours after I wake up. Since I've been having more headaches than I used to, I try to breathe in as much of that fresh air as I can before another night falls.
Sometimes, I bring my guitar out and disturb my neighbors.
3. The Day's Entry
I keep a little sketchbook where I write the day's main events in bullet points along with small sketches. I do all of that using my favorite black gel pen. The key is in the patterns.
Since I can barely tell Wednesday away from Saturday anymore, these little entries seem to be breaking the days' uniformity a little. Even simple events like cleaning up my room or recording updates about the disease's statistics set the days apart.
(3/5)
-w
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
2. Have a beverage or meal out in the yard
I usually do this around sunset, a few hours after I wake up. Since I've been having more headaches than I used to, I try to breathe in as much of that fresh air as I can before another night falls.
Sometimes, I bring my guitar out and disturb my neighbors.
3. The Day's Entry
I keep a little sketchbook where I write the day's main events in bullet points along with small sketches. I do all of that using my favorite black gel pen. The key is in the patterns.
Since I can barely tell Wednesday away from Saturday anymore, these little entries seem to be breaking the days' uniformity a little. Even simple events like cleaning up my room or recording updates about the disease's statistics set the days apart.
(3/5)
-w
@wintaassefa
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
09.06.20
4. Revisiting old books
For me, this includes Maya Angelou's Letter to my Daughter, which I first read around a decade ago. Revisiting stories I read some time ago helps me revisit other memories. I also tried to continue reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.
But reading books stands near exercising and waking up in the morning, in terms of things that I find challenging to do now. So reading will have to wait.
(4/5)
-w
@wintaassefa1
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
4. Revisiting old books
For me, this includes Maya Angelou's Letter to my Daughter, which I first read around a decade ago. Revisiting stories I read some time ago helps me revisit other memories. I also tried to continue reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.
But reading books stands near exercising and waking up in the morning, in terms of things that I find challenging to do now. So reading will have to wait.
(4/5)
-w
@wintaassefa1
instagram.com/wintaassefa1
Forwarded from winta (winta)
09.06.20
5. Trying to lucid dream
I've had so many dreams lately.
After I wake up from them, I try to record myself explaining those dreams on my phone.
Most of my dreams seem like they're derived from something I've seen or thought about earlier that day.
But recently, I watched a video about lucid dreaming, and I think: when else could be a better time to try this?
So, I follow some of the steps I saw in the video.
Record your dream when you wake up to train your brain that the dream was important. Remember to test reality by seeing if your finger can go through your palm. I'm warning you now: that test is unreliable. But you can follow your own Inception-like idea.
Think of what you want to do once you realize you're dreaming while you're still in the dream.
I haven't decided what to do in a lucid dream, though. So I may end up doing something cliché like levitating or dying my hair gray.
(4.5/5)
-w
@wintaassefa
5. Trying to lucid dream
I've had so many dreams lately.
After I wake up from them, I try to record myself explaining those dreams on my phone.
Most of my dreams seem like they're derived from something I've seen or thought about earlier that day.
But recently, I watched a video about lucid dreaming, and I think: when else could be a better time to try this?
So, I follow some of the steps I saw in the video.
Record your dream when you wake up to train your brain that the dream was important. Remember to test reality by seeing if your finger can go through your palm. I'm warning you now: that test is unreliable. But you can follow your own Inception-like idea.
Think of what you want to do once you realize you're dreaming while you're still in the dream.
I haven't decided what to do in a lucid dream, though. So I may end up doing something cliché like levitating or dying my hair gray.
(4.5/5)
-w
@wintaassefa
👍1
10.06.20
Reading the Bible with Mom
This is a rekindled old habit of ours. I think it's my favorite part of the day. We curl up on the same couch, with her reading from her hard copy Amharic Bible, and me holding on to my phone to read the English translation while mentally following her. We pause every so long and talk about what we just read. That brings so much joy to us, we usually leave the couch invigorated for the rest of the night.
Mom sleeps in a few hours after that. While I go on past the midnight hours.
I know that the routine I follow isn't the most efficient one I can stick to. Also, I have several ongoing projects that I've been running alone lately, and I don't know what direction I'm heading in with them. So sometimes, it feels like I'm juggling too many balls even though I have plenty of time to get things done.
But these are some of the habits I've been keeping to nourish different aspects of myself now.
I hope you can take something from it too.
(5/5)
-w
Drawings by:
@wintaassefa
Reading the Bible with Mom
This is a rekindled old habit of ours. I think it's my favorite part of the day. We curl up on the same couch, with her reading from her hard copy Amharic Bible, and me holding on to my phone to read the English translation while mentally following her. We pause every so long and talk about what we just read. That brings so much joy to us, we usually leave the couch invigorated for the rest of the night.
Mom sleeps in a few hours after that. While I go on past the midnight hours.
I know that the routine I follow isn't the most efficient one I can stick to. Also, I have several ongoing projects that I've been running alone lately, and I don't know what direction I'm heading in with them. So sometimes, it feels like I'm juggling too many balls even though I have plenty of time to get things done.
But these are some of the habits I've been keeping to nourish different aspects of myself now.
I hope you can take something from it too.
(5/5)
-w
Drawings by:
@wintaassefa
Ge'ez Numerals
A Sand-Drawn Demonstration
By: @wintaassefa x @iithiofacts
https://youtu.be/qdikSr1SgpI
A Sand-Drawn Demonstration
By: @wintaassefa x @iithiofacts
https://youtu.be/qdikSr1SgpI
YouTube
Geez Numbers List (1-100) drawn with Sand ° Script conversion from Arabic to Ge'ez Numerals °
Ge'ez is an ancient Semitic language which was used in Abyssinia for centuries. And while the Ge'ez alphabets ended up forming the basis of newer Ethiopian languages like Amharic and Tigriniya, the numerical system was largely replaced by Arabic numerals…
Solar Eclipse in Addis Ababa
20.06.20
I've been excited about eclipses and celestial events since I was a little girl. But it always seemed like I was missing a total eclipse.
Tomorrow, I can't wait to see my cat confused, hear the neighborhood dogs howl and see those shadow bands on the floor. I'll never look up since I don't have the proper glasses and I heard to many horror stories to take the risk.
Talk to you this time tomorrow.
-w
@wintaassefa
(p.s. It's likely going to be rainy or cloudy tomorrow, according to weather forecast. So don't get too excited. We may miss it anyway)
20.06.20
I've been excited about eclipses and celestial events since I was a little girl. But it always seemed like I was missing a total eclipse.
Tomorrow, I can't wait to see my cat confused, hear the neighborhood dogs howl and see those shadow bands on the floor. I'll never look up since I don't have the proper glasses and I heard to many horror stories to take the risk.
Talk to you this time tomorrow.
-w
@wintaassefa
(p.s. It's likely going to be rainy or cloudy tomorrow, according to weather forecast. So don't get too excited. We may miss it anyway)
Solar Eclipse in Addis Ababa
20.06.20
I've been excited about eclipses and celestial events since I was a little girl. But it always seemed like I was missing a total eclipse.
Tomorrow, I can't wait to see my cat confused, hear the neighborhood dogs howl and see those shadow bands on the floor. I'll never look up since I don't have the proper glasses and I heard to many horror stories to take the risk.
Talk to you this time tomorrow.
-w
@wintaassefa
(p.s. It's likely going to be rainy or cloudy tomorrow, according to weather forecast. So don't get too excited. We may miss it anyway)
20.06.20
I've been excited about eclipses and celestial events since I was a little girl. But it always seemed like I was missing a total eclipse.
Tomorrow, I can't wait to see my cat confused, hear the neighborhood dogs howl and see those shadow bands on the floor. I'll never look up since I don't have the proper glasses and I heard to many horror stories to take the risk.
Talk to you this time tomorrow.
-w
@wintaassefa
(p.s. It's likely going to be rainy or cloudy tomorrow, according to weather forecast. So don't get too excited. We may miss it anyway)