On 2024’s Palette
Something a little different to wrap up the orbit.
In Difference turns 1 next week. It was the first few days of January last year when I began setting up this space. Researching self-hosting options, reintroducing myself to the WordPress platform, adjusting code, and attempting to conjure inspiration. Funny what a temporary surplus of time and tranquility will manifest.
The aim was to add a habit of writing into the repertoire. The levels of originality or depth were always going to fluctuate, but I had hoped to establish a rhythm that could spur on other creative impulses.
At this juncture, I can admit to the patchy nature of the experiment. Work, travel, and other commitments have eaten into the hours budgeted towards introspection. Yet even the small amount of catharsis afforded by this exercise has been enough; there is plenty foundational to build on.
With that in mind, I was looking back through the year’s posts and noticed how often I shared images with little to no information. Though they were connected to the thoughts being relayed, it was not always clear how they informed the substance of the piece. The pictures, captured or constructed, felt ornamental. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to add a little more context to where they came from or why they were attached to the reflections.
A chance to resurface the musings with some additional insight. See the collection below; I hope it is somewhat illuminating.
The desire to be different – to stand out – is ironically universal. The need for a strong identity – being wrapped in a tailored outfit – equally so.
One of the first posts on this blog included the above digital sketch of a pigeon taking flight amongst a sea of others pecking away at birdseed. The picture it is created from (second in the slideshow) is one of my favorites taken in Mumbai, beside the Gateway of India. An accidental capture that encapsulates that yearning to be free from common distractions, paths or bonds. But also a reminder of the fulfillment we all need. Pigeons finding theirs in seed or sky, their agency the only question.
I chose to remove the color and use the simplifying effect so that the central bird stood out. The framing of a fairly mundane occurrence that can now complement many a doubting rumination on the ‘self’.
At the time of publishing this piece on money and narratives surrounding retirement, this was the actual plot of the total of my savings accounts since 2021. I will not reveal the upper or lower limits, but I can share that my keenness in growing investments has increased over the past few years. Although I was making regular deposits, I began fast-tracking savings across every investment vehicle. TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs – you name it. I also created an excel tracker to monitor my accounts, compare their growth filtered by various factors, and track other future income streams (CPP, OAS, etc.).
It was all a numbers game. Fun math in a spreadsheet and lovely lines going up and down. Even those well-acquainted with their finances do not usually go beyond considering percentages. Activities actually supported by the money invested – the bedrocks of our entire economies – are not usually questioned. The post linked above was the result of a brief, unpleasant dive into those activities.
Atlin, home of the Taku River Tlingit people, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever ventured. I had the privilege of visiting the community a few times for work-related reasons the past couple of years. In saturated summer colors or blanketed in winter white, Atlin with its precious lake, forests, and mountains, is a sight to behold.
The circular formation above is an ice rink that was created for annual seasonal festivities in February. To the left and out of frame was an accompanying curling rink, also outlined in the frozen lake. A place for people to gather, play, skate, cheer, and share meals in some of the coldest temperatures on the planet.
You can glimpse more of the landscape (and creatures) that surround Atlin here. It felt surreal taking these shots as I had been considering a vacation to Iceland early in the year. To go from this reality to a one just as freezing, albeit with different offerings – why? Hence the resulting dive into what invites us to leave our many backyards; the draw of the novel and the escape from the familiar.
From unbearable cold to searing heat. Devastating wildfires are now so common in BC that those of us who reside in the Interior or North of the province are used to brushing ash off our vehicles as we set off on our morning commutes. This picture is actually from 2023, but there has not been a single year since 2017 (the first time I lived in an area adjacent to megafires) where I have not witnessed weeks, and in some case months, of burnt forest permeating the air.
I can measure my life in memories from each summer. Memories assessed against a backdrop of formative events, a long list of repetitive but no less foreboding doom and gloom experiences that we are doing little to abate. That little orange dot is the sun’s reflection, by the way, in the middle of the afternoon. A usually white-hot globe that consistently adopts its darker hues during the blistering summer months throughout the inland areas. The smoke is sometimes thick enough to produce nighttime during the day, across several provinces. When will the warnings be enough?
This was one of the many pics of Tokyo within a gallery posted earlier this year. One of my favorites from a trip undertaken in 2014. The layers of life and concrete, from skyscraper floors down to the densely packed streets, down further into underground walkways and shopping windows, decorated by a blue-green shading caused by reflections of indoor signs on the glass pane directly in front of the camera. There is just something about this blend of colors and textures; fortuitous.
The memory shared, of the chance encounter with the English professor, is a fond one. I am not sure why I wrote it the way I did, in vague prose and removing myself from the retelling. I expect it resonates regardless.
Books, art, creative representation – the links to this piece are hopefully obvious. One thing I will add is that I wish there was more public art on show in urban centers. This mural and display were captured in San Francisco (in the Spring of either 2014 or 2015). No matter where I live or travel, I see advertising encroaching on every available public space. When art is commissioned, it is often limited by strict parameters.
There are many examples of cities seeking to uplift more human endeavors. But sometimes, particularly in North America, it feels like we are all sleepwalking into a much more melancholy existence.
“At the Confluence of Dreams” is incidentally quite a nice title for this photo. Taken atop Mount Titlis in the Swiss Alps, near the entrance of a large tubular structure that extends into the Titlis Glacier Cave, where one can walk through the chilled but insulated interior, grazing the translucent blue-white walls. A group of friends on vacation chatting about who-knows-what, staring out at a vertigo-inducing view. A unique moment and perspective.
Skye! An unforgettable world. The narrative is mine, of course. A January jaunt in 2016 during my year abroad in the UK. It is no wonder that so many sci-fi flicks are filmed in the isle; its landscapes can so easily appear alien. The contrasting colors, conditions, and elevations are exemplary.
I am not sure why, but walking around Skye, I was tempted to repeatedly take pictures like this. Aligning with the tilted terrains so that the eye’s focus is drawn down rather than up. The earth just seemed to demand more attention, with its rich browns, greens, and greys. If you ever visit, try it! Even the planet rotates off-kilter.
Some may have wondered about the mirrored creations showcased in Enclosure, a post regarding my bittersweet experiences in Chile. The source images were taken at the Observatorio Hemisferio Sur outside San Pedro de Atacama. I wanted to play with enshrining the observatory structures and surrounding land within the celestial sphere. Starlight, representative of the past, a stand-in metaphor for our inevitable encasement in time.
The red hue is not artificial – the outdoor lighting used a crimson glow to preserve visibility of the dimmest pinpricks above. Despite a Crescent Moon, we were able to see the dull glow of the Milky Way and plenty of Southern Fall Constellations.
Finally, in case you missed it, a montage of images and videos taken across parts urban and remote within Chile:
Wider vistas showcased here. A trip I will remember for a long time.
That is all for 2024. May the upcoming year be as dynamic as the last.
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