Ingrid Aimee: The Life of an Average “ What's Your Purpose?”

LIFE OF AN AVERAGE

By: Ingrid Aimee

"What's Your Purpose?"

For a long time, I felt disconnected from my life. I’d spent most of it on autopilot, either regretting the past or dreaming about the future. I regretted being too afraid to read an essay at the monthly open mic near me for all those years. I thought a lot about writing without actually writing. I dreamed about a future me, totally transformed, eagerly writing at a sunny cafe, the words flowing through my fingers easily, flawlessly. My approach to finding purpose in my career has been to pause, pay attention, and appreciate the journey. It’s subtle, like changing the trajectory of a rocket—a small adjustment or a few shifts make an enormous difference in the end result. My dad used to urge me to find my “calling” and offer my gifts to the world. This always intimidated me. What was my calling? To answer such a question, you have to relax and give yourself space, even if it’s just a breath. Before you decide to drop everything and make a drastic career move, pause. Take time to explore what makes you tick. What activities motivate you and give you moments of flow? What tasks drain you? Cut through the layers of caked on assumptions like: “I can’t consider taking a pay cut” or “A lateral move means I have failed.” Start your journey by stopping and letting go. For me, I’ve always both known I loved writing and that I would obviously never be qualified enough to do it professionally. I have been journaling since kindergarten, writing for as long as I’ve been able to. I have simultaneously been telling myself that under no circumstances should I dare to think of being an actual writer. I’m not smart enough or well-read enough or disciplined enough to make such a claim. A nice side trick, sure, but not something I could ever pursue professionally. Once the dust settles, you can start building self-awareness. It’s hard to find our purpose because we don’t really know ourselves. We don’t know what we genuinely like to do or why we do what we do. We never question what influences us. We end up in a career because our parents approved of it, because we thought it would be safe or because it was easy enough. If you are immediately turned off at the thought of self-reflection exercises, just notice that and be curious about it. Resistance is a powerful teacher when we pay attention. For me, I just started to notice that little naysayer voice. At first, I just heard it louder and louder."You are so not a writer. Nope, not a writer. Don’t even think that you ever could be." Eventually, I noticed how repetitive and boring it was. "You are so not a writer. Nope, not a writer." Ugh—you again?! Don’t believe everything that you think. My friend sent me a job description for a “Communications Specialist.” I immediately laughed at her email. “I’m not qualified for that!” You are so not a writer. Nope, not a writer. A few hours later, after recognizing this stale voice as the same one that had been annoying me for years, I applied anyway and got the job. Humans are much bigger than cubicle walls and far more expansive than the margins of resumes. What were you taught a “successful” career looks like? High pay? Stability? Title? If we are constantly focused on getting enough points to get to the next level, we will miss out on everything. I knew early on I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector as, what I assumed would be, a clear path to “make a difference” and “do good.” Of course, I immediately realized how fraught all those rosy intentions were, and how messy this business of “making things better” is. Like me, you may still get trapped worrying about if you’re “making a difference” in an appropriately prestigious enough way. You may still get trapped longing for stability and a sense that you are important in some way. Some research shows people are happier when they are present with their current experience, no matter what it is. Appreciate the mental grappling you’re doing, appreciate the uncertainty you feel, appreciate the questions you have. It all means you are alive and growing! Try to have compassion for those grappling with these questions too. He or she may be sitting in the cubicle next door. For my dad, it was always critical that I figure out what gifts I had to offer the world and offer them. Your gifts do not belong to you; you have to share them with the world. What he didn’t tell me is how much vulnerability and courage you need to actually do this. First, to acknowledge that yes, you have something unique to offer! (Terribly inconvenient.) Second, to actually offer it for people to accept or reject. (Terrifying.) While this idea of sharing my gifts was terrifying, it has also become the central theme of my career. I’ve now worked at several nonprofits helping people do just this by volunteering their talents to give back. And what an incredible way to give back!

Ingrid sent July 21 at 12:03 PM To me, volunteerism is one of the most underestimated resources we have. It seems quaint and suspiciously simple when, in fact, it’s revolutionary. Generosity sets things in motion. It creates a path where one wasn’t possible before. Unlike money, it doesn’t get used up—it renews itself. Magic. I guess this was what my dad was trying to tell me all along. Finding your purpose is most likely not going to be a “lightning strikes” moment. My experience has been much more nuanced, not linear and more redruby-slipper-like. Deep down, you already know what drives you; you just need to let it surface. (Hint: it might be the thing you are avoiding or too afraid to consider.) Nevertheless, the answer is waiting for you. Are you ready to find it?

“Cruciātus”

11in ×13in Mixed Media on Paper Giddy 2021

DORA LABORA

President and Artist Creator of the Corals Guardians With a free and enterprising spirit, the Artist Dora Labora begins in the fascinating world of the arts, cultivating the gift of painting and reflecting in them her desire for the fascinating things in life; conjugating within her an amalgam of feelings that do not discover another form of expression than art. It beautifully reflects this based on bursts of color on unique canvases. Its unique style, which we could call outstanding, vibrant and exquisite color shows incredible creatures, represented in fabrics, seeks to gracefully mix the most daring shades full of color. Characters and series dedicated to particular themes where their unrivaled human and anthropomorphic representations speak with expressive eyes and each tell their own different, but equally beautiful story.

Her main technique is acrylic on canvas, worked with brushes and brushes suitable for the material and the purpose of each work. Her theme is varied, maintaining the style that characterizes it, it has captured from scenes of the city that never sleeps (New York), through Asian culture and period dolls, to her most controversial and striking themes such as her concern for the environment. There she has captured two main issues, the decline in the existence of bees and the progressive disappearance of coral reefs, thus shaping a global awareness project, through the creation of humanized coral beings within a unique context. This movement that emphasizes the ecological damage to one of the most emblematic parts of our seas and oceans; it has gained adherents to the most altruistic of causes; "Environmental awareness for the care of corals, covering the vast maritime and oceanic region." So far her paintings have been carried; The United States of America, South Korea, France, Egypt, Jordan, North Cyprus and Spain continue in their desire to include everyone, so that said movement generates a change in attitude towards the battered land, thus allowing it to bequeath to our children a better and cleaner world to live in, seeking that the peace of a beautiful planet be their inheritance, and that they be the ones who maintain the blessing of a guaranteed global Peace for all. Not only human beings but all living beings; Based on this, Dora Labora's work is not only paintings, it is sentiment, sensuality, beauty, color and awareness, plus a sense of belonging to the only home we have "the Earth".

"The boy who burned bridges" 120x110, oil on canvas, 2020

The fire! The fire! Get up! Leave your warm beds. Smoke smothers the city. Footsteps are heard in the shadows. The children's laughter fades away. What motives prompted you to commit such an evil? Modern Prometheus runs at night, fire in his hands betrays him. The moon and the river, dumb witnesses, but they will not say anything about the crime.

To saw dandelions on the Sea 120x110 cm, oil on canvas, 2019

Clinging onto nothing By a promise Without a sea bottom Where to rest a foot. The starless heavens Without an abyss Nor a cliff for refuge The dandelion Lingers patiently Enwrapped by time Within the sea, awaiting

What is Love A view into the future To walk seeding In the sea grooves "Playing at the seashore" 120x110 cm, oil on canvas, 2020

Following the invisible An impossible A seed drifts Germinating hope Where chaos reigns Thinking about love, the fragility of being, the shortness of time, waiting for the miracle of hope germination in the unthinkable abyss of absurdity and chaos. There's a goldfish there. Dinner is served. It looks like a frog. I'm not hungry. Looks like nothing. It was a hard day. She doesn't like to be disturbed. I'm going to bed. Would you like to be a frog or a toad? I hate this horrible migraine. It would be fun not to go to school. A bank account is due tomorrow. No, eating mosquitoes is disgusting. I hate this job. Ah, but you would get up when you wanted to. Day after day the same routine. You wouldn't have to clean your room. You should change jobs for your own good. You could play as long as you like! Don't start over, stop whining. But there are no frogs in the sea. It is always the same. Yes you are right. Go to sleep, tomorrow will be another day. It doesn't matter , it would be a lot of fun!

"Playing with snails" 80x100 cm, oil on canvas, 2021

How smooth it is. I really like its color. It's moving so slowly. Do you feel pain? Mine is very quiet. I like yours better. Oh, it tickles me a lot!

ELENA UTIANSKAYA

Since childhood, I loved to paint and fantasize. Art for me is an act of freedom, a game, a journey into the subconscious, my little world where I can express myself without formalities and without words. the main theme of my works is a human, the world of his inner experiences, the complexity and variety of relationships, the world of feelings and contradictions. My works are made in the traditional technique oil painting, they are united by thematic and stylictic unity, symbolic metaphorical language, multi-layered meanings. The act in my paintings unfold in reality, to be clear at the junction of reality and surrealism in the plane of magical realism, close in spirit to illustration and appealing primarily to the emotions of the viewer, speaking not in an abstract, but in a single language of human emotions. Work on drawing and painting from nature, constant plein-air practice and copying of old masters help me in this. Finding color gamma and compositional ratio is the most exciting adventure for me in every canvas.

"In vino veritas" 40X50 cm, Oil on canvas. 2021

Alexander Blok The Stranger At evening, above the restaurants, the sultry air is savage, heavy, and the breath of spring, corruption, holds the sound of drunken shouting.

Far off, over the dusty streets the boredom of suburban houses, the bakery’s gilt sign glitters, faintly, and there’s the noise of children, crying.

And every night, beyond the toll, the expert wits, in bowler hats, tipped at a rakish angle, stroll along the ditches with their ladies.

On the lake oars creak, and somewhere a woman shrieks, while the moon’s orb in the sky inured, leers mindlessly.

And every night my only friend is reflected in my wine-glass, quiet like myself, and stunned by sour mysterious drink.

While nearby waiters half-asleep round the neighbouring tables pass, and drunks with their rabbit eyes cry out: ‘In vino, veritas!’