With everything that goes on in our increasingly fast paced economy, we often lose sight of what is important. Having to continuously seek new novelties, stressing over the latest trends and fashion, I’ve come to realize that North Americans have lost an essential component to life. Personally, I believe that life is a continuous journey of discovery about ourselves and those around us. But the difficulty with this is how one determines their true selves without it being tampered or influence by what society has termed acceptable or right. This debate isn’t new in any respect, and to this very day I still don’t know what it means to truly find, understand and appreciate ourselves. But, if I had to attach some description of  what it means to be me, then it would have to involve finding a place that is serene where I can be unhampered by my surroundings yet also indulge myself in whatever imaginative or creative venture I seek.

Like visiting a colleague’s  place of dwelling, seeing their room whether it’s messy or grossly organized, what posters if any are up, what cd’s they carry and so on, allows me to discover  what type of person he or she may be. In other words, our sanctuary wherever that may be, is one of the purest forms of expressing and understanding ourselves.

 In watching a Korean movie called Il Mare, I realized that one’s creative capacity for expression is limitless. Keeping it short, the protagonist of the movie is the son of an architect. His relationship with his father gets increasingly worse. As a result, having pursued an earlier career in architecture, the protagonist quits his final year in University, to seek other endeavors. All the while, he is living in a house on the sea. Now, the idea of building a house literally on the sea is astounding. The rising and descending of the tides during different hours of the day, changes the tone and placement of the house. At times it is on the shores, while at others it is seemingly floating on water. This was not only unique and creative, but also surprising relatable to me. It just felt right when I saw it.

Nearing the end of the movie, the protagonist realizes that his house on the sea, the very place where he feels most passionate and comfortable in, was actually a house that his deceased father made for him. The very thought that despite their poor relationship, the father understood him better than anyone else and gifted him with the tranquility and peace that the he prided in.  Words can’t express how much I wish to also create a sanctuary for myself and for others.

Bruce lee once said that the truest form of expression is through martial arts[1]. Personally, I think that the process of finding and creating ones place of tranquility allows me to discover and express myself purely. Furthermore, I believe only I can create an environment suitable for myself.  

[1] Bruce Lee’s most famous quotes, http://www.fightingmaster.com/masters/brucelee/quotes.htm

7년전에 썼던거예요.. 왜 건축가가 되고싶냐는 질문에 대한 답을 A4용지 한장에 가득~

컴퓨터 하드를 뒤져서 돌이켜보니 감회가 새롭네요..ㅎㅎ