A Beautiful Day!

This has been the longest week of my life. I'm currently transitioning into being a college student - getting minimal sleep, doing homework for 8 hours a day, bad eating habits, etc. I've been feeling like I never have time to do things for myself, so yesterday after my last class (no class Friday wooo!) I decided to take a relaxing trip into the beautiful city of Philadelphia.

By the time I arrived I was starving, so I went to eat at a mediterranean restaurant. The food was mediocre, but the fig ice cream I had for dessert was fantastic! I have a huge appreciation for gourmet ice cream. 

With a full stomach and some curiosity, I walked around the area and ended up at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There is currently an exhibit there called Visions of Arcadia, a really fantastic showcase of works by Gaugin, Cézanne, and Matisse, as well as other artists. I love museums, particularly art, and I never pass up a chance to see something new, so I decided it was a must-see. 

I never found Gaugin appealing until I saw his artwork up close. There's such a different type of appreciation when you can view a piece of art in an intimate way, and really picture the artist working on it. I definitely gained that appreciation by seeing the Arcadia exhibit. 

Earlier in the day, in my drawing class, we practiced figure drawings. I learned a great new technique from the professor and could actually see that it was used in a lot of the paintings from the exhibit. I found that very exciting and decided to practice the skill by drawing out one of the figures in a painting called "Bathers at Saint Tropez". 

Once I finished drawing I was exhausted from using my brain too much, and went outside to sit near a fountain. I tried to capture some of the colors and angles near the fountain, and then was on my way back to campus with a small but necessary pit stop at "Philly Cupcake". I've never been so full or so satisfied! 

All in all, it was a successful voyage into the wonders of Philadelphia, and I can't wait to go on an exploration again soon! 

Why Act Immorally?

http://99u.com/articles/7207/Why-Great-Ideas-Get-Rejected

To keep the world interesting, we want to see new, innovative ideas and fresh perspectives. In order for this to happen one needs to come up with something from scratch or from a place where most others wouldn't look. That idea of where creativity stems from is well-known and fairly obvious. So, what gets in the way of all of it? You and me. If we encounter an idea that seems like it's impractical or has in the past failed, like the idea of achieving peace for example, we will see it as unreachable and eliminate it from our options. That leaves us going with an option that may go against our morals and values. We will do this partially because it seems too "out there", but also to feel validated and self-assured by using knowledgeable examples of past failures, or various reasons why a creative idea won't work.
I'm frustrated because I see myself and others rejecting new ideas for the exact reasons listed. I see myself as a very open-minded person, so it's hard to accept that the feeling of validation can overrule my want to see everyones ideas as opportunities for me to be challenged and grow. This also affects my own ideas, and what I see as dumb or intelligent/creative. If we know the difference between the right and wrong way to treat people, why should we constantly act immorally?
I believe that in general we need to be more aware of how we view and judge everyone around us. We can easily find validation in ways that won't hurt others, such as exercising, working hard on something and creating a well-furnished end product that you are proud of, doing random selfless acts, and many more.