frame of mind

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion so they can be as similar or different from everyone as they'd like. However, you're view on things is shaped by everything and everyone around you. The dominant factor in difference is the culture you grow up in and the culture you are currently in. They form in your mind what is socially acceptable and unacceptable. They show you how things should be perceived. So what happens when you travel to other areas of the world, or see/hear/feel/ experience something new? Do you change it to fit into a part of your culture, or do you begin to think about how you are and break down a piece of your frame to let this new thing become a part of your frame?

Everyone has their opinions of good and bad, happy and sad, acceptable and just plain weird. Well most of the times the cool and happy things to me, and really weird to most others. Oh well!!!

This is [[link->]] Mark Ryden’s ‘Goodbye Bear’ and I absolutely adore this image. It means sooo much to me. First off I fell in love with Ryden’s work 2 summers ago when I saw his painting ‘The Butcher Bunny’ in my art book. He has a different look on subject matter and likes to exaggerate heads. This is so deep to me though, because I have been absolutely in love with teddy bears since birth. When I look at this painting I just want to run up and hug the life out of that teddy. Then I see the sorrow in his eyes as he has to part with who seems to be his best friend. Then the little girl looks like she knows it’s time for her to move on with what could be the day, but is probably her life. Truthfully I don’t care for the girl much, I see this picture and want to grab the bear’s hand and let him know I can be his best friend. He reminds me a lot of one of my favorite teddy bears which is probably why I like this bear so much. I like this picture so much it’s the background on my Ipod, so I see it every day. I have many friends who have called me odd for having it there. They simply do not see what I see. I’ve had friends say oh this is childish, or weird that I like this giant of a teddy bear. However, deep down on this inside, I know what they don’t know. Most of Ryden’s work gets either oddly eerie, or you will be straight up confused and grossed out. He likes blood, and it’s sprayed all over his work. So with my knowledge of his creepiness, I’m convinced that either the little girl or the bear will be severely cut, beheaded, or just spewing out blood. Okay, that creeps me out a bit too, but I’m still trying to understand everything Ryden is saying, so I keep studying the painting.

Many people will see something and truly only glimpse what they’ve seen. They won’t take the time to give at least a thought about what they’ve just seen. Like I’ve said before, many people see or hear, but do not experience what is presented to them. Information goes in one ear and out the other with maybe a fragment making a connection in their mind. It happens in every society but from living it and from hearing from others who are not a part of it, American society is very fast paced, and sometimes we don’t take the time to just breathe and absorb what beauty we have around us. Therefore we do not really see what many others are trying to say. When someone takes the time to really listen, see, experience what is going on, then they’ll have the opportunity to break down a piece of their mental structure so they are then able to break down someone else’s structure and connect them. It may not be a whole wall broken down, maybe just a tiny piece of a corner, but even with that we have shared information and each party has learned something new. Something that may have broke down a piece of their culture, but something that they can make their own and become their culture.