What Drives You

What gives you motivation to do something? What inspires you to start one thing and push you enough to finish it? What then sets the limit for you?

Inspiration comes in spurts, just like "eureka" or light bulb moments. It's neither an involuntary thing nor is it something you can do at will. It's just natural, and you know it when it's there, knocking at your door or waving its arms in front of your face.

As for me, a meek creature of habit (or make that short-term hobby?), I get mundane-to-insane ideas in a span of a millisecond, just like an ordinary person. But unlike the ordinary creative person, I seldom put these ideas into action. I'm a planner; I plan to do this, to eat that, to go here, to try those, and to make lists like these that go on forever. I'm not a very good doer, though. I believe that time is my biggest rival. I always find myself going against it in a manner that I can barely manage! Say, for instance, I suddenly had this bright idea to make an art project; just because! I think about it at that moment, then day and night and then over and over, make plans, start preparing to make it happen--if I get lucky to even reach that part of the process. Must be the universe or just me, but I rarely finish (or start) on my brilliant personal goals. It's very frustrating, I just realized.

Just squeezing this in, a photo of my personal command center and limited necessary equipment! Haha. (Computer, external hard drive, microphone, SD card [in slot, not visible in photo] all cramped in a tiny space in my room.)

So at the birth of a very hopeful video blog channel at YouTube, I have recently reassessed my life's goals. Well, erm, haven't really gone to that level, if you know what I mean. (No? Uh, say, career + marriage + kids kind of thing. Haha.) Anyway, yeah, I realized how passive I have been for such a long time. I do not want to think it's underachieving just because I rarely get things done because I want it for me. Right now, I am head over heels hopeful that I can finally do things with my life (and free time) because I want to do it and not because I need to or somebody tells me to. As with my previous entry, I have stated there which things you may expect from my channel and hopefully that will keep me on track!

Sure, there's thesis now and other important responsibilities despite the intensity of dedication and determination I plan to put into this current interest of mine. I won't let this hobby get in the way of my priorities but I have invested in this "personal project" (yeah, let's call it that haha) enough to see its way through continuum, and hopefully increments of that fulfilling finish!

Introducing... Ze Lipistik!

This was taken hours before Taft Ave. became a water park, river, or whatever you wanna call it. "Falcon" is the typhoon name, FYI. My best friend and thesis mate, Meryl, and I were editing our thesis video under these weather conditions, both of us fairly far enough from our homes to cause innate panic about being stranded in the university, and stuff like that. Haha.

Sorry, I dunno how this video blogging goes; I'm more of a writer, hence the earlier birth of this blog. So I've been informally blogging for years, mostly just journal-type entries documenting the mundane to interesting things that happened in an eventful day. I've been really busy with a lot of things recently, mostly thesis, as you may know if you're updated with my life. Because of that, I don't have much time to compose my thoughts and write about anything. Well, maybe I can but let's just say I think I finally got my priorities straight. Hah!

So here's a video blog! As much as I want to write about that day, I think a video would be the best medium to remember the day by!

Lipistik Vlog#1: Pre-Falcon Wrath Randomness

WHY THE SUDDEN INTEREST AT VIDEO BLOGGING?

I've finally decided to ditch my old account in YouTube (dimple106) because I wanted a new username. Haha. But! I really meant to start a vlog. I've been thinking about it for maybe about a week, after one of my high school batch mates, Lalaine Inumerables, asked for a video recording saying hi-hello to our other batch mates back in Davao City; it's for a mini-reunion party for our batch. That way, we who are unable to attend the party because of geographical constraints will be present at least digitally. Haha. And that made me wonder if I could ever consider doing what a lot of video bloggers do: talk in front of hundreds or thousands, maybe millions.

Here's the thing, I really love talking. I frequently got into trouble back in grade school because I was too talkative. My calssmates get reprimanded by the teachers as well, don't get me wrong. But some of those times, I admit I was the source of it, too. Haha! I believe I'm a people-person, so anything that has to do with being oriented with people and engaging in conversations of any kind are my kind of thing. I can be very shy or timid at times, though. I'm not very good in public speaking, but I try. Haha. I'm more of a writer, like I said, hence this blog.

Recently, I've been so busy with a lot of things (READ: concluding college education) and I barely have time to prop up that blank Blogger page and write. And sometimes I have too much going on online *cough*Facebook Twitter YouTube*cough* that I find writing a bit tiring at the end of a long day. So here, I'm trying out my "skill" at vlogging, if there ever was any. Haha.

In my YouTube channel, expect:

1. Journal- / Documentation- / Narration-type vlogs
2. How-to's (probably about stuff you may already know but I do differently haha)
3. Music... Uh, stuff. No, not covers, I can never sing to save my life. Hmm, I plan to have electro/house/trance/dance music. Uh huh, exciting right? LOLJK.

P.S.
I wanted my YouTube username to be: "lipistik" because that's just how I want it, haha, but it's unavailable, says YouTube. Hmpf. So head on over to my YouTube channel: Ze Lipistik! (As in "THE" in a weird accent. Haha.)

One Hundred

I have a hundred ideas stuck in my head and I can't bring myself to start writing them down. I've been hibernating from blogging for the past week (or weeks?) for reasons not obvious but I'll say it anyway... God, I'm tired. I'm always tired when I get home after a long day of video editing. Last week was extra tiresome, especially last Thursday.

As in every university, students have involuntarily created a jargon that creates an identity unique to, for instance, La Sallians. One, among so many is Happy Thursday, a notion where each Lasallian's weekend starts on a Thursday night. At least that was the case for three-four years until this school year started wherein students were expected to have six-day class weeks instead of the four-day ones for which I'm very well used to. Haha. So anyway, I haven't had a Happy Thursday in a really long time but June 16, 2011 broke the uneventful Thursday streak!

DLSU Centennial Celebration: 100 Years of Lasallian Presence in the Philippines

DISCLAIMER: Given that this post is way late for a recap or at least to recount the day's events, please do not expect this entry to have such contents. As this blog has been a journal for a good number of years (yes long before this revamped version), this entry will contain no more than my insights and what not. Haha. Besides, there are too many news articles, personal blogs, and photos and videos by now, all documented that day fully. Simply, you cannot get them here, haha.

Anyway. Better a late post than to never post at all. Hah! So when I said that last week was extra tiresome, I wasn't even *this close* to exaggerating. I was up and about from dawn until a little after midnight the next day; oh, and not much sleep the day before that as well, if that's any clear visual of the situation, haha. So anyway, I was a part of the centennial celebration production team so last week was pretty much pandemonium in my eyes.

This is me, spotted by a good friend Camille Go, while at the stage, doing what I love to do. This photo is priceless! Hahaha.

I don't look very happy there, yes? Hah! Can you blame me? It's part of the happiness: all the confusion, stress, and pressure... It all boils down to getting through it all and feel happy after everything, realizing that once more, I made things happen. Well, it's not just me, duh, but simply being part of a big success, knowing how my contributions, huge or tiny, helped in managing the audience's experiences.

Like what our group's adviser said in our pre-production meeting: "This is not a simple production or show we're doing on Thursday. It's more of a big production where we manage the experience of our audience." (Well, that's not verbatim because he talked too fast, but that's the gist. Haha.)

This was the grandest production that ever happened in my life, YET... And probably my last with the Green Media Group. :') *sniff* I have shared a spectrum of emotions with the group I considered my family in the university for four years, the group with which I built my world around. Let this entry be my medium to express how thankful I am for what GMG and CAO has given to me; trust, knowledge, and experience.

Thank you to everyone who believed I can do things. Thank you also to everyone who doubted that I could, because I think I just got better and stronger. :> Haha! No, really, I can't imagine what has become of me now if not for GMG; not that I'm a big somebody now, but I know that I can break boundaries and still know my limits.

I have been given the rarest of opportunities to serve and lead. I may not yet be the person I want to be but it's all in the works. You have trusted me a hundred percent, expect that I give back to you a hundred times more.

Just Checking In

Hi. Just checking in to say I'm glad that I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing. (The Script, 2008.) Haha, no, really, I'm surviving this hell of an ordeal happening in my life as we speak. (Or as I type, whichever you prefer.) I hope everything plays out well for the next few days. I just need reassurance that all is well if not great, then I'd be happily posting happy entries again.

Meanwhile, take a look at THIS and be wary of your possessions and surroundings when traveling, especially in foreign countries like... Say, Indonesia? Do not lose composure, do not panic; use your head! Chyng Reyes' detailed account will be very helpful to us all, trust me.