opheliaswims

I have seen many self-immolations. My advice is that biting one’s tongue is far more safer than letting that tongue run wild. You might feel better (this is temporary), however in the morning it’s “yakker’s regret”. When I was drinking, that uninhibited mouth would run like a pair of cheap panty hose. Now that I am sober, I am not Ms. Jekyll, just old Chong. Alcohol is not to blame for some cases. Some people just can’t help responding to situations by using all the past infractions that has been visited upon them and unloading on the first opportunity.
My advice is to “just bite that tongue”, and go for a hot bath. Works for me.

Image: ©Ophelia Chong / 35mm slides / Big Foot

I could float in my bathtub for at least an hour. Okay, half an hour. But that’s a long time for me to stay in one spot. I tend to move around quite a bit. I get distracted by small things. Then the big things call me back, and I sit down and work. Luckily I love what I do. It’s what supports the small things.

Image: © Ophelia Chong / from The Rabbit Series

Stability, courage, experimentation, honesty, trust, instinct, love, loyalty, strength, being able to ask for help, understanding, empathy, what else? I can add a few more. But I am going to dream about that question tonight. And answer it tomorrow.

Image: ©Ophelia Chong / 35 mm trans / no photoshop

I was just outside in the yard. The dogs are going nuts. Just down the street I can hear a pack of coyotes barking, and in the midst of it; a small dog barking for his life. Now either his owners hate him and are hoping that he’s the Blue Plate Special, or they are passed out.

The pack is heating up their fevered howling. I wonder if they have cellphone cameras, maybe it will show up on YouTube.

Image: © Ophelia Chong / 35mm slide trans. no photoshop

It’s time to create new work. I have been thinking of moving the artwork forward into a new space. There are times when my mind just goes blank. Like now. I have been moving at such a fast pace that my brain is on “numb”.

I need a distraction from work. Put that on the list for tomorrow.

Image: © Ophelia Chong / 35mm slide work / no photoshop

I used to need at least 9 hours of sleep. I have shaved it down to 5 hours.
It’s all divided up into three segments.
Part One
15 minutes of sweating out the small details of the day
Part Two
Slip into REM
Part Three
Dream of giant flying globs of congealed turkey gravy chasing me through WalMart, and I am wearing Rupert Murdoch’s velour track suit.
Wake Up.
I always wake up refreshed and to the smell of coffee.

Image: © Ophelia Chong / Shanghai June o7

Jane, Countess of Harrington by Sir Joshua Reynolds with a collage. Ophelia Chong 07

Created: midnight June 23/o7

as i move through the day, it speeds by me and i am only a blur.

Life has been Super Sized. My work has quadrupled. All in a great amazing way. Projects that were started two years ago has magically been resurrected. Serendipity. I can’t say too much. What I can say is this “…hey, that’s what I have been pushing for…”

On other fronts, what has been dormant is now showing life. Again that will be shrouded in mystery as well. For now.

All I want to do is create.

Photo: super 8 by ophelia