challenges

Well, That Was Easy (A Return To timotheories Form)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

If you can believe it, I have been quite busy these past few months, dear readers.

I’m sure you’ve noticed this fact, given that timotheories effectively shut down in the month of August and didn’t return back to form until December, a solid four months later. This is largely due to two key reasons –

  1. I bought a house in September
  2. and then I got engaged in November

On top of that, I spent the better part of August searching for the house I have now bought, and once more in October shopping for a ring and planning how to propose to Mysticque on the eve of our anniversary. And spoiler-alert, she said yes to me. Which was both exciting and terrifying for me.

You see friends, I’ve never done either of those two major life things before, but it was finally time for me to take the plunge and make a financial decision that would further my ambitions AND more importantly secure a future for my fiancee and I. But it feels terrifying because I’m making decisions that don’t just impact me anymore. They impact the woman I love, and her son, who will also become my child too. Also, I’m hardwired (just like you) to resist change because it could hurt me.

This is why I consciously decided to carve out those months to complete those major goals and then get back into the rhythm in time for Christmas.

Fear of failure is where the terror comes in. Obviously I don’t want to let them down, nor do I want to put them into a bad situation. But to do nothing is worse because I know what I am capable of, and failure is simply an opportunity to learn.

When we are children, we are given many chances to learn, and as we learn we improve. Riding a bicycle, using a lawnmower, and wiping with toilet bowl cleaner all come with some risk. But if someone who is trained to use those items instructs us properly on how to use those items ourselves, then we can better prepare ourselves to complete those tasks too.

I guess my point, creative cuties, is this – Life will continue to be as it always is, difficult and beautiful. Which shouldn’t stop anyone from pursuing their dreams. Dreams are what make life so interesting after all, they motivate our waking life, it’s that easy. And that’s my major theory for the week.

Tim!

 

Overcoming Differences, Thru Film (Cross Talk Ep. 25)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

 

 

I’m gonna skip the preamble on this episode of Cross Talk. Racism, bigotry and prejudice are big problems in this world we live in, and each of us has a responsibility to deal with it accordingly.

This week Chris, Mike and I tackle the genre defying themes cross-section once more, focusing on how to overcome differences in films. We have some great examples with The Terminal, Gran Torino, and American History X, all examples of race relations, coming at them from unique perspectives.

I urge you to watch this episode with care and full attention, because it’s a serious subject and one dear to my heart. I hope you get a lot out of watching it, because we put a lot of heart into filming it, and while we have fun at the beginning, it gets professional right quick.

This is episode 25 of Cross Talk. This is overcoming differences through film.

I hope that meant as much for you as it did for us on the Cross Talk team.

Yes, the subject matter at hand is difficult to think about and to address in your own lives, but we cannot move forward as a society without overcoming our differences and learning to work together better. I have this theory that films like the ones we’ve listed above are excellent vehicles to teach this idea of celebrating diversity.

But what about you? Do you think sharing American History X in high schools would be a bad idea or a good one? Please, please, please like, share, and comment on this video. We want your feedback! Thanks for your continued support creative cuties, this project wouldn’t be possible without you.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, I’m off to bang my head with some punks while I listen to Descendents at Union Hall. Live your life!

 

Tim!

A Serious Quote (Address Depression)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Do you ever struggle with life, dear readers? Feel aimless or that you have ambition but cannot focus? A sense of despair? I’ve been there too and can be challenged by life, almost unexpectedly it seems.

Today’s post is a more serious one, so I’m giving you all some fair warning.

I often wonder about the mind and the incredible potential for both success and failure.

And I dare say it, but I have a theory that someone who is creative might experience depression and other kinds of mental illness just a little more vividly than we’ve been led to believe in the day-to-day. And I also believe that those creative types are not more likely to experience it either.

Check out this article for a little more information on the topic.

The hard reality is that mental illness does effect a lot of people, and it is more common than we want to admit, while we are spending more time on educating ourselves about this particular health issue, it’s so intricate and complex, and there are so many forms of mental illness that we need to look into, but we generally fear the unknown.

I’m fortunate (I would never say unfortunate, but I would say highly sensitive to and conscious of) having loved ones in my life who have experienced different kinds of mental illness, so I think on this aspect of life quite often, and I have a great deal of compassion for those who live with it and their loved ones as well.

This article from the perspective of artist with depression is quite good too.

In it the author outlines some very important points for us all to remember.

1) Depressives are empathetic to everyone but themselves
2) There is no cure for depression, but exercise and work are excellent treatment
3) Depressives don’t choose to be sick, and suicidal thoughts are very real and not black and white
4) If you love someone who has depression, physical touch helps; as does being around them and choosing accepting silence
5) Depression is a result of your waking life, and addiction comes with it. The culprit is the mind.

In short, people who struggle with depression are fighting a battle of the mind, a battle of life over death, and your love is enough. Never take responsibility for their depression, and never blame them for it. Love them as you would love someone who has experience a physical loss of health.

Pulling from the article I just referenced, some depressives intimately understand the principle that Descartes wrote about

I think, therefore I am, said Descartes. Therein lies the problem. Some depressives conclude, as Robin Williams did this past week, that not thinking and not being is preferable to the alternative. I’m shattered that he lost his battle, but I’m also glad he’s free of his pain… You couldn’t have prevented their death and there’s nothing you should have done differently. The suicide’s logic has nothing in common with yours. In the end, death makes mad, perfect sense to them.

So in light of this topic, I want to share a beautiful site that I used to frequent quite often in the past, and while I haven’t looked at it regularly in recent years, it can be a place of solace for troubled thoughts, whether you are experiencing temporary depression or suffer from the mental illness.

It’s called The Quotations Page and is an exhaustive source of famous quotes which has been around for over 2 decades. The list of quotes is upwards of 30,000 quotes, so you know that there are excellent choices not only by author, but also by subject.

This can be especially helpful for moments when you need motivation, inspiration, or to share a sweet moment with someone you care about.

I’m going to close out today’s post with a favorite quote of mine from a brilliant modernist painter, which you can find on The Quotations Page, and I hope gives you a source of light that you benefit from using this resource yourself.

Derive happiness in oneself from a good day’s work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.

Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954)

And that my friends are all of the theories and wisdom I can impart for the day. Please leave some comments or send me an email at timotheories@outlook.com if you have something you’d like to share. I’d love to publish it in my next Wisdom Wednesday post.

Tim!