life lessons

The Meaning of Art (Vinson Lim, photographer, videographer, designer, entrepreneur interview)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Human beings have a knack for finding meaning in just about anything. It’s supposedly in our collective nature to assign those meanings so that we can make the world around us just a little more clearer and lovely.

We don’t do this to grow into some ultimate truth, but because there is just far too much information to take in at any given moment. And consequently understanding each other isn’t any easier as we age. Loving people, reducing a need for gratification, overcoming fears (and a host of other insecurities), and accepting ourselves are all important lifestyle choices in the quest for meaning.

But what if you are a creative person?

Vinson Lim generally takes the position that being an artist shouldn’t elevate you above other humans beings, it really should only work as an expression of self… and at the core of his answers is the theme of acceptance in life. By letting go of hate, and truly being present at all times, that’s when we are able to create interesting work.

Whether it’s through a practice of meditation, as addressed in the interview preview, or by simply spending time with our families, Vinse accepts that his art will always be evolving based on how he is living his life.

And he is especially aware of this having just entered into fatherhood for the first time. But unlike so many other creative people, his art doesn’t inform his life choices, but rather his life choices determine how he demonstrates his creativity.

Vinse might be acting as a photographer today, but he is willing to switch hats on the fly to access his videography skills, graphic design education or even to play some music for friends and family.

I’m not going to give away his viewpoints on the meaning of life, art, and everything in-between. But I can say with utmost confidence, that this interview will make you think, and we’re both hoping that just might make you feel too.

I think you’ll learn something from Mr. Lim

theories Summarized

I always find it cathartic to have a heavier discussion on the meaning of it all, dear readers. I hope that this interview resonated the same way for you.

But even if it didn’t, please let us know what you thought of the interview! What was your favourite question? Do you agree with what Vinson Lim said? Do you disagree? He is a very talented photographer, so if  you’re interested, feel free to check out his Facebook page, Instagram, and website for yourself! The meaning of life might still be one of the greatest questions of all time, but dammit if Vinse isn’t fascinating to listen to.

And special thanks to Vinse for being vibrant, vulnerable and virtuous. Without his thoughts on the meaning of it all, I might not have come to the realization that being positive and standing in my truth isn’t enough, it’s important to reach out to the lost and the lonely too. A pretty good theory.

Tim!

T-Minus 287 Days OR 6888 Hours OR 413291 Minutes OR 24797452 Seconds (Weddings)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

At the time of writing this post it is less then ten months until I get married to my fiancee Mysticque Moore. I’m living in that space between potential and reality, what will be and what already is, and for the first time in my life, I’m not really wondering about how things are going to play out.

I know it will be a good day. We’re going to have a practical wedding.

A beautiful and blushing wedding. A beloved wedding. A unique and individual wedding. A story book wedding. A traditional wedding. A masculine wedding. A feminine wedding. An authentic wedding. A glamorous wedding. A momentous wedding. A lovely wedding. A rock ‘n roll wedding. An intimate wedding.

But most importantly, it will be our wedding. And whether all of that hyperbole comes true or not, I wouldn’t want to have anyone else by my side.

You see, dear readers, movies and television make wedding planning seem entirely more hectic and also less hectic then it actually is. Whatever the hell that means. And no, wedding planning, like anything else in life, is not a series of moments strung together in a magical way and which leave you feeling glossy all over. Wedding planning is work and it takes time, but it’s also wonderfully straightforward. Every time you complete one task, there is yet another one to work on. At first this bothered me, but I had an epiphany the other day.

Because I’m working house renos, revitalizing my team at work, and investing more time into timotheories, I’m just busier then I have been in the past. Being tired isn’t an excuse to be in a bad mood though, so whatever I can do to stay positive is essential.

Earlier that day, I was feeling fairly tired. Especially after work; but I was also excited to see Miguel and Mysticque. So I headed right over to her house, and then I quickly found out that she had a hard day too, and was tired as well. On top of that, Miguel wasn’t feeling very good about some classmates and he was restless. We had dinner and sat down for some family time, but because they were both on edge, and I was tired, it didn’t take much for frustrations to come out.

I’ll admit that I was part of the problem, but the bigger lesson I learnt was that much like wedding planning, life is nowhere near as hectic nor as simple as entertainers make it out to be. I should always strive to do what I can, but more importantly I can control my attitude, I cannot control others. Wedding planning is just a lot more decisions being made at a higher pace then normal life, once it’s over, if you look back on it, it’s better to have fond memories then bad ones.

timotheories Summarized

And so I leave you with this theory creative cuties. Treat your daily life exactly like planning a wedding, make decisions, plan the best you can, expect things won’t go according to plan, and most importantly enjoy yourself during the process.

Because once that time has past, you’ll be left with two realities. Either you look back fondly on the planning or with regret about how you behaved during the process. That, and your partner wants you to enjoy yourself too.

Tim!

Home Improvement (My New House and Other House Keeping Thoughts)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Where I came from, holding a door open for a stranger was absolutely necessary (especially the elderly), and minding your parents wishes at all times expected, but I also had the great privilege of choosing my career path, focusing on creative acts and experimenting with belief systems as I grew up.

A strange combination of conservative Christian roots and post-modern ideals indeed, dear readers.

Now, in case you are wondering what my interpretation of that lifestyle could possibly look like, I’ll start by telling you some of my thoughts on living life. I have strong tendencies towards moral relativism and pluralistic truth-finding, while my creative energy is highly self-referential and irreverent – this is likely why I gravitate towards satire. And satire is best represented in popular culture (in my humble opinion of course). Also, my humour is starkly dry, and I hate injustice of any kind, so satire lends itself well to those values. But on the other side of that coin, I am fiercely loyal to maintaining family traditions, believe in the importance of a cultivated education that never ends, and I will happily defend that etiquette, discipline, and spirituality have their place in properly developing a human being. Even more-so as I step off the singles ledge and into the deep-end of parenthood.

It might seem contradictory to have those combination of beliefs, but I think of it this way, we should carve out what doesn’t work, always holding onto the core pieces that give us structure.

Also, there is an old adage about sweeping your own front door before you sweep the entryways of others, which make perfect sense to me. It’s a universal truth about minding your own business, that we shouldn’t assume to know the first thing about someone. We live in a world today that is very quick to judge or pass judgment on others without looking at ourselves first. We are quick to judge people based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, how they make an income, what their income level is, based on where they live and even based on their past life experiences.

But life is way too involving to waste time and energy on what other people are working through. I really can’t see how you would ever run out of things to do to improve yourself, which is likely why I happen to think of houses as marvellous objects and excellent metaphors for change.

Tool Time

As you may know, I’ve been making lots of changes to this brand ever since I started this timotheories business back in November 2014, and for many, it seems like a natural progression to buy property after a certain period of time renting a space. Many people rent for a few years and then pick up a mortgage when they’ve tucked enough savings away.

I decided to to buy a property too. But I did it because I want to have more freedom over my daily life

Buying a house meant finding a mortgage broker who would approve a loan, searching through hundreds of listings, and then viewing more then twenty of them, before finally making an offer. After I put my offer on the table, I was approved. Which meant I could move forward with the next step – I had an inspection of the property done, I put down a deposit,  worked with my insurance company to set up the house insurance, got the lawyer to draw up some paperwork on the sale of the house, and finally closed on the deal.

As I mentioned already, I bought this particular house for a few reasons, one of which was to convert the bi-level bungalow property into two rental units. And I’ve already started that process by replacing the old furnaces and hot water tank with brand new energy efficient models. You see creative cuties, I want to rent both properties and luckily the house came with two furnaces; furnaces that were 20 years old mind you. So rather then continue a string of repairs and having to coordinate with handymen, I signed up for a lifetime warranty plan and replaced those machines. That way I can just give any heating and plumbing concerns over to Always Heating and Plumbing whenever a tenant has an issue. For free. No surprise bills, and the annual maintenance schedule should help keep them alive for many years.

theories Summarized

I also want to pay off the house faster, and turn the house into a source of passive income. That way, if either Mysticque and I lose our jobs, we still have money coming in which could be used to buy another property, build a studio over the garage of our primary residence, or any number of big expenses. It’s a lot of work, but as I’ve said before, home improvement is essential if you want to make a difference in this world. You work with what you’ve been given, but each of us has an opportunity to improve on what came before, by mixing the old and the new.

And if you can keep up that habit, you’ll find you don’t even have time look at your neighbours house, let alone try to sweep up their front step. Leave that mess to the Jones’ and start planning to put in your hot tub instead. Just a theory to consider.

Tim!