a little story to set the tone

hi.

welcome to my little blog.

let me start off by saying that i am definitely one of those people who tend to put all of their efforts into passion projects when an idea strikes. i am either all-in with a project or all-in with binge-watching QI for hours on end. there is no in-between. both leave me sleep-deprived. both seem like a good idea in the moment. this is whole thing is one of them.

these spontaneous bursts always start when my brain is whirring; normally in the late evening/early morning. something heavy is usually on my mind. i get hit by a wave of emotion; struck by past haunts, the loves i wish i had and wishes of a future that isn't stagnant. the struggle of being unable to scratch the itch of needing to create something but feeling equally stuck and uncomfortably uninspired. then all of a sudden it's half past two in the morning, with the obligation of going to work in a few hours and i am left feeling disorientated but lighter.

i am trying to take pride in my spontaneity, even though in my inner world believes it to be more like recklessness. me, myself and I are trying to find a less binary way of thinking (which is ironic considering the overall 'ambience' of this blog is black and white...). 'try living more in the grey' my therapist once told me. i guess we're collectively trying...

i was first introduced to the word 'sisu' earlier this year whilst attempting to learn the finnish language. you may ask '...yeah, but why are you learning finnish bridgette'? the simple answer is why not?

(if that isn't the answer you were hoping for, the longer answer will be explained at a later date - you will just have to stick around).

'sisu' is a finnish national concept to describe a specific strength, determination and resilience. it is considered magical and held in reserve for when one needs it the most. i found this concept incredibly powerful, so much so that it brought me to tears on my morning commute on the train.

it is something in all of us; i just didn't give it the recognition and attention it needed for many years of my life.

for me, i have adopted 'sisu' as a mantra of sorts to have strength in my creativity. my hope for the future is to hold my creative spirit tight and know that it is something that is unique and powerful. it is an exciting personal journey and i hope that the collection of art, thoughts and my slightly incoherent blog posts establishes inspiration to find and/or acknowledge your inner sisu, too.

thank you for reading my rambles.

bridgette