Ode to Art in the Age of Ai.

No Matter What Your Art Is, Create It. Relentlessly.

Our gfhx posts (on LinkedIn) are mostly populated, punctuated or adorned with art. Mostly human created visual art. That’s because all idea generation is built upon the bedrock of human creativity. 

Humans beings' innate ability to create beauty has illuminated & inspired mankind's journey through the ages, helping us endure the harsh realities of life. Only Art and its exquisite beauty can offset the ugliness of human suffering brought about by conflict, conquest and change. Man must create art as naturally as they destroy in war. 

Think the ancient pyramids of Egypt and the splendour of the center of creativity in Alexandria. Imagine Greek architecture, art, antiquities, politics, sports and theatre replicated in Roman civilisation. The classical and renaissance artists of Florence, and Venice spread across the Bosporous to Constantinople and beyond, created art not only in the name of religion but out of a deep, innate need for expression.

In the far east, for millennia, the insular Chinese in their jade kingdom were quietly pioneering art in painting, porcelain, silk and tea in harmony with nature till this day. 

Human beings birthed creativity including Ai. Staying the course in the creative field today demands that humans stay on top of Ai inputs, managing output and promoting safety. Navigating today’s complex landscape of creativity, we use Ai to augment and enhance human output creatively. 

Our manifesto - Live By Design, is a clarion call to wake up from past and existing structures of work models that no longer work or are soon to be annihilated in this exciting yet ominous age that the metaphorical 'shifting sands of time' are happening in real time. 

Ai upgrades in improvements and capabilities are being detonated on the Ai battleground in intervals of weeks and months. The fallout is perhaps too soon to be fully felt or imagined. 

While awaiting the imminent fallout, no one really knows what real implications could impact lives or livelihoods. The best anyone can do is embark or join the exodus in seeking higher grounds for human footing in the age of Ai infestation. 

In preparation we implore you to tune into your creator mode or right brain thinking to uncover authentic human creative endeavours which is probably the only resource left for us to thrive upon. 

There will be few roles and job functions created by the advancement of Ai and the new ones would require a higher calibre of human inputs and supplements bordering on creativity and adaptability. 

Human ingenuity, creativity and adaptability, may have been sacrificed long ago in the sterile corridors of corporations and work places but nonetheless they’re still there if you’re human.

So here’s a reminder of who we truly are, laid out in a harsh poetry of five stanzas as an urgent anthem to Live By Design. 

How To Write - by David Ogilvy

 

Having been raised in the Ogilvy school of thinking in advertising since the 80's, my lineage is kept alive to this day through regular correspondences with Ken Brady, my ex-boss, mentor & trainer. Ken was reporting directly to David as Head of Training for Ogilvy offices worldwide for over 20 years. 

Everything I know, fear or is proud about writing has been documented in the article, which was published as a post on my LinkedIn profile in May 2023. 

       The Writing Business. The Business of Writing - by Peter Gan

         The most daunting professional skill of all time is and will be the skill of writing.

Business writing to be precise.

It is also the most feared.

It is what separates the winners and the also-rans.

Perhaps this is why the pen is really mightier than the sword.

It is difficult enough to be proficient in the language of business- English, what more the challenge of writing to communicate clearly especially when your livelihood depends on it.

Because of fear, most people just wing it, ignore it, or simply skip it to avoid it by dictating a half-baked verbal brief. Thereby living only half an existence avoiding the fullness of life.

But those who step up, face up to the challenge, are the ones who truly live their lives to the fullest. These are the ones who excel not only in their careers but also in life.

In the business world or in any field, writing clearly, concisely and accurately is the only evidence of clear intentions to achieve anything. The alternative is a verbal brief, which is “not worth the paper it's written on.” It’s basically a cop out. A zero sum game because no one can be expected to remember a verbal brief unless it’s a recording. Still, nothing beats a well written brief. It wields power and commands respect.

Due to our outdated system of education, most of our young don't know how. Even if they think they know, it's probably outdated and archaic, worse broken.

Whether you are in business or not, you would need to communicate clearly, precisely and effectively to get ahead. Verbally or in writing.

I was practically thrust into the business world, fresh after dropping out of college.

Business writing paralysed me even though my English was above average. 

My fear was #2- Confidence. I was trying to impress with my above average English comprehension but I knew wasn’t ready to write beautiful prose to match my ego. I tried nonetheless and I was miserable. Constructing a simple letter took hours if not days. It took me a long time to remove the “I” from my writing to focus on the message.

That finally got me unstuck.

Here are a few practical truths that got me to write better and to really enjoy the task even more;

Writing for Everyone.

#1. It’s about communication. Not writing.

If you can communicate in the most basic form, you can write. So write the way you would talk.

If you can put a sentence together in speech you can put sentences on paper.

#2. Clarity not confidence.

Write to communicate not to impress. It's about what is important not who.

It's about allowing the message to emerge not the writer.

#3. Brevity not length.

Writing is really short and sweet.

The best reports, letters, memos, briefs are the shortest and yet the most comprehensive.

Being brief makes you choose your words and sentences more carefully to convey your message more effectively.

#4. Substance not style.

Substance beats style any day.

Writing with intention and purpose will get you to the core of the message without wasting time with unnecessary words and phrases.

#5. Personal not Professional.

The best writing is mostly done out of personal commitment to excellence and authenticity.

If the person communicating the message is fully committed to her/his writing, the result will be outstanding.

Or you can take up a course in business writing. It’s a thriving business I am told.

Add a comment…

I love you. Writing.

The Writing Business. - The Business of Writing.

Image PineForest

The most daunting professional skill of all time is and will be the skill of writing. 

Business writing to be precise. 

It is also the most feared.

It is what separates the winners and the also-rans. 

Perhaps this is why the pen is really mightier than the sword.

It is difficult enough to be proficient in the language of business- English, what more the challenge of writing to communicate clearly especially when your livelihood depends on it.

Because of fear, most people just wing it, ignore it, or simply skip it to avoid it by dictating a half-baked verbal brief. Thereby living only half an existence avoiding the fullness of life. 

But those who step up, face up to the challenge, are the ones who truly live their lives to the fullest. These are the ones who excel not only in their careers but also in life. 

In the business world or in any field, writing clearly, concisely and accurately is the only evidence of clear intentions to achieve anything. The alternative is a verbal brief, which is “not worth the paper it's written on.” It’s basically a cop out. A zero sum game because no one can be expected to remember a verbal brief unless it’s a recording. Still, nothing beats a well written brief. It wields power and  commands respect. 

Due to our outdated system of education, most of our young don't know how. Even if they think they know, it's probably outdated and archaic, worse broken.

Whether you are in business or not, you would need to communicate clearly, precisely and effectively to get ahead. Verbally or in writing.

I was practically thrust into the business world, fresh after dropping out of college. 

Business writing paralysed me even though my English was above average. My fear was #2- Confidence. I was trying to impress with my above average English comprehension but I knew wasn’t ready to write beautiful prose to match my ego. I tried nonetheless and I was miserable. Constructing a simple letter took hours if not days. It took me a long time to remove the “I” from my writing to focus on the message. That finally got me unstuck. 

Here are a few practical truths that got me to write better and to really enjoy the task even more.

Writing for Everyone.

#1. It’s about communication. Not writing. 

If you can communicate in the most basic form, you can write. So write the way you would talk. 

If you can put a sentence together in speech you can put sentences on paper. 

#2. Clarity not confidence. 

Write to communicate not to impress. It's about what is important not who. 

It's about allowing the message to emerge not the writer.

#3. Brevity not length.

Writing is really short and sweet. 

The best reports, letters, memos, briefs are the shortest and yet the most comprehensive. 

Being brief makes you choose your words and sentences more carefully to convey your message more effectively.

#4. Substance not style.

Substance beats style any day. 

Writing with intention and purpose will get you to the core of the message without wasting time with unnecessary words and phrases.

#5. Personal not Professional.

The best writing is mostly done out of personal commitment to excellence and authenticity. 

If the person communicating the message is fully committed to her/his writing, the result will be outstanding.

Or you can take up a course in business writing. It’s a thriving business I am told. 

 

I love you. Beginnings.

 Meditation for Beginnings.

Sit with spine comfortably erect, in a cross-legged posture. 

Rest your hands, palms up on your thighs or in your lap.

Drop your shoulders and relax your whole body.

Bring your attention to your breathing. 

Inhale deeply and as you exhale, relax into it. 

Feel your body fully relaxed as you calmly settle down and focus on one thing you want to do that is not currently part of your life.

Be specific and imagine what it would look like, feel like. It may be meditating or exercising daily,

or learning something new or doing something creative - writing, singing, dancing, painting, - or simply being more patient with those you love. 

Pick something that has meaning for you.

See yourself beginning this activity. Imagine the state of mind, body and emotion ideally required to begin. How do you want to be feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically when you start? 

Imagine yourself as you ideally want to be to begin.

Stay with this for a few breaths.

Now, be aware of how you are feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically at this moment. 

Feel the gap, if you can, between where you want to be and where you are. 

Let your attention follow your inhalation and exhalation, take a few moments to to feel, without judgement, the gap between where you are and where you want to be- or think you should be- to begin.

Now, imagine yourself beginning to do what you want to do, starting from the place you are right now.

See yourself doing it- meditating, exercising, being more patient, learning something, doing something creative- just the way you are. 

Do not pull away from the way you are feeling. Let yourself relax into how things are and imagine doing what you want to do, perhaps not as perfectly, not as ideally as you first imagined it, but doing it anyway. Let go with each exhalation; let yourself feel exactly how you are feeling. 

Give yourself permission to begin from here.

I love you. The Invitation #11.

Deep Sustenance.

"It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom

you have studied,

I want to know what sustains you,

from the inside,

when all else falls away."

"...When all we have relied upon has fallen away, there is nothing to do but wait without faith or hope. How we wait- whether we remain open or closed up- is the choice we have to make, a choice to either live or begin to spiral down toward death. To choose life we have to be willing to wait, open to life and love at a time when opening seems impossible and we are sure that no one and nothing will ever be able to find us."

          "What sustains us, when all else falls away are the things that make waiting and staying open to life             possible. I have been lucky to find three such things in my life- my practices of prayer and                          meditation, writing and spending time close to nature."

"The truth is, I only have to receive and give what I am able. There is no risk. The intimacy, the interconnectedness of all life, that is the love to which we all belong, can only be given and received. It cannot be taken. And when it is given and received, we are sustained."

 

~Oriah Mountain Dreamer

*In my own experience; When all has fallen away, I eventually realise that all that is left is the real me, devoid of names, titles, labels, and possessions. This is when I meet my true self and see if I really like the company I keep.

I love you. My Ai Wei Wei

Art or Artist...? Novel or Novella...?

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

He was stealing glances at me while queuing at a counter in the airport.

Our eyes met briefly but deliberately. Neither of us smiled.

I registered an interesting face. A dignified one. 

But a stranger nonetheless. I was in no need for men that weekend.

I escaped a litany of them to relax & enjoy myself in this quaint little town.

Coincidentally we shared a taxi to our hotel and was formally introduced to each other at the pre-wedding party.

We sat drinking beers, smoking cigarettes and talked. 

We shared stories of solo trekking in the Annapurna. We connected at the intellectual level that night.

The next two days we spent time exploring the town eating and drinking- in town, out of town, at the wedding reception, the dinner party, and the after party. 

I enjoyed seeing him and having him around. 

He's fun.

We had a great time as a group of friends celebrating our friend's wedding parties.

We met back in the city months later after he returned from his travels over the year-end holidays.

He surprised me with a present over a quiet dinner of pasta & wine in a fancy restaurant where we talked till late. We shared a common interest in books and authors. But I think we shared a deeper longing for spirituality. Both of us were searching. For life. For meaning. For fulfilment. 

Whatever it was, we certainly weren't going to find it that night.

We reluctantly parted as he had his work and family to go home to and I went home to be alone.

As I lay down to sleep that night, I decided that I like that guy. He's a gentleman and a thinker.

We kept in touch solely through each others' social media postings.

 

Months and years passed until I came back to the local scene. 

It has been an introspective year, I was restless. I was impatient. I felt like a caged tiger. 

It was depressing to take stock of my achievements to find that there seemed to be none.

So I ranted and raved my frustrations online. I was also bored.

He responded almost instantly. He asked if we could meet. 

I said maybe. He suggested dinner. I said maybe.

I was unsure. It's been so long. 

I hardly know him. We've only met a couple of times.

What if he was a serial killer? Worse, a human trafficker. 

So we texted offline. I got tired of texting so I called him.

I was so glad I did. He sounded so different. So different from the person I first met. 

If I had enjoyed him the first time, I think this is an even more enjoyable version.

He sounded so exuberant, so joyful. His voice was calm and reassuring. 

We spoke late into the night, at the end I agreed to meet him for dinner. Why not? I thought.

The date was set two week away. The wait was agonising. 

I just could not wait to see him. He had charmed me, way before he was due to meet me again.

It was a Thursday when I saw him again. He offered to pick me up from my place.

I gave him the general location but not my address for reasons if he was unstable.

He showed up on time and I jumped into his car. He looked every bit the gentleman I knew.

Looking more lean and tanned. Still as attractive.

He promised me dinner but first he insisted on pre-dinner cocktails at his place.

My heart skipped a beat. But I decided to go along with his plan.

Music was playing as I entered his simple but beautiful home.

I felt immediately at ease, at home and a feeling of calmness descended upon us.

We never left for dinner after that.

We sat and watched the sunset over cocktails. We switched to a bottle of rare vintage Rioja after sunset.

"It's a special occasion!" he said while breaking the cork of the 30 year old vintage. 

Decanted, the wine aged beautifully lingering long and strong on a palate of chocolate, dark berries, spices with sweetness of character. The latter trait also describes the man who was my host, 

He skilfully entertained me through the night, coaxing me to loosen more than my tongue.

I told my current story in great detail, then my past in even greater detail. He listened in silence.

I felt liberated to unload years of stories of my childhood to stories of relationships and affairs. 

I felt a sense of pride and relief in unburdening the load I had been carrying all these years. 

I felt uplifted. And I was intoxicated, in every sense of the word. The bottle was also empty.

I had never had sex in quite a long time. I simply never had the chance. I was in need mode.

And here was a charming as fuck (pun intended) individual who has loosened my tongue and now me.

Sensing my willingness, he stood and beckoned me across the patio. I relented.

He took my hand in his and drew me effortlessly close to his chest. 

My face looked up to his face and we kissed. Hard and hungry at first then gentle, soft and long.

We continue kissing as he gently edges me to his leather couch. By which time I am already stripped down to my underwear. He proceeds to kiss my face, my ears, my neck, my shoulders, my breasts. His lips were so soft and gentle. So wonderfully inquisitive.

He takes his time to explore my naked body. Licking sucking and kissing every part his hands and tongue could reach. At times it feels like he has more tongue than hands. He eventually descends to my belly, kissing and licking my tummy and belly button. Moving lower, he pause to gently remove my underwear then dives head-on into my centre. 

He ate me full and wholesome that night. Like I wanted him to, the first night I sat with him almost six years to the date. I have him finally having me. Sweet and long. Pure languid bliss.

We continued to talk, smoke, and drink and then made sweet love all night long. 

It was only at dawn that we could finally tear ourselves from each other to collapse into deep slumber. 

To be continued...

 

I love you. My Meditations.

A collection of memoirs, musings and lessons as I go through life. A compilation of notes to self, a dossier documenting experiences in this ephemeral life.
Covid-19 Lockdown D26

Photo by Weiye Tan on Unsplash

Meditations are different from my thoughts because I write only of my experiences with the people in my life starting with my family. Thoughts can be fables, fantasy, beliefs and concepts, here I share only my experiences.

Apart from those legally linked to me there are and will be no names mentioned living or otherwise, of the people featured in my stories or posts. *Unless you have achieved avatar status, you will see your name. Watch out!

So, I hereby anoint myself as writer of "fictional narratives of the truth". 

With that I am proceeding to re-launch my blog by renaming it- I Love you. Live.

I started writing again at the start of the Covid-19 lock down, (See my first post here> I'm Back.) after a five-year hiatus. 

A lot has happened in my life in the past five years. I haven't been writing not because I had nothing to write about but I was busy living life. Experiencing it's highs and lows. Living the way I have preached and now it's time to come out to show me to myself. 

This relaunched blog is a gift from me to myself on my birthday. At this point in my life I would like to share with myself, my greatest achievements to date. This blog and tomorrow's post. The fact that I can finally articulate my achievements in words is a pleasure I present myself. 

I have long been in love with words and writing. I worship and adore writers who can use least number of words to convey the most number of images. 

That is exactly what I have set out to do. To write in a manner that utilises the economy of words to tell my story about true events and people in my life. Minus the embellishments, the adjectives and superlatives. Only descriptions of how I think and feel. I can still remember writing my first piece for my school magazine, a poem about the people in my class, it's about love. I was fourteen.

After having dabbled in writing over the years I have often wondered if I have a set pattern of writing? I don't believe so because unlike pure fiction, every piece I write is unique and it is my perspective of the truth. I write primarily to document and inform, if achieved then hopefully it will enthral myself and my readers. The parties involved may not agree or disagree with my version of the truth. But it is my version and therefore true for me. Remember, this blog is meant for me to archive my memoirs/meditations. Thinking aloud and thinking allowed.

This is also my personal/official blog where I write things down so I can reminisce on my life when I'm old and shrivelled up enjoying my life writing, in one of the best and wildest places in the world.

You are welcome to visit, read and browse as much as you want. I aim to write with precision and brevity while entertaining myself with interesting stories and subjects that captivate me. True stories according to me. 

In my quest for brevity and economy, please tell me or leave me a comment if I have been vague or inaccurate in my depictions or facts. I would deeply appreciate that for it would greatly improve my writing if not the truth. 

After all, this blog is also my incubator to start documenting and archiving my family's history starting with my grandfather. Who came to Malaya from China when he was only 15. I would like to honour my grandfather, grandmothers, mothers, father and everyone down the line as far as I can go for now. 

Also I think there are lots of others who came to Malaya much like how my grandfather did and maybe compile some of their stories or encourage them to share or document their own history so that we maintain that link to the past to remind ourselves who we are and where we came from. Remind ourselves and our next generation how much value our families have brought to the building of this great nation. 

I think I would enjoy writing about that, so that I will know and remember the people I've met, the places I've been and the things I've done, and when my friend Alzheimer ever visits, I'll just simply smile and die. I also hope those who care to visit and read my blog would enjoy it as well. 

Come back tomorrow and celebrate the re-launch of my Weblog and my best work thus far. It's about time.

Stay tuned. Literally.