My sea turtle leads me to...

It reminded me of an anime with water themed music..

Diving into underwater wonderland

I imagine it like a small red monster - jumpy, chaotic, bites if you come close and it's like glue, sticking to the skin of people and hard to get rid of once it gets comfortable near you. It can also easily multiply so at the end of the day you feel heavy and tired because you have been carrying it around. It's dependent of you and the more you think about it the happier it is. You know it would help if you let it go and move on. However, you have become used to it so it's scary to try to let go and you forgot how you did that before. There are less of them in the woods, they can be more easily spotted there and you can focus on the greenery and fresh air instead. Or on other people if you are in a group somewhere wandering, getting lost and finding the path again. Sometimes they get jumpy or even loud for a while, but they quiet down as time passes. The more you are walking, spending nights in a tent and looking at the stars the more you realize it isn't so big or scary and like anyone else it wants to be noticed. After talking to it you decide that you will practice spending some time with the red monster, but also not letting him jump around you all day. In the end you give him a big and gentle hug 🤗

Anyway, what comes to mind...

A blue, tall mountain towering in front of me. Is there a way to reach it? If I was a snowman could I slide through the snow easily and reach it more fastly? Actually, I think I would rather be a reindeer and trot to it, in my own pace and looking at the scenery around me. There are small villages on the pathway, a big lake with a long bridge shining in the night, a small forest with young trees and a clearing near the base of the mountain.

For now I will continue walking around the villages and observe the details. What I usually like to observe is all the little things that bring a certain atmosphere, in this case a calm, colourful and creative one. At least during midday, though it is probably more noisy (let's say hectic) during other times of the day. Looking at the lamps makes me feel lighthearted and curious. Most of them have a white light burning in a frame of coloured glass and are adorned with abstract, elongated decorations made of iron. The colours of the glass vary, there are shades of cyan, light orchid, crimson, lemon yellow, sea green and dusty grey. As a kid, I would probably spend time staring at them and wondering what fairy put those lights there. Actually, in a way I am doing that now. The lamps are part of the energy moving through the streets during the day and more mysterious and flickery during the night.

Hope is here! It's an emotion that I imagine as a tiny, yellow spark or light of a lantern that gets weaker and stronger through time, but it always persists, despite anything bad that might be happening. I could also see it as a little fairy flying around, bathing in sunlight and spreading around positive words about the future. I actually wish we can all have 'spirits' by our side, that sometimes guide us to the right path. They have personalities and their own problems, but they care abut their human friends and give support during trying times. Well, Phillip Pullman (The Dark Materials trilogy) gave me this idea. I am talking about daemons. Or maybe kwami in Miraculous Ladybug! I would really like to hear Tikki's words from time to time.

Anyway, I can imagine the spirit encouraging me to be curious, write as much as my heart desires, practice translation and start honestly answering questions that I have been avoiding. Oh, and brainstorming a project/challenge that will awaken my soul every day. I am hopeful because I recently met people who share my poetic view of life or the same fears and issues. I am hopeful because I am starting to let my soul express itself.. instead of binding it with chains with responsibilities and rules. It's a small drop of Felix Felicis or first movement of the brush that could create a wonderful and imperfectly perfect, inspired by Bob Ross painting. There are not mistakes in life, just happy accidents! Make mistakes, fail forward, keep moving and follow the light of hope. It's always there, even when it feels like it has fallen into deep sleep. Feed it with walks on fresh air, meaningful talks, goals that come from your heart, dancing and good stories. Well, these are my personal choices, how you will feed your hope is up to you.

She got away from other birds - birds that attacked her, birds that admired her passion, nice friendly birds, but no one who shared her passion. Nobody shared her zeal for flying high up in the sky and wanting to reach the ruins of the blue feathers. The ruins that promised each passenger a key to another world, a world full of wonder and excitement. Nobody told the black bird that flying alone was not a good idea and that trying to outrun time is silly. Her strong feelings became the only fuel that was moving her forward..and losing strength more and more. She didn't truly ask for help or wondered what would happen if the ruins are there no more.

The bird is still flying, though is it a bird anymore? the body burst into flames - the ashes and the soul are wiggling along through the air.. the bird is no more as it once was. However, could she possibly acknowledge her mistakes and rise again from the ashes? The question remains unanswered.

Graphic designer and illustrator: Melpomeni Chatzipanagiotou