Exit through the gift shop

I just finished watching the film Exit through the gift shop. It was probably one of the best films I watched this year. While I, my boyfriend and another friend of ours laughed at the eccentricity - some would say even megalomania- and bizarre word choices (my personal favourites: "behind my expectations" and "brainwash your face") of Thierry Guetta, the film gave us also something to talk about. Namely: What is art?

Writers without borders

So I wrote 1,000 words a day after I came back from my holiday, sometimes even more (good -girl-patting-my-own-shoulder-thing-going-on-at-this-moment). I felt good about writing too.

I entered three competitions, started a new short story and went on with my "novel".

The thing is, although at the beginning writing became easier, I now find it extremely hard to go on with my stories. It's like a spell has been lifted or the effect of some kind of drug is wearing off. So I don't write. But I find that writing about not writing is quite idiotic, so I'll try not to write about not writing.

Instead I'll write about why I think I don't write, which is far more interesting.

My Opus Magnum a.k.a. the reason I don't sleep well at night

I have had an idea for a novel ever since I was 17. The sudden illumination came during class (I must have been bored to the point of a nearly vegetative state) and I wrote down in 20 words what the story would be about on the last page of my biology book, between learning about the human genome and the heredity pattern for the sex chromosomes (how can one NOT get inspired???)

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it

I just read a very interesting article in the NY Times by Elmore Leonard, concerning the 10 things a writer should avoid when writing.

Here it is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/arts/writers-writing-easy-adverbs-exclamation-points-especially-hooptedoodle.html

Enjoy!

Where does the love go?

So...where have I been for the past month? What is my reason for being a sorry excuse of a blogger and neglecting the few people who actually care enough to read this? And the answer is, I have been "buried" under a pile of work which kept me busy every day for 2 weeks in a row until late at night. So there you have it. Money doesn't magically appear in my pockets. I actually have to do something for it! Isn't that a bitch?

But, when I wasn't translating, I was relaxing watching films. And during that time I watched an amazing film about relationships. I know some of my friends don't see eye to eye with me when I say it was great, but I agree to disagree with them and insist: IT WAS!

The film in question is "Blue Valentine" and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in watching a realistic depiction of some human relationships, that leaves you with a sweet-sour aftertaste in the end.

This post is not going to dwell on the film-making of this movie, but the train of thought it led to afterwards. The basic question of the story is "Where did the love go?", or where does any love go, once it's gone? And the answer is actually simple: down the drain. Sort of...

Beach in Gutturu 'e Flumini, Sardegna

I have thought many times about relationships and why some work and some don't. And the truth is, I don't think there's a magic rule to having the perfect relationship. Well, let me correct that: There is no perfect relationship to begin with.

I think finding the right person is half of the deal. Making it work with that person is the other half. And if it doesn't,well...maybe they weren't the right one, maybe the timing was wrong, maybe you gave up too easily, maybe a relationship wasn't really what you wanted, who knows? I've heard many crazy stories about couples coming together and breaking up: some funny and some pure tragic. But I guess it all boils down to luck, (yes I said luck, because that's what it takes to meet someone you can love and who can love you back the same way, respect you, someone who wants the same things, makes you laugh, someone you can count on) and then persistence in keeping what you have with that person alive.

The biggest fairytale ever written, is that once Cinderella or Snow White or Sleeping Beauty or Maria la del Barrio found the Prince and defeated all enemies set out to destroy their love, everything magically fell into place and they spent the rest of their lives happily ever after, living in a condo/tower/beach hut, with many little dwarfs/maids/foreign nannies, popping out babies like bunnies, not having a care in the world. WRONG!

Because after all they had been through to be with each other (the evil step moms, poisoned apples, scary dragons, etc.) there was one more tiny little detail they had forgotten all about: They still had to live with each other. BAZINGA! Now who's laughing?

And once you share every day with Prince Charming, you have to learn to tolerate the little things that bother you about him and vice versa and then you also have to find a way not to forget why you loved him in the first place. All I can say, is that every single relationship is different, because every single one of us is different, but one thing's for sure: None of them are easy.

When the love is gone, maybe we shouldn't try to find it with a PI, but rather wonder why it left in the first place. Maybe it will then come back or maybe not. Who knows? I certainly don't and to tell you the truth, I hope I will never have to find out.