Wake up and smell the roses, a tribute to small happiness
Published in the new yearbook of BNO (Association of Dutch Designers) is a contribution from my part reflection the theme: Undercurrents
In October 2005, BNO (Association of Dutch Designers) invited its members to contribute to the upcoming edition, centered around the theme Undercurrents. The question was how to translate a feeling, emotion, or idea in response to the growing global challenges, and what a hopeful counter-movement beneath all of that might look like.
My contribution consists of an image created in Midjourney, inspired by the work of photographer Ryan McGinley, whose images evoke a sense of hope for me. Alongside it, I wrote a short text, included below. I titled it WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES—a blueprint for my own happiness. A feeling that rarely comes from grand gestures, but instead lives in small, everyday moments.
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES
English text
Every new movement questions our right to exist. Who am I as a human being, and what is my purpose in all of this (still)? The uncertainty that arises from this can be paralyzing and gnaws at our sense of happiness. Overwhelming questions take away our ability to see the infinitely changing nature of a situation. We zoom out so far that it becomes intangible. Dealing with change calls for a movement from within, like a flower growing from its pistil. Wake up and smell the roses depicts that growth and the urgency of appreciating small happiness, something we sometimes forget, yet which helps us to keep questioning and resisting. A necessary duo, bound to the eternal constant: change.
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WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES
Dutch text
Elke nieuwe stroming bevraagt ons bestaansrecht. Wie ben ik als mens en wat is mijn nut in dit alles (nog)? De onzekerheid die daarmee ontstaat kan verlammend werken en knabbelt aan een gevoel van geluk. Te grote vraagstukken ontnemen ons het vermogen om de oneindige veranderlijke staat van een situatie te zien. We moeten zo ver uitzoomen dat het ongrijpbaar wordt. Omgaan met verandering vraagt om een beweging van binnenuit, zoals een bloem die groeit vanuit de stamper. Wake up and smell the roses verbeeldt die groei en de urgentie voor de waardering van klein geluk. Iets dat we soms vergeten en ons helpt te blijven bevragen en bevechten. Een noodzakelijk duo dat vastzit aan de eeuwige constante: verandering.
All images are created in Midjourney, with references to various photographers that inspire me: Ryan McGinley, Viviane Sassen, Gregory Crewdson, and others.
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