Sunday, 28 February 2016

Combination of Art and Mathematics

Dizzying Geometric GIFs by David Whyte

In 2011, Dublin-based physics student David Whyte began a Tumblr called Bees & Bombs where he posted humorous images and quirky GIFs of his own creation, borrowing heavily from videos and pop culture icons. One day he decided to start playing with Processing, a popular open source programming language designed to help create images, animation, and various computer interactions. His background in mathematics and physics greatly enhanced his understanding of motion and geometry and it wasn’t long before he was churning out some of the most popular animations shared on Tumblr.

Whyte’s minimalistic use of shapes and color places an increased emphasis on motion, and leaves one somewhat dumbstruck at how he conceives of each image. In a somewhat rare move he happens to be quite open about his methods and frequently posts source code and tips to help other artists. See much more of his work on Bees & Bombs.

Saturday, 20 February 2016

Urban Street Walls by Pantanio

Flowing Swarms of Animals on Urban Walls by Pantonio

Portuguese street artist Antonio Correia aka Pantonio depicts fluid swarms of fish, birds, and other creatures as they interweave dramatically on the sides of buildings. His use of black and blue paint to form sinuous lines evoking water or muscle lends a distinct sense of motion to each piece as it cascades several stories down the sides of a building or through a room. The Lisbon-based artist often portrays creatures found in the Tagus river that flows through Portugal including sardines, cod, octopus, as well as ropes and boats. You can see more of Pantonio’s recent work on Global Street Art, or on Illusion.

Thursday, 18 February 2016

Mantras To Kick Your Confidence Into High Gear

10 Mantras To Kick Your Confidence Into High Gear

Confidence is the spark for your fire, the fuel for your rocket, the energy for your marathon run. Without self-confidence, you risk drifting through a life half-led. To truly be yourself and be happy with yourself, you need to develop self-confidence.

Confidence is not a set of rules or a blueprint – there is no “one-size-fits-all” confidence model. Confidence is a state of your mind. It comes from a sense of well-being, control over your lifestyle, acceptance of your body and your unique personality, and belief in your talents, skills, and experience.

Are you in control of your confidence? If you need a little boost, try these 10 mantras for size.

1. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. ~Henry David Thoreau

2. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

3. With confidence, you have won before you have started. ~Marcus Garvey

4. Control your own destiny or someone else will. ~Jack Welch

5. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. ~Bernard M. Baruch

6. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you always have been. ~Sheri L. Dew

7. Saying no is one of the most powerful things that I can do for myself.
8. The antidote to fear is action.

9. If you want to improve your self-worth, stop giving other people the calculator. ~Tim Fargo

10. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~William Morrow

Positive thinking, mantras, positive self-talk, and self-confidence therapy can all help develop confidence. Look at all the things you have already achieved and focus on the big and small stuff that you are proud of. Make a list and pull it out to remind yourself how awesome you are. If you feel yourself lacking in confidence in certain situations, like job interviews, get training or experience until you are better equipped to handle the situation.

You gain confidence as you take action. Sitting back and worrying about your lack of confidence will not change anything. Taking one small step towards your goals will pay back big-time.

Confidence isn’t about never making mistakes; it is the ability to keep going and keep pushing forward. In the words of Samuel Beckett: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”