Expression

I’ve been thinking - perhaps due to my recent reading of Stephen Fry’s The Liar - about the crossing-over of words between languages. Words like schadenfreude (deriving pleasure from the misfortune of others) and zeitgeist (“the spirit of the times/age”). Words that perfectly encapsulate an idea or a feeling in such a way that they are irreplaceable; no translation necessary.

There are also a number of French words that cross over into English, German, and beyond. Phrases like c’est la vie, je ne sais quoi, and faux pas, and the Italian prima donna. Classics, clichés, and - on the whole - often misspelled. They are ubiquitous in speech yet avoided in type.

I have also been thinking about people who are able to express things in ways that I could never imagine. People with brilliant ideas which they articulate with style. For example...

i live here: SF
A photography project with the aim to, “share the spirit and fascinating layers of this city through the words and faces of those who live here”. It’s like iheartstrangers, but the stories are written by the subject and share their love for the city that calls itself The City. The creator, Julie Michelle, also runs this fantastic personal blog.

Raptitude
David Cain's project for "getting better at being human" is an endless stream of questions. Questions you've asked and never had answered. Questions you ask yourself on a day-to-day basis, but never explore or resolve. Questions you've never even thought of before. Raptitude baffles me daily, often in ways that make me want to close my browser and forget I ever read his words for fear that I will someday have to come face-to-face with my own thoughts. It's pretty invigorating, and a worthwhile challenge.

Keegan Gibbs
A simple photoblog that captures life in a way that I have always wished I could.

The Art of Non-Conformity
Chris Guillebeau is a man who grabs life by the balls. His tenacity knows no bounds, and he doles out advice and encouragement to help others join him in blazing their own trails. It's difficult not to listen to the man who is building an empire, running a marathon each year, and is well on his way to visiting every country in the world before his 35th birthday.

What words are most expressive to you? Is there someone whose creativity you admire?

'Til next time,
Nicola x

[Photo by Julie Michelle.]