Statue of Liberty TourI decided to take advantage of the warm, sunny spring break and go see the nearby Statue of Liberty. Last year, I prepared a 'Constitutional Day Poster' drawing contest with my students and child, and my daughter who was deeply moved by it wanted to visit there. Above all, as an immigrant, I wanted to tour here again, especially Alice Island. It felt as if coming to this place, the first land that immigrants coming to New York entered, would help me find clues to something I had not realized before. Ellis Island is an island at the mouth of the Hudson River. It is famous as a place where immigrants trying to enter the United States underwent immigration screening from January 1, 1892 to November 12, 1954. It is located in New York Harbor, just 0.8 kilometers north of Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located. The island is named after Samuel Ellis, a merchant and farmer who owned the island during the late 1700s. The U.S. government purchased the island in 1808. American icons such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island represent centuries of American history. It is no exaggeration to say that more than one-third of all Americans have someone whose ancestry passed through Ellis Island. Located near the port, the Alice Island Immigration Museum features many historical records of the millions of immigrants who aspired to start a new life in the Americas. America, the land of freedom, has been the dream destination of countless people from all over the world who left their hometowns for a better life. Around the 20th century, many immigrants who crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered New York Harbor would have been lost in many thoughts while looking up at the Statue of Liberty. Those who set out with their own stories buried in their hearts must have dreamed of a big and beautiful life instead of poverty, despair, and the shackles of tradition. But there was a gate they had to pass through. It was the immigration office on Ellis Island. It is said that the issue of handling immigrants in the United States began to be discussed in earnest in 1847, when thousands of Irish people suffering from famine due to a severe potato crop failure flocked to New England and New York. Afterwards, as immigration gradually increased, an immigration office that could systematically manage it became necessary. The dishes that were used to briefly eat food by people who had to undergo screening to enter New York were on display. As an immigrant, I can somewhat understand how they felt about eating this food. There must have been a mixture of wonder and anxiety in their minds. This is probably how most immigrants feel when they first set foot in an unknown land. After suffering from seasickness for several days, they finally arrived in the land of dreams, but had to wait again for the final judge's decision at this temporary stop. While they were waiting, they drew pictures of the ships they had boarded. I could feel more intense energy in the picture of the ship on this wall than any other work of art. The Statue of Liberty has served as a beacon of direction and hope for countless immigrants since 1886. The statue was created by two Frenchmen: painter and sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, an expert metal engineer and later creator of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The torch held in the right hand symbolizes illuminating the light of reason throughout the world. In addition, the Statue of Liberty stands on a broken chain, a method chosen by Bartholdi instead of wearing the Phrygian hat that traditionally symbolizes 'liberation from slavery'. I was lucky enough to meet someone with bright and beautiful energy and was able to take a family photo with a wonderful composition. He was doing construction work nearby and offered to take our picture. Then, he took a picture of the Statue of Liberty, almost lying down, so that the entire Statue of Liberty and my family were in one angle. The construction helmet came off for a moment while I was taking pictures while lying down. Our family was deeply touched by his kindness and brightness. And I think this energy is what is making America what it is today. These are people who love their work, are kind to strangers, and live positively every day with deep passion and sincerity. I don't know the name, but I want to express my gratitude once again. The Statue of Liberty looks like a sculpture, but inside, there are stairs and an elevator. Auguste Bartoli's memory of his mother. It is said to have been sculpted from her model. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was a genius sculptor and architect born in Colmar, and Bartholdi's representative work is the Statue of Liberty that stands at the entrance to New York. Below is a photo of the birthplace of a genius architect in Colmar that I visited in 2013 before moving to the United States from my time living in Germany. In a city I happened to visit, I came across the Statue of Liberty, symbolizing New York, where I would move to. This was very impressive to me. The bronze sculpture supporting the sphere in the center of the museum yard is also his work. The title of this work, which was displayed at the Paris Salon, is ‘The Great People who Support the Earth’. The three statues holding the earth each have scales, a sword, a shield, and a hammer, representing justice, patriotism, and labor as a trinity. It is a wonderful work that captures the thoughts and soul of Bartholdi's heart. It was the moment when the Statue of Liberty, which I discovered in a small, beautiful French city called Colmar, which I happened to visit in the past, overlapped with the current Statue of Liberty in New York. As if my life itself had been planned in advance, we left Germany and came to the United States as if it were fate. And when I was suffering from a slump and put down my brush for a while, I met the Angel of the Statue of Liberty and gained the strength to get up again. Can I, too, become an artist like the angel who took our picture today, delivering bright energy to someone else and leaving that energy behind in a painting? I think I want to become that kind of painter. And this will be why I came to New York.
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Healing and self-care through paintingsKindness is considered one of the key elements of interaction, communication, relationship building, and culture, and has a positive impact in a variety of situations.
First, kind behavior induces positive interactions within society, reduces conflict, and helps maintain harmonious relationships. Kind people provide a sense of security to those around them and help reduce stress. Therefore, kindness has a positive effect on physical and mental health. Additionally, acts of kindness can give others confidence, and trust is essential for successful relationships and collaboration. Kind people have a positive impact on others and make them feel good, so kind people spread happiness to those around them. Kindness is a virtue that everyone needs and emphasizes. I also try to be kind to everyone. I like to share the pie with others, even if I lose a little. But I also feel depressed for days when I meet people who react differently to this kindness. When the other person is kind, instead of sharing this kindness and making it bigger, there are times when they abuse this and cross the line. There is no way the person showing kindness is unaware of this. So I try to be kinder to those who are kind to me. Because I know the pain when others cross the line and try to take advantage of kindness. And in fact, there are cases where people distort this kindness, accept and interpret it with their own twisted minds, and say hurtful things. “Life is not made up of any sacrifices or duties, but rather small things. A bright smile, kindness, small daily duties and habits are what open people’s hearts, protect happiness and bring happiness to life.” by Dr. Humphry Davy You can live your own styleAn artist is a person who creates his or her own unique style. They are storytellers who use the medium of painting to tell the world the messages they discover through paintings. They spend most of their lives reflecting on themselves through art, finding profound messages, and trying to express the realizations and reflection. Therefore, when people look at their artworks and feel immersive energy, they are moved. Because of this aspect, I define a painting as an invitation to space rather than simply a flat surface. And as you paint as an artist, you learn to pursue different styles and respect and acknowledge others. This is the biggest benefit I've gotten from painting. This symbiosis with art is not just a journey of self-discovery but also an evolution of empathy and appreciation—a profound gift bestowed by the canvas.
We all have the right to live in our own style, whether through painting or not. And within these rights, we must respect others and their tastes and preferences. Because no one in the world is perfect and no one can tell you the right answer. I believe that painting gives us the opportunity to encounter this diversity. As I meet people, I also meet people who are fixed on one ideology, value, and style. One woman even tried to control my life and style by directly telling me not to date people from certain countries. People with these characteristics believe that they are unconditionally right and ‘point out and criticize’ other people’s styles to fit their own. I don’t hesitate to use future faking, saying that if I listen to myself carefully, ‘good things’ will happen. Every time I hear this, I respond like this. ‘I’m old enough to make decisions so I can take care of it by myself without your advice.’ Then, I realized that there is a certain feeling of ‘anger’ that cannot be expressed in the eyes of people with these characteristics. But I don't mind. I am not close to these types of people. I can meet as many people as I want, and I also have the freedom not to have deep relationships with these people. In this respect, as I meet people in my life, I find people who seem more like artists than artists. Statistics actually say that artists have narcissism and are trapped within themselves. However, I have had many experiences where these statistics are unfair. Still, I make no excuses. Because I believe that allowing people of that style to live that style is also the freedom they should have. This is in no way something I can control. I just respect it. So, when I meet people who are more like artists than artists, I sometimes think about whether that person's life would have been easier if they had turned this kind of self-centered fantasy into art. The narcissists I met had something very common. They easily say things like ‘ignore and disrespect’. This word is the standard by which I distinguish the narcissists around me, and I have applied it well for a very long time. Strangely enough, narcissists have a pattern, so the presence of these words is very helpful. As we interact with people throughout our lives, we create many experiences, stories, and episodes. If only good and beautiful things happened in human relationships, we would be extremely happy, but even though relationships are deep, conflicts and difficulties always arise. But I always meet two types of people. There is a Korean proverb that says, ‘The ground becomes harder after it rains.’ This means that when difficulties or trials arise, we become stronger on the inside and deepen our relationships. If you look at the human relationships around you, there is a relationship where the ground becomes harder when it rains. However, when it rains, it quickly turns into muddy water, which makes relationships even worse, and through this, we can see the evil nature of humans and become surprised or disappointed. So, I tend to observe people’s behavior patterns after it rains like this. This is one of the habits I developed automatically after suffering from narcissists for a long time and breaking away from them. When it rains heavily, that is, when there is a conflict, ordinary people consider each other's position from their side. Then, we can discuss how you could stand in the other person's shoes, sympathize with them, and share your feelings. As they do this, they get to know each other more deeply and their relationship becomes deeper. Through these times and events, you can see and respect the other person's deep feelings and attitudes that you did not know during times of peace. And we can watch out for each other so that it doesn't happen again. I am deeply grateful that we are looking out for each other. Their relationship grows deeper. However, the relationship with the people who make mud after the rain is a very different picture. They are always right but accuse the other person of being wrong. Above all, they secondarily attack the other person's meaningless and inadequate actions by packaging them with words such as 'ignorance and rudeness' or 'threats and attacks.' When they use these words, the uncomfortable feelings the other person may feel are not taken into consideration at all. So when I hear these subjective and emotional words, I think about the relationship again. In particular, if I hear these words even though I am not deep enough to hear them, I can find an alarm ringing in my heart. The average person knows that if they think someone is really ignoring them or being rude, they can just naturally walk away. Is there a need to convey this directly to the other person? In fact, they really don't realize that talking to the other person like this is really ignoring the other person and treating them rudely. And you must know that pointing out the other person's unique personality and style is an act of 'ignoring' the other person. More and more, you realize how important it is to recognize your worth, truly love yourself, and acknowledge others. This is more important than me winning awards, being first, and being successful. Because we have to live together. I am not a perfect human being either. I made a lot of mistakes and I still have a lot to learn. And I don't always think I'm right or right. However, through several episodes, we discover that it is important to protect one's value as an artist and as a human being and to have one's standards. And when we live with people who are lacking, we learn that ‘empathy’ and ‘reflection’ are important virtues. Recent watercolor painting: Beauty a refuge from counterfeit façade.In a world often besieged by the superficial, beauty stands as a refuge—an oasis amidst the desert of counterfeit facades. It transcends mere aesthetics; it embodies authenticity, truth, and depth. True beauty emanates from within, radiating outward to touch hearts and souls. In a society fixated on appearances and outward validation, it's easy to fall prey to the allure of superficiality. The pressure to conform to unrealistic standards of beauty can lead to a relentless pursuit of perfection, leaving individuals feeling inadequate and disconnected from their true selves. Yet, amidst this chaos, genuine beauty serves as a guiding light, illuminating the path to self-acceptance and inner peace. True beauty is found in authenticity—in embracing one's flaws and imperfections with grace and humility. It's the courage to be vulnerable, to show the world your true essence without fear or shame. It's in the laughter lines that etch themselves around your eyes, the scars that tell stories of resilience and strength, and the quirks that make you uniquely you. Moreover, beauty transcends physical appearance, manifesting in acts of kindness, compassion, and empathy. It's the warmth of a smile, the gentle touch of a hand, and the sincerity of a heartfelt gesture. Beauty resides in the depths of the human soul, where love and compassion intertwine to create moments of profound connection and understanding. In nature, beauty abounds in its purest form—a harmony of colors, shapes, and textures that captivate the senses and nourish the soul. From the majestic mountains to the delicate petals of a flower, nature's beauty serves as a reminder of the inherent harmony and balance that exist in the world. Yet, amidst the chaos and uncertainty of life, beauty remains a constant—a beacon of hope in times of darkness, a source of inspiration in moments of despair. It's a reminder that even in the midst of adversity, there is always something beautiful to be found—a glimmer of light amidst the shadows, a ray of hope piercing through the clouds. Ultimately, beauty is not merely a reflection in the mirror or a fleeting moment of admiration—it is a state of being, a way of living authentically and wholeheartedly. It is the recognition of the inherent worth and dignity within each individual, a celebration of the unique and wondrous history of life. In a world often overshadowed by counterfeit facades, true beauty shines as a beacon of hope, guiding us back to ourselves and reminding us of the extraordinary beauty that resides within. One day in a dream I saw an angel with a snake's tail looking into a mirror. After waking up from my dream, I drew a picture of this bizarre and mysterious scene. Art is a refuge from counterfeit appearances. It allows us to escape the realm of visible mirrors and see the behind. |
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