a powerful mind

when i was a young child, my favorite book was matilda by roald dahl. this work held so much significance that even today i have two copies of it in my apartment, one of which is always by my bed. i remember reading it over and over again, first with my mother and then by myself. why did this book have such an important part in my development as a child? surely, it wasn't because i felt connected to matilda in a situational sense. i was not a forgotten child brought up by parents who had no respect for education. quite the opposite. i was even given many educational opportunities and was sent to the best schools. when then did i find dahl's story of the child whose intelligence vastly overshadowed her parents' own intellect so compelling?

looking back, it must have been because matilda had a special power. she was capable of using her mind to create beautiful and meaningful situations. sure, her first use of her special power was to get back at the trunchbull or her mean parents, but over time she came to use this magical aura to help others and further herself. her mind, her intellect, her curiosity, these things set her apart from all others. and she was able to use her own talents to create these fantastic situations to benefit herself or her beloved icon miss honey.

this work still stays with me today. i read it when i'm intellectually exhausted, when i can't sleep, or when i need to be reminded of the power of creative thinking. matilda's world and thoughts still ring true to me. she had a special gift to establish herself with (albeit magical and unrealistic) powers. i think that is what i strive to do every day. to find a way to create something beautiful with my mind. to use intellectual pursuits in a way that enhances the world and daily experience. i guess in a small way, that is what i hope this blog will do. it will provide a venue for me to discuss my attempts at creating something beautiful; it will describe my quest to sculpt a meaningful creation; it will recognize beauty and creation and show my attempts to contribute my own sort of substantial stamp on the world.

i hope that you find this a meaningful pursuit and contribute your own takes on what beauty and creation are. either way, i will continue on this quest and hopefully provide something worthwhile in the end.