The Should

As I have been contemplating perfection and beauty, the maxim I proclaim that 'everything that is, is beautiful' has kinda irked me. Because if everything just is, then why strive for a perfect design? I could just design anything and it would be perfect because of the subconscious impulses that piece together my ideas. That is correct. But, I have come to the conclusion that there is a 'should'. That is what keeps us striving, that is the 'better'. And only the designer can really know what the should, should be. The should prevents surprise.

Surprise/Unexpected result only happens when one is not completely in tune with what they are designing. Say I am designing a building complex on the east side of Vancouver, if when I design it, it never fills with residents, it is my fault for not seeing the flow of economics and cultural patterns and all other things that dictate that surprise. If I am a based designer, I would have known it to not fill up, wouldn't be surprised. Even if as I am designing it, it never gets built because of a financial crisis, I should know that was going to happen! I know that is a tall order, but becoming based, I envision being able to sense the DNA of reality, not know everything but just pick up on the subtle changes, the mannerisms, the market behaviours, to know when a project will not get built for the litany of reasons they don't.

So, the should comes where surprise is squeezed out. Where the surprise is squeezed out to every party involved. Nobody will be able to say, 'it should have been this way', leaving the trust to such a based designer, you would never have to question. The occupant, the contractor, the designer should encounter the space and feel natural, not a surprise, but maybe a previously unknown known that has come to light. Like seeing a mothers breast as a child and knowing to suck, just perfect. 

BitCoin

Really excited to see how this currency works out.

Here is a good blog post about it.

http://herdingsheep.org/2013/11/30/the-bitcoin-bubble-how-did-we-get-here/

Perfection

Perfection is when an idea touches reality without any surprises.

Factors

-Sun

-Wind

-Soil

-Place

-Budget

-Program

-Client Personality

-Contractors + Workers skill/areas of expertise

-Location of Building Materials

-Era

-Stigma

•NO PERSONAL DESIGN DECISIONS!

Commodifying Relationships

This has something to do with art and reality and why art will never truly suffice

Art Week

Well, I was supposed to blog at the end of art month with my findings and such, but I kinda got back logged on my planned blogs, that's the problem with trying to keep 5 blogs on rotation, lol. 

But my full report will be coming after this week. This week is all about doing the artful things I denied myself for the past month. I figure it's only fair to have the opposite experiment. I don't think I will be doing artful things like drugs and alcohol though, I might have limits there. So yea, been listening to music as much as I can remember to now. I used to listen to it so much but after 30 days my habits have changed, I am comfortable focusing on just one thing now instead of always having to have background noise. 

Just today I was driving and took a wrong turn into some country road and it was spectacular. The fall colors were out in full force and the farmland looked Hollywood-esque in its execution. I was listening to music but I just had to turn it off to take in the experience. I kept trying to find places to park so I could walk around. I planned on catching up on blogging while I was out in the wilderness, but couldn't find parking or any public land out there, didn't wanna get shot lol. But yea, fall is officially my favorite season now (don't tell winter). And reality is so good!!!

Endnote- Thesis on existence coming soon, it is really starting to crystallize and mesh with my art vs reality study which is exciting.

NAM: Triumph

The triumph of reality over art is history. Art is completely dependent on deriving sensations that harken to past experiences. Art cannot be new it cannot be fresh. The attempt of abstract art is the closest thing. 

Reality can surprise you, teach you new things about yourself, with such a cutting edge of newness. Art coddles you and makes you complacent. 

Now, it cannot be said enough that Art as an input is what I am charging against. I think art as an output with pure real inputs can be a good personal training tool for taking on reality. In that way, art is practice for reality.

Sketches for the Week of September 29th

2026 We build tomorrow | Construïm el demà | Construimos el mañana

Such an awesome building that is continually in construction. I have actually soured on the whole idea though, we get it, it's complicated, but there really is no reason to keep building and building. It has become more about the art of constructing and reconstructing than the actual building serving as a church.

NAM: Art Tweets

Notes in chronological order for the first week of no art

Making art is practice for reality

Where is the line between making art for benefit and making art to distract?

Are you the universe?

Art could be non essential unhealthy eating

Art is quickstory, where as reality is longstory

Learning methods of communication (various types and senses) strengthens your reality potential

Art is practice

You shouldn't watch practice

You should only be inspired by hearing of their practice to do your own practice

Communication is the bridge from physical existence to meta existence <-- This is why we have dialog even with our selves

The thinner (more unfiltered) the media that is bringing you reality, the better

Art is a tool to complete a damaged or malformed personal development circle

God is real,  meaning, what is real is God

NAM: Rage

I don't know if it is because of this fasting or other factors, but the past 2 nights I have encountered a high amount of rage bubbling inside of me. Yesterday, my roommate told me about a story where he lied to get his parking ticket removed. Seems simple enough, sure you shouldn't lie, but it shouldn't be that big of a deal. But when I was making my Spanish rice from scratch later on, I was on the verge of getting in a fight with my food as I was preparing it. I was just so angry. I kept asking, how could he? doesn't he know how bad lying is? it's effects on reality? how can my best friend be such a proud liar?

Then today, I accidentally got dragged to one of the most artful places you can go: a bar. I played pool with an architecture friend at the student center, it was cool a nice night. Then afterwards, he says we should go to a bar, I am thinking ok, cool, it will be a place where we can sit and have a drink (non-alcoholic for me of course) and talk about architecture and just life in general. But the place we went was terrible. I actually ran into some old track buddies and they were drinking and all that garbage, and the place was really crowded. the worst part about being in a crowded place like that is the noise. It is so hard to have a conversation of any substance with anyone. I actually saw a lot of people I knew to my surprise and all my conversations read like a form I was filling out. How are you? Check. What are you doing school/work? Check. I am working on the new cinema they are building downtown. Check. Awkward silence. Check. Well, nice seeing you! Check. I ran out of that place (figuratively). I really hope I never go to a bar again, I have already swore off clubs.

Walking out of there I was so mad. For a long time I used to get mad about why I couldn't understand why people go to places to drink and forget their lives. Now, I get mad that I know the reasons and cannot figure out why people do not stop and better themselves. I try not to be so judgmental, but I really see it that way. I can see why it is easier to forget your problems in a bottle of alcohol than to try and reason with them and solve them, but I can't understand why there isn't the innate drive to say no to the easy way out and charge through your problems. This no art thing I feel has made me so uppity and critical. I feel like I think I am better than everyone. I cry out in my head, why can't I find any quality people?!?! Then I tell myself, you know everyone is beautiful, Hasheem. Then I get upset that I cannot see/agree with their essence.

You are the only you. The only thing you can grasp is you, and by you I mean your existence. /i had a thought yesterday that perhaps you are the entire universe. As far as you can comprehend, is as far as exists. If you don't know something, it isn't to be known. Unknown unknowns aren't. So, at the same time that you are a speck in the entire mix of things, you are everything!.....perhaps. 

NAM: Music Withdrawals

On this third day of fasting, I am experiencing that not listening to music is become hard. I ache to listen to J Alvarez or vibe out to some Red Hot Chili Peppers. I think in general, the music acts as a way to unlock emotion for me. It has become a crutch when I want to get that feeling. I have been singing so much more since not listening to music. Usually what happens is, I hum a couple lines of the song, then find it, and listen to it. Hopefully I will be able to find natural pure ways to access my emotions during this period. It would really be nice to slowly and naturally tap into myself. 

NAM: Artful Eating

So I came upon the concept of artful eating today which is going to make this month much harder than expected. I realized that I reward myself very often with not so healthy snacks after maybe working long hours, or finishing a task. This can be seen as art. I am not eating to sustain anymore, I am merely getting the rush of flavor. Now, I am not certain that this means you can only eat terrible crap. I think I will try to eat only when hungry and stop when satisfied. I have a problem with eating to fast I'd like to fix and I think this would stop me from eating too much.

Endnote- I keep running into concepts I hear in Islam during this no art month thing, mabye I will come full circle

No Art Month

In light of my attack on the institution of art last week, I have had some realizations. One being that art is not black and white, is or is not, it is a gradient from art to real. The other realization is that my stances aren't founded on anything I can stand by from experience, and I personally enjoy art a lot.

So, my conclusion is that I will experience and note my feelings and how they change while fasting from art for a month. This endeavor will firstly help me define what exactly art is and where the arts fit in the gradient. It will also help me envision a world without art and a society that has 100% fulfillment. And see if that Is even a worthy goal. Maybe I will discover the inevitability of the arts, their necessity, why reality continues to force it on us. Maybe I will discover what happens to a dream deferred.

Endnote- I'm excited, join me on my journey I will try to update regularly with each new thought I have about art! Maybe I'll make a twitter-like blog just for this endeavor.