4. a place

I found a place where all the odds come as normal. Where even amid spring, the cold refuses to leave. I found a place where everything moves slow but everything is ahead. Where my morning starts with fresh air and a coffee down the alley.

I found a place where my heart is content. Where I feel invincible but noticed. Where infatuation comes in the form of a tall, young man. I found a place where a friend become a sister, and a brother becomes a friend.

I found a place where i sit in the middle of a busy city that looks like one in those postcards. Where i hear talents speak with such freedom on the sidewalks. I found a place where my classroom isn’t a room with a teacher and a board but racks full of knowledge. Where my thoughts wander in every stop and my eyes sets in every sun that shy to shine.

I found a place where i realize i don't own my passions, but it owns me. Where paintings are all over the walls, and every alley is worth a bundle of film.

I found a place where my head stops looking for answers, where my heart settles every question. I found a place where everywhere i look i reckon familiarity, where nothing seems unusual.  I found a place where midnights never end, and mornings serve a fresh hope.

I found a place that i can't call mine yet but my heart has landed its feet and my soul has placed its stone.

I found a place that no matter how many times i have to leave, every time i come back, it still feels like home.

1.a little life update #27 & restart

a.) went to the zoo and fed a red panda. my life is complete <3 b.) two priorities. art supplies + grocery shopping! c.) back to the gym, the thing i enjoy the most! d.) photoshoot day!  e.) had a feast with my staffs before the fasting season. f.) what's in the shopping cart! g.) poffertjes in cold weather is just perfect! h.) the starbucks basics.

life lately #26

Here's a little update because you i believe i owe you one :)

(one; things i'm lovin')

little talks

university of melbourne summer '17

LIFE LATELY #25

it's been a while since my last life update post. i feel like i am sooo behind that i don't know where to begin. life has been rolling faster than i expected and i couldn't really find time to focus on this little space until now. i swear the older we get the little time we have.

i flew to this country where-i-will-settle-next.  empty seats in my row, pretty much the best thing you can hope for in commercial flight. 

train situation: when i saw that everyone's eyes were glued to the screen, i can't help but wonder if people ever look up nowadays. (?)

mango dessert just because. 

my birthday is definitely the recent highlight in my life. beautiful 'bouquet' delivery, lovely lunch, a walk-in flower dome, and finished up with watching beauty and the beast, all my favorites in one day! *died from sweetness indulgence* 

all thanks to this amazing man who put so much effort to learn my love language <3

a year+ ago, i quit my nine-to-five job to pursue what i like. it means less income, a happier soul. tough but still the best decision ever.

more artwork on my instagram @marisawij , follow if you want :)

painting abstract art gives me the absolute freedom to be myself and explore endless techniques but illustration grounds me and keeps me calm :)

below: personal bridesmaid cards i made for the two special girls <3

others bits and bops :

so,  how have you been? share with me in the comment! 

came back from NECESSARY HIATUS - summer in march , welcome aboard!

back with a new name, happier mind, healthier soul, and ready to be consistent! for starter, here, gorgeous sunset shot that i took in brighton beach with canon g7 mark ii a few weeks ago. wishing everyone a great month ahead! march is my month, although it only means facing another birthday (i mean who really wants to get old? definitely not me.) hopefully aging will be something i can embrace and enjoy instead of fear. 

anyways, have an enjoyable weekend! be good and stay happy!

Update update update - Life Lately #24

<one> currently living in melbourne, australia. loving everything here apart from the bipolar weather! i live my life one day at a time here. it's so good to be away from my hectic and stressful hometown. so happy to spend time with my special ones and re-charge my creative spirit. i feel so radically blessed and highly favored :)

and even if I'm more of a tea person, but i drink coffees, because it's melbourne, darling! (crappy snapchat photos. follow if you want; marisa.wij)

<two> the first two weeks i was crashing at my brother and his roommate's flat. after a week of endless inspections, i finally found this two bedrooms flat with city view and beautiful minimalist design which I'm gratefully called home for the rest of my stay here. just look at this black, white and grey vibe, so comfy!

<three> strolling around the city. long talks, long walk, good legs exercise. crystal clear sky above me, the sun is quite friendly, wind can be unkind to my bones sometimes, but... not complaining! I'm at peace :)

outfit :  ts bershka // jacket zara // jeans zara // bag target 

<four> and healthy living continues. i loveee australia! they have a lot of healthy food options (the salads-no kidding- are the best!) and it's also sooooo easy to find organic ingredients here! 

<five> and if you're wondering what i have been doing besides strolling around, eating good foods and drinking decent coffees/teas. most of the time, I'm caving in doing my thing. 

the picture below: taking over the whole dining table aka my working space making this piece, the final result on my instagram marisawij

<six>  on personal thoughts: while I'm applauding myself for being vulnerable and open when it comes to a relationship, whether to friends or a lover, i don't like appearing weak. but lately, i see vulnerability through a new light. i fully learned that vulnerability is not an attribute for the weak, it is an attribute for the strong.  the weak will always be too afraid to open up, they are too afraid of rejection, fear that no one's gonna love them for who they are in both bad & good times. but i believe that vulnerability is the only way for people to love us wholly and fully. i have to agree with brene brown when she said: "vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage, and vulnerability is what makes you beautiful."

i know that being vulnerable can be scary sometimes, but it is the only bridge to build connections. 

 update again soon,  until then, ya'll stay positive and happy! :) x 

on personal note - Life Lately #23

I've been away for half and a year now and i am dismayed by how sloppy I have been with this blog. life is an unpredictable round of wheels, sometimes i can't keep up. my personal counselor suggested me to go back and write because it's a way to release my emotions, so here i am typing and trying. and updating.

we have gone through a hundred and sixty-six days - two thousand of sixteen.

i often felt like nothing is significant. uncertainty is so haunting. if there is a living globe, i can't really pinpoint where i am right now because it keeps on spinning and spinning and spinning. i felt dizzy. i learned to be patient, and be still.

i manage to start eating cleaner, healthier foods. more plant-based, less meaty. fruits are my everyday munch. and also, slowly enforce my feet to walk-jog-run 5k. be familiar again with lunges, dips, squats, and their friends.  getting used to feeling sore after working out, barely walk down the stairs or stretch my hands to tie my hair. bought new workout gear.

my very first bazaar. a month of lack of sleep, countless visits to a print shop, balloons of emotions from excitement to pessimism to tranquility. all went well by grace, favors, and miracles.

i learned in a bigger, wider perspective of how to be a good friend. to love with the love of God despite the differences in principles and values. to love beyond the immensity of the sea.

i am upset that i let my self did the wrongdoings, spent time on my bed hugging my boaster alone. i saw intimacy dissolves before my very eyes and heart. i drank a lot and lots of water and obsessed with stripes t's.

i loved someone wholeheartedly and failed beautifully. 

trying to understand where am i going with my creative soul. thankful for every commissions and project. sailing this journey with faith, keep reminding my heart that adventure is not an adventure if we knew everything in advance.

all in all, these past half a year left me to believe what anatole france once said, "in art as in love, instinct is enough."

also trying to live out the corinthians;
"for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 corinthians 4:17

for the rest of the year, i think i can handle it just fine :>

until i write again. x