An oyster may be ugly on the outside but...................................

Is life easier for the ''beautiful'' people?

Does luck befall good-looking people more than

ordinary looking people?

Is it easier for the beautiful people to make friends?

Do the beautiful people find jobs easier and faster

than us common looking people?

Sadly, but according to scientific research, the answer

is resoundingly Yes.

Humanity is affected by beauty biases.

Although, exactly what constitutes ''beauty'' or

''beautiful'' methinks is highly subjective.

As the quote says: "Beauty is in the eyes

of the beholder.''

According to some statistics, I found that

only 1 - 2% of us humans can proudly wear

the badge "very/extremely beautiful" on our chests.

The same statistics also say that 68% of us are

deemed as ''ordinary/average'' looking.

But, when it comes to classifying the term

is there not a difference between beautiful and

attractive? Pretty and cute? 

The word ''beautiful'', may I suggest, is mere skin deep

whereas words such as exquisite, breathtaking,

lovely, attractive and gorgeous includes emotions and

admiration(awe) as well.

When I was playing music for a living I worked

with many, many different people.

Most gigs were performed in night-clubs, bars and

restaurants.

Usually the gigs lasted four hours with a 20 minute

break every hour.  During the breaks often

different members of the audience would

come up and chat with some of us in the band.

Well, not so much chat, often more like foreplay..

Somehow being on a stage and playing funky music

made us, the musicians, magically become ever so

much more attractive apparently.

One of the many singers I worked with was

one of those 1 - 2%-ers. Every gig we did,

women lined up to hand this guy their phone numbers.

Admittedly, he was a heck of a singer and he was a

.............. notorious player.(of women)

Watching him with different women every time

we worked, I decided to ask him what it was

like to have women chase after him all the time.

Surprisingly, he told me that he was tired of it.

-What? Nah. I don't believe you.

-Well, in the beginning it was awesome but

lately I have begun to feel like a man**ore,

he said.

-You are a player, aren't you though? I asked.

-I am, but I am also more than that and one-night-stands

have started to bore me, he answered as he lit a cigarette.

His answer surprised me. Was it possible that being

beautiful/attractive came with drawbacks? Then

it dawned on me that maybe he had started to

feel objectified and didn't like it.

It's been said that ''it's hard to change a first

hand impression once we've made one.''

Some say that this is because of the ''primacy effect'',

a cognitive bias where the brain locks onto

early information for efficiency and speed

in making judgements. When it comes to

understanding and benevolent communication

with others....not so much.

My own life experiences have shown me that

first hand judgements though at times very

helpful can often be just as counterproductive.

There are thankfully possible ways to overturn negative

and unhelpful first impressions.

Example: ''Maybe there is another way to interpret

this xyz......I may have made a rash judgement.....''

and, this is my personal opinion...

''the more we get to know and understand someone,

something, the more attractive it/he/she/they become.''

Think of a pearl....

I don't know who the first person was that decided

to ignore the ugly, rock hard outer shell of an oyster,

but I bet ya that he/she was mightily surprised

to find a gleaming white perfectly round ''stone''

inside of it. (Don't think that that person knew that

eventually it was to be named a ''pearl''.)

Beauty, for me, is first and foremost light.

This painting is named ''Glimpses of Beauty''.

I painted it in order to display the importance

of light for the existence of beauty.

Light is vital, light makes our existence possible.

Light is a metaphor for hope, for knowledge,

wisdom and understanding.

''Outer beauty is a gift.

Inner beauty is an accomplishment.''

(Randi G. Fine)

about the images: Top: acrylic on large cardboard ''Isn't she lovely?''

middle: acrylic on large canvas  ''Glimpses of Beauty''

bottom: ink & crayon on paper ''I rather be a candle than curse the

darkness''

Difficult? Me? Nah, just different.......:)

-He was so good-looking that my eyes hurt

just looking at him, she said.

-Really? What about him made him so painfully

good looking? I asked.

-I don't know exactly, it can be hard to pinpoint.

Perhaps the symmetry of his features? she answered.

-Perhaps. I think I've heard it said that us humans

find beauty in patterns and symmetry.

-There's also a saying that '' beauty is in the eyes

of the beholder'' isn't there, she said.

-Indeed. Although, not only in the eyes methinks.

I think the same goes for ears, touch, taste and smell as well.

-How do you mean?

-Music is often described as beautiful as in the

saying: ''The true beauty of music is that it connects 

people.'' (Roy Ayers)

A nice soft, velvety piece of fabric can feel

beautiful to the touch. The fragrance from a 

bouquet of freshly picked ''Lilies of the Valley''

may excite our sense of smell and make us exclaim:

The flowers smell absolutely beautiful!

And a ripe, juicy navel orange segment may

make us close our eyes and just focus all our

attention on the beautiful taste it brings

to our taste buds, don't you agree? I asked.

-I do, she said and then continued; now lets go

and get ourselves some navel oranges, please.

Language, so says those in the know,

 is not set in cement. It keeps changing

with time, in time with the time in which it is spoken.

An aspect to the English language that I

really like is the use of bridging words, also

called  ''cushion words''.

Bridging words(softening words) can be used

to politely transition words that could be

 interpreted as negative or critical to words

that are softer, kinder and more supportive. 

They can also be used to help keeping a

conversation flowing without accidentally/

unintentionally incurring heated emotions.

Swedish is my first language, English my second.

However, I have lived here in Australia for so long

now that English has become my first language.

Swedish, in my opinion, is a very direct language.

Too much so, which I've been told many times.

This habit has taken me many years to overcome

in order for me to now be able to make good use

of ''bridging'' words.

''Toning down'' my language is good for speaking

English, alas, not so good for speaking Swedish.

Now, when Swedish relatives or friends visit

me, they often laugh at my in their opinion,

very antiquated and back-to-front Swedish.

When I was a kid I was bullied in school

every day until I started grade 8 (High School).

Teachers viewed me as strange but smart,

the students called me weirdo, stupid and dumbass.

Sometimes it made me feel very lonely, alienated

and inadequate but my connection with music

(all genres)was so strong(still is) and fulfilling that

it almost always(yes, always!) comforted and

provided me with a world that I knew I belonged to.

Although I have never viewed myself as a victim,

those early years did leave scars that every now and 

then affects my mental health.

Watching a doco on how the view on mental health

has developed through the years have made me aware

of how much the terminology and language around and

about mental health issues have changed. (Thank goodness!!!)

Bridging words have been so useful and helpful

for me to be able to communicate more effectively

with other people that I thought maybe you would

appreciate me sharing some of them with you.

Instead of:

Boring >use> Interesting

Difficult >use> Challenging

Weird >use> Different, Unique

Frustrating >use> Challenging

Complicated >use> Intricate

Long-winded >use> Thought-provoking

stubborn >use> Goal orientated

demanding >use> detail-orientated

narrow-minded >use> conventional

 I would also like to suggest that the use of

the word normal, the prefix ''over'' and

the word ''too'' as in for example:

over-sensitive, -thinking, -powering, -estimating,

too introverted, -sensitive, -complicated, -difficult,

and so on and so on and so on be exchanged for

softer/cushion/bridging words.

There are many options these days for far less

stigmatizing words for us to use when communicating

with each other such as: objective, supportive

and descriptive terms. A person's behaviour often

offer us a clue as to what need might be unmet.

Instead of telling someone to not ''over-dramatize''

xyz.......try: ''You seem upset. Would you like to

chat about it?''

''I am wondering if you are feeling a bit anxious?

Is that so?''

With the help of friends and

professionals I have now come to

understand myself as a neurodivergent

creative/artistic person.

And I'm very happy to belong with

other neurodivergent creative/artistic persons

cause I know there's lots of us.

It is possible to disagree

without being disagreeable.

It is possible to have an opinion

without being opinionated.

It is possible to be knowable

without being a know-it-all.

It is possible to turn words into weapons

but why on earth would you?

(Citizen Z)

about the images: ''La Belle Anthony''

Photo some editing in Elements

''Citizen Z''

Photo, editing in Elements

A papers memory of a fold................

This photographed image I've named: ''A papers memory of a fold.''

Without something to remember, is there such a thing as a memory?

Is memory something that belongs to humans only?

What......... is memory?

Simply put, it is the part of our mind/brain that is able

to encode and store information, experiences and skills.

It encodes, it stores and when needed, retrieves.

There are three main types of memory: short term,

long term and sensory.

Memory used to be likened to a filing cabinet but

these days research is indicating that it's more

like a super messy desk cluttered with big piles of paper.

Though it may be easier to find files in a

filing cabinet sorted logically, methinks that messy

is not without  benefits.

Messiness allows us to find those fluky ''connections'' 

that we didn't expect to connect.

Since we do not have filing cabinets

we can come at a memory task from a number of different

angles such as: did I write the name down somewhere,

can I Google it, can I remember the letter the word

start with, does it rhyme with another word etc. etc. etc.?

When we fail to remember something it can be easy

to believe that memories can just vanish but

according to those in the know, that is not

the case.

We don't lose memories they are still there,

but because our frontal lobes(the part of our brain

where our memories live) shrink a little bit with aging,

sometimes our recall time may be less than

lightning fast.

 But here's the thing......neuroscience research shows

that every time we revisit/recall a memory, it becomes

malleable(flexible) and our brains reconstructs them.

This is called reconsolidation which means that the memories 

briefly become unstable and susceptible to being

changed(updated) to fit with our current feelings

on the memory before being saved again.

When I was managing a Jazz club in Stockholm

I had an experience that etched a memory

not only on my frontal lobes but also on the

inside of my eyelids, or so it seemed.

Next to the entrance to the Club there was a

male toilet that I had to unlock every night.

As I was always at the Club an hour before opening,

to get in, I would use the back entrance.

After turning on lights and other usual duties

I went to un-lock the front doors.

When I did so this particular night I noticed that 

the door to the toilet was not closed

 so obviously not locked.

As I pushed to open the door, I realized that there

was someone laying on the floor.

Face down, blood and urine every where and in the man's

right arm, a broken needle.

His body was cold to the touch and his skin

 bluish white.

Dead. He was dead but still a human being and

 as such, I felt that he deserved attention.

Shaking like a leaf and probably in shock, I called

for an ambulance, closed the door to the

toilet and then sat down on the steps,

lit a cigarette and waited for the ambulance.

Since then I have experienced so many absolutely

blood curling, heart stopping and mindboggling experiences

that I have had to ''file'' it somewhere.

I ''filed'' it under ''what a sad waste of a life'' heading

and then just put it on my very messy desk.

A very kind and wise man once told me when he was

helping me to deal with PTSD: When you get ''triggered''

by a traumatic memory .......replace it or pair it with 

 a helpful and new updated one.

Memories are not set in cement, they are malleable.

We can't change what has happened in the past

but we can change how we think and therefore

feel, about it.

''No memory is ever alone; it's at the end of a

trail of memories, trails that each have their

own associations.''

(Louis LÁmour)

About the image: Photo no editing, straight of the lens.

Folded paper is hard to make perfectly flat after it's been

folded. Alas, can a piece of paper have a memory of a fold?

Don't diss someone seeking attention....maybe that's their way of seeking connection.....

Some of us may hold the opinion that a lot of behaviour

can be dismissed as just attention seeking.

One of a number of problems with that is that it simplifies

a behaviour that may have many underlying complex

reasons.

Dismissing a person's behaviour as ''just

attention seeking'' can be very invalidating

and damning for someone with a fragile

self-esteem.

These days we can all be critics of basically 

of anyone and everything. We can spew horrific critique

that can cut someone's self-esteem into slivers, crush

someone's dreams into smithereens and obliterate

someone's hope so severely that they loose all sense

 of meaning and purpose for their lives.

Not only that, we can do so anonymously

if we want to. After all, we all have the right to have

our own opinions, don't we?

Even if our opinions are founded not on

facts and thoughtful research but almost solely

 on feelings, we are often quick to express them

non the less.

And sadly though true, the fact that we can do

so without culpability makes it so much easier

to do than to express our opinions face to face.

Many individuals who aspire to be the best

at what they love doing, be it sports, arts,

cooking, photographing, curating, etc. etc. 

etc. it seems to me will have to put up

with someone whispering under their breath:

''He/she/they are only doing it to get attention.''

Personally, I have lost count on how many times

I have been accused of ''only doing it(being a musician,

painter, writer)for the attention''.

I have a huge problem with people assuming that

someone spending all their energy and time

on being able to master something they

love doing just for attention.

Why? Because it invalidates and dismisses that

individual's hard work and staunch commitment

to reach a personal goal/outcome.

Although I've spent years performing on a number of

different stages varying from a tiny raised floor to

in front of a camera as in on MTV, the attention was

not what I sought. The attention was the drawback.

It was all about the music and making music with

others who all felt the same way.

There may be some people who are all about the

attention, but speaking from years of experience, 

most people who become masters at their

discipline(art, sport, etc.) become masters because

of a single-minded commitment and dedication

to conquer through hard work and discipline

to earn the title: virtuoso, maestro etc. etc. GOAT.

So, now to the story about:

The American Geisha

On the day she was born

there were no fanfares.

Her conception not planned

just an unfortunate result.

Yet there she was

a bouncing 12 pounds.

From the very first moment

it was very, very clear

this girl was determined

and she had no peer.

She wanted to shine

everywhere and all the time.

She demanded attention

her methods sublime.

Going to school was such a bore

every lesson just a snore,

so at fourteen she had enough

....she took off, left in a huff.

She knew she was destined

for a glamorous life

so she donned a tutu

and started to dance.

But thing's didn't go the way she hoped

she ran out of money, she discovered dope.

Days became nights, caresses fights

disappointments and sadness an endless loop.

She started to hide behind her illusions

reality but, another delusion

so she spiraled down, down, and further down

no more joy, no princess crown.

Her face once so young and pretty

now elicited only pity

her body once so beautiful

now, only pitiful.

She decided to numb herself out of existence.

She woke in hospital

feeling rather dismal

but with one redeeming factor,

nurses at her beck and call.

As fresh blood entered her vein

so fresh thoughts entered her brain.

She was special, she was great

she was a princess yet once again.

She bought a tutu, a magic wand

a set of fairy wings,

a princess crown.

Her girth growing,

her soul, glowing.

Seeking endless attention

from everyone and everywhere

a bottomless pit, a road to nowhere.

This she knew, she knew its despair.

So she donned a mask, very white very bright.

Like a graceful geisha, a beautiful sight.

On her wings, colours blue, red and white,

no longer hiding, no longer trite.

She calls herself the American Geisha

as she dances through the nights.

Showered with attention all lit up in lights,

but when the show is over and it's time to say goodbye,

she knows she's just plain Lisa,

 and that is now all right.

(Citizen Z)

about the image: acrylic on large canvas

Pain is a subjective experience.............

In 1929 Rene' Magritte painted a now super famous painting

of a large wooden pipe(tobacco) with the writing ''This is not

a pipe'' under it. This caused a bit of a stir as most people

looking at the painting would exclaim: ''Of course it is

a pipe!'' But, if one was to be really finnicky, it is not

(and this is what Magritte was trying to say)

a pipe, it is the representation of a pipe.

This is a representation of a crow, 

it's not a crow. It is acrylic paint on

a canvas.

Some hold the opinion that all art is

in some way or another.........

representational, some others do not.

It is a philosophical quandary that's been

debated for years and years without at this point,

having come up with a definitive outcome

either way.

As a lyricist(song writer) I have come to understand

just how tricky it can be to come up with

representations/definitions of a large number of words.

Take the word ''colour'' for instance, how would

one depict/explain/define it to someone who is

born blind?

Words that are not physical/tangible and or

words that rely heavily on context can be very hard

to conceptualize. (depict)

Such as subjective words: feelings, opinions,

beliefs, interpretations, big, small, tasty, bitter etc. etc. etc.

Words like: time, reality, consciousness, mind,

soul and many more. One of them is pain, which is

what I am going to try and write about today.

The top image is called ''PAIN'' and is one

of my attempts at depicting how I experience pain

visually. (Tangibly)

Pain is a constant companion of mine but I have

never thought of trying to paint what that feeling

could possibly look like. Until, that is, the moment that

I realized that every time I had a neck and shoulders massage

and closed my eyes, I could ''see'' the same vivid colours

(how is that even possible??)on the inside of my eyelids.

The more the massage hurt, the more vivid the colours.

And, now.....strangely.....those colour combinations

seem to only show up when I have a massage.

For the last 15 years or so my son has been suffering with

chronic pain all through his body. This affects him in a number

of ways which in turn affects his emotional well-being

as well as his physical ability to do his work.(Composer)

When I was a performing musician I had to carry very heavy 

musical equipment every time I did a gig(job), as well

as standing for hours upon hours while playing keyboards.

One day, a long time ago, I forgot to lift my keyboard amp

the ''right'' way and so managed to destroy my muscles

and ligaments in my lower back. 

The pain that I experienced made me collapse on the floor

and unable to move any body parts without invoking

excruciating pain for the next two weeks.

Going to the toilet was a massive under-taking as

 I had to crawl on the floor in order to

get to the toilet to empty my bladder.

However, eventually I managed to

''swim away''(in a pool)enough acute pain so that

 I could keep playing and earn a living.

Years later when I quit performing live,

 I was left with a chronic

severe bursitis all through my neck and shoulders.

Pain, used to be defined as a physical sensation.

These days however, many define it as a complex

biopsychosocial experience.

Huh? And in other words?

It is not a simple reflex(physical sensation) demanding

 our attention, rather, 

pain is a warning system with biological,

cognitive, emotional and social components.

These different components(elements) protects

tissues and drives behaviour, so says those in the know.

Pain is a subjective experience and the way we

respond to and deal with it, is therefore subjective.

For the purpose of this post I will write about

two types.

Acute pain is a temporary pain caused by a temporary

illness or injury. 

Once triaged the healing can begin and often

the level of pain begins to subside.(Usually, not always)

Chronic pain is persistent and even after

the initial injury/illness is triaged and resolved,

 the pain can linger for a number of different reasons.

 This affects nearly all aspects of the sufferer's

life such as: cognitive function, memory, emotional

well being, sleep, mood and general outlook on life.

Chronic pain keeps the sympathetic nervous-

system on high alert which affects the immune-system.

This often leads to fatigue, which often result

in the sufferer feeling socially alienated.

In my view,

dealing with chronic pain would be a lot easier

if people could contain themselves from passing

unfair judgement and whisper under their breath:

''It's all in the head.''

I wish that sometimes ''pain-doubters'' could let go

of their dis-belief in that us(chronic pain sufferers)are

 actually experiencing as much pain as we say we are,

because I believe that perhaps then us ''Chronic's'' 

may be able to feel a little bit less judged, 

and a little bit more understood.

Suggestion: What people with chronical pain really want

is to not have to fake feeling well.

(Lustercraft)

On understanding what intuition is..............

''Intuition does not denote something contrary

to reason, but something  outside of the

province of reason.''

(Carl Jung)

What is ''intuition''?

One possible way of defining it is that it is: 

Knowing something that you didn't know

that you knew or/and knowing something

subconsciously before your do consciously.

I don't remember how old I was (9?) when I first

experienced the subtle feeling of just knowing

something I couldn't possibly have consciously

 known, but, it possibly saved my older

sister's life.

Walking down one of Stockholm's busiest streets,

my sister and I were prattling on, totally oblivious

of the heavy traffic surrounding us.

Just about to enter a crossing, suddenly(intuitively

I now know), my right arm (as if spring loaded) shot out 

and pulled my sister back from crossing the street.

Had I not done so, my sister would have been

crushed by the car that drove past the very same

second that she would have been crossing the street.

Intuition is often referred to as a ''gut feeling'' and

or a ''sixth sense'' but it is not something that

comes in ''one size fits all''.

Intuition, as far as I can ascertain, is the ability to 

subconsciously know something without

 first having to analyze, reason or process 

that something.

As it does not come in ''one size fits all'',

it is something we can develop with the

help of paying attention to our gut feelings

when we have them.

Intuitions can be very subtle. They can be

experienced as a ''whisper'' telling you:

''Something's wrong, I don't know what, but I

 can feel it. ''Something feels, sounds, smells,

etc. etc. strange about this."

''I don't think I should do xyz...it don't feel right.''

According to those in the know(experts), there are

different kinds of intuition such as:

Holistic Intuition founded on extensive experience

and training. (Cops, First Responders, Fire Fighters etc.)

Creative intuition, often a driving force for people

involved in the arts and the art industry.

(Suddenly there's a spark, an idea, a new thought

(seemingly out of nowhere).

Often people who work with people in any

of the many different categories of social/

community work have a highly developed

 Social Intuition sensitivity.

(Ability to sense deception and insincerity)

There is also something called Affective Intuition. 

This is where your gut feelings spring forth from as

 in: it's guided by our internal physical sensations

and emotions.

A bit technical, methinks, so......intuition

is something we all possess but have different

levels of being able to notice or recognize.

However, the good news is that it is also

something we can with a bit of work... improve.

Surrounded as we are by all sorts of people

trying to deceive us whether on line or in real life,

I reckon a fine tuned sense of intuition is

worth a bit of attention.

Mind you, someone may ask:

How do I recognize the difference between

anxiety and intuition?

Some suggestions:

Intuition is an awareness of what is happening

in us now, ...... physically and psychologically,

and nudging us to respond to the present moment.

Anxiety is about the future, about the what if's and 

the possibility of any of the imagined fears eventuating.

I imagine that the way we notice, become aware of

our intuition trying to tell us something, varies

from person to person.

Maybe it's a whisper we suddenly hear clearly,

maybe it's like a door is slowly opening and 

we can hear music,

maybe it's a sinking feeling in the stomach,

maybe it's someone shouting: DON'T DO IT!

''I feel that there are two entities inside of me - me and

my intuition. If I go against my intuition, I get

screwed every time, but if I listen to it....

we get along quite nicely.''

(Adapted from a Kim Basinger quote)

about the image: ''Looking the ID in the eyes''

acrylic on large canvas

This post is about........well, read it and find out

Although I have never really put in to words, and

I'm not even sure that I can put in to words, what

happens when suddenly an artistic idea shows up and

demands attention..........yet, I am going to try...... later.

There have been times in my life when I have

experienced events that no matter how hard

I have tried to find logical and reasonable

explanations for those events, I've come up short.

Some things, I have concluded, belong in the

inexplicable category/box.

Ever since my son was born he has

had health issues. The number of times I

have had to rush him to the Emergency

department are far too many to remember

and far too upsetting. Sitting alone at all hours

of the night on a hard plastic chair in an eerily

quiet hospital, slowly sipping bitter cold coffee 

from a flimsy paper cup while waiting for the

doctor to bring good news....that, in my

view, can make even a hard man humble.

In this last year my son has undergone life-threatening

surgery on his neck and radiation on his skull-

base with resulting blinding head-aches and

excruciating pain down the left side

of his body for which there is no effective

pain killer. Well, none that will not turn

him into a drug addict. These days

I have much practice with hospitals.

My brother and father both spent two years on and off 

in hospitals before they died.

Having lost my brother(14) when I was

 very young(12), I decided early that

if there was any God or angels of some sort,

they weren't listening.

Although I did have a taste of the UnKnowable

for a spell, I couldn't in the end accept

that any entity accepting the level

of cruelty, poverty and despair that so

many innocent humans must endure

is worth my belief.

I'm thinking that perhaps some of you who

visit this site now and then, may just

like me know what it is like to have

to deal with loss, to constantly feel

that you are cradling a small lit candle.

This, while in the midst of a darkness 

so thick that it is threatening to extinguish

your tiny but steadfast little flame.

I don't know about you, but I rather

be a candle than curse the darkness.

I rather believe in hope and possibilities

than argue about angels, gods or other divinities.

I rather set aside some time for a friend in need

than spend hours watching people flaunting their greed.

I rather seek to learn and further my understanding

than to follow any fashion or any popular branding.

I rather try to be open minded, non-judgmental and really kind

than being scared of change, of the uncertain, or by

others to be defined.

(Citizen Z)

Sometimes when I sit down to write a post,

actually, most of the time, I don't have a topic.

I turn on the computer, turn on some music,

which often is mostly instrumental, and then stare 

at the blinking cursor on the screen and wait.

Sometimes I go through my art works and

look for inspiration. Sometimes I get inspired

to make a new work so I grab some paper

pen/brushes/anything else.

Sometimes I take an old piece and totally

rework it in Elements.

Let me tell you about todays image.

(It was called ''Human Angel'' but it

looked nothing like it does now.)

I decided to just improvise with all the different

tools available in Elements.

I didn't have anything in mind but just

started to try things all over the image.

Suddenly the program jammed and I couldn't

do anything. The little thingy that spins to

tell you that it's doing stuff just..... kept spinning.

I decided to made coffee.

Coffee in hand, I sat down at the computer

again and looked at the screen.

GREAT SCOTT!!!!! Holy Sh**!!

There it was.

All I had to do was add the eyes, the nose

and mouth.

My son is the skull expert so I

instantly showed it to him.

He liked it. Awesome! My first ever skull 

painting.

I wanted to put on some text so with

a bit of imagination I do believe it's possible to see

some lines that could perhaps be .... wings ?

Anyway, the original painting is a large

canvas painted with acrylics.

Edited in Elements although I have no

clue really what I did except for

''a bunch of stuff''.

I had an artistic idea.

''There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle

or the mirror that reflects it.''

(Edith Wharton)