The Luna Whisperer

"The wound is the place where the Light enters you" - Rumi

She often speak to the moon, sometimes whisper to it, while driving, while dreaming, after prayers and after reading a book. Hopeless romantic, constant craving for limitless affection, Abby, my dearest sister is one of the most imperfect soul I've known through all my life.

During our childhood, we would play at the playground with our bikes. I remember when we were in Geelong, Melbourne, I would help look for her jumper before heading off to school. Each time she took shower, she would squat in front of the bathroom door, wrapped in a towel and head off to the heater in our bedroom. The three of us walk to school from home, just like any other normal kid.

Our family moved a lot. From places to different schools due to my father's nature of work. We're brought up in such affectionate condition, as well as hardship in life. I've seen her go through all kind of stages, from bullying, harassment, being called names, being labeled, outcasted and many other kind of treatment, but through perseverance, she emerge as this hopeful individual who shares common vision like any of us, to be loved.

Abby seems in her prime stage in her life. She's blessed with friends who came to her life like never before. Completely different from what I saw a decade ago. I used to see her lack of confident to share her gifts in arts. She writes so well but she wasn't ready. But now, she does poetry slams and performance, even to a point her words are carved on a tile in Publika.

I told her to write a book. One day I want to see her publish a book where she could share her experience in life, her joy, her witty encounters, her sadness, her poetry and all the things she wanted to be, and how she work with people she had admire. Her words gives people strength.

33 is still young, at least we call 'kurang muda'. But today, she earn every hugs, every love she need, not just from us, but from everyone. Because hugging is healing, and when a person heals better, they have nothing to contain but joy and hope to inspire everyone.

Happy birthday Abby. Abang sayang kamu.

The Wandering Artist in the Graphene Age

I see the world today. Great changes. Stories unfold about our childhood dreams of flying cars and mega cities. We are indeed flying, but we are flying too much. We obliged to the new media age, the age of technology because during our childhood, we have mold visions of the future with advanced technology. But none thought us the progression should be from the mind and moral. Our modesty begins to fade while human perfecting their artificial intelligence. Indeed. Artificial. But little we know that we are completely turning backwards as if we're still in the Graphene-coated 'Iron Age'.

We created the race of tantrum. Where strong unsatisfying voices are being placed in the social media to ensure voices being heard because we've been trolled by attention-seekers, the planet of 'Look At Me'. We advocate too much yet actions are not implemented because this age is the age of strategic planning, where blue ocean strategy is compulsory, creating leaders who only longing to lead but none would want to do operational works because it's too low-level. It's like a non-executive tasks. 

Business cards are being distributed by individuals running an own small medium enterprise company with two to five people with the title CEO. Because in today's society, obsession over a title is mandatory to them. But they outsource to third parties, again and again, and those people are being underpaid.

Everyone want to be a sole warrior, yet no one want to be a soldier. We are corrupting our modesty. We are too self-centered, too self-conscious, too insecure and too condescending. We are an angry soul living in the closet trying to contain our rampage because we're just too upset over little things and that little things actually means nothing. 

We are depending too much on devices, people to grow. We can't self-initiate until we are told to do something right for us. What happen to us? Those who are aware will know, will take action, will make mistakes, learn from it and will shape a greater destiny for the greatest survival. If we don't do it today, how will we assure a promising future despite the economic and moral turbulence that is happening?

May the Fifth Be With You

So this is definitely not about the celebration of Star Wars for fans but I got an interesting story to share. Since this is my ever blog post in 2014, I would expect to write something about me or my works. Not this time.

I just came back from a very, very late dinner in a Mamak restaurant nearby after I finished work in the office and went for few laps in the pool.

An interesting event occur while I was eating my delicious Mee Goreng Mamak. I sat near a table with full of youngsters using this similar bahasa pasar. From the tone, they seems to be a group of 'mat rempit' because the language they use are very inappropriate and utterly vulgar. Since they talk loud, I don't need to ear drop instead was distracted by their stories about 'awek' or the new term for cute girls, 'gegirl'. So they were talking about their admiration over those pretty ladies, an adorable Siamese cat came around their table and saw them feeding the cat. A guy (from the same table) went rushing to 7-Eleven just 2 mins away and came back to feed the cat with a Friskies food pack (perhaps this cost around RM2 or so). Another friend of him said, "Baik lah kau kasi makan kucing", then this guy (let's call him the Friskies guy) replied "Takkan aku nak bagi kucing ni makan tulang ayam ni, lagipun dia tak kerja, bukan ada duit pun". (Translation: "You're too kind to feed the cat", "I don't think it's nice that I feed the cat only with chicken bone. Anyway this cat is jobless and does not have any income")

I was in awe. It was very remarkable and eye-opening.

Immediately I vision this ray of light coming from the sky as if I got knocked in the head. This even change the whole perception of these group of boys. If they were those 'mat rempit' gangs, I have this interesting hypothesis that conclude to:

1. They have a good heart despite their 'criminal-like' activities
2. They mixed with the wrong crowd and only if they were put in a different shoe and influence, they could be a better person
3. The moral support for them exist, perhaps through the affection from family and loved ones
4. They were darn bored. If they were given the opportunity to have a better self-esteem, they could hit a great career ahead
5. They need a good father or brother-figure to guide them to a better path and enrich themselves with better education.

I hope in future to come, God give them a chance and 'rezeki' to make them be a better person in our society. Perhaps it's about time our culture foster young generation to be a better, motivated person that could sustain our culture's reputation in the most positive way.

InsyaAllah.

Young Malaysian Artist Exhibition & Behance + Creative Cloud

I like to invite you to visit my latest digital art masterpiece (the latest digital space painting series) called 'Jupiteraya' that are now currently exhibiting at Galeri Petronas, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. This is not the first time Galeri Petronas have been the pinnacle to support electronic artists, digital artists, video artists like myself but it's been 3 times.

Quoted by Galeri Petronas: "who engage in a ‘self-referential‘ relationship with new technologies to discover the ‘self’ in making contemporary transformation determined by technological developments - new media". So far, I could only can spot four electronic artists who complement their work according to the theme.

Further information about our exhibition: http://www.galeripetronas.com.my/Pages/Exhibition.aspx?MenuId=2&ItemId=73

'Antara Callisto & Europa' (Jupiteraya Series), by Muid Latif. 

The Jupiteraya Series

Using combined conventional media from acrylic & poster color on art paper, I orchastrate my work on digital canvas using the latest version of Adobe PhotoshopCC & Illustrator CC.
This took 28 weeks of R&D, production, improvement and revisit of my three works until I meet my satisfaction. Stereoscopic imaging gave the final touch for the viewers to enjoy my work using 3D anaglyph glass. More story of my work will be post on my behance portfolio and newspaper, New Straits Times soon.

To my e-art brothers and sisters, my close friend Syafiq Abdul Samat, Latif, and newfound fellow artists; Andrialis Abdul Rahman and Firdaus Herrow, I'm glad to share this exhibition with all of you. I hope this exhibition will uplift your spirit and encourage to harness your passion in continue the legacy of our father of Malaysian Digital Art, the late Ismail Zain. I may not know close enough about you guys but I am pleased and proud to be a part of your presence. 

Throwback: Knowledge Development Centre (KDC) 2nd Anniversary with Adobe After Effects TECHTALK at Cyberjaya.

Was given the opportunity to represent Behance once again as the Malaysia ambassador to promote and showcase what Behance is all about to KRU Academy students and AEMY participants. Thanks to the awesome and cool inspiring guru, Hussin Khan for the invitation.

This time I talk about how creative professionals can empower themselves by showcasing their works through Behance.net portfolio. With Creative Cloud, Adobe users can now synchronize and upload their work directly from http://creative.adobe.com or upload their work-in-progress via Adobe Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC. 

Photos are courtesy of Adobe After Effects Malaysia & MDeC. Thank you for those who attended.

Stay creative, keep on shining and stay awesome.

- Muid Latif