「是卓韻芝使我做的!」

last sunday, james asked me what i usually did on a holiday.

first of all, let me explain, i don't get so many free days now to begin with.

i said, well, not much.  it was rather pointless to go into the detail of this near nothingness.

then, i cranked up the urgency of the situation and remarked...

"you know, i think i've genuinely entered a phase which i can sum it all up with one word - uninspired.  i'm totally uninspired."

was there anything i'd want to do (if or when i was inspired again?!), he wanted to know.

yes, "creative things."

he said, at least it's not as bad as not knowing what to want to do...

we both agreed the hardest part was to get off your butt, taking the first step.  like the reluctance he faced every time he was going to tidy up and clean his home, he gave me an example.

before i knew what was to follow, james "the instant motivation doctor" out of his pocket gave me a prescription: cheukwanchi.blogspot.com.

his pitch was that vincci cheuk was again trying to top herself, this time by giving herself "homework" - her "born to be a witness" art project, to be precise.

one of my sisters is a big fan of hers, and used to make (!) everyone in the family read her books.  at the end i surrendered and read a comic book of her "芝see菇bi" (GCgoobi) characters, about them opening a café (according to my sis).  the book was okay, but its recommendation also proved the unchanging danger of overpraising...

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that late afternoon on my way home i took a surprise detour to meet d•fung & ahko.  we went to check out a music store, then to an exhibition organized by a local entertainment magazine celebrating its fortieth anniversary, where an original drawing by ahko was on display.

i told them my conversation with james.  d•fung later said ahko had been unusually chatty during our dinner.

the way ahko talked to me... he almost became an "alt" alternative-mentor.  honestly, i have been desperately needing someone to give me a good kick at my behind.  although he only gave me a very kind light kick, still, two nights ago i already began to give up my grand plan of micro-cataloging my photographic work (at least for now) by putting aside (deleting!!) the basic foundation i'd prepared for the scheme earlier.

i thank them for their valuable tips.  i am going forward, albeit slowly.

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i may not wholly agree with what vincci does - i have become a regular at her blog, by the way - but i do wholly admire the way she does it and the inner-energy she possesses.  i would even unabashfully admit: i'd love to have some of her drive...

for that i've given myself a "valid excuse," to be wild, to dare again.  when you next see me making something crazy, i would proclaim that "it's vincci who makes me do it!" (「是卓韻芝使我做的!」)

i'm only using her as a good reason...  i thank her for pushing me.

for the time being, just you wait for the crazily good something starting to come from this direction...

[this picture of an original drawing by ahko on display was taken at the "《明報周刊》40周年" exhibition at seibu department store in tsimshatsui, hongkong on sunday september 21 2008.]