Author: Ajmal

“Hark, now hear the sailors cry,
Smell the sea, and feel the sky,
Let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic.”

– “Into the Mystic” , Van Morrison, “Lit Up Inside: Selected Lyrics”

A photograph that I took during a visit few years back to Buyukada (in greek rendered as Prinkipos or Prinkipo) the largest of the “prince islands” in the Sea of Marmara, to the southeast of Istanbul. A frame that still fills and imbue my mind. Ever grateful to Almighty for such visual treats for the soul : )
Though it’s a tiny glimpse of a casual camera click, it’s much more than an adoring relish for the eyes.

“..As on the other islands, motorized vehicles – except service vehicles – are forbidden, so visitors explore the island by foot; by riding a bicycle or in horse-drawn phaeton carriages which function like taxi cabs..” (Ref)

“Every man goes down to his death bearing in his hands only that which he has given away,” says a Persian proverb. This video is something years old and in all probability chances are there that you might have come across it via forward messages, but this came to my mind out of nowhere while I was reading something. Let it stay on the archive : ) I’m easily taken by these thought provoking moving imagery! More on the way from the wonder crate soon. I’ve a collection of some of these which I found inspiring over several years and I shall try to share them here. God bless those beautiful souls who believe in giving either through service, craft or efforts and keep this world a bit more beautiful and nicer to be in. Giving is indeed the best communication.

Every child, at some point in his childhood would have some sort of a chest, where he/she would store his cherished memories and treasures. For some, it may be some crayon sticks, photographs or art which enthralled them, cut out from magazines (If you’re a 90s kid ; ) ), gifts from loved ones, toys and you name it. For some, this “wonder crate” would take the form a beautifully curated diary or hand made book where they put in all their special memories. I’m sure that each of us would have had some variant of this “wonder crate” at some point in our lives.

“Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, ect. Being suddenly hit years later with the ‘creative bug’ is just a wee voice telling you, ‘I’d like my crayons back, please.” – Hugh MacLeod

Being grown ups, if we don’t intentionally step out of the delirium of our routines and this chase of matters which won’t bring us any fulfillment,  exhausting ourselves in the process has become a novelty of the time we’re in. This would seriously axe the the childish curiosity within us. “After a while the middle-aged person who lives in her head begins to talk to her soul, the kid.”  [Anne Lamott, Joe Jones].  We often feel hesitant to release our inner child and let it roam free in the realm of the mind and that’d only foster creative pursuits.  May our inner world be beautified with inquisity and compassion. May Almighty bless you to have whatever you do being proliferated with lots of love and soul in it, be it your work, craft or anything that inspires you!

Wonder crate is usually always a secret for kids. They keep it to their own worlds safe in their cupboards or shelves .  The Border of a Mind is sort of my wonder crate which I’m inheriting you as my reader. It’s a small digital chest of my contemplations. God bless you : )

“There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.”
Les Misérables

When someone who knows the craft of photography & cinematography really well puts in a beautiful video for his adorable lil’ angel, it turns out to be pure visual bliss . I’ve been following Peter‘s video blogs for a pretty long time now and I’m easily a huge fan of his editing prowess & his style. Very inspiring and has indeed impelled and augmented a lot of my lil’ creative pursuits with his amazing tutorials . This is one of his best work.

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat,  determination & hard work ”
Colin Powell.

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. “
Newt Gingrich
In dedication to my better half =)

“Every job from the heart is, ultimately, of equal value. The nurse injects the syringe; the writer slides the pen; the farmer plows the dirt; the comedian draws the laughter. Monetary income is the perfect deceiver of a man’s true worth.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

“Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are ‘patches of Godlight’ in the woods of our experience.”
― C.S. Lewis

Location: University City, Sharjah.

“All my life I’ve always come back to one thing,
my need to feel free and the need to feel the breeze,
the ride provides a freedom this gypsy needs,
where every road is another blessed memory,
a new experience to carry inside my journey,
a sense of belonging to a familiar tribe,
a brotherhood that goes beyond a bloodline.”
― Jess “Chief” Brynjulson, Highway Writings

This illustration is inspired by a photograph of my father that I took in 2017 from Coorg.
Illustrated by The Border of a Mind Studios