Insta archive '22

JANUARY 1

There’s somebody who truuuly inspired me & then ideas kept flowing until ‘22 came & struck me with the fact that there indeed is a time to let the light in. Lost some sleep trying to decode stuff but totally worth it if it’s spirit knocking the door. Thank you sooo much.

JANUARY 4

⁣Spyro the dragon colours, aren’t they? ⠀
Talking about the classic one of course. ⠀
Reignited does not exist in my world.

JANUARY 7

Such a blessing to have such place.
Revitalisation & purification through the sun. Just like this song says “I hope we change”. What if we all had our mind focused on purifying? Whatever does not belong to us, whatever does not feel like us, somebody else’s baggage inside of us, it can go & set ourselves free to live up the true person we are, according to our values & passions. While loving, not harming. If you don’t get me & don’t feel this, it’s ok, I’ve got enough to feel on behalf of you. ♡&JoyToAllOfYou

JANUARY 9

I was not expecting the iPhone camera to capture the Orion constellation along with a little bit of its nebula. Thrilling, isn’t it? I’ll get myself the best telescope someday & invite people over for stargazing & cocktails.

JANUARY 15

JANUARY 17

How do you do this, Mel?
Tonight I wondered why I like taking such pictures.
It’s appealing observing & actually, how do I explain it? It just makes you keep your perspective wider & not occupied in a small space.
As I also found this “Make choices that reflect your optimism, not fears” post, choices out of fear show tremendous attachment issues. Out of fear, we try to control, we hold on to a certain outcome, to expectations. Trying to chase certainty out of fear is not the right way for things to work.
Coming to terms though with the fact that it’s all a mystery, it keeps you going with a positive heart. It shakes you up in order you stop putting everything under a microscope. Uncertainty with a positive mindset & just that, no further thoughts, just have faith.
For whatever you find, whether it works out or not, you are just ok because you are you & you’re here for you. This is peace of mind.
Btw, we see the stars of gemini constellation above tonight’s full moon. Zoom in

JANUARY 18

The odds were perfect to take me out today. Sunny on my day off.
Interesting interior & there was also some smooth music in the background. Started getting drowsy from feeling so cozy.
The waitress “Did you enjoy it? It was a big beverage”. Mel “Yes, I really liked it. I managed it well”.
The last picture is from a brand new hotel. The receptionist saw me taking pictures of the exterior & invited me inside.
Nice day downtown, you always find someone to have a random convo.

JANUARY 24

I swear I could not see a thing on my phone screen & now I’m really sleepy after my walk in the forest. I look like a retired captain but gal version.

JANUARY 25

Nothing in particular. Just reminiscing as always.
But anyway, I really like these instrumentals, they’re so atmospheric with the bass & guitar, so they had to stay here.
Each one represents a different emotion & the visuals in the videos captured it right I think.

JANUARY 27

Taking a break to post my last picture from the snow.
Basically I started a new type of edit. This time giving more emphasis to the brilliance adjustment.
I took advantage of the natural white light & created a make-up look to test it out. I’m satisfied it looks more defined with this type of adjustments.

JANUARY 30

The urge to…
No further explanation.
Too bad I prioritise healthy hair but who said I’m not gonna do it & get keratin therapy every 15 days?
Saying “too high maintenance” as if my list isn’t already that big maintaining whatever I maintain~

FEBRUARY 5

Shoutout to the power my dreams hold for making me wake up all motivated to the point I had one of the greatest walks tonight. ⁣
I found this heart bling effect & I’m obsessed. I want to buy the glasses you see hearts in every beam of light. ⁣(Unintentional bokeh on second pic)
If Mel not x then how x? Music. (See main pic)
I’m a sucker if you did not know by now & I’m so blissfully lost in there ╮(╯▽╰)╭ ♪

FEBRUARY 21

No words actually, just feeling so thankful for all of the work & the completion of it right before spring’s coming. Something random. I was seriously planing to go to Yugyeom’s concert this May but I can’t make it. I really wanted to enjoy Point Of View:U live, especially tracks 3, 4, 5, 6.

FEBRUARY 23

The first months of the year... Such a blurry memory. I felt like a sentimental human writing this. I did it for the sake of art. I usually feel like playing Katamari during this time & listening to its music just bring so many beautiful feelings. I cry to cute or meaningful stuff. How though? Explain to me why I’m built like that ;A; Today I found out what Katamari Damacy means… I cried. I also found the lyrics of Katamari of Love & guess what? I cried again~ kkk

MARCH 7

Yes, I passed by my favourite hotel, but did I take pics? Yes, of course I did. It’s got 100% autumn vibes & as crazy as it sounds, it rejuvenated me. Anyway, there was music playing in the distance this morning & it felt as if it was out of retro dream. Not as loud as in the video but I’m glad it captured the sound that clear.

At my zone.
I always tend to forget to take pictures inside my favourite hotel every time I go for a drink but I made it today.
Beautiful rainy afternoon. Let’s just say it’s autumn.

MARCH 13

Interpretation of a dream. I was really missing the colours of sunset. Even if it’s totally cold, the colours brought some warmth & lifted my mood. However we interpret things~ Whatever triggers our neurones & releases pleasant chemicals~

MARCH 31

Came across ｢Saez｣ in a dream & found out it’s indeed a surname which also means saintly. These few seconds before you wake up but you’re trying so hard to keep sleeping because you haven’t heard somebody’s full name or what’s the full message they tried to deliver. I used my rainbow lamp & warm light as I wanted to combine the bizarre dream x sunset time.

APRIL 3

｢From my heart｣
I usually delete most of what I post out of compulsion & also because I put myself into the process of editing my shots so they can go to my story-timed photography album.
I also connect each shot to the emotion in my life at that moment so I’m sick of seeing it right in front of me accessible all the time. I like renewal, everything’s got its phase.
That’s why I like deleting, to keep a general image of the present me (I truly don’t know how to explain this) but create a “gallery” of these moments. For quite a while now I feel like my autumn palette is expressing me 100% as Mel. But the spring me which is all of these pastels, the ‘16 Mel aesthetic is really not me 24/7 anymore. Maybe if I say that autumn feels more mature would that make more sense? Yes, my autumn phase is the mature me but the spring me is a part of me that’s really playful. For quite a long time this year I was working on ways to create a space for these two gals without limiting a thing. It will soon happen. I’m so grateful to the people supporting my dreams of expressing who I really am. Without you I’d still sit in my little corner second guessing every move. Thank you for reminding me to believe in me & letting me know that my work creates something inside of you as well. Thank you so much ♡

APRIL 10

Nothing can separate me from my beloved Prada Amber but I wanted to add a new scent to my seasonal perfume collection for sunset time. Sunset time to me is something woody & spicy. I was so indecisive going back & forth with some scents. Did I want something with oud or tobacco along with vanilla?
Bitter Peach by Tom Ford won me over this time. It reminds me of fermented peach & it falls into my type of tones.
A new scent always gets assigned to certain memories & life periods so let’s see what this perfume will leave inside of me.

APRIL 25

Oh, the me I don’t post.

APRIL 29

Nothing, I’m at Anthracite roasters waiting for 추격자 to get released.
I’ve mixed everything up but let me tell you, believe it or not, when you’re in your nothing yet ♾, everything exists at the same time fully saturated with some optical aberration. Is this concept too much, too out of this world? Am I the only one who no longer reminisces nothing because it’s all alive here, now & infinitely? Have you ever reached that point of nothing that you find everything? Or do you want to say I don’t drink responsibly? Hmm

MAY 1

I’d prefer posting a flower shot as the first one but I was waiting months to wear this coord & I found it cute. One of my memorable days of ‘22 actually. I’m genuinely happy being able to enjoy nature & connect with people through it.
I had a really touching convo with a special friend & I also found a friend I had to talk for years with. Where I was a year or a few months ago is completely different to where I am now. Reaching me, I was also able to reach others as well. There’s always something great out there waiting for you to look inside for an answer first.

MAY 8

A few days ago I remembered this album I used to listen to on rainy days. These last months I’ve been feeling so tired being around pollution in this cemented city, too much grey. I love rain a lot, petrichor is the greatest blessing. It’s a really simple meditation to actually pause & get lost in this godly earthly scent.

MAY 16

Buscamos la excusa perfecta y nos vamos de aqui… That’s how I feel like.

JUNE 9

A dedicated thanks to a certain star entity

JUNE 29

We finally made it~ ☆

JUNE 6

｢Construction of Life｣ Acknowledging that I’m sensitive to energies, it has helped me come up with techniques to control the way they affect me personally. Throughout the years, this kind of skill has gotten transformed, from hearing to acknowledging a state & then from understanding to experiencing it too. That’s when control came to play. Questioning whether that’s about me or not, if I should keep it inside of me as if it’s my own & let it affect me. Then I found out, by myself, that I simply have to transform it. What does that have to teach me?
And well, what does that have to do with this post? Constructing is a really joyful job to me & I usually do some changes in my space when I feel like I have entered a new chapter. And even if it’s personal to me, I have taken the energy of the new chapters of the people who are in my closed circle as well. In fact they read this post~ I’ve taken the bad chapters & turned them into something good, because I do believe that’s how strength gets mastered. It’s a decision after a whatever negative state to persist & keep going. I haven’t communicated these but I have sent my light to the ones I transformed their negative state♡ A chapter can either be a thought or a manifestation into the material world or even both. Let’s create whichever atmosphere mirrors our soul & helps us create more abundance of whatever glorifies our source in it.

JULY 9

｢Birthday eve story]

A balloon escaped from a store right at the moment we were passing by with my friend.
I laughed it out saying “Oh it’s going to fly away” but no… it was standing in front of us for a few seconds. I did not even try to grab it as it was obvious it’s going to fly away. But no, another 5 seconds passed by & then my friend was like “Grab it!” & I did. I could not comprehend with my brain how it was just standing there even if it was windy… Plus I got a gift from God & it indeed rained as the forecast predicted. It’s so moody & magical. Could I be more thankful?

JULY 11

⑩ ⑺ Planned a wonderful staycation with my “Track 5“ of Kai’s 1st Mini Album. So grateful for spending this, much needed, time together. Laughter is a divine gift~ Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes, especially the funny & the heartfelt ones ♡ As for closing my 28s, I’m just going to mention my holistic master’s words “You’ve burned your mind up. You’ve done what would somebody take years to acknowledge & work on, in a really short amount of time”. I’m on the works for something really magical & actually, that’s what I was preparing myself for ☆ It’s already here.

AUGUST 23

August rain today♡ 8/15 got filled with a taste & aroma that is a staple of my first moments in Seoul. After my arrival on 12th, I found myself carrying again my big suitcase in a really humid summer rain, soaking wet as I had no umbrella & white grape ade from Ediya spilled in one of my bags. Later in the evening, I got to try every makgeolli flavour & white grape’s got my heart ♡ Flavour with a sentimental value ♡

SEPTEMBER 6

Ah~ athletic fields. The ambient sounds, the greenery~ The perfect space to focus, get my ideas together & write stuff.
Sports… not really into them. I’ve got such a history though. It’s been 17 years since I first started archery even if all I was asking at that time was fencing. How charming knowing how to handle a bow but I still wanted to experience the neurological stimulation, the combativeness fencing offered. I still haven’t given fencing a go so that’s one of my dreams. But then along the years, I found out about Kendo so I started appreciating it a lot more than fencing, mainly because its values resonate with me ♡

SEPTEMBER 8

Lovely afternoon as full moon is approaching. I don’t know how many of you follow the lunar calendar in your life but I strongly believe once you start believing the impact it has in our own cycle then you will start feeling the stillness & see how easy it is to create whatever you wish to create in life. Not everything can be done under the sun, not every work is or has to be visible & of course I’m talking about everybody’s personal work. Wish you liberate this fantasy of yours & daydream without a logic barrier. The too analytical “how” cancels out any other way of something happening, of something beyond our own knowledge to come & take the lead. Pressuring ourselves because somebody told us so is so last century. It’s not hard when it comes from your heart. It’s only hard when it goes against your spirit. Fear-based stuff are an illusion. Let go.

SEPTEMBER 16

The Acropolis area is my favourite place downtown & somehow summer weather is much more bearable over there. There’s such a magnetic vibration due to how sacred these ancient places are. *sigh* There’s another temple though that is of significance but it’s 1.30h away by car. The Temple of Poseidon; how much I’ve been longing to visit, especially during sunset. I’m looking for a Cape Sounio enthusiast so we can appreciate that geographic spot together.

SEPTEMBER 19

I got so inspired this weekend. Everything happens at the same time nonstop this period. As if everything non-vital comes to the surface in order to wither away. Like some sort of revelation… A month ago I saw a book, from my favourite author, Don Miguel Ruiz, called “The Actor”. I did not even open it or look it up online even I was thinking about its title nonstop.On Saturday though I heard somebody’s story & on Sunday I got this thought/experience I wanted to share. Just like the actors line up backstage…Isn’t it the same when we come here, get assigned to a role? But after all, it’s up to us to look beyond all of that & create our own script. Might sound like an auto-pilot thing but when we take control of it, we turn it into a free play. Then the actors gather up during their play, breaking that 3rd wall, getting real…
I got this feeling on Sunday while having a coffee with my closest ones. I was just lost in this thought & I felt so peaceful. It’s a derealisation but a good one, the one in which you know the answers to who you are, or maybe… who you are not ☆

SEPTEMBER 24

These whatever shots of mine all have to do with a certain feeling of mine. It’s not what I capture but what’s assigned to it the moment I do so. Blessing, fortune, luck, wealth is part of the name of the town I deeply cherish & I often think about without making it a big deal because it’s my own treasure. A great connection of land & soul. Our path does not exist to be understood by others’ eyes to make sense. It’s our own treasure. That path has got its own life, its own timing. It’s beautiful being you & it’s also beautiful being me. When it’s not ok inside, slow down, fill your body with life source; breath.

SEPTEMBER 30

｢The base｣ Been having this feeling of that place before I even get to the actual place. And after getting to the place this whole feeling got validated. It’s indeed true but also bizarre to explain living between two countries from your 14 years of life. Actually, not bizarre if I mention that it’s like moving countries mentally & then physically. I swear it’s my second hometown. Walking from Hapjeong to Mangwon, I was feeling as if I will soon reach my grandmother’s home & get to eat her food, feel at home, after my stop at a coffee shop. That was my nostalgia back in Seoul & today, in Athens, I did exactly what I had on my mind back then. So content ♡ I deeply appreciate the generation of our grandparents & how much they care in their own ways for their grandchildren. They’ve got completely different life experiences, mindset & that’s admirable; how far we’ve come & our differences are admirable. Although stuck in their ways, flow is happening from us anyway~ kkk The family term is timeless even if the meaning is different to each one of us, consisting of different titles. Family is spiritual term of a bond & you can build it the way you want to, it’s not a fixed term.

I’ve seen this cafe in my dream months before they build it. I’ve been wishing for such a long time for a quiet minimal cafe like the ones in Mangwon streets. Did I create it by crystallising the thought? hmm… What am I? A quantum physicist? …or did I hack my dreams & finally the pictures I took with my phone appeared in my phone album when I woke up? kkk

NOVEMBER 25