Wednesday, August 18, 2010

if i stand in the center of a circle, will i know which way to turn?

53 comments:

S said...

If you stand in the center of a circle, does it matter which way you turn? Won't you always return to the beginning just to decide again?

anne artist said...

how many ways are there in which to turn?

and yes, where will turning take me?

Lazarus Lupin said...

Two thoughts:

360 degrees makes a revolution, which is why I hate politics.
Best to turn widdershins and keep the Good Folk at bay.

Lazarus Lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot.com/
Art and Review

DJ LinDizzle said...

Is number of ways in which to turn infinite?

anne artist said...

well, i had never heard of the word "widdershins" so thank you for it. here is one defintion: "in a direction opposite to the usual. which i suppose would enable a counter-revolutionary to come into being. or not.

would i know which way to turn if the ways were infinite?

Sylvie. said...

No matter the way if you 've got the willing to move.

Jds said...

I really like your blog, you are very talented!

DesireeAngelique said...

this is brilliant!

Alessandra said...

Do you have to know which way to turn? Can't you just pick one and see where it leads you?

One more: if you're in the center of a circle and look to your horizon, how do you know you're in a circle? Can you see all the way around? If you're in the center of a circle, are you really turning, or just trying to reach the perimeter?

I could go on....

RW said...

This is not working out... everything is turning up "I don't know...."

anne artist said...

what is a circle?

there are those say each person is the center of his/her own universe. is a universe a circle?

if i am in the center, does that mean all avenues are open? if so, how would a person approach that?

anne artist said...

do we rely on obstacles to show us which way to turn? how would we find our way if we were in the midst of openness?

S said...

And will you be dizzied or calmed by the endless possibility of choices?

I'm feeling a little dizzy reading all these thoughts!

anne artist said...

i guess there are times when we are dizzied and time when we are enlivened.

usefultruth0408 said...

I feel a little late in discovering this blog, but I find it fascinating. It reminds me of the book I read a couple months ago called An Interrogative Mood: A Novel? by Padgett Powell. Have you read it? I feel like you could have written it.

anne artist said...

wow. no, i had not heard of it. thank you for the reference and for finding this blog......

Lazarus Lupin said...

anne if anything reminds me of some of Robert Anton Wilson's work and that of zen.

anne artist said...

have not heard of that author, either, so thank you very much for the reference.

and yes, i am influenced by zen.

this brings up a question......am i not a circle at the center of the circle?

VISION DE ARLEQUÍN said...

TE SALUDO DESDE ALGÚN OSCURO Y MARINO LUGAR DE MÉXICO. AGRADABLE BLOG EL TUYO Y TE SEGUIRE VISITANDO, ESPERO NO TE MOLESTE.

TE INVITO A VISITARME TAMBIEN

"LA VIDA ES UN GRAN CIRCO, PERO SIN ESPECTADORES"

Andrew said...

You can either know where you are, or where you are going, but not both at the same time. At least that seems to be how it is at the quantum level.

Sally Ang said...

First you need to fall ....a free fall for the center, then your head that points to that point of the circle will be starting of the turning point .....We are indeed circles within the circle ....and what is it that helps us to spin within that circle ??Does the spinning speed counts or the no. of circles we make within the circle counts ??

anne artist said...

i like the image of us as circle makers. thanks!

so much in life appears to be circular...the seasons, day and night, etc. perhaps a circle is a line that connects what seems to be opposite, separate.

i don't know a lot about quantum physics but enjoy learning about it and talking about it. last week, i saw a show on television in which it was said that light is both a wave and a particle. it depends on if the observer is asking a wave question or a particle question.

as for the "i don't knows", well, that happens. often, someone comes up with a new point of view during these discussions and i like that. and then that point view creates new questions and more discoveries.

i once studied with a psych prof in grad school. although of course, he expected us to learn the material he also wanted us to get at least a glimpse of, how much we had yet to discover. when we asked him questions, he gave us the answer but it was imbedded in many other questions. perhaps in a small way, he has influenced me. he was and is someone i admire.

MoCe said...

te descubri en el desvelo de la noche. Nos separan idioma, kilómetros de distancia y varios años de edad, pero no pude resistir entrar y me parece que tu blog es precioso. Comprender tus reflexiones serán un estimulo para aprender inglés.

Un saludo cariñoso desde Chile
Mónica Salvador T.

anne artist said...

gracias......

my spanish speaking abilities are rusty but i do believe i understood what you were saying. and yes, maybe you will inspire me to reconnect with learning spanish.

Andrew said...

For an interesting fusion of zen and quantum physics the Gary Zukav book Dancing Wu Li Masters is pretty good.
http://www.seatofthesoul.com/book_wulimasters.html

Also illustrating in different words the paradox of knowing where you are and where you are going is the zen saying "when you have one eye on the goal, you have only one eye left for the path".

What say the spinning dervishes out there?

anne artist said...

if i have only one eye left for the path, then will i also see with my feet?

Unknown said...

Another great post. Keep on writing! Thanks! Mike @ www.MyCarvingTree.com

anne artist said...

thanks! i post new drawings on sundays and wednesdays and look forward to interacting with comments on all days.

Spencer said...

i like your thoughts anne. it's very intellectually provoking. great work!

The PostMan said...

I love your blog......
Keep em coming! :)

The Boo said...

Do you even have to turn? Why not wonder why you're standing in the middle of the circle in the first place?

anne artist said...

an interesting question!

i am wondering if i can stand anywhere else....

Sumaya said...

If you stand in a circle, are there ANY way to turn?

anne artist said...

that's interesting......i can turn but will i still be in the center of the circle......

Unknown said...

Great!!!

Funnily enough this is related to a blog post (my second ever) i made this past winter titled
"Stating the Obvious":

It has just passed Dawn. Dawn being Sunrise. Sunrise which literally is not the case.

If you were to stand on top of the Planet Earth and were to look forward to the direction of the Earth's rotation around the Sun (being anti-clockwise) the Sun would constantly remain to your left and you would not be able to distinguish that you were moving in a circle.

Imagine it . . . . apply it.

Khalil

anne artist said...

wow. i had no idea........

Unknown said...

a correction on that would be that you would have to be floating slightly above the Earth not affected by the Earths rotational motion.

The purpose of my post was too point out just as you do every week the different truths to all truth, the different perspectives we all have, none being right and none being wrong. It is all as We know and that we must respect. Each is doing as one knows best. Compassion for multiple truths is the answer.

Khalil

anne artist said...

yes.......i love your words,"the different truths to all truths." and if we learn from and with one another, isn't the world both a bigger and smaller place.....?

and if one day, i imagine myself floating above the earth, i will remember that circles and rotations are relative......

Bleeding Healer said...

If you are standing in the center of the circle, does that mean you are not willing to move on, since where ever you go, you would return to the same point,so if you take numerous turn, you end up where you started from, why do people say circle of life? do we make such a long journey to return to the start?but isn´t it the experience that counts, or destination plays a key role too?
If I haven´t already said it so many time, I would say it again, my brains have started to churn in beautiful directions reading your posts, they are incredible.

Bleeding Healer

anne artist said...

a question has arisen from the original one. so here goes.....

if i am looking for a way to turn, have i not already stepped out of the center of the circle?

Bleeding Healer said...

you are still looking for a way to turn,you have the intention to do it, but have you done it yet.Have you physically stepped out of the circle, and thought about it, or is it a reflection you are having while you remain in the circle..
somehow I picture a crowded place, with so much of noise, yet it is silent for you since you are reflecting, being in the circle, but if you step out of the room, and thus the circle, you have already acted upon your intent.

anne artist said...

since i can turn inside the circle and outside it, i am wondering if that makes a difference.

if i am aware of being inside the circle, does that also help me be aware of the quality of silence you refer to and does that enable reflection?

Anonymous said...

Depends which way you wanna go

Michael Owen said...

I am baffled... Can not help but smile though... George Louis Costanza: I was in the pool! I was in the pool! ~ http://mycarvingtree.com/GeorgeCostanza.aspx

anne artist said...

perhaps to smile when baffled is a way to turn when in the midst of the circle.

E. Studnicka said...

Aren't we all standing in the middle of a circle- metaphorically speaking?

anne artist said...

do you mean all of us are standing in the middle of one circle?

of course, we do live on a big circle.....earth.

E. Studnicka said...

We are all at a place surrounded by directions in which to turn.

anne artist said...

"surrounded by directions in which to turn"

"surrounded" seems to be a pivotal word, here. it is different than "standing".......

there are times when i do feel surrounded by the directions......

anne artist said...

tonite, when i stood beneath a rainbow, i wondered if i am all directions and if so, there is no need to decide which way to turn.

E. Studnicka said...

Our lives are but a series of decisions of which way to turn. We are the sum of those decisions, so we are all the directions taken and the world is the circle of infinite possible directions to come.

anne artist said...

mwb, i now have a new world view, thanks to you.....

Anonymous said...

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