I haven’t posted on HIVE in over a month. My absence isn’t due to the slow market, though it’s disheartening to see HIVE's value dip so low. Life has just been hectic, leaving little room for anything extra - including posting here. However, I’m hoping to change that and make regular posts a priority, fingers crossed. That said, I have to be realistic. Given the stage of life I’m in right now, posting once or twice a week is much more manageable.
So, what have I been up to over the past month? A lot has been happening, but I’m not going to unload every update in this post. Instead, I'll just share the highlights. I may or may not dedicate a post to each one - time will tell.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Apologies for the gross image - that’s a picture of my last wisdom tooth. Good riddance! Before the extraction, I had been dealing with mild dental pain for about a month. I kept hoping it would improve on its own, but as we all know, no amount of waiting can heal a decaying tooth. I was fooling myself. The tooth had to go.
The reason I hesitated was that wisdom tooth extractions are horrible. I had my first two removed when my daughter was about a year old, and the recovery was brutal. One of the teeth required dental surgery, and the pain was unbearable.
This time was no different. Though my dentist decided I didn’t need surgery, she warned me the extraction would be difficult due to the tooth’s position. She was right. It took her nearly 25 minutes to get it out, and at one point, she even mentioned that it was tougher than expected and surgery might be necessary. But she pushed through.
Afterward, I was left with a gaping hole in my gum, which I took care of diligently. Unfortunately, the blood clot didn’t form properly, and I ended up with the dreaded dry socket. The pain was excruciating. I had to go back to the dentist to get the socket cleaned and dressed. The pain eased slightly, but it still throbbed constantly. I couldn’t really talk or eat, and painkillers only helped for a couple of days. It took a full month before the wound was completely pain-free.
Some Drawings I Made The Past Month
While recovering from the tooth extraction, I didn’t focus on any specific projects. Instead, I spent time drawing stylized portraits in my sketchbook using colored pencils. I love working in my sketchbook because it lets me be more creative, without the pressure of worrying about "mistakes."
I’m still working on my "Saudade series," but as I mentioned, the dental pain has made it hard to focus on any project. This drawing is the fifth in the series. I look forward to sharing more about it once it’s complete.
Poetry Writing
At the start of the year, I returned to poetry after nearly 20 years away from it. I even enrolled in a few creative writing courses to deepen my understanding of the craft. While my work is far from perfect, I’m proud of myself for pursuing this passion and hope to publish my own poetry anthology someday.
For anyone serious about pursuing writing - whether it’s poetry, fiction, or nonfiction - regular reading is essential. Here’s a small stack of books I recently purchased.
More Creative Courses
At some point in life, everyone faces an existential crisis. For me, it’s happening now, as I take a closer look at where I want to be. While I’m doing okay as an artist, if I’m honest, I don’t feel like I’m realizing my full potential. I haven’t yet achieved my dreams, either as an artist or as an individual.
Currently, I’m taking a 12-week course to help refine my journey as a creative. In October, I’ll be attending another personal development course that I hope will shift my mindset and change the way I approach life. I can’t share the details of that course just yet, as it’s quite personal.
These are just a few recent highlights from my life. There’s more to share, but I’ll save those for future posts.
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, life musing, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Note: All images used belong to me unless stated otherwise.
Thank you for visiting and reading my post. I hope you like it!
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