Those Mornings

I've been having a lot of those days recently. The kind where I notice I'm awake, and I open my eyes to see a brightly lit ceiling, and I wonder if I even fell asleep. And then I take the covers off, and sit up and put my feet on the floor and just sit on the edge for a while. And I just think, and think, and I wonder what I'm going to do for the rest of the day. I always feel like I should call it a day already, and just go back to sleep. But I always force myself to get up and be productive, but most of the time, I return to my bed at the end of the day, and I feel so unproductive. And then I promise myself I'll try to make things better tomorrow.

This morning was different. I couldn't force myself to be productive, so I came back to bed and curled up with my laptop. I just wanted a half hour to myself.

Earlier last month, Naima, Samar and I submitted our documentary on Revisiting Tarab to a competition in Dubai. An email from the dean congratulated us on taking the Habib Award of Media Innovation, 2nd place in Documentary.

I got up and got ready, because I felt like that little email gave me all the time that I needed to myself.

I'm pretty sure this is when I realized that maybe it's not the time that I want or need, it's probably the fact that I'm not putting the time into the right things, the things that I want, and I need to change that.

I should be making more films, and you should be doing what you want to do.

Go do it right now,
-Deena

PS. I still haven't gotten over the shock that our first documentary ever won an award. It's really funny to think that we made that for a class project, and our professor gave us a C for it. That was entirely discouraging, and this award just juxtaposes that grade right out of my mind.

2nd Year Closing

The end of Second Year is approaching seriously fast. I'm behind on work and stressing out, and all I can remember is how we started this blog around this time last year. We were so excited about getting into Second Year, and now, here I am, contemplating whether I made a right decision by staying in this program.
I guess we'll find out one day.

In the mean time, here are a few sketches from my sketchbook:

A hooker from one of my dreams. 

Oh yea, I forgot to mention my latest project is to turn all my dreams into comics, 

and make a big comicbook of dreams. 

That sounds kinda poetic, 'comicbook of dreams'.

A girl in my class.

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to squeeze in any time to sketch nowadays. I never have a nice, relaxed day where I can sit down and just draw everything I wanna draw. I usually stay up an hour extra, sitting up in bed with my dim bedside lamp on, sketching a few characters out before I force myself to sleep. Or instead of taking notes during lectures, I just draw people in the class. Trying to get as much practice as I can, but finding the time can be quite a strenuous task. 

Finals soon,

No time to waste,

-Deenaaa

Talk8

The Sharjah Art Foundation invited us to present our documentary we made on 'Revisiting Tarab'.
It took place at Bait al Serkal, in the Sharjah heritage area, under the title "Talk8," where people present work they've composed in response to work displayed/performances hosted by the Sharjah Art Foundation.

We actually didn't plan our outfits

Our point of view. Mats and beanbags to lay on

Uncanny resemblance

Watching our documentary

Cupcakes and conversation afterwards

It was a very relaxed and laid-back event, which was so refreshing. Sharjah does art best, honestly.

After that, Samar and I cabbed it to Qanat al Qasba. We visited the Maraya Art Center and looked at art before we went to a cafe to get refreshments.

Samar bought me a balloon, and we named it 'Chicken'

It was a gorgeous and fun Wednesday night. Samar and I are thinking of making it a tradition to go out every Wednesday to an art thing.

Behind on work now, but I'll manage,

-Deena