@valo
@valo
Yesterday was one more hectic day. Lots of stress that takes your last drops of energy. I was at 4500 steps and I thought that I'm way too tired, but then I changed ny mind. I was feeling very stiff, so I decided to stretch a bit with my phone in hand. To my surprise, I heard it vibrate at 23.58! I'm so glad I tried reaching the daily goal even though I was totally exhausted and I didn't believe I can make it. To honour the beginning of my favourite month, I generated a few…
@valo
This vortex is like a portal to another world. This swirling mass of energy can take you wherever you want to go. It can be a place of mystery and adventure, or simply a way to get away from to this world and all its problems. Would you jump in?
@valo
Blue and yellow streaks resembling the mixing of two dyes in water. Stirring them causes turbulences inside the liquid and the dyes visualise the lines of the flow. In science, there is also the term laminar flow which describes the case when a liquid is flowing without making any sudden vortices. Imagine pouring slowly from a bottle. The water just glides down, then splashes as it hits the bottom of a glass. The splashes are another example of a turbulent flow. #Abstract…
@valo
Yesterday, I woke up to a beautiful spring day, among the warmest so far this year. I decided to spend the day outdoors and went for a walk in the forest. The trees are starting to get new leaves, and flowers are blooming everywhere. It's just like being in a fairy tale. I was well prepared and put all the photography gear in my backpack. Ouch, that was heavy! I don't even want to know how many kilos were hanging from my shoulders. But it doesn't matter. I felt so alive and…
@valo
After walking for a while, I arrived at the seaside. The wind was fairy light but continuous, and the sea made the water dance. The waves were crashing against the rocks, and it was so peaceful listening to them. I sat down on the sand and just enjoyed being there, feeling lucky that I could experience such wonderful things. It would have been sad to be stuck in front of my laptop and miss out on that. #Artwork #Digitalart
@valo
It's 23.45... and I realised that I have almost but not quite done 5k steps today. Yes, but... I haven't posted yesterday's, either... No I'm not going to lose my chance... after all, yesterday I actually worked to pass the limit of 5000. So, now as I'm typing, I'm also moving... Yay! The prompt for today's artworks is "exercise". #Artwork #Digitalart
@valo
Yesterday I mentioned how Actifit had counted 4600 steps for the day but the clock was pointing at 23.45. I took up the challenge and started moving around the room to hit 5k. At the same time, I was also typing a few sentences. I was nervous but actually made it. So now I'm submitting the report with these results. I must admit I was nervous that I won't manage both posting and exercising at the same time in such a short period of time, but it worked out. There's not much…
@valo
Yesterday there was a small patch of blue sky for the first time in at least 2 weeks. It gave hope for a clear day. This inspired me to ask starryai to make art with the prompt "blue sky". I like how it created a window but with a frame. #Artwork #Digitalart
@valo
Just a boring day, but I hit 8k steps, so I'm happy. I can really feel it in my shoulders when I don't move enough. I don't really have much to tell about the day, but I did some AI art. I was inspired by my trip last weekend when I was enjoying the sunshine by a lake. It was so pleasant to sit on a rock at the beach. The AI created sceneries that are very different from what I saw but they're still pretty.
@valo
Autism Awareness I do not like the word autism awareness. Many people in developed countries are aware of the existence of autism. Some are aware of its stereotypical traits; however, this is by far not enough... Want to know more about Autism? Read more about Autism on Vocal.com https://vocal.media/psyche/what-does-it-mean-to-be-aware-to-understand-and-to-accept-55t5v06z2
@valo
I'm really disappointed with myself. The day before, I managed to set my personal Actifit record of almost 18k steps... Obviously, that isn't the reason for my disappointment. I was really busy all week. And yesterday when I finally came home and I thought I finally have time to post my amazing result.... it turned out that it was already after midnight. What a pity, I missed my Actifit award. In consolance, I can at least think of all the steps that I had to make during the…
@valo
In the past few days, my mental state has been sinking quite deep. I made more than 6k steps, yet I had no recollection how. I made a few pictures with the prompt "lack of feelings" using starryai #Artwork #Digitalart
@valo
Why Do Neurodivergent People Have Quirky Special Interests? Are we the only ones? Most people have one or two special interests that they focus on intensely. Maybe it’s stamp collecting, bird watching, or spending hours tinkering with cars. For neurodivergent people such as those having autism or ADHD, special interests often take centre stage in their lives. Special interests can provide a sense of focus and calm for us, neurodivergent individuals. They can also be a source…
@valo
Distant to life The toxic thoughts that sometimes obsess our mind Distant to myself Stress takes its toll on us. Demands come from every direction; for many of us - most of the tight demands come from the inside. We become distant from our true self; we even start rejecting it, downplaying its value. But do I even have any value? This is a sad but real question that some of us have asked. What am I actually worth? Can I really contribute to anything in this world? Do I…
@valo
And so he promise for sunny weather came true! It was a nice fairly wait day for this time of the year, and I spent all day outside. Read: until about 16 because that's when the sun sets in these latitudes. I got plenty of photos to share on the coming Wednesday walk topic. I made some pictures with the prompt "Cool sunny day". When I said warm earlier, I didn't mean t-shirt weather 😁 it was 7 degrees Celsius when usually at this time it's around zero.
@valo
When is the last time when you laughed for real? Do you remember what made you genuinely happy? What defined the moment when you were elated and feeling as if on cloud nine? If you are struggling to reply to these questions, you truly need to stop and review your life and its direction. Something is holding you up. There is an obstacle between you and your happiness. It is time to evaluate your priorities. What matters to you the most? Are you working towards your happiness?
@valo
Your life only ends with your death Throughout our lives, we go through various adverse events. Some bigger, some less important. The fact is that everyone will go through struggles that leave permanent marks. Comparing one person’s misfortune to another one’s is pointless, inappropriate, dismissive, and disrespectful. We are all different and have different tolerance towards hardship. Just because somebody appears to be “overreacting” does not mean that they are simply some…
@valo
People who lack self-confidence often resort to people-pleasing. That brings some approval and triggers the feeling of being successful. Sadly, this comes at the cost of one’s well-being and true happiness. The brain loves a dopamine rush. Receiving praise can be a massive overdose of the happiness hormone. This makes some people go too far, ignoring themselves and their own needs. I love cliches for how true they often are. Happiness comes from within. Nothing can make you…
@valo
What to do about it? There is no simple cure. The best thing you can do for yourself is to find a therapist. A professional can guide you to the core of your problems. Recovery takes years. It is a long journey, but one that brings more self-understanding. Knowing who you are and what your needs are will lead you to true happiness. Good luck!
@valo
The weight of depression on your shoulders We have heard time and again how common depression is, how harsh it can be on the individual, and how being understood is surprisingly rare. There is stigma around mental health conditions. And there is also a lack of belief. There is blame for being weak and characterless. And there is downplay as if it is one's own choice. *"Carrying weight on your shoulders" - an artwork I generated using starryai.* I have previously written…
@valo
The weight of depression on your shoulders We have heard time and again how common depression is, how harsh it can be on the individual, and how being understood is surprisingly rare. There is stigma around mental health conditions. And there is also a lack of belief. There is blame for being weak and characterless. And there is downplay as if it is one's own choice.
@valo
Bright and Vibrant Flowers in Bloom — With an Extra Boost Yes, these photos are all overprocessed, but the extra colours make the flower pop. It takes a while to choose the right setting but sometimes I allow myself just to waste some time and relax. The photos came from my phone, so I put them through multiple apps to make them look less like snapshots. First, I use the iOS Photos app to adjust the basic settings like brightness, contrast and vibrance. Then, I open the…
@valo
I have previously written multiple articles about mental health inspired by my experiences. Then I stopped. Not by choice. I was forced to. Depression commanded so. Admitting that you are struggling is very hard. You just want to push through. You tell yourself that maybe tomorrow you can do all the things that you wish to get done. Yet it does not happen. You are equally exhausted. You start hating yourself. #Artwork #Digitalart
@valo
I know that, eventually, life will change. It is a "been there, done that" kind of situation. Still, it does not make me less depressed. When you go through an episode of darkness and manage to recover, you gain experience. The chance of relapse is quite high. And I have been through that. Sadly, many end up losing the will to live. And that is by no means a sign of weakness. It is a wail. Depression hurts. It brings an unbearable weight on your shoulders. Reaching out for…
@valo
There wear glitches with Actifit and I ended up missing two reports, but at least I'm glad I manage to track my walk by the sea. It was the first sunny day in about a month or so. It was cool but really beautiful. Has winter arrived already in your country and city? I have a few pictures generated in starryai inspired by my trip. The prompt for the next artworks is "a magical winter landscape". The AI did amazingly well. #Artwork #Digitalart
@valo
The first snow of this season Yesterday I had some errands in the city again, and I decided to walk around and see how many Christmas decorations have been put up. It's still fairly early to put a Christmas tree if you ask me, but the strings of lights make the gloomy November days prettier. There is some kind of festive and bright atmosphere around the warm glowing lights. Also, now we have a snowcover. It isn't very cold, just a couple of degrees below zero Celsius, so…
@valo
Merry Christmas everyone!
@valo
Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year. I love the atmosphere, the decoration, the lights that brighten up the dark winter days, sweet Christmas music, time spent with dear people, everything really. I actually never believed in Santa Claus as a child, but I was looking forward to what kind of present I will receive. This week's photo contest by @friendlymoose focuses on this magical time. @friendlymoose/pobphotocontest-new-round-christmas I was originally…
@valo
Meteor shower I tried taking photos of he Geminid meteor shower, but luck wasn't on my side. It's true that it was not the day of their maximum rate when there can be 120 and more meteors per hour. I didn't see any meteors myself during a nearly three-hour observation. My camera managed to capture only one small meteor but it's too pitiful to share really. At least I tried. I don't regret it at all even though I only got some four hours of sleep. It's better to feel like a…
@valo
So... my plan was to write a technical article every other day and then randomly some thoughts. Alright but... there is life happening, too, with its demands. I got plenty of tasks done today. I am actually rather satisfied with my results, however, I also wanted to write an article about Linux. And I started. I have a paragraph and some random sentences that will become the rest of the article.
@valo
There isn't just one word to describe love LOVE Is a sanctuary, a safe haven to retreat to and recuperate during hardship. Love gives you warmth and a source of energy to recuperate from the hardship that you face on a daily basis. Do you remember when you were a small child how you would run to your mum when you were scared? Or how you were asking dad to pick you up? It was safe, right? I bet you remember well your first kiss. It was magical and unique. Maybe even it was…