You-Want's Life

“We draw life, life draws us” is a thought-inducing quote.  When we draw, a window opens for us to take note of a moment in an organic form of art, where we exercise control over how every stroke of ink leaves a mark. Life drawing is traditionally conducted with a nude model. The understanding is simple: Beauty is found along the lines of muscles in their purest, most honest forms and how lighting could play magic on the way the human body looks. Life drawing strives to capture the spontaneous, natural shifts in the physical arrangements of our bodies, as Socrates quotes: "It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable."  Artwork by @naqiebm (Instagram) However, in a conservative society that dishonours nudity, life drawing is a challenge to be understood. In the name of art, life drawing celebrates body positivity and the creative expression around it. The community designs its environment to withhold an immense leve...

Here we are, back again for another episode of Sunday volunteering amid my crazy schedule. This time around, my friends and I have decided to spend our Sunday with Dapur Jalanan, a food preparation and distribution project for the community in central KL. The sweltering Malaysian heat was killing all of us when we arrived at Kelab Bangsar Utama- just some 30 metres away from Bangsar/Bank Rakyat LRT Station. It was a slightly rundown row of shop lots, which contrasted the modern railway station and high rise buildings in the surrounding.  When we were briefed of our agenda of the day, excitement was evident across faces. Our tasks were rather direct: prepare ingredients, cook a meal and then distribute the food near downtown KL. The management team was easily outnumbered by our group of volunteers, which made our presence feel extremely important as the list of action plans could not be completed without extra pairs of hands, despite sounding as easy as a three-step project.  ...