One of my favourite things to do in the world is swimming. It makes me feel free and at home. Guess it’s no surprise that a song called Swimming – this one being by Florence + the machine – peaks my interest.
I mostly know the demo / live version found on Between Two Lungs. I adore the entire album, and as usual some of my absolute favourites of it are among the bonus tracks, Swimming being one of them.
Your songs remind me of swimming
Swimming – Florence + the machine
Songs that pick water themes usually do a good job in representing this in their sound, not only their lyrics (e.g. Pool by Paramore, I Need Air by Nothing But Thieves). I love this type of sound more than anything. I’m very familiar with the atmosphere below the surface, the quiet, the deceleration; but also the power of water and how it can move you.
Music and swimming are connected for me, since while you’re swimming there’s nothing to do except think or listen to music (through a waterproof mp3 player or just in your head if you can). During practise I’d regularly think of one song per lane, groing through albums in order to make counting easier. I assume this is where I’ve trained not only my swimming abilities but also my ability to call any song to mind at will.
When I finished this painting I realized that I’d already painted something similar in 2018. I’m very proud of how different the new painting looks – I’ve progressed quite a bit towards a style I love. I think this time the message of diving into the beautiful universe is much clearer.
I’m very happy that even at 26, with art not being my profession but a hobby, and not my only hobby, I can see such clear improvements between what I want to achieve and what I create. The closer I get to what I want to create, the happier I am with my art. And today’s piece feels like a massive success. I love the painterly style, and the whole piece reminds me of Impressionism, which is probably my favourite art style. I want to keep going in this direction in 2023 as well!
jenyoyo 