My Biggest Project Horse & Updates

It has been a month since my last post! The reason? I have been struggling with many things of varying challenges, and one small pebble is the blog and FB updates. I was pondering for a looong while about the possibility of shutting down; or rather, MIGRATING my clay blog to FB. However, i realise through experience that there is a place for blogs after all, and one big reason is that i don't think FB postings are meant to be like blog posts. So, yes, i am back online again. Moreover, I have my PEAK PARADIGM Business website plus blog which i need to update also. Check out what i do: www.peakparadigm.com.sg and my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/leonardkok#!/peakparadigm

Well, to play catch up slowly, i want to update you on the largest and most challenging piece to date: My horse. It has undergone three changes of colour, after some wear and tear from transporting from exhibition to exhibition.


This colour change also carries a spiritual theme: Man was the owner of all created things and he was the resident owner of the Garden. He was pure. (white) Then, of course, sin entered via the Serpent and the First and original couple was kicked out of Paradise. (Black). All creations then lived under the Curse until prophesy pointed to and was fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus. We are wood, covered in GOLD.

Now this latest colour - GOLD- sits nicely in my study ;-)

Cultivate your passion!

It is interesting that with every birthday, the text in my post has become longer. Perhaps, it is the gradual de-censoring of my thoughts and feelings. Perhaps it is the gradual and personal revelation which matters more and more to me. To be true to myself.

Today is August 1,2011. I am getting somewhere and yet at a snail's pace in the direction where i want to head towards. Drips and draps of official opportunities in cultivating my passion. My thoughts for today, before i head to my tutorial, is this:

Passion, left unattended, will fade into the mundane rhythm of mere existence. Passion, focused and cultivated, will spark, ignite and flourish.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Medium: a brand of Korean Air-Dry Clay. The blue fish is of course the early Church's symbol of Christianity. The colour is achieved by mixing it with white clay.

Here we go again!

Seasons come and go - before you know it, the (Lunar) Mooncake Festival will be here again. Festivals and occasions are traditional and cultural symbols. They anchor us to our roots and identity. They help us to mark time. Festival after festival; year after year.

The relentless tide of annual events carry us along our existence, silently and surreptiously. Soon, we stop counting for every 15th day on the lunar calendar, the moon fills the whole circle, only to be "crescentised" - then the rigmarole repeats itself. Time and tide indeed wait for no man.

Though this regularity, we can just go through the motions. Money flows in, the bills get paid, tuitions and enrichment courses get paid for, with the bonuses paying for big and small overseas family trips and nice things which we want as toys. And so it keeps us reporting for work and at the end of every work day, say "OK, another day, another dollar!"

I have enough of this.

I want to get unfamiliar with this mind-dumbing stuff. I want to do what i think is meaningful for my existence and at the same time, fulfil my role as a parent; and enable the less fortunate to have more opportunities. I believe balance can be achieved. I choose to believe that the social business pie is somewhat different from the dog-eat-dog, zero-sum-game-pie. I choose to believe that the idea of a social enterprise can work. I believe my idea can work. Which of course led to www.peakparadigm.com.sg
My business plan is also affirmed by the professionals at Mckinsey Consulting, the Rolls-Royce of Consulting, who are so kind enough to listen to my plan for 30 minutes. The meeting, organised by the SES, turned out very encouraging for me.

Thank God for gainful employment, four months into my 'declaration of independence.' Opportunities and assignments are coming in. I am enjoying my time engaging students. But I hope the trickle of opportunities provided by the SES will turn into an outpouring. And that i don;t have to wait for another full moon to see things happening.

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Picture - Mooncakes. Medium - a brand of Korean Clay. The colour stays vibrant and unlike the real mooncakes, this won't flake. There are many uses for these authentic-looking mooncakes. If you are keen to have a lesson or two, email me: leonardkok@yahoo.com.
I do corporate teambuilding using air-dry clay as well. Enquiries are welcome.
For more information, check out www.peakparadigm.com.sg
Check out my FB page as well:https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/peakparadigm

New Pathways, Business Aspirations & Ideas

I am sitting here in a car machine shop at Sin Ming Drive, Singapore, getting my engine oil changed. My last post was in April, before Mother's Day 2011. As the old, sticky oil is being dripped, and new golden synthetic oil poured in, i am writing and updating everyone who has been tuning in to my posts an update of new pathways in my life and my business aspirations. Since April 2011, I have been on my own, with my training company PEAK PARADIGM.Check out my FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/peakparadigm. I am also lecturing in a good local polytechnic, and i am enjoying much of my time there. One particular class an IT class, has been a great source of happiness for me.

My public talk at Tampines Regional Library (TRL) last Saturday finally went 'on air' smoothly after some hiccups. The sign ups were not up to my expectations, very possibly due to the little publicity given; but the generally young participants enjoyed themselves. I didn't need to prepare much as i used leaves that were hand-made many months back as starting points for the participants.

The theme was hatched on Friday itself. Why not make it a red and white affair? Our National Day is just round the corner. Of course it made sense. TRL also made the event smooth by kindly providing 3 helpful student helpers who also would like some CIP (Community Involvement Prog) hours pumped into their student records. Nice touch!

A supportive student from SP came to support me and it added to the success of the talk. The pictures once again tell the sense of satisfaction of a well-spent hour and half. Thanks to Su San who coordinated this public talk. I am looking forward to more talks and public demos ;-)

I'll just sign out here and give more personal updates tomorrow and onwards. Cheers!

You want to do something handmade for your mom. You want to show your love. Now you have the chance. Have a clay artist teach you!
Clay workshops special two-day This afternoon (Fri, April 29) and tomorrow afternoon (Sat, April 30). figurines, small cakes, cookies, earrings, pendants, hearts, kuehs, etc.

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The Signs of the Times

The icons of the 21st Century which are a part of my life:
Today i will start a series of personal recollectons of the signs or logos which have interested me and have become a part of my life. It also could have been a part of my life in the past in my growing up days. However, i must remind the reader that the logos are symbolic representations of the entity, and not the enitity itself.

This reminds me of the 1930 painting and elaboration of Belgian's artist René Magritte, painted when Magritte was 30 years old. The picture shows a pipe. Below it, Magritte painted, French for "This is not a pipe." The painting is not a pipe, but rather an image of a pipe, which was Magritte's point:



Let this be a caveat and a disclaimer as i share the icons which are currently a part of my life.

JAPAN WILL RISE AGAIN

Today is exactly one month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit JAPAN. The world noted that another unfortunate, but less impactful earthquake, hit the Land of the Rising Sun today.

The universal hope of healing and communal bearing of suffering continue to alleviate the pain of the people of Tokyo and Japan.

Even as the world mourns, I dedicate this clay artpiece to the People of Japan. From the ashes of the faces of human suffering, hope and rebuilding will take root and out will spring forth a spiritually awakened; and stronger JAPAN.