Leslie Dulfo
- Inside-out, Outside-in - January 23, 2025
- Affirmations - January 9, 2025
- Watches - December 27, 2024
As we all continue with our in-between moments, pause and take a deep breath for life is not to be taken seriously when nobody at all gets out of it alive!
How are you? It’s the mid-week, Mondays are for a motivation boost or a wishing well for weekends that never ended. Thursdays may be a trudge, a reality that you are already stressed and tired with work. But then, you remember it’s almost a Friday and you’re looking to make it to that Friday night party. If you’re lucky, you might have that TGIS (Thank God it’s Saturday) mode. But back to the present day, Thursday is still an in-between!
I remember that before I decided to make the title of this column as In-Between Lucid Intervals, I took in-betweens literally as a typical word put together. Little did I know that in Animation, In-Betweens are the drawings you need to make in the midst of a beginning and ending key or important frames.
I don’t know if you get me, but simply they are drawings that you have to create an imagery of showing what happened the moment the animation started until it ended. This can be done digitally through Adobe Animate or Clip Studio Paint or as traditionally and creatively as possible by flipping the papers strategically.
Now, I realize that the same word grew into me like a second skin. I am in the process of an in-between. My animation class started fun but I guess it’s sort of taking a toll on me. I realize how hard it is really with dwindling trust in my skills in a place that’s not my comfort zone. So I guess, I better find a comforting piece – my writing.
All the while, I thought arts was meant to be fun and enjoyable but I realize that deadlines take a toll and that responsibility and discipline is such a big word. I have high respect for those who remain true to their crafts, especially to one of the CSDA Animation trainers and mentors Sir Louie Dacca. A huge thanks to you! Although the Animation class and your headache is still far from over, it’s like saying many are called but few are chosen.
I say I am in a feat of in-betweens – a movement of ups and downs and inevitable moods. However, I believe things are manageable more than it has been years before. Everyday, things get better. Also, the spirited voice-overs I used to hear in my head, the weird stuff I used to think before my schizophrenia diagnosis began, has evidently been stuffed with a sensible joy and laughter now. Other times, a cause and effect tandem of sadness, embarrassment and humiliation do dwindle my hopes.
Sometimes, I believe that emotions are better felt to a degree of not avoiding it. That negative emotions should be welcomed the way tears fall down to clean our eyes or perhaps our soul. That even anger and anxiety must be faced and released through healthy coping strategies.
Why do we need healthy coping strategies? It is because as I experienced in life, hurt people hurt other people. That negative people end up queuing other people into negative vibes. Such is the real power of the mind and the emotions. It is so strong that parents who never grew out of their issues could also pass these issues onto their children as an intergenerational curse. Therefore, making parenting a subtle part of our matured lives and an important part of any child’s future.
The in-betweens again are at work – the moments between childhood and adulthood. That would probably mean adolescent stages where guidance and parenting is essential. It doesn’t matter if you are a single mom or dad, or an aunt or uncle or a married couple still working through the pitfalls, things should be essentially about your child’s in-betweens and coping for good mental health.
If you were to animate a beginning and ending keyframe of a child’s life, what in-betweens would you draw? What do you want your children to remember? The choice is dependent on you, make the most of what matters!