Hello, dear readers!
My previous post was about the main ideas behind this blog. My ideas may have roughly illustrated who I am as a person, and I'm sure over time you'll get to know me a lot better. Yet, for those who want to read a proper introduction, I'll tell you a bit something about myself.
Language
I come from Latvia, I am 22 years young. Soon to be a graduate of English Philology. I have always been apt to learn a language. I speak Latvian, English, French, and a bit Spanish; and I have some knowledge of German and Russian, only enough to understand what's written. But when I started studying linguistics, I realized the power of language itself. Language constitutes our understanding of the world, it is difficult to separate concepts from the language. Words tint the concepts in different shades of connotations and immediately evoke an emotional response towards them. I mean, immature sounds insulting compared to youthful, am I right? Language is simply fascinating to me. And yes, this means I'll definitely discuss language from different angles. And no, it won't be anything like your boring 12th-year grammar class.
Advertising
The one field that language comes really in handy is advertising. Besides my full-time studies, I am currently working as a content marketing project manager (crazy, I know). I am developing content for brands on social media. What I love the most about my job is the ability to exercise my creativeness, and the reward is the energy I get in return. Of course, working in an ad agency sometimes is one hell of a tornado. And although sometimes I feel suffocated by the consumerism around us, I have to admit, with the rise of social media, advertisements have become deeply embedded in modern life. We cannot escape the posters and targeted ads on Facebook. But what we can do is understand what they want to achieve and how they work on the human mind. So we can use that knowledge to not fall into the trap of unnecessary spending! Leave a comment, if you're interested! I'd love to share my observations.
Free time
I am quite a busy person, but I am really excited to start writing on Steemit, because writing makes me happy and helps clearing my mind. Typically, I relax watching films. Some years ago I would finish at least two films in one evening, I was that eager to watch all the classics of every genre and every era, and since the day the must-watch list is growing.
When I can, I read, although not as often as I'd like (24 hours per day, and one hefty part devoted to sleep sometimes is a disadvantage). I have at least four books in progress.
What I always have time for is listening to music. I enjoy music to the fullest. And making playlists is one of the joys of my life
I also love painting and drawing, I'm a self-taught, and I keep practicing and improving with every time. Some of my works you can already see compiled here, including my favorite oil pastels: http://kaulakalna.wixsite.com/art-site/oil-pastels
Follow me for updates on new works, I'll let you guys know what I'm working on!
Favourites
TL;DR? Then here is a brief list of my top favourites:
- Architecture styles: modernism, minimalism, art nouveau, art deco
- Art movements: impressionism, expressionism, hyperrealism
- Culture: everything à la French
- Film directors: Wes Anderson (his intricate cinematography), Quentin Tarantino (his postmodern approach and taste in music), Martin Scorsese (his storytelling)
- Literature: postmodernist novels, the beat generation, Charles Baudelaire, and Latvian poets: Klāvs Elsbergs, Imants Ziedonis
- Best novels I've ever read: "Brave New World", "1984", "The Collector"
- Music that moves me: jazz, blues, soul music, the Rolling Stones, and music of the 60s (everything groovy and swingy), but I also love a wide variety of genres
- My heart belongs to: the 1960s, obviously; the French Riviera and the culture of San Francisco.
Thanks for reading!
Au revoir!