art

Artistic, musical, creative, and entertaining topics in Journal's workplace sphere.

The Quiet Resignation
It's not burnout. It's not quiet quitting. It's something far more deliberate — and far more dangerous for teams who don't see it coming.
By Muhammad Sabeel5 months ago in Journal
The People I Miss Most Are Still Alive
The people I miss most are still alive. They're not buried in cemeteries. Their names don't appear in obituaries. I don't visit their graves on anniversaries.
By Muhammad Sabeel5 months ago in Journal
Another Day in Montréal...
It all started on a bus. It was a beautiful day, and I had already done my run in and by the local track. I knew that I had a private class to teach online in the evening - along with preparing for two new contracts starting later this month - so I could enjoy my time before staring at a computer screen for ninety minutes. I also had just finished Molly Crabapple's 'Drawing Blood', a memoir of her life as an artist and thorn in the side of the establishment. I was feeling as though I had not done enough of my own work, despite writing both here and on another page about film, poetry and the world of contests and awards, and my own letters home to my mom. So I was not prepared for the trip to the library that gave me a feeling this would not be a regular day.
By Kendall Defoe 5 months ago in Journal
The Month I Lived Without Speaking
The challenge began as a joke. At least, that's how I treated it when I announced it to my friends. "No speaking for an entire month?" my friend Amir laughed. "You'll last two days."
By Muhammad Sabeel5 months ago in Journal
Why Do Humans Get Dizzy? An Evolutionary Biologist Explains
There is a structure nestled deep within your inner ear, roughly the size of an aspirin tablet, that has been doing essentially the same job for half a billion years. Long before there were humans, before there were mammals, before there were even land-dwelling vertebrates of any kind, something eerily similar to your vestibular system was humming away inside the skulls of ancient fish, helping them navigate a world of water. And that structure is the key to understanding why, on a perfectly calm morning, a slow roll out of bed can send the room spinning.
By Muhammad Sabeel5 months ago in Journal
The Meaning of Adam’s Rib
For centuries, people have argued about the story of Adam’s rib. Some interpret it as a statement of female inferiority. Others reject it entirely as an outdated symbol of patriarchy. In the process, what many people miss is the possibility that the image was never intended as a statement about ownership or hierarchy at all. It may be understood as a metaphor for divine union, mutual honour, and sacred responsibility.
By THE HONED CRONE5 months ago in Journal
A System That Protects Perpetrators
There are moments when living through trauma changes the way you see every institution around you. For many survivors of violence, the hardest truth is not what happened during the assault itself. The hardest truth is what comes afterward. It is the realization that reporting a crime does not guarantee justice, that telling the truth does not guarantee protection, and that surviving does not guarantee support.
By THE HONED CRONE5 months ago in Journal
Top BLs. Content Warning.
Top BLs No real introduction is needed for this list. I have made notes on whether they are generally safe to read, but if I forgot a scene or a warning let me know in the comments! Read on, fujos, read on.
By J "Griffin" Rooms5 months ago in Journal
I've Been Thinking
I don't think we are responsible for anyone's idea of ourselves other than those closest to us—most importantly, our children. In my opinion, everyone else can hit the bricks, higher-ups included. It stands to good reason you were not placed on this planet to be a ballerina pressing ninety pounds on cardboard tips, reaching for an illusion. Well, unless you want to be a ballerina, but that's beside the point. Who created the measures? From the moment you enter this world, you are evaluated. A good slap on your bum and your lungs are checked; a pinch on your eyelids and a piercing light is beamed into your eyes. A finger is poked down your throat for blockages, and a cold stethoscope is pressed to your chest. You think that's it and they will move on, but no. We were probably blissfully happy on the inside. Nine months later, more milestones arrive to be reached within a particular frame: walking, talking, and weight. Can we acknowledge here this might be where the constant need to compare ourselves began? Hello—bathroom scale. Somewhere in the archives, it is stored that I didn't speak until I was two. Then, I gave a complete sentence: "I want my tea." Was I developmentally behind? It was suggested. It wasn't physical, as they had my tongue checked more than once, but I do have a couple of theories based on desire and need. If there is no desire, I do not see the need. At five, cognitive and social skills are tested. Is it so important to color between the lines? Do you need to make friends with little humans eating sand in the sandbox? Why is it necessary to be shaped into the standard model when so much sunshine is outside? The testing goes on and on through every layer, every relationship, and every dream, until academics create tests to tell you what you're good at and what career paths to choose. Passion is nowhere in the equation. A thousand maybes and could-haves are abandoned before they can breathe, conformity pressing lives into acceptable versions of themselves. Individuality breeds innovation. It always has. The strange ones question things. The curious ones wander off path. The misfits rearrange the furniture of the world while everyone else argues over where the chairs are supposed to go. So, what exactly are we so afraid of? For solutions, we are asked to think outside the box after being molded to fit inside it. I do not advocate for acts counterintuitive to health and wellbeing, but I’m still sorting out where the psychological boxes end and where the wonder and excitement in individuality begin. What if you like dancing even though your rhythm is a bit off? Dance like you invented it. What if you like striped socks with flip-flops? Add a scarf and micro shorts—you'll really get them talking. Why race to be the best by their standards? Be the best by yours. How many people learned to shrink themselves before they even discovered who they were? Art graded by critics who decide what's framed and what sits quietly on the wall in a diner. Yet somehow, over good food and light music, more people glance at the picture of the little boy racing his paper boat down the canal than those in the museum might ever see. Guess what? The diner for the win. Literature designed by mechanics to be pleasing, landing softly on the page, when good ideas are often abandoned for fear of coming up wanting. To whomever reads this—write on. Where is the test that measures how well you carried your own strange light through the world? Now, that's a test worth taking.
By Ms Jade 5 months ago in Journal
The Side Hustle I Thought Would Change My Life. Top Story - May 2026.
Decisions to Make The hardest part of writing this, since I knew ahead of time that I wanted to write it, was trying to decide which side hustle to write about. Yes, there were several over the last many years. So, I’ve chosen not to write this about just one and instead to just give you some of the examples that I’ve come across and left. I truly thought each of them was going to change my life and my financial situation. I was wrong.
By Timothy A Rowland5 months ago in Journal
Adriana Kostov - Financial Services Trends That Are Changing the World
The financial services industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Driven by rapid technological advancements, changing consumer behavior, and global economic shifts, financial services are transforming how people save, invest, borrow, and manage money. From digital banking and artificial intelligence to sustainable investing and blockchain technology, these innovations are reshaping economies and creating new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.
By Financial Services Media5 months ago in Journal
BLESSED BY LOVE.
Love isn’t just a feeling or words spoken in a beautiful moment, rather, love is what you choose to do daily and consistently, even when it is not convenient. It is seen in the effort you make, the little sacrifices, the check-ins on the people who matter to you, and the genuine concern you show for others. Love is in the respect you give people irrespective of their race, background, status, or appearance, simply because they are human beings deserving of care and dignity. Love is in the simple things many overlook , such as the appreciation you show, the “thank you” you say, the kind words you speak, the support you offer, and the patience you extend to others. It is choosing kindness even when life has not been kind to you. It is forgiving those who hurt you, not because the pain did not matter, but because peace and healing matter too. Love is offering a helping hand even when there is nothing to gain from it. That is true love. Love is staying when things are difficult. It is praying for people when they are too weak to pray for themselves. It is celebrating others genuinely without envy or bitterness. Love is correcting people with wisdom instead of humiliating them publicly. It is choosing understanding over unnecessary anger, and compassion over cruelty. Sometimes love is simply being present, sitting quietly with someone through their pain, reminding them that they are not alone. In a generation where many people hide behind pride, ego, and selfishness, genuine love has become rare. Many people long to be understood, appreciated, and cared for, yet few are willing to give the same energy to others. But love was never meant to be selfish. Love gives, supports, uplifts, encourages, protects, and restores. Love does not seek to destroy people emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. Instead, it helps people grow into better versions of themselves. The truth is, we may never fully understand the battles people are facing internally. Some people are smiling outside while silently struggling with pain, disappointment, anxiety, loneliness, grief, or exhaustion. That is why our words and actions matter more than we realize. A single act of kindness can restore hope to someone who was ready to give up. A kind message can brighten a dark day. A prayer can strengthen a weak heart. Never underestimate the power of love expressed through small actions.
By Sunshine Writes5 months ago in Journal