curtains

Curtains. The topic on everyone's mind, right?
Okay so maybe this one seems a little odd (I'm sure I could do worse), but I promised to write truthfully and this was my final train of thought before I dropped off to sleep the night before last.

"Ugh, I haven't shut the curtains but I can't be bothered to get out of bed. Oh well, the sky looks pretty and it's nice to wake up with the sun filling the room. Plus, the light is off so there aren't any scary reflections in the windows. Aren't curtains weird? I mean, they're just rectangles of fabric. But there could be a serial killer outside and as long as my curtains are closed, I'm safe. It's not like they'd actually protect me. How do they make me feel better? My curtains aren't even very thick. They couldn't stop a bullet. Or a sword. But they keep away the monsters hiding behind my reflection when the light is on. Thanks, curtains. Good job."

Strange huh?

Here, have a photo of me and my trusty curtains.

(The roll of toilet paper, box of pills, and hands over my face are because I am tres ill.)

"helvetica journal"

My older brother took Graphic Design as an A Level during which time his work focused largely on typography. I remember when he first discovered the font "Helvetica" and how beautiful he thought it was. It might sound silly to some but our family is intrigued by things like that. He showed me the differences between Helvetica and Arial; small but significant. The parallel lines used on certain letters, along with the perfect angles of others. As self-diagnosed perfectionists and individuals who find indulging in a little OCD behaviour fairly satisfying (in some areas - not including bedroom cleanliness), Helvetica is the perfect font. Anyway, enough rambling about pretty shapes. Helvetica is my favourite. (Amongst many other pretties.) 

I feel that, even if I found an extremely stimulating topic to blog about, this would eventually become another typical digital diary, and so I shan't attempt to avoid the inevitable outcome. This is an online journal. I will write about my everyday activities and odd imaginations. Some posts will be interesting. Others less so. I like the idea of record keeping, of having your feelings written down to read at a later date. A way of remembering past events that were seemingly unimportant at the time. I love to see the handwriting of different people (perhaps I should write a message and photograph it?), but the permanent nature of the internet is appealing to me. A couple of times now my phone has betrayed me and had an involuntary breakdown, resulting in the loss of all my photos, videos, notes, etc. My goodness it's awful. I wouldn't say I'm addicted to my phone (it broke about a week ago and I've had to live without it), but I find the thought of losing all these sentimental things really upsetting. For this reason, I'll try to regularly add photos and videos and random, unusual crap that is interesting to me - and possibly you (if there is anyone reading this).

This is a practise piece I photographed and edited for my A2 Photography exam.

I used Helvetica Italic for the text.

and so it begins

I named my blog "Helvetica Journal" because that is all I believe it will be. My friend, Alice, started a blog the other day (www.alicethroughthecomputerscreenglass.blogspot.co.uk) which I found interesting and inspirational and made me long to be viewed in the same fan-girly way that I view her. The last couple of days (since reading her first blog entry) have been different to most. Not different in the spending of my time, but different in my perception of these activities. In fact, the minutes of these days have been filled with the exact same monotonous routines as always, however the desire to write about my life has lead to an alteration in my outlook. I have searched tirelessly for something exciting and thought-provoking to write: an inspirational rendition of anything and everything, created simply by chucking in my recently eighteen-year-old brain's philosophical considerations; a few photographs of my ordinary life, made more inviting through an exaggeration in colour saturation; and the ideas inspired by others (like Alice), whilst making an effort not to 'copy'. (I have realised that I most probably engage in a great deal of accidental copy-cat behaviour; a realisation that I find fairly upsetting as I feel it suggests I am too boring or stupid to create for myself.)

Despite the surface normality of the last 48 hours or so, I have been happy. Happier than usual. I have thought more about the silly little things in my life. I have focused on the thoughts that pop into my mind and often avoid sharing. The slightly OCD tendencies that irritate me on a daily basis. I have been reminded of the Christmas that I received my first 'proper' camera. It was a Canon D10 and it completely altered my perception of everything! I viewed streets as rectangle frames, ensuring that focal points were in an aesthetically pleasing position to make for a beautifully composed photograph. I feel as though I have undergone a similar transformation. Attention has been paid to minute details in my pursuit for a unique and thrilling existence, and although I have found nothing new, I have found that my life is, pretty good I guess.

This is me.

Chloe Alexandria Heath.

Hi.