there are days that are so dark that there is no light
and then there is light
It seems like the light comes from nowhere
but somewhere there is a source
and it makes one feel so alive
and this has nothing to do with how much you know
or how much you have achieved
it is just joy
that comes when nature and nurture
work in combination with each other
like a dance
like a duel
like a duel dance
That is shimmering
glimmering
flimmering?
but simmering!
if it is too dark for you
wait for the light
if you are in light
The darkness will come
donโt be afraid of it
embrace it
in stillness
in remembrance
in hopefulness of light yet to come.ย
purposewithpals
Pals (Palak Malik) is an emerging interdisciplinary artist and digital content practitioner.
about
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How many times can you have the same thought?
How many different ways are there to think about the same thought?
How to obsessively not think about what you want to think about?
How to think of one thing when 1000 things are wanting your attention?
How to find that one thing?
Looking for easy answers only. -
sometimes the gloominess is so bright
it shines through the night
it never feels alright
it is blinding to even open your eyes
it hurts when I close my eyes
it settles like a fog
on your window panes
on my car windows
on your eyeglasses
and your vision is
brightly blurred
and my vision is
blinding bright
and our vision is
brightly burned
you canโt see near or far
i play it blind
you bluff your way through
there is no thought in my mind
there is no truth on your tongue
there is no word in my soul. -
I didn’t even know that these words were inside me
I didn’t see them coming out of my mouth
And spilling onto the paper
Onto the white canvas
And on my blue bedsheet
The black inky existence of these many words
Forming, reforming, deforming
As they come out of my body
And into the universe
But the words are not mine
But they could be
And these words, they can’t speak
I want to talk to these words
And I want to know
If they are reborn as they come out
Or do they die
Do they thrive in this earth’s atmosphere
Or maybe just maybe do they survive?
A few of the words got stuck in my teeth
I can see them when I laugh
And some are clinging to my tongue
I don’t know if they are the right words
As I have not seen them yet
I will see it
When you hear it
When you talk to me
These words talk back
They come like bouts of Vomits
And they turn into flowers or stones
It is difficult to say what will come next
The flowers are made of glass and will pierce your skin
your skin and your bones
your skin and bones
The stones are soft
softer than you can think
they are mashable
They are squeezable
But when you squeeze
They weep. -
I’m letting go of the ideas of how it is supposed to be
Because it is not.
I’m embracing my ideas of how the future will be.
Because it will be.
Do I know it in my knowing
Or do I accept my unknowing
What will be
Will be.
But will it be?
There is no space for but(s)
Catching all the but(s)
Punching them together
Pinching them together
And digging a grave of ifs and buts
I’m making this big potli (bag) of my wants
want love
want care
want respect
want this
want that
And holding it with all my strength
above my head
And then, throwing it as far as I can
Want nothing
To be nothing
To feel nothing
Yet, still be something.
Could be, Should be. Would be. by Pals (2025) -
If you don’t know what you’re looking for
Can you still find it?
How many hours of finding will it take?
To take me where my soul wants to go…
What should I explore?
Where should I explore?
When should I explore?
Why should I explore?
How should I explore?
Should I wait here in the stillness or flow with the flow?
Should I take the journey there in the world outside of me
Or should I sit back, relax
Tighten that imaginary seat belt
And, look through the inner lens
What if I’m looking inside
And
And
And
I miss the wonders of the world!!
What kind of exploration
What kind of experience
What kind of experimentation
Do I dwell in?
In just committing to exploration
Can I aim for the ultimate gift of life?
What is the ultimate gift of life if it is not
the joy of discovery!
Does it take 10000 hours of work
to get there?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Are you willing to put in the work
to get to
wherever you have to go
whenever you have to go
however you have to go
Time to Go by Pals (2025) To
Go
to
A
Place
You
Don’t
Even
Know
to a feeling that may be alien to you
to a moment that might be fleeting for you?
Are you ready to go?
To abandon everything you know. -
I have been thinking about how we perceive the world.
And, how the world perceives us.
And, if it is all just an illusion.
An illusion, a narrative that we collectively buy into.
And, how was it even established?
The order of the world?
Shall we accept and remain in the realm of consciousness?
Or shall we move forward and cross those boundaries
How do we process our emotions, thoughts and feelings….
How do they relate to us on a subconscious level?
Can we fully tap into our unconsciousness?
Should we even try to?
What do we do for it?
Free writing
Yoga
Mantras
Art therapy
Movement
Music
Guided meditation
Visualisations?
Do all paths lead to the same destination?
Why even bother going on this adventure?
Why take the journey?
Should we focus on connecting with the self?
Or connecting with the world?
The world seems to be connected in ways that we can’t imagine
Because even a slight introduction to it
is enough to spin us
into a whirlpool
So what should we do?
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i keep dreaming
And my dreams keep changing
i’m never the same
i’m here and sometimes i’m there
i’m looking outside the window
but i can see deep inside me
today, i see a few clouds in the sky
some of them are fluffy balls of snow
some are black and conniving
some are just indifferent to me
yesterday, i have seen the sky on fire
the sun was burning it in simmers
all we could see were glimmers
as it shimmered
i have seen the brightness dissolve the darkness
i have also seen the day eat up the night
i have been waiting for the rains
but it never rains when i want it to
it only rains when it rains
the clouds are no more
they went somewhere
it probably rained elsewhere
there is tea boiling in the pot
but i don’t want to have tea
i want to have te…
tequila!
with 3 slices of lemon and five oranges
and a spoon full of salt and sodium
and that’s how i like my cranberry!
but then it rained
when i had given up all hope
when i couldn’t even see the clouds
i didn’t realise i was in the clouds
and i let my tongue out
and it got struck by lightening!
So, raise your glasses
make your drink
i’m drinking the sky
and licking the salty sea rim.
Drinks on me by Pals (Palak Malik), 2025 -
Semiotics is the language of signs and symbols.
It has whispered to me for years, yet I never truly followed its voice to the depths.Then came this moment, a lecture on visual thinking by Kaustabh Khare, was being held by the Pint of View Club. I felt the pull of the classroom once again, the call to sit in wonder, to listen, to learn and to doodle.
Hereโs what I took away from that room, my notes and reflections.
So, let’s start with the basics, what is semiotics?
๐ There is an object itself
๐ There is a sign for it’s representation
๐ And, there is mind’s interpretation of the sign
So, that’s the heart of it .
There are 2 types of language logic that helps us make meaning of this world we live in –
1. Verbal Logic
Verbal reasoning is linear, sequential and entity based.
2. Spatial Logic
This is more visual, relational and simultaneous.
Also, some shapes spark connection or let’s say instant correlation in our minds.
That forms the foundation of the visual language. For example:
3 things that have stayed with me from this lecture –1. Symbols live in our culture
Some of them are universally shared like the symbol Up & Down are mostly showcased by arrows. This accounts for a shared visual vocabulary. Some are shared nationally like when you say a country or a region, the representation is likely to be a map or a flag.
2. Some things are easy to represent than others
For simple emotions like sadness or happiness, we do have a shared visual vocabulary and in most places the representation is the same. But on the other hand, some symbols are more difficult to represent like trust, anxiety or even faith.
3. Stereotypes sneak in
Stereotypes are more evident in visual iconography. For eg when you draw parents it’s most likely to be a male and female icon with a kid. It is difficult to get away from such biases.In truth, symbols do more than let us see. They give us access to a shared visual language. They are metaphors that stir memory, evoke emotion, and accelerate learning. And perhaps the deepest lesson: every time we define what a symbol is, we also define what it is not.
๐ P.S
1. Kaustubh Khare’s class notes from his time at Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University :
https://www.instagram.com/kalam_kalakaari/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-to-remember-every-boring-lecture-youve-ever-had-to-sit-through/
2. Pint of View Club organises lectures across bars and pubs of India:
https://www.instagram.com/pintofview.club/
https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/pint-of-view-slakes-bengalureans-thirst-for-knowledge/article70022636.ece -
i feel my spine moving
it is tilting to the right
no one will believe it when i say it
but, there is a spine shift!
all my ideas of life
all my thoughts and believes
all are misty
it’s so twisty.
iโm losing my centre
and no one can see it
not even me.
i feel it
deep down
in my gut
like
my
body
knows
it
deep
down
inside
it is moving
the spine is moving
like a snake
that it is.
it is curling
the spine is curling
like a cat
that it can be.
it is moving from left to right
and, i can’t fight
i bite
i bite my tongue
one time
and, even twice
to check if i’m alright.
Spine Shift Illustration by Palak Malik (Pals)
purposewithpals 