Chronicles of a Late Bloomer

Art is a microscope which the artist fixes on the secrets of his soul and shows to other people these secrets which are common to all. (Leo Tolstoy)

I stumbled on these two videos/animations today while cruising youtube. The creator is doing the thing to which I often aspire — speaking his truth without apology. We’re just lucky because the truth he explores is his own morbid obesity. There is so much in these pieces which speaks to me.

Learn more about the artist here and here.

I was appalled to learn (and, I’m sure, so was he) that his original starting weight was not 376 (as depicted in the video) but actually closer to 400 pounds due to a faulty scale. Poor guy! That’s enough to derail any train.

I love how the second video ends with a version of Bolero — that famous 15-minute yawner which does nothing but repeat the same 6 measures over and over and over again. It feels like weight loss — like Groundhog Day — like purposely finding a rut and staying there.