“Creation Stories: The Beginning of the End”
“Creation Stories: The Beginning of the End” is a new
take on typical creationism stories that suggests that the universe was brought
forth by a being called Purusha by birthing a golden egg. This is a Hindu
concept that purports that Purusha “is everything and will be everything that
will ever exist.” The story is rightfully cyclical which is symbolic as the
related Hindu religion values this theme of life as an endless string with no
definitive beginning or end.
This storybook caught my attention as it appealed to the
philosopher in me given its relation to the unanswerable existential question
of existence. I think this angle of using the Purusha as a window through which
to understand this phenomenon sounds like it will create a creative
perspective. The stories are supplemented with research and background
information which helps an ignorant reader such as myself with some training
wheels to understand the story like an insider who may have experience or
knowledge on the subject and its references. Overall, a very thorough
introduction and visually appealing images in the banners. The home page image
of the galaxy particularly is an appropriate choice for a story centered around
the topic of the universe.
“No Birth, No Death”
“No Birth, No Death” is a first-person account of
Mother Earth through her own voice whose “mission” is to help her “children”
understand the balance of birth and death as two sides of the same coin, so to
speak.
This storybook is SO intriguing. This is the kind of
storybook that harnesses the sort of creativity and thoughtful articulation I
can only wish to achieve in my own writing. It maintains the same banner image all
throughout the tabs of leaves in a circle depicting their life cycle, which
perfectly combines the themes of life and death with the focus of the
environment. This author has written in poetry instead of prose, a daring
choice that pays off in the way of being unique. I didn’t know this was an
option, so it’s something I may come back to for inspiration when project time
comes around. She also includes personal art that seems purposefully created
for her story. This personal touch is the cherry on top; this author is a true creative and pulled out all the stops. She writes with a very distinct voice,
too, which I think is something that all notable writers share.
“Motherhood: Cycles of
Sacrifice, Forgiveness, and Unconditional Love”
“Motherhood: Cycles of Sacrifice, Forgiveness, and Unconditional Love” surrounds the stories of
several mothers inspired by the Indian Epics. The introduction is a creative brief that suggests that the story will be dramatic and emotional given the
evidence that the qualities of sacrifice, forgiveness, and unconditional love
will be driving the events.
This storybook has the
imagination of the previous with its choice of poetry, but as more of a
supplement to the prose. I really love the concept of showing the diversity of
womanhood by choosing to center around women with different relationships to
each other and in different stages of life: as a wife, daughter, and sister. I
can’t speak on how it relates to the assigned reading, but I intend to come
back to this one since it draws on themes that I tend toward—relationships and
gender. This storybook’s images are also hand-drawn which again is a nice
touch, something that I might attempt with my affinity for art though I’m no
professional. I tried the link on the “Three Wives” page for the banner image
because the style is something so unique and was curious about the artist, but
sadly the webpage must have been updated and the image no longer available.
Something to consider, too, so that when I choose pictures to represent my
story that all of my sources are stable and reliable.
Concluding Thoughts:
What I like about these
storybooks that there is a common thread of relationship dynamics that runs through them all. This appealed to the philosopher in me to consider how they work on a fundamental level at the basis
of all events and relations. I looked at other storybooks, too, one based off
the magical world of Hogwarts in the popular series by J.K. Rowling “Harry
Potter,” another that looked as though it came straight from the imaginary
universes of the “Rick and Morty” series. How these books can be taken in so
many different directions, all with the basis of the Indian Epics as core
inspiration is so cool. I look forward to dipping into the Indian Epics myself
before long and seeing where my mind’s eye takes me.
(Image included in "Motherhood" Introduction; Image Source: Pixabay Stock Photos)
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