I experienced absolute beauty today in the parking lot at my doctor's office.. This young man was helping what I assume was his grandfather into the doctor's office.. his gentleness with him was beautiful.. It made me think of how I never had a grandpa (both passed before I was born) and the obvious love was... beautiful. YOUR videos have helped me notice things like this more often. They have helped me sit back and reflect on those moments. Thank you!
I can't be the only one who finds these videos really helpful for my mental health. To touch a heart of another is truly a wonderful accomplishment. Thank you, sincerely.
These videos surely are heart warming, I had no idea what treats i'd enjoy by bumping into this channel, but it's proven to be a true diamond in the rough. Have a blessed day where ever you are 😁
It is also worth listening to the late Roger Scruton eloquently explain how beauty has been lost from modern life and what the consequences are for us. th-cam.com/video/5zHg7vxrAlo/w-d-xo.html
This got me CRYING AT NOON. I needed this so so so much. I've been writing for 12 years and am now 26, trying to get my first book published. this past week, my mind has been spinning with all of the obstacles against me; all while I'm working on a new project, trying to create something new. I feel the pull between the fear and the want to do so much more, to create for the sake of creating. It's hard. But so necessary.
I too have been trying to cut my writing chops for years, it's so incredibly difficult. Im proud of you for having made it as far as to actually have something to publish, you're doing great! Keep up the good work!
I have been writing two books for 30 years. I have enjoyed every moment. They remind us that it is about the journey and not the destination. I hold that to be true. Some day, I will publish my books. The stories will change people's lives forever, when they read them. I will likely be dead of old age, by then, in which case the journey wasn't mine at, but theirs.
Nature, films, literature, art of any kind, human bravery against odds, innocence, animals , sincerity of emotions, catharsis, grief, joy, mourning , attempt to understand the unknown, empathy, altruism each aspect evokes a keen sense of absolute beauty for me.
“It’s when the words of a poet or an author reflect what is within your own heart, thereby articulating parts of yourself that you couldn’t put to words yourself” I just want to say that YOU are that poet and author for me - perfectly describing the feelings I have, but which are very difficult to express. All of your videos touch something really deep within me and I am really thankful for that!! For these 10-20 min I able to escape the reality and truly experience the beauty or sadness of this world
"Where the beauty around you becomes the same beauty you see in yourself." I think I really, really needed to hear those words. Thank you for this gorgeous and heartfelt essay
This channel and the community surrounding it always reminds me, that there are still people out there willing to look for beauty in this world. To that I say, thank you. To all of you.
This is strong but, I love you. I love the work you do in this world. I really feel like you are giving voice to perspectives we desperately need but are gated behind nuance. Your videos are easily digestible yet cut so deep. Synthesizing a multitude of mediums, picking apart the best bits, stitching the concept back together in the sweetest way; I have cried dozens of times during your videos. Some I have seen many times over now. I try to spread your videos far and wide. I'm blown away by the breadth and consistent quality of your output. If beauty is being seen, your art has the humble pleasure of magnifying beauty. The fractal of understanding expands with help from your guiding hand. Thank you. I am inspired. Prayers towards you and your muse: may there be safety from the obsession of perfection.
During lockdown I discovered how much the search for beauty (by going outdoors with my pocket camera) does for my mental health. At times taking pictures of moss, snowflakes and or trees seemed like the only good thing that could happen in days or even weeks. And yes - recognizing beauty makes me feel mir connected, even when I'm on my own. Thank you for shedding a bit of light on this experience!
I remember one day I watched a sunset in the desert, it was like the sand had a golden reflection on the sky, I was gathering dried plants weed to start a fire, I stopped and looked at the sun set, I was free, it was beautiful and I can never forget that feeling.
I often listen to TH-cam videos as I work, allowing them to inhabit the background as I fulfill my mundane tasks. But, I can never do this with videos from LSOO. Your videos demand my complete attention, to be saved for when I can concentrate on them in full. Your works are masterpieces of thought provoking prose. Thank you for creating them.
Those moments when you feel you are simultaneously loosing yourself and finding yourself. Your videos often bring about moments as such, thanks for your work and keep it up please!
"To be enveloped by light, yet at the same time, shining." Thank you. It's a profound experience to have your heart's greatest desire encapsulated in a single sentence. This whole video is a work of art that is at once an ode and a critique of art itself. Hearing you talk about losing yourself to the pursuit of absolute beauty only to find it alluding you is exactly what I have been struggling with. There's nothing worse than the feeling of almost being able to touch the heart of humanity, to look God in the eye, and discovering at the last moment that you can't go all the way. What does the 99% matter if that last 1% is unattainable? It takes a huge load off my shoulders to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.
Hands down this is one of your best videos to date. I cried my eyes out and took a few minutes to reflect on the deeper matters of life, especially with so much that has crashed over me this past year. True visual and narrative poetry. Sincere gratitude LSOO for this beautiful message.
“If I never meet you in this life, let me feel the lack. A glance from your eyes, and my life will be yours” that’s one of the most life changing monologues I’ve ever heard. The Thin Red Line is a beautiful film. Especially the relationship between Witt and Welsh.
@Dilligent Yeoman yeah I totally agree. Thin Red Line changed my life. I saw that movie for the first time about a year ago. I’m only 16. I think The spark that Witt sees in welsh is something that is there in all of us. It’s something truly divine. This is such a beautiful monologue because he realizes that that spark is the only truth and everything else a lie. I don’t know what you think of the Bible, But in proverbs when it says “the fear of god is the beginning of knowledge” I believe that is what it means to fear god. I say to myself, Let that spark grow into a flame that consumes me. Rather than answer I will question. Rather than worry I will fill my eyes with wonder. Rather than trying to understand my existence I will trust in what is greater than me.
You my friend, are absolutely amazing. I’m so happy I found this channel. This is most beautiful content I’ve found on the internet. You make me feel my inner self, my thoughts, my light and my darkness. Extraordinary content.
We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words - to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Every time you come out with a video, I’m reminded I’m not the only one who feels this way or thinks like this. You manage to express everything I feel, inside of twenty two minutes. And to scroll down the comments and find others like me who are in love with this content brings some small amount of joy. I’ve been lost and surviving for god knows how long, getting through each day and just living, trying to hide from the pain and sadness that I carry inside. Then this comes along and lights the spark I once had inside again, reminding me of the things that matter and I once knew. What struck me at the end was how there seemed to be an unspoken conclusion that beauty, at its core, is love. Connection, understanding, being heard and seen, losing yourself in the other - all of this is the purest expression of love. Thank you so much for making this content. It's soul food
Like Stories Of Old has been a very real part of everything I have needed to transform my life. I still have a long way to go, but I am no longer a selfish piece of... Thank you LSOO. I love this channel and will always be grateful to you. Good luck stranger. Keep doing what you do.
This reminded me of the quote-prayer “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.” - St. Augustine. This video speaks so powerfully to that overwhelming restlessness within us, that insatiable hunger for Beauty. Thank you for doing what you do!
This channel is absolute beauty. For me: Perception is the key to absolute beauty. Looking into the eyes of your child for the first time or your first love. The rings of Saturn, a diamond sparkling in the light or just a sunset.
I wish I could somehow convey it, how much these videos have saved my heart. I have never felt so free than when I am visiting your channel. I have never felt more hope and love than when I am watching your videos.
You might not read this, but this video comes into my life at the perfect time. I'm going through a really tough time in my life and I have to say that your work helped me find beauty even in what i'm living. Thank you.
The connection between transcendental escapism and the desire to be embraced, validated and ultimately as a reflection of self love, as you put it, is beautiful .
More of a sunrise guy. I work out in the morning in a room with an window eastwards. I hated winter, still dark, draging. This morning the timing was perfect as the sun slowly got out of bed while I was already getting after it. Nothing better. I was cutting onions during the Dr. Who Van Gogh scene
Sometimes I watch these videos so much I feel like it has become an obsession, yearning for an emotional connection, meanwhile I ignore my actual life as it runs it's course without me noticing it Damn.....
Absolutely beautiful (no pun intended). I love that you used Sunshine and the Vincent Van Gogh Doctor Who episode as examples, the former always left me with that sense of wonder and awe, the latter moved me to tears. Both beautiful examples of that neverending and reflective search within ourselves.
I hiked up a mountain in Kazachstan with my girlfriend to visit a monastery. Hungover and stomach trouble caused by feasting with her family the night before, we finally got to the top. On the other side of the mountain on this summer day we looked down on a beautiful, green valley, looking towards other mountains. This was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. It made me cry, I feel tears welling up thinking back. I felt part of the mountains, as if they were close family. Then I relieved my intestinal stress in a small wooden closet with a hole in it with no door on the slope. It was the most relaxing crap ever..
'I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.' - Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
I’ve been struggling a lot w myself lately. Forced to move away from home in a last ditch effort to salvage my life and find myself again. These first couple of weeks have been extremely hard, almost impossible. I felt so stuck, lost and hopeless. This brought me to tears. Words can’t even articulate how profoundly it touched me. For the first time in a long time i feel hopeful. Excited at the opportunity to wake up and make the most of the time im given. Strive to create a life worth sharing with the world around me.
Twilight reminds us of balance between light and dark , and their melding together... thus reminding us of the inner struggle of ourselves, the battle of our mind whether to do good or evil
Thank you so very much for this. The great discovery of my life as a painter is the realization that the beauty we all seek does not exist "out there" so much - but rather inside of us all - collectively. I've experienced no more clear illustration of that than here in your beautiful video essay. Much gratitude
As a traditional artist myself, I can say that there are times when drawing, that you seem to fall into this space or "zone", where all sounds, smells, and even thoughts seem to mute. As an artist I recognize this when it happens and only after I got married and had children, did I realize that it can happen in other moments as well. When I'm focused wholeheartedly on my wife or playing with my children without thought of myself or things I need to get done. The world in those moments seems to slip away. I've come to realize that those moments of pure joy, or "absolute beauty", always include something or someone outside of myself. It always involves some form of creation. And to me, those moments we get to experience are like a fraction of a fraction of what God experiences with His creations. And what an unspeakable honor it is, to just catch a glimpse of them as they pass by. Thank you so much for making this video, Tom. Its a good reminder to cherish those moments.
I hope you know, how deeply beautiful your work is. Every time I am updated that you have made a new video, I am absolutely elated as I know that I am about to feel something real and mutually binding to the human experience. In a world that feels more and more defined by a shared profound emotional disconnection, your videos always reveal the deeper truth behind the feeling, that we are not as alone as we all seem to feel. To paraphrase the character of Will in 'About a Boy', "...men are island CHAINS. Underneath, they are connected...". Thank you very much for what you do. Your art is an inspiration to me.
Man... This could just very well be your magnum opus. The quality of the video is just as high as any other of your videos, but the topic just encompasses every other topic of human existence... If you stopped with your videos HERE, I wouldn't be surprised one bit. :) But please don't stop, a lot of people would love to hear more incredible insight from you. :) All the best, cheers!
I am always so overwhelmed by your videos. I sometimes hold on to a new video for weeks, until I know I have enough time to watch them with no distractions. I can never look away. Thank you
It was yesterday that I last admired the beauty of the sun and the clouds. I was so overwhelmed before this moment that when I saw this world in its beauty I put pen on paper and let go of my troubles for a moment.
Speechless is the only explanation on my behalf. Unable to behold the true definition of the state, and only bask in its spontaneous appearance. I try to cherish the moments when they do come, but never chase it for its essence alone is a blessing amongst the few who experience it even in its true glory. Your iteration of absolute beauty is one I will never forget and always keep high regard of. Thank you
We were on holiday down the South Island going through the haast pass and we went over this ridge and below was Lake Hawea. The colour was the deepest green blue, it was so... even now many years later that emotional upwelling at the memory of that colour is very powerful. I have seen deep blue skies but even that depth would pale to what I saw that day. Maybe it was the surprise coming over the ridge, maybe it was just that time of the day but it felt alive, more if felt pure. Of all the things I have witnessed in my life a simple almost flat colour is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I too enjoy watching the dance of colours at sunset but I found absolute beauty in Purity.
To experience absolute beauty, perhaps, is to embrace the Universe, and to be hugged in turn. Thank you for the beauty you so consistently bring into the world. There is no one I know who sees the world (and can communicate it through the medium of film) exactly like you seem to. And for that, and for you and your work, I am grateful. Thank you.
I have been watching your video essays for a while. There is no single one I can pick out saying this is your best work, but this one really hit in a different way. Lots of appreciation for your work.
Thanks, watched Soul recently didn't understand the downfall of zones, you explained it much better. I watch too many movies trying to escape reality. So when you find yourself in the zone while watching, instead of just continuing with your life. Take what you learned from the movie and apply it to your own reality. Great video, if I try to write anymore it will into a essay.
Thank you for this. The profound dialogue along with the montages from some of the best films is nothing short of sheer BEAUTY. And in that sense, you have given us another sunset, willow in the wind, gentle wave touching our feet, another thing of beauty.
Your video was truly cathartic for me. I've been crying for the last half hour. It just hit me how I miss painting so fucking much. All I've ever want to do in my life is create art non stop.
I truly love this video. It is up there with your video about people during disaster as one of your all-time best. Noone could give us this, but you. So, thank you.
☀️Ever heard of the artist Stanislaw Szukalski, as a child he supposedly loved to stare at the sun but non close to him knew how damage full it could be until he burnt a hole on his retina or something and since then he always looked at things having a permanent black dot. I like Vincent's paintings but I LOVE Vincent Van Gogh or at least the stories around him and etc, the movies At heavens gates, Loving Vincent, Lust for life and the Dr Who episode with him totally made me cry, and still have a couple more movies of him to watch
That moment you experience true beauty in whatever form, your conditioned mind, the ego, is rendered dumbstruck and you experience a moment of hyper awareness combined with no thought. You are absolutely completely rooted in the present moment. This is a truly beautiful experience for human beings because, whether we realise it or not, we never truly inhabit that space. When it happens we are fully able to appreciate the intense joy of our own being. Only through recognition of absolute beauty in something outside of ourselves are we able to catch a momentary glimpse of the absolute beauty that lies inside all of us.
This is probably the 10th time I have listened to this and I find with every listen, I grasp something new new or ponder a new angle I hadn't considered before. Just so you know, probably for many of us, these videos are like gifts, and gifts that just keep giving. Man, how's that for beauty?
Guy I swear you made me cry. Please keep on making these videos. I always watch this videos alone that’s how much I cherish them. God bless you man. Words can’t express how I felt when I watched the video. Thanks 🙏 a lot man.
For me, beauty is seeing God playing with his power with love. I've never experienced a moment of being captivated by beauty and not humbled simultaneously! I'm not the creator of beauty but I have been given a secret access to bear witness to it.
I am nearly speechless. Thank you for painting with words, music, and images the “sehnsucht,” the inconsolable longing (a phrase borrowed from C.S. Lewis) that some of the greatest authors and artists have articulated in a way that in no way quenches our thirst for the absolute, but rather stirs it up, and maddeningly so. Oh to have that thirst forever quenched! I believe no good thing will be denied to those who truly seek with all their heart. They are the ones who will find. “At present, we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of the morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.” (C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”) Oh, to finally “get in!” That is what life is all about. Thank you, sir, for once again stirring up this inconsolable longing in me. God bless you.
I was absolutely blown away by your reference to Sunshine. I, too, was moved by that same character's transformation from witnessing the sun's magnificence. He couldnt even put it in words when he was describing it to his shipmates. His final embrace of the sun was perfect. Great video!
Speaking as a Christian, I think we can come to appreciate more of the beauty in life as we make ourselves each other’s servants. We see God in the least among us and as we prepare these meals and present each other with our alms of love and compassion, thoughtfulness and caring. Beauty as a human phenomenon must be inextricably connected with other humans. Focusing only on how we experience beauty consumes us in a destructive manner. But recognizing that that there is a health to beauty and it’s achieved through service to other humans is to taste of the greatest of Christian gifts-the gift of Christ Himself.
This channel is just wonderful. Happy to see u have Mubi’s support now! Most of your videos exhibit so well the dense and deep ideas of phenomenology/existentialism in such a relatable and beautiful way, so glad to have this kind of content available here, thank you
When did you last experience absolute beauty?
Watching your videos.
My experience with psychedelics helped me see outside of my field in physics bringing great peace ☮️
Great video bro, like usual. Would love for you to do an in depth look into the JL Snyder cut
The sun has an *eldritch* quality to it.
You can't look at it for too long and yet you can be fascinated by it.
It's odd but neat.
I experienced absolute beauty today in the parking lot at my doctor's office..
This young man was helping what I assume was his grandfather into the doctor's office.. his gentleness with him was beautiful.. It made me think of how I never had a grandpa (both passed before I was born) and the obvious love was... beautiful.
YOUR videos have helped me notice things like this more often. They have helped me sit back and reflect on those moments.
Thank you!
You save peoples worlds with these essays. I hope you know that.
I cry, I laugh, I understand, I feel. Every time.
its really true
That's a big claim. Not sure if it's true.
@@orangewarm1 who cares if it doesn't saves you? It saved me and mandala
People don't orbits in your point of view
He may have just saved mine.
“When I look at my life and its secret colours, I feel like bursting into tears.” - Albert Camus
“At the heart of all beauty lies something inhuman" -Albert Camus
🌹
@@doonray Sartre said something similar in 'Nausea'.
He has an encounter with the true essence of a tree and finds it terrifying.
@@smkh2890 do you remember the quote?
@@jariswamee6370 Sorry, I haven't got a copy. you will just have to do some reading!
I can't be the only one who finds these videos really helpful for my mental health. To touch a heart of another is truly a wonderful accomplishment. Thank you, sincerely.
These videos surely are heart warming, I had no idea what treats i'd enjoy by bumping into this channel, but it's proven to be a true diamond in the rough. Have a blessed day where ever you are 😁
Yup, really needed this tonight
each and everytime, I feel whole when listening to these essays.
I agree with you completely,always feel better and more grateful for all I have after watching a LSOO video.
Totally agree with you. It made me feel alive!!!
I can honestly say that I get completely lost in the beauty of your video essays, what a profound 20 minutes that was
It is also worth listening to the late Roger Scruton eloquently explain how beauty has been lost from modern life and what the consequences are for us.
th-cam.com/video/5zHg7vxrAlo/w-d-xo.html
same here
This got me CRYING AT NOON. I needed this so so so much. I've been writing for 12 years and am now 26, trying to get my first book published. this past week, my mind has been spinning with all of the obstacles against me; all while I'm working on a new project, trying to create something new. I feel the pull between the fear and the want to do so much more, to create for the sake of creating. It's hard. But so necessary.
It’s a process ❤️
Never give up. Stay focused on why you love to do it, and do it.
I too have been trying to cut my writing chops for years, it's so incredibly difficult. Im proud of you for having made it as far as to actually have something to publish, you're doing great! Keep up the good work!
I have been writing two books for 30 years. I have enjoyed every moment. They remind us that it is about the journey and not the destination. I hold that to be true. Some day, I will publish my books. The stories will change people's lives forever, when they read them. I will likely be dead of old age, by then, in which case the journey wasn't mine at, but theirs.
Please never give up!
Phenomenal work Tom!
Thanks Thomas!
Always love to stumble on these exchanges between Toms.
@@PDXVoiceTeacher haha
Nature, films, literature, art of any kind, human bravery against odds, innocence, animals , sincerity of emotions, catharsis, grief, joy, mourning , attempt to understand the unknown, empathy, altruism each aspect evokes a keen sense of absolute beauty for me.
They are all the gifts of creator, they are to be cherished above silver and gold, life has no meaning without them.
Well put. You so poetically said that all of life is beautiful.
Lmk
Some of these videos need to be archived and saved for as long as the world exists. People from every generation need to see this at least once.
I absolutely agree!
“It’s when the words of a poet or an author reflect what is within your own heart, thereby articulating parts of yourself that you couldn’t put to words yourself”
I just want to say that YOU are that poet and author for me - perfectly describing the feelings I have, but which are very difficult to express. All of your videos touch something really deep within me and I am really thankful for that!! For these 10-20 min I able to escape the reality and truly experience the beauty or sadness of this world
absolutely - this is how i feel as well about Tom's work - and this essay in particular - well it is my heart.
Americans: Van Go
Brits: actually it's pronounced Van Gauff
Like Stories of Old: **cracks knuckles**
This is the way :)
"Where the beauty around you becomes the same beauty you see in yourself." I think I really, really needed to hear those words. Thank you for this gorgeous and heartfelt essay
This channel and the community surrounding it always reminds me, that there are still people out there willing to look for beauty in this world.
To that I say, thank you. To all of you.
This is absolutely, no hyperbole, the greatest video essay I’ve ever seen. Incredible
"So beautiful! They should have sent a poet...to watch this video."
They sent a poet to write it instead.
"Oh look a new LSOO video, time to cry then."
too real man
The end is hitting hard.
This is strong but, I love you. I love the work you do in this world. I really feel like you are giving voice to perspectives we desperately need but are gated behind nuance. Your videos are easily digestible yet cut so deep. Synthesizing a multitude of mediums, picking apart the best bits, stitching the concept back together in the sweetest way; I have cried dozens of times during your videos. Some I have seen many times over now. I try to spread your videos far and wide. I'm blown away by the breadth and consistent quality of your output. If beauty is being seen, your art has the humble pleasure of magnifying beauty. The fractal of understanding expands with help from your guiding hand. Thank you.
I am inspired. Prayers towards you and your muse: may there be safety from the obsession of perfection.
This is a very beautiful, brave, and honest statement to someone I presume you have never met. I am moved by your kindness.
“I find myself at the limit of what I can comprehend, and yet I crave more”
During lockdown I discovered how much the search for beauty (by going outdoors with my pocket camera) does for my mental health. At times taking pictures of moss, snowflakes and or trees seemed like the only good thing that could happen in days or even weeks. And yes - recognizing beauty makes me feel mir connected, even when I'm on my own. Thank you for shedding a bit of light on this experience!
Beauty is having tears run down your cheek watching this video, because somehow this video touched and moved me to my inner core. Thank you very much!
I remember one day I watched a sunset in the desert, it was like the sand had a golden reflection on the sky, I was gathering dried plants weed to start a fire, I stopped and looked at the sun set, I was free, it was beautiful and I can never forget that feeling.
I often listen to TH-cam videos as I work, allowing them to inhabit the background as I fulfill my mundane tasks. But, I can never do this with videos from LSOO. Your videos demand my complete attention, to be saved for when I can concentrate on them in full. Your works are masterpieces of thought provoking prose. Thank you for creating them.
"...to be at once enveloped by light, and shining."
Thank you 🖤
You're like a conduit for conveying absolute beauty.
No pressure, of course.
I just hope that after all this time you are still having fun.
"True synchronicity." Never thought of it that way; such a good way of putting it. Glad I waited to watch this one. Awesome work, bud.
Those moments when you feel you are simultaneously loosing yourself and finding yourself.
Your videos often bring about moments as such, thanks for your work and keep it up please!
"To be enveloped by light, yet at the same time, shining." Thank you. It's a profound experience to have your heart's greatest desire encapsulated in a single sentence. This whole video is a work of art that is at once an ode and a critique of art itself. Hearing you talk about losing yourself to the pursuit of absolute beauty only to find it alluding you is exactly what I have been struggling with. There's nothing worse than the feeling of almost being able to touch the heart of humanity, to look God in the eye, and discovering at the last moment that you can't go all the way. What does the 99% matter if that last 1% is unattainable? It takes a huge load off my shoulders to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.
Hands down this is one of your best videos to date. I cried my eyes out and took a few minutes to reflect on the deeper matters of life, especially with so much that has crashed over me this past year. True visual and narrative poetry. Sincere gratitude LSOO for this beautiful message.
LSOO, you have an stunning ability to translate your view and understanding into visual art. I'm very thankful for your gift!
“If I never meet you in this life, let me feel the lack. A glance from your eyes, and my life will be yours” that’s one of the most life changing monologues I’ve ever heard. The Thin Red Line is a beautiful film. Especially the relationship between Witt and Welsh.
@Dilligent Yeoman yeah I totally agree. Thin Red Line changed my life. I saw that movie for the first time about a year ago. I’m only 16. I think The spark that Witt sees in welsh is something that is there in all of us. It’s something truly divine. This is such a beautiful monologue because he realizes that that spark is the only truth and everything else a lie. I don’t know what you think of the Bible, But in proverbs when it says “the fear of god is the beginning of knowledge” I believe that is what it means to fear god. I say to myself, Let that spark grow into a flame that consumes me. Rather than answer I will question. Rather than worry I will fill my eyes with wonder. Rather than trying to understand my existence I will trust in what is greater than me.
You have a beautiful soul... It's nice how it glitters from my screen... You're the Absolute Beauty too... I hope you always know that
This is the first video on this forsaken site that actually made me cry. I hope you're happy, because I SURE AM.
You my friend, are absolutely amazing. I’m so happy I found this channel. This is most beautiful content I’ve found on the internet. You make me feel my inner self, my thoughts, my light and my darkness. Extraordinary content.
We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words - to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
12:30 talking about the zone is so true. It’s hard and yet amazing feeling
The Sun, Moon and stars have the same effect on me. Sometimes I feel like the search itself can qualify as an absolute beauty. 🌞🌝🌌
Every time you come out with a video, I’m reminded I’m not the only one who feels this way or thinks like this. You manage to express everything I feel, inside of twenty two minutes. And to scroll down the comments and find others like me who are in love with this content brings some small amount of joy.
I’ve been lost and surviving for god knows how long, getting through each day and just living, trying to hide from the pain and sadness that I carry inside. Then this comes along and lights the spark I once had inside again, reminding me of the things that matter and I once knew.
What struck me at the end was how there seemed to be an unspoken conclusion that beauty, at its core, is love. Connection, understanding, being heard and seen, losing yourself in the other - all of this is the purest expression of love.
Thank you so much for making this content. It's soul food
Like Stories Of Old has been a very real part of everything I have needed to transform my life. I still have a long way to go, but I am no longer a selfish piece of...
Thank you LSOO. I love this channel and will always be grateful to you.
Good luck stranger. Keep doing what you do.
This reminded me of the quote-prayer “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.” - St. Augustine. This video speaks so powerfully to that overwhelming restlessness within us, that insatiable hunger for Beauty. Thank you for doing what you do!
This channel is absolute beauty.
For me: Perception is the key to absolute beauty. Looking into the eyes of your child for the first time or your first love. The rings of Saturn, a diamond sparkling in the light or just a sunset.
I wish I could somehow convey it, how much these videos have saved my heart. I have never felt so free than when I am visiting your channel. I have never felt more hope and love than when I am watching your videos.
yes, yes, yes. this is the most accurate summary of this channel I've heard
You might not read this, but this video comes into my life at the perfect time. I'm going through a really tough time in my life and I have to say that your work helped me find beauty even in what i'm living. Thank you.
4 minutes in, and already cried like 3 times, nothing more to say...
I had tears welling around :17:30
@@thomasford5813 Same
Nobody said the things I've thought and felt so deeply in such a beautiful way before. I've always thought I was alone. Thank you.
“A photo can capture a moment to perfection. A painting can capture eternity”
The connection between transcendental escapism and the desire to be embraced, validated and ultimately as a reflection of self love, as you put it, is beautiful .
More of a sunrise guy. I work out in the morning in a room with an window eastwards. I hated winter, still dark, draging. This morning the timing was perfect as the sun slowly got out of bed while I was already getting after it. Nothing better.
I was cutting onions during the Dr. Who Van Gogh scene
Sometimes I watch these videos so much I feel like it has become an obsession, yearning for an emotional connection, meanwhile I ignore my actual life as it runs it's course without me noticing it
Damn.....
At least you can sense that...
Now go, make up your mind to do something about it!
Absolutely beautiful (no pun intended). I love that you used Sunshine and the Vincent Van Gogh Doctor Who episode as examples, the former always left me with that sense of wonder and awe, the latter moved me to tears. Both beautiful examples of that neverending and reflective search within ourselves.
I hiked up a mountain in Kazachstan with my girlfriend to visit a monastery. Hungover and stomach trouble caused by feasting with her family the night before, we finally got to the top. On the other side of the mountain on this summer day we looked down on a beautiful, green valley, looking towards other mountains. This was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. It made me cry, I feel tears welling up thinking back. I felt part of the mountains, as if they were close family. Then I relieved my intestinal stress in a small wooden closet with a hole in it with no door on the slope. It was the most relaxing crap ever..
I want you to know that you have the perfect balance of applying objective abstract ideas to such subjective art. Much love to you and your content!
I so enjoy the soft cadence of your voice. Quiet and captivating with acute observation and moving commentary.
'I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.' - Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
I’ve been struggling a lot w myself lately. Forced to move away from home in a last ditch effort to salvage my life and find myself again. These first couple of weeks have been extremely hard, almost impossible. I felt so stuck, lost and hopeless.
This brought me to tears. Words can’t even articulate how profoundly it touched me. For the first time in a long time i feel hopeful. Excited at the opportunity to wake up and make the most of the time im given. Strive to create a life worth sharing with the world around me.
Twilight reminds us of balance between light and dark , and their melding together... thus reminding us of the inner struggle of ourselves, the battle of our mind whether to do good or evil
It’s always been my favorite time of the day to see
Thank you so very much for this. The great discovery of my life as a painter is the realization that the beauty we all seek does not exist "out there" so much - but rather inside of us all - collectively. I've experienced no more clear illustration of that than here in your beautiful video essay. Much gratitude
As a traditional artist myself, I can say that there are times when drawing, that you seem to fall into this space or "zone", where all sounds, smells, and even thoughts seem to mute. As an artist I recognize this when it happens and only after I got married and had children, did I realize that it can happen in other moments as well. When I'm focused wholeheartedly on my wife or playing with my children without thought of myself or things I need to get done. The world in those moments seems to slip away. I've come to realize that those moments of pure joy, or "absolute beauty", always include something or someone outside of myself. It always involves some form of creation. And to me, those moments we get to experience are like a fraction of a fraction of what God experiences with His creations. And what an unspeakable honor it is, to just catch a glimpse of them as they pass by. Thank you so much for making this video, Tom. Its a good reminder to cherish those moments.
Just think you can not surpass yourself. You've outshine yourself again. Absolutely beautiful and moving. Loss for words.
The key is to be conscious of beauty, for it exists all around us.
I hope you know, how deeply beautiful your work is. Every time I am updated that you have made a new video, I am absolutely elated as I know that I am about to feel something real and mutually binding to the human experience. In a world that feels more and more defined by a shared profound emotional disconnection, your videos always reveal the deeper truth behind the feeling, that we are not as alone as we all seem to feel. To paraphrase the character of Will in 'About a Boy', "...men are island CHAINS. Underneath, they are connected...". Thank you very much for what you do. Your art is an inspiration to me.
Man... This could just very well be your magnum opus. The quality of the video is just as high as any other of your videos, but the topic just encompasses every other topic of human existence... If you stopped with your videos HERE, I wouldn't be surprised one bit. :)
But please don't stop, a lot of people would love to hear more incredible insight from you. :)
All the best, cheers!
I am always so overwhelmed by your videos. I sometimes hold on to a new video for weeks, until I know I have enough time to watch them with no distractions. I can never look away. Thank you
It was yesterday that I last admired the beauty of the sun and the clouds. I was so overwhelmed before this moment that when I saw this world in its beauty I put pen on paper and let go of my troubles for a moment.
I call those bright moments. Or compelling pauses. What gifts.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Your videos scratch that existential itch I can never reach.
"Existential back scratchers! GET YOUR EXISTENTIAL BACK SCRATCHERs HERE!!"
"I'll have two"
"That be two fiddy, thank-you."
Speechless is the only explanation on my behalf. Unable to behold the true definition of the state, and only bask in its spontaneous appearance. I try to cherish the moments when they do come, but never chase it for its essence alone is a blessing amongst the few who experience it even in its true glory. Your iteration of absolute beauty is one I will never forget and always keep high regard of. Thank you
*We tend to want to become good at the things we enjoy. And that effort destroyed the fulfillment we once had.*
Until we remeber why we actually enjoyed them in the first place and stop trying too hard...
We were on holiday down the South Island going through the haast pass and we went over this ridge and below was Lake Hawea. The colour was the deepest green blue, it was so... even now many years later that emotional upwelling at the memory of that colour is very powerful. I have seen deep blue skies but even that depth would pale to what I saw that day. Maybe it was the surprise coming over the ridge, maybe it was just that time of the day but it felt alive, more if felt pure. Of all the things I have witnessed in my life a simple almost flat colour is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I too enjoy watching the dance of colours at sunset but I found absolute beauty in Purity.
For some reason, that scene of American Beauty where the plastic bag was flying around, belongs here too.
yes
This video made me both cry and smile at the same time. You perfectly put in words how it feels to be "lost" in absolute beauty.
This touched me so deeply tears are now falling. Thank you.
To experience absolute beauty, perhaps, is to embrace the Universe, and to be hugged in turn. Thank you for the beauty you so consistently bring into the world. There is no one I know who sees the world (and can communicate it through the medium of film) exactly like you seem to. And for that, and for you and your work, I am grateful. Thank you.
This was profoundly moving. Thank you so much for making this essay a part of my memories.
I have been watching your video essays for a while. There is no single one I can pick out saying this is your best work, but this one really hit in a different way. Lots of appreciation for your work.
This video right here, is absolute beauty.
Lovely!! Let's not miss out on living in the moment, tap into the present! 🎁
Thanks, watched Soul recently didn't understand the downfall of zones, you explained it much better.
I watch too many movies trying to escape reality. So when you find yourself in the zone while watching, instead of just continuing with your life. Take what you learned from the movie and apply it to your own reality.
Great video, if I try to write anymore it will into a essay.
Thank you for this. The profound dialogue along with the montages from some of the best films is nothing short of sheer BEAUTY. And in that sense, you have given us another sunset, willow in the wind, gentle wave touching our feet, another thing of beauty.
Your videos always give me multiple goosebumps. I love it!
My search for Absolute Beauty has led me to your Channel. It is an understatement that your videos have changed my life. Thank you.
Tom, I could listen to your voice and immense wisdom and isight into life all day. Thanks for making such great content and sharing it with everyone.
Your video was truly cathartic for me. I've been crying for the last half hour. It just hit me how I miss painting so fucking much. All I've ever want to do in my life is create art non stop.
If I express my self honestly
Then that is absolute beauty.
I truly love this video. It is up there with your video about people during disaster as one of your all-time best.
Noone could give us this, but you. So, thank you.
Also my favorites!
☀️Ever heard of the artist Stanislaw Szukalski, as a child he supposedly loved to stare at the sun but non close to him knew how damage full it could be until he burnt a hole on his retina or something and since then he always looked at things having a permanent black dot.
I like Vincent's paintings but I LOVE Vincent Van Gogh or at least the stories around him and etc, the movies At heavens gates, Loving Vincent, Lust for life and the Dr Who episode with him totally made me cry, and still have a couple more movies of him to watch
That moment you experience true beauty in whatever form, your conditioned mind, the ego, is rendered dumbstruck and you experience a moment of hyper awareness combined with no thought. You are absolutely completely rooted in the present moment. This is a truly beautiful experience for human beings because, whether we realise it or not, we never truly inhabit that space. When it happens we are fully able to appreciate the intense joy of our own being. Only through recognition of absolute beauty in something outside of ourselves are we able to catch a momentary glimpse of the absolute beauty that lies inside all of us.
This video echos the love Jesus Christ has for us. In that love, we find home.
This is probably the 10th time I have listened to this and I find with every listen, I grasp something new new or ponder a new angle I hadn't considered before. Just so you know, probably for many of us, these videos are like gifts, and gifts that just keep giving. Man, how's that for beauty?
This video is, for me, absolute beauty.
Guy I swear you made me cry. Please keep on making these videos. I always watch this videos alone that’s how much I cherish them. God bless you man. Words can’t express how I felt when I watched the video. Thanks 🙏 a lot man.
G.K. Chesterton - 'The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.'
clever boy
This channel continues to touch not just my heart, but my soul. Thank you.
The first time I really listened to Eroica conducted by Karajan. I was like 19yo and will never forget the feeling
I know exactly what you are saying
For me, beauty is seeing God playing with his power with love.
I've never experienced a moment of being captivated by beauty and not humbled simultaneously!
I'm not the creator of beauty but I have been given a secret access to bear witness to it.
I feel that kind of feedback of inclusion when I look at my child’s face, it’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever experienced
I am nearly speechless. Thank you for painting with words, music, and images the “sehnsucht,” the inconsolable longing (a phrase borrowed from C.S. Lewis) that some of the greatest authors and artists have articulated in a way that in no way quenches our thirst for the absolute, but rather stirs it up, and maddeningly so. Oh to have that thirst forever quenched! I believe no good thing will be denied to those who truly seek with all their heart. They are the ones who will find. “At present, we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of the morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”
(C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”)
Oh, to finally “get in!” That is what life is all about.
Thank you, sir, for once again stirring up this inconsolable longing in me. God bless you.
Being melancholic about fleeting beauty is like being melancholic about pizza you just ate.
I would love to feel melancholic about pizza. Imagine how good that pizza must be to make you dwell on it
@@sasha6454 In a melancholic state? Mamma mia... If pizza is good, you will smile, not weep!
Bad take
I was absolutely blown away by your reference to Sunshine. I, too, was moved by that same character's transformation from witnessing the sun's magnificence. He couldnt even put it in words when he was describing it to his shipmates.
His final embrace of the sun was perfect.
Great video!
Speaking as a Christian, I think we can come to appreciate more of the beauty in life as we make ourselves each other’s servants. We see God in the least among us and as we prepare these meals and present each other with our alms of love and compassion, thoughtfulness and caring. Beauty as a human phenomenon must be inextricably connected with other humans. Focusing only on how we experience beauty consumes us in a destructive manner. But recognizing that that there is a health to beauty and it’s achieved through service to other humans is to taste of the greatest of Christian gifts-the gift of Christ Himself.
Among us
This channel is just wonderful. Happy to see u have Mubi’s support now! Most of your videos exhibit so well the dense and deep ideas of phenomenology/existentialism in such a relatable and beautiful way, so glad to have this kind of content available here, thank you