Memento Mori Lab

Memento Mori Lab

By Mayra GomesArts
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Memento Mori Lab episodes

  • #09 Death

    Facing our own mortality, figuratively speaking, can be a catalyst to finding happiness in being alive. This episode is about our own deaths and how they can put everything else into perspective. If you don't want to think about any of this right now or ever, it's better to skip this one. Otherwise, if you want to hear some poems about our mortality and some things to consider on the subject, join Mayra in this thought-provoking episode.

    What's Memento Mori Lab?

    Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

    Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your podcasts!

    Instagram: @memento.mori.lab 

    Twitter: @mementomorilab 


    Poems

    • Death and I
    • Tomorrow is gone (What if I died today)
    • Never to Now


      • Never to Now

      The pendulum swings from now to never

      Death stands by, imminent and distant
      The pendulum swings from never to now
      I'm fragile and invincible, afraid and immortal.

      My days are numbered but not written

      The calendar sweeps through dates
      Eager to find finish lines and sharp turns
      Death comes too soon and not fast enough

      Missteps remind me of Death's breath,

      Cold and near, hitting the back of my neck
      I swear she's always lurking, waiting
      For the pendulum to swing one last time.

      19 min
    • #08 Mirror

      Who am I? Who are we? Does the mirror reflect who we really are? This is an episode full of questions. We constantly search for ourselves, and, simultaneously, we hide our true selves from the rest of the world afraid of being judged for being different.

      What's Memento Mori Lab?

      Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

      Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your podcasts!

      Instagram: @memento.mori.lab 

      Twitter: @mementomorilab 


      Poems

      The mirror

      Held up high and from afar, a fogged mirror reflects me.

      Will my reflection ever be clear?
      No one around to see all my angles and doubts.
      The blurred, blinded eyes can't see past assumptions.
      The mirror bears expectations, stories, deceptions.
      But no reality, I'm afraid.

      A closer look reveals nothing but perceptions.

      A change in angle opens paper-thin perspectives.
      A living, looking glass of imagined non-fiction narratives.
      Not to be seen are the images others search in me.
      Is this a broken mirror if the reality reflected is never accurate?
      The pieces tightly placed together by unfounded beliefs
      Show me nothing but flaws, fears, wishes, and ideas,
      Mistakes and corrections, ideals, and imperfections.

      I got so many questions to ask my reflection,

      This isn't Snow White. I stand in front of myself unanswered.
      Until the mirror cracks.
      The beliefs reflected crumble under query
      And the shards of glass end up scattered across the floor.
      Shattered reflections - still, no reality anywhere near.

      I'm the only one left to clean up the mess

      Of my fragmented past cracking under my feet.
      Fabricated, its edges can still cut my flesh
      Sharpened throughout years of delusion,
      How can I avoid bleeding into awakening?

      -

      Why do we do what we do?

      Why do you choose the beliefs you choose?

      Why do you chase the way you do?
      Why sleep the way you sleep?
      Why speak the way you speak?

      Why do we weigh the bodies we weigh?

      Why do we worship the way we do?
      Why feel the way we feel?
      Why fear the way we fear?

      Why do they think the thoughts they think?

      Why do they thrash the way they do?
      Why hate the way they hate?
      Why help the way they help?

      Why do I loathe the feelings I loathe?

      Why do I love the way I do?
      Why disguise the way I disguise?
      Why dismiss the way I dismiss?

      When did you learn to judge?

      When did we learn to dread?
      When did they learn to fight?
      When did I learn to hide?

      What is it that you see?

      Without the lenses of your convictions.
      Why do you see what you see?
      Why don't you see everything else?

      Take off the layers of learned beliefs,

      Forget all fabricated assumptions
      And look far beyond the mirror.
      What is it that you see?

      -

      Poem: Herself

      16 min
    • #07 Time

      Is time the evil monster that keeps us from doing what we want? Are you haunted by time every time the clock ticks? This episode is all about time! Along with three poems, Mayra discusses (with herself) the struggles imposed by our obsession with time, how evil time can be and how it might be the only force actually moving us forward.

      What's Memento Mori Lab?

      Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

      Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your podcasts!

      Instagram: @memento.mori.lab 

      Twitter: @mementomorilab 


      Poems:

      On Time

      Time goes fast and slow.

      It flies. It drags. It tells. It takes.
      It never stops.

      Its measure? Pressure.

      The alarm, the clock, the countdown, the calendar.

      The birthdays, the holidays, the seasons.
      The happy new years, the dates, the five-year plans.
      The beginnings, the goals, the graduations, the wrinkles, the ends.
      The joys, the pains, the expiration dates. Our expiration dates.

      Time's a gift and a curse.

      It's wasted. It's sacred. It's money.
      It never stops.

      Its measure? Pressure.

      We count the seconds, the minutes, the hours.

      The days, the weeks, the moons, and months.
      The seasons, the years, the decades.
      The centuries, the eras, the past.
      It all means nothing.
      Stop counting - it goes on just the same.

      Regardless of our last breath

      Mindless of our regrets
      It never stops.

      Dismissive of our plans

      Oblivious to our existence
      It never stops.

      But when our time comes,

      It, suddenly, ends and goes on just the same.

      -

      This is me trying

      7 am, my alarm goes off. It's Monday.

      Or Thursday. Work is a few steps away
      But it never felt further apart.
      I question if it's worth the pain. Or the poem.
      I drag my feet across the hall, socks on.
      Sit in front of the computer, right on time.
      I watch the clock tire itself out, carefully ticking,
      Showing me how well it can tick and tock.
      Taking longer each minute to find the next
      Dreading the seconds between hours
      Waiting for the arrival of 5 pm,
      When I no longer care about its job.

      -

      Obs. There was one more poem, but I couldn't fit here. It will be published soon on Instagram: @memento.mori.lab 

      18 min
    • #06 Decisions

      Making decisions can be such a struggle, not only within creativity but life in general. This episode brings up some of those feelings and talks about how not deciding can have a huge impact on our lives. And there are a few ideas on trying to be more decisive!

      Obs: Sorry about the weird interference sounds during this episode, those are not an artistic choice, but they could be.

      What's Memento Mori Lab?

      Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

      Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your podcasts!

      Instagram: @memento.mori.lab https://instagram.com/memento.mori.lab?igshid=1wz55ueuk60at

      Twitter: @mementomorilab https://twitter.com/mementomorilab


      Poem:

      Without a map

      She stood at yet another intersection

      Surrounded by questions wherever she looked.

      Signs, options, choices, decisions all around.

      Her white, untied shoelaces melted into pavement

      The light skipped from green to red, red to green,

      Unsure of her next step, she took none.

      Left, right, no end in sight. Straight ahead?

      She thought about turning back, green to red.

      The road most traveled or the less taken?

      Scared of getting lost, without a map of what's next,

      She failed to see her standing stillness,

      Was already her chosen path.

      12 min
    • #05 Perfectionism

      This episode is a deep dive into perfectionism, what it is all about, and some things we can try instead. There are some perfect poems throughout the episode, and we take a look at how perfectionism might be destroying our dreams.

      If you struggle with perfectionism, this podcast might NOT be the solution, but it will show you that you are not alone, and maybe we can't overcome it together. At the very least, we can try!

      Here is the video I mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EuWCFCgy58&t=14s

      What's Memento Mori Lab?

      Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

      Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your podcasts!

      Instagram: @memento.mori.lab

      Twitter: @mementomorilab

      POEMS:

      Perfect

      Is perfect a perfect word?

      If I say perfect enough times,
      Do I take away its power?
      And if I never say it again,
      Will it be something greater?

      Maybe, if I rearrange the letters,

      It might read better, roll off the tongue.
      Like paradox, or marmalade, perfect.
      How about preceft? Or trepfec?
      That is absolutely ferpect.

      What if I remove some letters?

      Or add new ones, instead.
      An L is always nice here and there.
      Maybe I should add in a Q,
      To make it sound more unique.

      Wait! Put in a W for some wompf.

      Werfect, perfect. I don't know,
      It seems to be missing something.
      It's not perfect just yet.

      I'll have to come back to this later,

      With fresh eyes, you know?

      -

      How Many?

      How many words were lost in chasing perfection?

      How many books not published, how many stories not told?
      How many songs silenced? How many voices unheard?

      How many paintings painted over and over until the thickness of paint was too heavy for the canvas to bear?

      How many projects were abandoned before their beginnings?

      How many sketches erased, how many photos not taken?
      How many movies forgotten? How many poems torn?

      How many lives lived quietly, locked in the cage of perfection, imagining one day they would create one perfect pebble?

      -

      Empire

      An empire built on all imperfect things,

      The most beautiful empire there is.
      Invaluable items you failed to see.
      Perfection has claimed all as its own,
      The torn pages and tossed papers.
      Piles and piles of your mistakes.
      This is perfection's paradise, you're not welcome.

      So, it leads you on a wild hunt with no end in sight,

      And you hold on to scraps of potential perfection,
      Hoping they'd amount to more than worthless pebbles.


      18 min
    • #04 Truth

      An episode about the inner truths of an artist, the concept of truth, opinions and dealing with negative feedback. Through the episode there are a few poem readings, a confession and some philosophy from someone who knows nothing about Nietzsche.

      Our creative minds get caught in rules disguised as truths and we end up hindering our creative process. Not only that, but we also tend to create our work thinking about everyone else's opinion and our own criticism, which ultimately just cuts our creativity short. Instead, the first stages of our creative work should be free of any concerns or misconceptions to really push the boundaries of your art.

      Check out this episode and join Mayra on this trip!


      What's Memento Mori Lab?

      Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

      Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and anywhere you get your podcasts!

      Instagram: @memento.mori.lab 

      Twitter: @mementomorilab 


      Poems


      The truth about the truth

      The truth

      deceives us most of the time

      treads lines, dots and questions marks

      creates history in cornered perspectives

      shapes its faces and forms to point of view.

      shifts from eye to eye, from mind to mind.


      We will never know if we

      hear the same songs

      taste the same spices

      see the same hues

      feel the same aches

      touch the same satins


      The truth is another fairy tale we were told to sleep at night.

      -

      Breaking truth

      Dancing between mirrors,

      Gently tracing my reflections,

      The truth bends pieces of glass,

      Shattered illusions for all.

      -

      Apples

      She walked around the square,

      Biting into her apple as I bit mine.

      Did we taste the same fruit?

      She'd say hers was green.

      I would say mine was too.

      Did we see the same hues?

      Leaves cracked under her feet,

      The apples between our teeth.

      Did we hear the same sounds?

      Her eyes landed on mine.

      She looked just like me.

      Did we think the same thought?

      She went left.

      I went the other way.

      13 min
    • #03 Overwhelming Ideas

      Overwhelming ideas - This episode starts with a poem called Russian Dolls. At some point in our creative process come the ideas. But sometimes there are too many ideas, and that can make us freeze. Other times we struggle to take an idea all the way to the end and feel the need to move on to the next thing and the next and the next.

      Do you find yourself overwhelmed by a bunch of ideas? Well, this podcast does NOT have the solution, but you'll feel less alone in that struggle. And I have some ideas on how we can deal with all our ideas.

      What's Memento Mori Lab?

      Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

      Instagram: @memento.mori.lab https://instagram.com/memento.mori.lab?igshid=1wz55ueuk60at

      Twitter: @mementomorilab https://twitter.com/mementomorilab

      The poem: Russian Dolls

      At first, I had one. Then another, then another.

      They all just came to me at different times.
      Naive, I held onto them, as tightly as I could,
      Squashing them against my chest, all mine.
      Over time, a few disappeared, some fell apart,
      And others had nothing inside.

      They had glossy smiles and bright curves,

      I could barely look away, while my haunted mind,
      Wondered, could they all be as beautiful inside?
      How many dolls were there? Were they hollow?
      Would the last, tiny one, be mesmerizing or?

      My hands were to busy holding them together,

      Close to me and closed for the world not to see.
      What if I dropped them or opened an empty one?
      Maybe, they were no good to me, not like this.

      I had to take the time, twist one open, look inside.

      The red one, squeaked as I turned, goosebumps.
      And I saw another one within, refined.

      It took longer than expected, I struggled,

      I still had to dust all others from time to time.

      But the smallest one was a speck of gold.

      By @mayragomes_8 at @memento.mori.lab

      11 min
    • #02 Expectations

      Expectations - This episode starts with a little poem called Expectations, and then we dive a little deeper into this topic and how it affects our creative process. Expectations are one of the many ways fear shows up and gets in the way of our creativity. I feel that in my writing, doodling, or anytime I'm trying to bring ideas to life. At times I freeze and just toss the project aside because I know it won't match the idea in my mind. Other times, I follow through, but still, the result is a disappointment. And that's all because we create unrealistic expectations and let fear take over. Maybe, just bringing this to light might soften the impact it has on our creativity. Being aware of something is half the battle.

      Here are the links to a couple of things mentioned in this episode:

      • Stoicism: Negative visualization
      • Tim Ferriss: Fear setting

        • Memento Mori Lab is our permission slip to experiment, try new things, and keep bringing ideas to life. In my case, that means writing mediocre poetry, some stories and scripts, doodling, and recording this podcast. Memento Mori reminds us, we are going to die. Whatever creative endeavor you've been postponing, now is the time to take action.

        Instagram: @memento.mori.lab 

        Twitter: @mementomorilab 


        The poem: Expectations

        Expectations fester inside, growing

        Stronger every day, suffocating me.
        Unachievable illusions, we see
        What could be but never will.
        Built with what we cannot touch,
        The floor's far from steady
        But the barriers feel so sturdy.

        I try to keep my pace, and my peace,

        As the invisible voice whispers,
        "Why bother doing anything at all?
        Nothing will ever live up to our vision."
        A line from Fear's playbook,
        page 12, unrealistic expectations.

        At every unexpected turn, I see

        Another crack on the floor,
        Until all the walls, columns and hopes crumble.
        Pieces of disappointment everywhere,
        Fear's favorite collection of trophies.
        If only I'd stepped into the present instead.

        By @mayragomes_8  

        10 min
      • #01 Creating Time

        A poem on creativity, time and death, followed by some context and a call to all creative souls desperate to finally start making things!

        Creating time

        We can do anything,

        We can do everything,
        We can do nothing.
        Though nothing usually is still something.
        We take time for granted,
        clocks melt between our fingers.
        All my desires and dreams fell behind,
        Drought of time.

        We're always out of time.

        But time is always there.
        When committed or truly needed,
        We seem to find some seconds between hours,
        And extend hours with extra minutes.

        What if we could commit for 30 days?

        Commit to our dying dreams and desperate desires.
        Yes, 30 days, like refund policies and online challenges.
        30 days of making time to create.
        A journey of exploring thoughts, words, and feelings.
        A creative journey with no final destination,
        No end goal in sight - to the horror of modern gurus.

        Memento Mori reminds us: we must die. We are going to die.

        An uneasiness comes at the mention of Death,

        But before sadness settles in the face of our inevitable fate,
        And before we search inspirational quotes to numb our pain,
        Consider this might be all the inspiration we need.
        Isn't mortality motivation enough to move us forward,
        Face our fears and dare to create?

        We can do anything,

        We can do everything,
        We can do nothing.
        Finite time, a gift in disguise,
        Whispers with every tick of the melting clock:

        Start now, create now, live now.

        Tick tock.

        -/-

        For daily posts and poetry from Memento Mori Lab, check out our Instagram @memento.mori.lab

        8 min

      About Memento Mori Lab

      From the publisher's feed

      Memento Mori Lab is my latest attempt to explore words and worlds. An excuse to take my creativity on a journey and hopefully inspire you to do the same. Filled with poems, thoughts, unfinished…