Hi there, dear visitor!

Welcome!

Why ‘Dreamer on Toes’?

I named this site ‘Dreamer on Toes’ because I’m a mix of dreamy idealism and hyperawareness. This blend will show through my posts on social justice issues in particular. As an introvert, a late bloomer, and a highly sensitive, mixed-race (half-Laotian half-Polish) person, I’ve found myself in a minority and felt out of place countless times. Yet it has made me all the more curious about human nature and the world, and led me to develop a strong sense of fairness and a soft spot for misfits.

What’s my mission?

When I was a kid, I considered becoming a detective, a vet, an illustrator, a writer, a ballet dancer, an actress, a social worker, a paramedic, and a neurologist – to name but a few career possibilities. Today I realize that I not only struggled with crippling indecisiveness : ) but also sought to respond to two main kinds of needs: a need to be of service and a need for creative self-expression.

I ended up studying linguistics and literature. Books are my safe haven. When I hold a deeply informative book, I don’t just read it. I study it, underlining passages – sometimes even taking notes – not to forget the tiniest details. When I’m absorbed in a novel, I love embarking on a new adventure, letting the characters’ stories inhabit my mind and accessing different lives. How comforting it is to have your thoughts reflected back to you and phrased so beautifully! Just as words have the power to destroy someone, so too they have the power to make one feel less lonely, if only for a little while. Because other people’s writings have taught me so much, sharing my own is a way of giving back.

I like this quote attributed to Elsie de Wolfe “I am going to make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life.” She was probably referring to interior design, but it’s still a lovely mission to have in life, isn’t it?

What’s in it for you?

On this website I hope to keep my posts meaningful, thought-provoking, uplifting as well as compassionate, writing from my heart to yours. I’d love for them to breathe somewhat of a new spirit into sometimes tired old subjects. The articles all belong to the ‘Musings’ tab, while the ‘Creative Work’ tab will mostly be a potpourri of my attempts at poetry (which are chopped-up prose pieces really) ; )

Your valuable comments and suggestions will help determine the content and evolution of this project. I hope you’ll stick around.

Please feel free to reach out: oharasurya@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Surya

Logo by Jayde Perkin

Background image by Judy Clement Wall

WordPress training by India Hadri

Photograph by Nastasiya Kovalenko