Backlight.org - Jonathan Lipps

Jonathan Lipps

Creations: 31

People inspired: 190

Crayons donated: 26

There's beauty in everything; I'm learning how to see it.

My band is also on Backlight:
http://splendourhyaline.backlight.org

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people Jonathan follows

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Jonathan is inspired by

The Sea Finishing Strong Snow Mountains Jessica Kuras Exploration Kenya Organs Harbors The Beach Taking Things Into Your Own Hands Longing DIY Night APIs Nature Boats Reversals Architecture Creativity Experimenting HDR Photography Children Radcliffe Camera Broken Hallelujahs Graduating Ultimate Frisbee Dusk Squaw Valley Sunsets Experimentation Barcelona Long Walks With A Friend Hollywood Carbon Footprint The Blue Angels Journeying Snowboarding The Sierra Nevadas Hallelujahs Outcast J.R.R. Tolkien Stillness Roots Schloss Mittersill Ruminations On War Graveyards Evocation Unexpected Results California Sunsets Yosemite Health Napa Valley Tumaini Names We Cannot Know Space Lake Tahoe Oxford Dinosaurs Separation Warmth Love Restoration Valentine's Day Intimacy Shadow Running Hope Adventure Water Illumination Improvisation Brothers The United Kingdom Trees Photography Image Silence Bowen Island Fun Stuff Liberation Patience Orphans Trinity Painting Rain Spore Injuries San Francisco Spine Tingles Gratuitous Digital Editing Africa Humility Sex Hearing God Being Done Stolen Glimpses Scapegoat Light Darkness Community Dreams Color Precision Climbing Living In The Moment Rock Climbing Dan Urban Pain Growth Lake Michigan Hearts Life Hope Runs Churches Ambition Relationships Training Marathons Boundaries Brokenness God Learning New Things Fleet Week Golden Gate Bridge Dudes And Dudettes Settlers Of Catan Music Homebuilding Travel Canada Stanford University NT Wright Ghosts Christmas Duke University HDR Trying New Things Friendship Costa Rica The Blaze Of Light In Every Word Stability Halloween Skill Snakedike Egg Nog Cathedrals Resurrection Minor Falls Old Churches Cambridge Sun Universities Photohunts Secret Chords Ambiguity Waiting Small Houses Vancouver

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Marathon

Prelude

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The Cup Mishandled

The Flood

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Jonathan's Backdrop What is this?

What is your favorite type of weather? Prolonged rain

Why? Something about the feeling I get when there's inclement weather is just amazing. I love sitting inside and watching things actually happen outside. Now that I live in Northern California, much of the year is dominated by sun, which can get tiresome to me. The drama of weather is a very inspirational thing, and it can often feel very monotonous here.

Solstice or Equinox? Solstice

Why? The drama of the Solstices in higher latitudes is way more interesting than the Equinoxes. I think the Winter Solstice has to be my favorite--something about the days getting shorter and shorter makes me really excited. Thus, the time between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice is my favorite time of year!

What is your favorite time of day? 4 AM

Why? 4 AM is a magical time for me, because whenever I'm awake at the time, it means something special is happening. Whether I've stayed up really late for some reason (hanging with friends or doing something cool), or whether I've gotten up really early, the sense of being awake at a secret time when no one else has stirred is awesome.

I think my love of 4 AM started when I was a child, because on family road trips, where we were liable to drive for 12 or 15 hours a day, my parents thought it safer to wake up while it was still dark and finish the long drive while it was still light. So I can remember the anticipation and the delicious feel of adventure packing up the car and pulling out of the driveway at 4 in the morning.

Who is your favorite author? J.R.R. Tolkien

Why? Besides being a formidable scholar, Tolkien was one of the most creative authors of our time. The sheer magnitude and coherence of the world he put together is awe-inspiring. He tapped into something deep in my subconscious when he wrote about Middle-Earth--things that my ancient European ancestors lived and breathed because it was their worldview, their myth.

Most retellings of these "myths" turn out to be just stories. But Tolkien, I think because of his scholarship, knew how to connect to the essence of myth and ground his stories in something more than entertainment. In sum, his works survive as some of the most beautiful pieces of fantasy ever created.

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What was the last book you read, and who was it by? Anathem, by Neal Stephenson

How was it? It was amazing. Not only did Neal Stephenson create another interesting cosmos, he filled it with a philosophical and scientific history rich enough to rival our own!

It's hard to describe exactly what the novel is about, but the basic idea is this: there's a world called Arbre that's a lot like Earth but not exactly. In this world there is a group of monk-like people living out a cloistered life, only their aims in doing so are not religious per se, but rather scientific, mathematical, or philosophical. This sort of monastery has been around for thousands of years, and seen hundreds of "Saecular" dynasties rise and fall outside of their walls.

Into this compelling timelessness, events of global significance start happening that force these cloistered folk to re-engage with the rest of humanity and help solve a mysterious cosmological crisis.

I think the reason I loved the book so much was the philosophical thought that Stephenson put into it, under the guise of discussions between various characters. Novels often point in this direction, but I've rarely seen them succeed so marvelously at it as this one. Check it out!

Who was your first crush? Becky Antworth

Why? We were in third grade. She was adorable. She wanted to hold my hand. I played it cool and pretended that I didn't want to (I realized boys are supposed to be disgusted by girls at that age). Then when she went away I was sad because I really liked her. You'd think things would be different now but I basically never got past that point in relationship education. Just kidding. I think...?

What is your favorite board game: The Settlers of Catan

Why: The Settlers of Catan is a great game because it has a complex ruleset allowing for a great variety of gameplay. A lot of the game comes from the rolling of dice--so there's an element of chance--but it doesn't take away the opportunity to become a skilled player and to make good decisions!

Catan is also unique in that players do not confront each other directly in the game world--it's not "violent", so to speak. It's more about trade, collaboration, and pursuing certain goals that you think will lead to victory.

My only real problem with Catan is that when I play it with my friends, one Trent Wiesen always ends up winning...

What is your favorite tree? The Joshua Tree

Why? The Joshua Tree is one of the coolest trees in existence. First of all, it's a desert creature, which means that it is tough, hardy, and can survive in very harsh environments. Since the desert may be my favorite landscape, I'm obviously predisposed to such a tree...

More than that, since water is scarce, trees in the desert can't grow too close together. That gives each Joshua tree a sense of separateness, of solitude, that some of its forest brethren don't share. I love the melancholy stillness that the trees exude in this way.

Of course, they're also just beautiful. Complicated curves and twists of the branches, a soft-looking feathery bark (not soft to the touch, though!), and the unique bristles of green... Everything an artist could ask for in a subject.

If you could have any super power, what would it be? The power to grant myself super powers

Why? This power is obviously the best. With it, I can have any super power I can imagine.

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Jonathan's Wall

Kristen Rieke said: (on Jun 2, 2009)

hi! you were just in my class. I said that maybe you should add some other options for mediums that people can select, like having "print" and "drawing" under the images tab, but I also think maybe people should be able to name the medium themselves once they select "other image," just so the artist can be more specific (like if it's a monotype print vs. a screenprint). thanks for coming in!

Brad Wolfe said: (on Apr 14, 2009)

what what!

Erin Weston said: (on Feb 17, 2009)

in response to "bloody love"

http://tinyurl.com/by5fvd

hahahahahaha.

Gloria Lee said: (on Feb 13, 2009)

and i love your answer about 4AM. i feel the same whenever we go to southern california or tahoe (the snow)!

Gloria Lee said: (on Feb 13, 2009)

hey! thanks for the note. :)
i love the pac man backbrite, by the way. i miss those old days..

Sarah Colby said: (on Jan 14, 2009)

I love the profile picture, JT! I remember getting a copy of that when you were small and showing it off to my friends at school, saying, "This is my nephew! Isn't he a doll??" :)

JEANNE CANNON said: (on Jan 4, 2009)

I just saw the crayon thing and I love it! What an interesting way to give back :)

Ricky Kendall said: (on Dec 4, 2008)

dude.The Perishers are an incredible band. Thanks for introducing me to them. Love it.

Jonny Jimison said: (on Dec 2, 2008)

Awesome backbrite! =)

Fen Zhao said: (on Nov 25, 2008)

I am prophesying the end of the Western banking system, a bolshevik revolution in Guam, and the return of Suzanne Somers to the big screen.

Sarah Oltrogge said: (on Nov 12, 2008)

JT- invite Uncle- his email is doltrogge@earthlink.net. He had no idea until I told him today, so I guess maybe your mom has a bad email for him- thanks. He wants to answer more questions than anyone else here has and he wants to do this tonight. :-) So competitive he is!!

Erin Weston said: (on Nov 10, 2008)

what does your face say, Jonathan?

Sarah Oltrogge said: (on Nov 10, 2008)

Hey JT, pretty cool dude!

Erin Weston said: (on Nov 1, 2008)

AWESOME PUMPKIN!!!!!

Erin Weston said: (on Oct 28, 2008)

I think it turned into happiness :)

Erin Weston said: (on Oct 23, 2008)

p.s. booyah right back--i will have more! HA!

Melissa Reyes said: (on Oct 22, 2008)

that is a sweet profile pic. you flying?:)