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Archive for aesthetics

Neighborhood Beauty

Fish_pot_1
Every day while taking my morning walk I am reminded of a plan I once hatched to print up a small pad of paper with a gorgeous image or two & the words ‘In Gratitude’ printed on it…

My plan was to carry it with me so I can leave notes on the doorsteps
of people whose homes &/or gardens have filled me with pleasure,
thanking them for the attention and effort they have spent making their
part of the world a little more beautiful (of course I was planning to
discretely add my url at the bottom, in case they had the urge to
spread their beauty out a little further into the world and might need
my help in doing so – I’m not ENTIRELY immune to the need for marketing
myself).

I’m afraid I haven’t manifested my bright idea yet, but in the
meantime I thought I’d publicly express my gratitude
here, this morning.

Mural_front_1
This house enchanted me from the first time I saw it… the brightly colored simple mural, the luscious green drapes, the whole thing almost obscured from one angle by arches of overgrown vines, tall trees and a rambling porch.

One inhabitant of this house often leaves for work around the time I take my walks so one morning I just stepped up and told him how beautiful I thought his home was, and how good I felt as I walked by each day. He beamed in response, like he was surprised anyone had noticed, and thanked me warmly, leaving me feeling doubly blessed by his generous good nature.

The other day I happened to approach the house from the other direction, and discovered a whole new perspective. Each window on the side of the house displays a slightly different colored drape, each of the hues equally gorgeous… rich deep luscious colors that make you just KNOW the people inside are creative and interesting folks, happy to be part of the day’s inspiration to those around them.

Mural_side

Old Stone

Stone

You’ve just got to love old stone… I’ve just returned from a business/pleasure trip to the green and pleasant land (England, and parts north), and feel washed in the aura of old earth. This image is from a brief walk I took around Bath…

Why Beauty Dialogues?

We have dialogues about war, about societal decay and spousal abuse, landfills, collapsed morals & the lack of universal health coverage… I think it’s time to start a dialogue about Beauty.

We have dialogues about war, about societal decay and spousal abuse, landfills, collapsed morals & the lack of universal health coverage… I think it’s time to start talking about Beauty.

What is Beautiful to you? What commands your attention and attracts your sense of awe?

What do you hold so precious that it is always beautiful to you, no matter how it might appear to others?

What does it mean to ‘Walk in Beauty’?

One of the people I most admire in the world always talks about the importance of holding ‘Beauty in the Center’ and I dedicate this conversation to a deeper collective understanding and embodiment of that reality.

I want to use this space to talk about all those things I find beautiful, and explore why I find them so. About how important it is to me to keep Beauty in the conversation, and not relegate her to a shelf of something that ‘would be nice, but isn’t essential’, because she IS essential, in my life, and I believe Beauty is essential in all our lives and in the world today. It seems to me that we need her presence now more than ever, so I want to call her into being & illuminate her as best I can through word and color, image and sound.

As a designer of online communications like websites and blogs, e-zines, online conferences, etc., I’m always fascinated by how far I can go within the limits of my medium, and I don’t believe anyone has yet touched the boundaries of this connective ether-web we share here in cyberspace… This is my pleasure and my passion, dancing simultaneously at the center & on the edges, so I would like to explore Beauty from this perspective, both in this conversation and in my work as it continues to evolve and develop.

From a more personal perspective, I notice that my life is an interwoven play between my art, my career and work in the world, my feelings and thoughts, my current passions and the myriad personal and professional relationships that sustain me. I want to illuminate that interconnection between all my parts here, and not pretend that my professional life is completely separate from my creative explorations or my personal joys and sadnesses.

If you are drawn to this dialogue and want to join me in the sacred play we’ve embarked upon here, I’d love that! Your collaboration is most welcome… and you are welcome to just dip in once in a while and read what others have to say. It’s all good.

Blessings upon you wherever you be,

Amy