There have been a few posts in my little blog world lately that have helped me think more about that site I'm occasionally referencing: Pinterest. I confess that it's among the first places I look these days when I'm searching for a new idea or two. I'm not even a member. I'm a Facebook drop-out so the truth is, I can't join. There have been some pretty fair and timely warnings for me...not to want life to look like as clean cut as a pinterest pic, not to busy my mind with things my hands don't have time to do in this season, etc. I was helped by all these thoughts.
But amid all that, there is something that I really love about sites like Pinterest.
The photos posted aren't entirely real life. I've no doubt some furniture was moved out, a counter was cleared or a board washed.... but they are snippets of real life. One of the things I appreciate most about photography is that it enables us to focus in on beauty in what might have otherwise been a crowded space. Take a room full of objects, in my case, a floor crowded with toys, water stains on the mirror, milk dripped on the floor, a few dust bunnies behind the curtains and grubby hands on my sofa. When I take a photo of Jude's face, what I capture of that moment is the unobstructed by all the other distractions. I see him. He was there in the midst of all the cookie crumbs and misplaced papers, but I didn't see him...at least not in the same way. It helps me to remember the stunning simplicity of beauty in the midst of the daily.
I live in a country where most roads are littered with trash, dirty water is running through the streets, cows and all that they bring with them meander down the lane and rickshaws drive wildly through almost every corner. Sometimes when I look at the whole picture, I feel overwhelmed. And the feeling is not stemming from an abundance of beauty. But, if I look more closely at that same lane, I will find some of the most beautiful faces I've ever beheld, handcrafted iron work and timelessly carved teak, tiny bells on the ankles of little girls that jingle through the muddy water as they make their way home and intricately woven sarees with beads and sequins adorning every edge, draped over graceful women...who just might be dodging rickshaws.
I want to learn to draw out the beauty in every scene I encounter.
This is not so I am oblivious to real life. Real life is blazing before us at every turn. It is shouting to me from every street corner with a beggars hand or shanty house. I want to learn to see beyond what my eyes perceive at first, to look more closely at all that is before me. I think it is possible to train our eyes to see in such a way. Maybe, just maybe, a pretty little picture on pinterest will remind you today to look for the beauty in your own world.
3 comments:
I love this, Laura! It's been on my mind, too, and I think maybe it's the goal of all art - to show us what is real and true that usually gets obscured by all the distractions of that "real life" you were talking about. I remember sitting in a plastic chair at the end of a long week as a camp counselor in my college days, dirty and exhausted, when someone showed a music slideshow of highlights from the week. Suddenly I thought, Hey, we did something beautiful this week! Previously it just seemed messy and hard. I wondered, and still do, which one is more "true," and what do we miss if we don't look for and find that beauty? How do we do that when we are busy, or not skilled in art to capture those things? Are there authors or other artists who help open your eyes to it (I've avoided pinterest so far, but clearly that's one source :) )? Anyway, just enjoyed thinking through your post - thanks! (Bethany)
Well said, Laura!
Loved your perspective. = )
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