The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper” ~ W.B. Yeats
This time last year, I had no idea what I wanted to plant. It’s so clear when looking back at this post, Sweet is Spring, I wrote then about spring’s arrival. This year, though, I know exactly what I want to cultivate; beauty. I just don’t have enough energy yet for sowing. But what better time than now to start preparing the soil!
What kind of beauty I’m after?
I’m a big champion for pure beauty and art for art’s sake. The aesthetic value of literature, dance, visual art and so on, which is subjective by the way. But what I’m interested in exploring further is the magic found in the mundane. Beauty that goes beyond the visual, and beyond the surface, to reveal something deeper.
Why pursue everyday beauty, of all things?
The word “everyday” sounds so pedestrian, doesn’t it! But as the wise say, beauty is the beginning of everything. Think about the beauty of the clean air we breathe, water and food to nourish our bodies, warm embraces of the sun, shelter against harsh weather, to just name a few. Now, think of a world with none of these! How beautiful is it?
A huge part of our daily lives is mundane. We can’t always go on excursions to experience beauty that makes us feel like part of something bigger than ourselves. Yet, we can find magic from human interactions, cherishing memories, celebrating little things and so on. In fact, embracing everyday beauty can sometimes fill us with a sense of awe. Think about random acts of kindness from strangers or to honour a loved one!
In August 2021, I started Project Finding Beauty. I didn’t know how sustaining this seemingly frivolous act of finding everyday beauty would become. Challenges didn’t go away. In fact, they multiplied. But appreciating even the smallest things in life helped shift my mindset.
Writing in collaboration
That’s why (after much deliberation) I’m putting more effort into finding beauty. And this time, I’m writing in collaboration with a friend; an exciting endeavour. 🙂 Since my friend and I engage in a lot of email exchange, we thought why not encourage each other to continue searching for everyday magic.
An epistle is a letter in a form of prose or poetry to a particular person or group. And it’s exactly the form we plan to explore. I will occasionally share some of my epistles here on the blog, as I did with On Rekindling a Sense of Awe. But a newsletter will be a container for most, and sometimes responses from my friend, who is on an indefinite blogging hiatus.
Why the epistle or epistolary form?
“The epistolary form was (and is) so kind to a poet who needs to talk.” ~ CM Burroughs
I want to clarify that, for me, seeking beauty is not about disregarding or being indifferent to reality. It’s also not about shying away from tough conversations, as you’ll notice. But about having honest conversations about things that make us human, seeing beauty in everything. Or if we can’t, at least, accept things we cannot control. I’m also reclaiming the joy of my childhood, letter writing, in keeping with my one word vision, play, for 2023.
The Newsletter
My greatest hope with this newsletter is to encourage an appreciation of everyday beauty, genuine conversations about things that make us human, and the nurturing of relationships. You’d like this kind of encouragement or to just follow along? Sign up for Project Finding Beauty: Epistles to a Friend!
I know your inbox is sacred, and that’s why you’ll hear from me fortnightly. When you sign up, you can claim a FREE downloadable resource with prompts to feed your senses, between letters. Hope to see you inside.
Happy Spring Equinox, in advance! ♥
