Collecting Visual Trinkets – The allure of beauty in everyday life

I had a hard time writing this essay. It has been several weeks in the making and perhaps because it was meant to be uplifting and inspirational, it stifled me. The photography came easily but words are hard and I found them somehow lacking in rightful expression—my writing tends toward the dark side of late. There are some creative notions, however, that I wish to share with you, dear reader, so let’s carry on.

Collecting Visual Trinkets was originally inspired by a podcast I listened to with visual storyteller Maira Kalman. For those of you who are not familiar with Kalman, her illustrations are frequently featured in The New Yorker and the New York Times so I’m sure you have seen some of her work. Kalman has also written and illustrated over a dozen childrens books and some for adults too, including the fabulous, The Principles of Uncertainty.

During the On Being podcast, Kalman spoke to how she walks daily, meandering around the city of New York, and that she usually ends up falling in love with things she has seen during the course of her walks. She finds joy in the way a determined puppy pulls on its leash—innocent and yet so bold. She gains inspiration and well-being during her walks through Center Park. Everywhere and every day she sees something beautiful and oftentimes those things or events serve as subject matter for her work.

I thought to myself, “What a lovely way to spend one’s time.”

Almost immediately, however, I realized this was exactly what I have been doing with my photography. I have always endeavored to capture images which delight me—things I have fallen in love with. They don’t have to be anything big. Sometimes it’s simply the way the light crosses a sidewalk or the way in which fallen pedals of a flower arrange themselves randomly on a table. My street photography seeks to capture the emotions people wear as they make their way through their day … expressions which they might not even know they are showing.

Please visit my new photo gallery for Collecting Visual Trinkets – The allure of everyday beauty.

Like Kalman, everyone can find beauty in the everyday. More than once, photography has saved my soul … seeking out little bits of beauty in my environs, soothing my spirit, inspiring my love of life. For you it might be gardening, knitting, flower arrangement, writing, drawing, or cooking. But I encourage you to be mindful in finding the beauty that makes your heart sing.

As I forge a path toward a more creative life—because I’ve come to believe this is my life’s purpose—I’ve grown to appreciate more how important beauty and art is to the human psyche. While I don’t believe that we can live completely happy lives (for happiness is a fleeting emotion), I do believe that expressing ourselves creatively can make a huge difference in the way we see our lives and experience our days. People often mistakenly believe that creativity must be god given. I disagree. We were all born with creativity and it can be applied to daily life for truly it is a balm.

I recently went to Brookline Booksmith and selected a few books that I absolutely had to bring home with me. One of them was a spontaneous purchase, that of Samantha Dion Baker’s, Draw Your Day – An inspiring guide to keeping a sketch journal. Now, I have no business delving into the world of illustration mainly because I’m very bad at it. But, but … why not just try? Why not get back in touch with my inner little girl who was brave and fearless and drew just for the fun of it?

I write daily in my journal and now to be able to embellish those pages with a few drawings is deeply satisfying. I fell in love with Baker’s illustrations—they are of the sort I wish I could draw—and she therefore inspires me to do a bit more. Like Kalman, and like myself, Baker is also collecting visual trinkets.

You should try too. Let me know in the comments below what you do to make your life, your home, or your soul more peaceful and beautiful.

I have put together a collection of some of my photos which I feel capture the idea of falling in love with every day beauty. See my gallery of Collecting Visual Trinkets photography either here or within my main portfolio.