Accessing the "in between" moments
How beauty can hold and nourish us
Sometimes not trying to work at something is the key to true experiencing.Â
I mentioned in a previous post that I was not quite certain how this last trip to Italy would settle into my soul and how I would translate it into my practice in the studio. This last week, I felt the shift.Â
But first, a couple of fun things that I have been working on for the last couple of weeks that feed into today’s post!
 I got the idea to gift postcard sets to paid subscribers here at The Smart Creative on our last day in Tuscany. One more breakfast on the Jasmine-scented porch opened me up to new ideas. My surroundings so inspired me. Why not let them inspire you as well? Postcards as a gift to paid subscribers! A simple idea that has turned into such a pleasure to curate.
I had already assembled gorgeous postcards from France and used them as gifts during our wedding. I saw that one of our family members had framed them, and I loved them even more. (Am I allowed to say that?) I began curating the over 300 photos I took (oh my!) I officially offered them to paid subscribers this week. And now to you! If you upgrade to a paid yearly subscriber, I will gift you a set!! Right to your doorstep and everything.
The paper is thick and creamy, and I have tacked them up all over the studio for inspiration. You can upgrade to yearly paid via the button below, and your welcome email will take you to the checkout.Â
Imagery and mood boards are integral to setting the stage for my artwork. In fact, I have been playing with postcards from museum visits and postcards from other artists that convey the same spirit that I lean into for new work. I can feel my spirit rise when my ideas begin to swirl like a small whirlpool. I know it is coming together.
I went to my library and picked up one of my favorite books by poet and philosopher John O'Donohue., titled Beauty, The Invisible Embrace.
His ideas, his words, and the subject beauty are almost too much for me to read in one sitting. I get teary-eyed. I recommend this for your library.Â
His writings remind us to remain open and aware to give ourselves over to the thin spaces where the physical and the divine join together. He believes beauty is a conduit for this thin space, and so do I.
"Beauty brings a sense of completion and sureness. Without any of the casual calculation, we slip into the beautiful with the same ease that we slip into the seamless embrace of water; something ancient within us already trusts that this embrace will hold us."
-John O'Donohue
Yes. That's it. You feel held. You trust, and then you create. Since I returned from my travels, I worked out what felt like pent-up energy using watercolor and the medium and then moved to this larger canvas, opening myself up to larger ideas.
The shift begins when you simply allow beauty to take up residence inside you and play out the way it wants to, using you as a soft conduit.
This is the type of rhythm that feels indulgent, surrounding myself with, focusing on, and working with and through beauty, but it’s really what our souls long for. I think I’ll indulge a bit more.
If you like this article and enjoy reading The Smart Creative, consider becoming a yearly paid subscriber. When you do, you will get sent a lovely set of Wanderlust Travel postcards as a gift. Once you subscribe, you will get an email with the link to check all the sets out and choose one!