Back in December I was incredibly busy. Work deadlines, running courses and finishing a collaborative project for my Postgraduate Programme in Creative Practice all collided at roughly the same time. I had a beautiful bunch of flowers on my working-from-home desk (aka the kitchen table), and for about two weeks I had the same thought on a daily basis - I really must take some photos of those flowers… and then I’d get pulled back into the the busy-ness, and the thought would go out of my head for another day.
One morning, after a particularly long day at the computer, I decided to take myself for a walk, and on returning, noticed how beautiful the light was, and that my bunch of flowers was just starting to fade around the edges. Now was the time. I grabbed my camera, and, finally, allowed myself to become totally absorbed in the colours, textures and light. I can only have spent 5, maybe 10 minutes at the most. And yet when I sat down at my computer to start the day’s work, I felt so much calmer. Lighter. Happier. Taking those few minutes for me, for a complete break to do something creative just for the sheer joy of it, had an impact that lasted right through the day. In my 5 minute breaks that day, rather than grabbing my phone to scroll through social media feeds, I picked up my camera instead, and took a few more photos as the light gradually changed throughout the day. It was the calmest day I could remember having for weeks. A really good reminder to practice what I preach, and that no matter how busy life is, taking a few minutes to notice, and really pay attention to the beauty around me, is always worth it.
If you’d like to learn to tune in to the beauty in your everyday surroundings (no matter how fed up with them you may be after x months of lockdown), join me for my next Magic in the Mundane course with Artpocket. A 6-week, online course starting 22nd February 2021, we’ll use simple, accessible photography exercises to connect with and appreciate the everyday world around us, coming into the present moment and noticing the beauty in things you may normally overlook or take for granted.
Following on from Magic in the Mundane, I’ll be running Finding Your Focus, starting 12th April - a 6-week online course which will give you the opportunity to delve deeper and explore different genres of photography, discover more about different types of photography that excite you and develop your own individual style. Each week we will look at a different genre, discuss selected examples and explore it through our own lens.
Both courses can be done with a smartphone or simple digital camera, no technical equipment or knowledge is needed - just an open mind and a sense of curiosity!
You can sign up via the Artpocket website. In the meantime, here are some moments of beauty from my kitchen table…
