The Wisdom of Artists

+ B.U.T.T.E.R.F.L.Y. Notes Chapter 2

I’d venture a guess that you, dear readers have read passages, poems, quotes and the infinite beautiful wisdom of poetry that Mary Oliver has written. And if not, let me introduce you:

Every time I read one of her poems I am truly taken aback by the beauty of her words. They are pieces of art that give me pause and reflection. When I read her work I feel connected to the world in a way I otherwise don’t in everyday life. Her poems have a way of describing the human experience as a oneness with the nature that surrounds us.

*this is a longer issue so if you’d like to read in full make sure you hit expand or read in your favorite browser

As I sit to write this I am enjoying a warm, breezy afternoon on my back porch which overlooks a tiny open space. The sound of the swaying Aspen tree leaves in my backyard is reminiscent of ocean waves and chirping birds sing together in the background. This is where I feel most most at peace and most in-tune with my thoughts and creative pursuits. And this is what connects the meaning of poems written by Oliver, the street art created by Banksy, the lyrics written by Chris Stapleton, the recipes written by Ina Garten. All of these people are artists in their own own right. They have a wisdom about them and if I allow myself to tap into each of their lessons, I learn so much about my own creativity and the meaning that it brings to my life.

Throughout my career as a family photographer, nature and environment has played an integral role in the art of it all. My favorite season is Summer for so many reasons and I find that this is when nature and I are aligned. The vibrant color, the blue skies with fluffy clouds that go on forever, the hot days, warm nights, the gorgeous pinky/golden Colorado sunsets make me come alive. Case in point:

My beautiful cousin Maddie, her hubs Colin and brother-to-be-pup Simpson. 🐶 photographed by me.

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Let’s get into the second chapter of B.U.T.T.E.R.F.L.Y. Notes!

Bewitching

Mood board created for The South of France. All images found HERE on Pinterest.

First of all - why is this magical place always referred to as the “South of France”? I’ve done a little research and it seems that it is the literal translation from French to English. Second of all - I am so intrigued/obsessed with this little slice of french country that is beachy, colorful, warm, enchanting and FRENCH. So much so that I’ve done my due diligence on where to stay, what to eat, when to go, and planning a future vacation there. I think what may started this pursuit is two-fold:

a. I watched Season Two of Emily in Paris last Summer which was shot in the South of France. (Don’t judge me, LOL). I was in it for location and fashion inspiration!

b. I recently read a post from a new travel newsletter I’ve found called

Window Seat

and Tori outlined her entire trip including restaurants, hotels and included her favorites as well as not-so-favorites. Have you been?!

Underrated

Maybe not underrated as much as undiscovered…until she opens for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour later this month! She’s 23, half Jamaican, half Chinese from a small village just outside of London. I really love her voice and I’m a sucker for singers who are also song-writers. She’s also a really beautiful performer.

Tasty

Anna of the amazing food blog, Serving Dumplings has never steered me wrong in the kitchen. I’ve saved a cooked at least a dozen of her recipes and every single one has been absolutely delicious and unique. Before discovering her blog I’d never cooked with chickpeas and shied away from certain spices like ground sage but now I UNDERSTAND. This recipe is amazing served with rice or hot crusty bread.

Think Piece

I came across this article written by Sarah Leavitt from the talk she gave for the UBC School of Creative Writing graduation and thought her message was eloquent and important:

I don’t think it’s news to anyone that it takes a certain kind of resilience to be a creative worker. There’s so much rejection. So much losing, so much not getting the award or the grant or the job or the likes. It’s hard not to get super jealous, to wish you had someone else’s career, to despair about your own work. That’s definitely been a huge struggle for me. So how do we avoid being full of envy for others or condemnation for ourselves? Maybe it helps to think about what will happen if you never win anything. No awards, no grants, no millions of followers. Are there other reasons that will keep you going? Maybe the discipline of being a worker, maybe joy. Maybe being super aware of how it feels to make your art – in your body, in your heart.

Maybe also it’s about feeling like you’re part of a larger whole. So that when someone you know wins an award you feel joy for their achievement instead of – or maybe at the same time as – sadness about not getting it yourself.

Educate Me

According to multiple sources, the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland. This has to be my most favorite random fact to date and it actually makes so much sense given Scotland’s magical scenery.

According to authors, Caroline Picard and Yaa Bofah of Good Houskeeping:

Yes, although it's a fabled creature, the national animal of Scotland is actually the mythical unicorn — chosen because of its association with dominance and chivalry as well as purity and innocence in Celtic mythology.

Recommended

Imagine if there was a place you could organize all of your bookmarks, favorite articles, inspiring images for mood boards, notes and open tabs you have on your computer (I’m the type that has at least 10 open at the same time) with an app that looks similar to Pinterest but is even better in helping you personalize and organize all of this information. One of my recent favorite online discoveries is 100% credited to

Wonder Tools

for introducing me to: My Mind. For visual learners/workers especially I think this is one of the most useful and enjoyable apps I’ve ever used. On their website they offer tutorials and below I’ve included a screen recording of what it looks like on the user end.

Fresh Takes

“You will never influence the world by trying to be like it.”

- Author Unknown

Listening to

This new song from one of my favorite duos, Johnnyswim.

Yes, Please!

Easy, Summer pool-side book alert! I’ve seen Funny Story written by Emily Henry EVERYWHERE and last week, S from

Things that Make me Happy!

raved about it. I started it last week and absolutely love the writing and how easy it is to read. Truly the PERFECT Summer read.

As always thank you for being here and I’ll see you next week!

Flutter On,

Sara