beauty and creativity

I have been very focused these days on lots of practical things: new job, portrait photography and editing, getting my 7 year old's attitude in check. And some of these things are fun as well as practical (not the attitude adjustment). But what I have realized is that I'm letting those things take over. 

I keep saying to myself, "I want to do a craft project with the kids" or "I want to use my creativity more" or "I want to appreciate the beauty of nature again". Well.... there's really only one way to have any of those things come about and that is to take action on them. Art and beauty surrounds me and creativity is always available. I just have to make space to invite them in. I have to choose them over some of the practical things. Or even the same old things that become habitual but aren't really fulfilling. 

This morning there was frost everywhere. I love frost! I love how it makes ordinary things sparkle, how it outlines all the minutia that usually go unnoticed, how it makes me look again at everything. So I took Jacob to school, came home, grabbed my camera and headed out to see all that wonderful beauty. Instead of staying indoors where it was warm and having tea and thinking, "I should go take pictures", I went out and explored. Yes, it was cold. Yes, my first battery died and I had to back in the get my second one. Yes, Benjamin was trying to shake the blueberry bushes I was trying to photograph. Yes, my hands were so freezing cold I couldn't feel them by the end.

And yes, I was filled up by all the light and colour and shapes I found. The curl of the leaves, the green of the grass against the white frost, the deep red of the bushes and the sun shining through. Awesome! Wonderful! Joyous! Such a lovely way to spend the beginning of my day.