For Everything There is a Season…

While walking along the Thames, I was drawn to this row of boats seemingly waiting for someone to hire them. It is the middle of winter and so it isn’t likely that anyone will actually choose to hop into the boat and head out into the river, so the boats have no choice but to be content with waiting until the season changes and passengers start to arrive.

It’s interesting how my own life is echoing the seasons at the moment. I have been home more recently, resting after a busy and fruitful year. I can feel a bit like those boats at times, waiting until the season changes and I can live according to my purpose. I have had many conversations with friends over the years, who are experiencing something similar. People waiting for a season to change or something to shift, so that they can finally take that step and do the thing they were called to do. It’s a cold and dark time waiting for the spring. In the meantime, as they wait, they can lose confidence and perspective. The vision and calling can start to blur, just like the reflections in the water.

But then I felt my perspective on these boats change. Perhaps, the boats are a sign of an opportunity, rather than an indication of the season? Perhaps, I am being asked to step on board, even if the weather isn’t perfect and the water is cold. An empty boat with oars at the ready, could be an opportunity to experience something new, even invigorating. Maybe this is an invitation? To listen to the call in the innermost place and to travel further and deeper than I think is possible. To risk and to grow in the process. Maybe this isn’t a season of waiting, but a season of invitation.

There is safety is staying on the river bank and looking at the boats and saying, “One day”, but I wasn’t put on this earth to be safe and warm. I was created to respond to that call to go and to journey, despite the cold and dark. And in doing so, to become more alive than I have ever been.

Maybe we have been asking the wrong question? Instead of what is the season and when will it change? Perhaps we should be asking, what is the invitation in this season? Are you willing to climb into the boat?

Hiding in the shadows

I found these flowers at Isabella Plantation, in Richmond Park. I had missed the big “show” of rhododendrons and Azaleas, which was a pity. I did wonder, though, if I might have overlooked these if the more obvious flowers had been there. Sometimes, the best jewels in our lives are hidden.

Beauty Hunting

A lifetime ago, when I was still working in a hospital as a physiotherapist, I found out that a patient of mine had passed away suddenly. He was an amazing and inspiring man and had been at the unit for 7 months. During that time he had numerous operations and many hours of treatment and he kept his spirits up despite everything. He was kind and gentle and every staff member developed a soft spot for him. He died unexpectedly as a result of a complication while in a different hospital and we were all devastated by the news. When I got home the first thing I did was reach for my camera and photograph my garden. I lost myself in the patterns and colours and textures around me. The garden needed work, but somehow finding the beauty in the overgrown space around me helped me deal with all the heartache and questions swirling inside me.

I grew up in Africa and have parents that love nature and the great outdoors. We travelled around South Africa extensively and I continued to travel when I discovered photography. I have seen landscapes of incredible beauty and majesty; sunsets glowing brilliant reds and oranges lighting the seemingly endless plains, the ocean crashing into immense cliffs sending sprays of white water into the air, red desert dunes curving into the azure blue sky and many more areas of natural beauty. In those places and moments it is hard not to feel the impact of the beauty around you to your very core.

Simone Weil said that only affliction and beauty pierce the human heart. Beauty helps us to transcend the pain that surrounds us; it helps us to engage with the Divine and elevates our existence from mere drudgery into a life of grace and gratitude. In those moments when we are surround by incredible, majestic beauty it is easy to be intoxicated by its presence, but we can’t always travel to places with immense and awe inspiring natural beauty.

The question is how many of us notice the beauty in the things around us, in the small details or perhaps in our everyday lives? Photography has shown me how to notice the small things and to see beauty in many situations. It has opened my eyes to the world around me, but I am still guilty of becoming lost in the quagmire of life, the dishes in the sink, the list of to-do’s or my own expectations. When I let the grit of life interfere with my ability to see beauty around me, a small part of me becomes dormant. When I consciously take the time to see the beauty in my own life, I can feel myself blossom inside; I connect with my Creator and my soul finds peace. That moment becomes ingrained in my memory and I can continue with the marathon of my life.

I recently read a blog about beauty hunting, http://www.becomegoodsoil.com/beauty-hunting/, I had never heard of the term before but it totally resonated with me. I have been beauty hunting as a photographer for years, I just didn’t know it. Reading about beauty hunting has inspired me to make the time to actively find beauty. I am going to purposefully go to places that are naturally beautiful and consciously find beauty in both those places, but also the small things. I am sure that consciously turning my mind to beauty in one area will help me to carry my beauty hunting with me into my own life, into my home, my surroundings, my family and my friends (maybe even in the sink that is full of dishes).

Would you like to join me on a Beauty Hunting Quest?

Would you like to join a group of like-minded beauty hunters on a quest to find beauty in the small things and get inspired to be creative at the same time? We meet on a monthly basis in and around Richmond-upon-Thames. You can bring a sketch book, journal, camera, smartphone or anything else that you can want use to capture the beauty you find (your brain is perfectly acceptable too!).  Sign up for the next Beauty Hunting Quest on 19 September at Eventbrite – Beauty Hunting. Spaces are limited and are on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If you can’t manage Richmond-upon-Thames, perhaps you can start a Beauty Hunting meet-up of your own. I would love to hear your stories and see your pictures.

To find out about upcoming meet-ups, to share your beauty finds and to connect with other Beauty Hunters join our Facebook group, Beauty Hunters.

“Never lose the opportunity to see anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Promise of Spring

I am not from the Northern Hemisphere and subsequently I find the winters here long and hard. Snowdrops appear early in the year and the signal the imminent arrival of spring. Their small pretty faces are hidden from above, but get down to ground level and their fragility and beauty is enough to warm anyone’s heart.

Ham House

A crisp, cold day at a wonderful historic house in Richmond-upon-Thames, a jewel tucked away in a little known part of London. If you are in the area, it is well worth a visit, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ham-house/.

Autumn Secrets

I was walking in the woods today and a friend’s son showed me these beautiful fungi. I wouldn’t have seen them if he hadn’t taken the time to stop and look. I think we miss so much beauty in our day-to-day lives because we are too busy to stop and see the jewels all around us. Thank you for finding this gift, E.

Sibling Love

 

Heidi Baker asks the question “What does love look like?”. This has become one of my questions as a photographer. How do I capture “What love looks like”? This photograph was not staged. My children are incredibly close and have a natural love for each other. I was delighted to be walking behind them when they spontaneously started holding hands as they walked down the path in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. For me this represents the innocence of sibling love, what a wonderful gift.

Tanquility

The UK is making worldwide news with the floods that are currently causing havoc in the South East. We recently went to explore Witney Lake and arrived at the perfect time. The light was sensational and the waterbirds were all coming home for the night to roost. Some parts were clearly flooded, but the beauty of the evening made up for it.

All children are artists

I am passionate about creativity in children and allowing them the freedom to create as they see fit. Allowing them to express themselves with adult interference or expectation. When my daughter sat down with her journal and started to draw the street scene outside without prompting I couldn’t help myself, I had to capture that moment. I love this shot.

Lone Wolf

Living in the UK, I don’t get the opportunity to see wolves in the wild. This wolf was in the Cotswold Wildlife Park and it was wonderful to be able to see on “in the flesh”. The wildlife park is really well run and the animals all seem to be well cared for and no doubt these wolves have a story. I wonder what it is…