Life Stories

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Finally, it’s that day—my birthday. Always, it’s an emotional mixed bag, but this time, it’s a little different somehow. Several anticipatory weeks have sent my brain rocking and rolling, but to my surprise, it settled into a favorable position that has offset the stresses of adjusting to aging.

My viewpoint began changing when I started thinking about actively practicing more appreciation of small things. It was easy and fun, lightened my mood, and made me revisit a wish to be more creative. I took a positive approach, promising to give myself birthday gifts for my creative efforts.

To that end, photography would serve. I love photography as a hobby and an art form. What’s most beautiful is that it’s readily available to everyone. I haven’t any special equipment and often snap randomly, later finding some of my captures fine and even artistic, images impressive, framable, and worth hanging.

In that upcoming self-gifting, I intended to practice seeing “ordinary things” differently, which is not easy for one not naturally gifted with an artist’s brain and eye. I found the experience of looking and trying to see differently similar to the experience of focusing on appreciating. All’s in the eye of the beholder.

I took many photographs and shared some of the finer ones in recent blogs. Meanwhile, I have saved my outcomes toward creating abstract images that may evoke imagination. Here they are, self-gifts on this birthday.

Toward my ends, I adopted a couple of random feathers, each differently attractive. One was fluffy, and the other had color. I focused on arranging natural objects to reflect a life choice or style.

These elements are particular, very personal choices. They are easily recognizable. Each has a unique and universal appeal, and separately or together, can evoke feelings, memories, and hopes in a viewer.

A transition now for notes about the header photo: By peering carefully into the Robin’s nest, you will see a sitting bird’s tail sticking up. Looking closely among the straw particles, you will see its head and its eye that’s looking back at you.

Dear Friends: All-natural art depicting modern homesteading on a small acreage. Diana