Ordinary Beauty

These two words seemingly do not go together.

But they do!

Beauty can be a matter of perspective. A way of looking at the world. An attitude.

Beauty can be the way something actually looks. Its colors. Its shapes.

Beauty can be the way something makes us feel. The feeling something creates inside of us. By doing, seeing or just being present.

Ordinary can be something we encounter in our daily lives. An act we do every day. Something repetitive.

Ordinary can be a matter of perspective as well. How we view the world. The people and places around us.

Ordinary can be a feeling as well. How we react. What we see.

Sometimes, the way we look at the world is all we need to change to realize that there is beauty in the everyday, the ordinary, in our lives. This reminds me of the age old phrase, “stop and smell the roses”. Take the time to appreciate the beauty in your daily routines. Use your creative mind and look at your daily life in a different way.

Smell that fresh brewing pot of coffee first thing in the morning. How does that make you feel? For me, I appreciate the actual smell of coffee. I love the way it smells when I grind the beans. I love how it smells when I turn the coffee pot on in the morning and it starts brewing. It smells so good and I can’t wait to drink a cup! It symbolizes the start of my day, no matter what I’m doing. On a day I have to go to work, I know I won’t be having a sip until I’m in the car on my way. On my days off, I view it as a little luxury, where I can sit at the kitchen table and relax, slowly wake up and plan my day. I take my time and savor my coffee.

Let’s continue on this coffee example.

There is the actual beauty as well. When I pour those beans into the grinder, not only do they smell great, but they look great too! They are such a deep, rich brown color. So deep brown that they’re almost black, yet not quite. They are also so shiny and glossy in appearance. Wouldn’t that make a nice still life? A bunch of coffee beans. I wonder how hard it might be to convey the shiny, glossy brown? I like to illustrate things in a somewhat realistic manner, so this is really a good idea for a project!

There is also the matter of the mug we’re pouring the coffee into. This in itself can be beautiful. I’ve seen many a coffee cup that were works of art on their own. I’ve made a few paintings of coffee cups as well.

When I hold on to that mug of coffee, not only can I appreciate the beauty in the way it smells, the way it tastes, but it brings me actual warmth. I feel ready to start my day. No matter what the day holds ahead, my morning cup of coffee, whether it be in the car or at my kitchen table, is a constant in my life.

If I stop to examine other things like I just did the simple act of having a cup of coffee, imagine all I could find!

There is ALWAYS BEAUTY to find in the ordinary. It’s all a matter of looking for it.