“…if writing is about anything, it’s about seeing things fresh.” – Francis Flaherty, The Elements of Story
A writer’s job is to find beauty in all aspects of life and to communicate that beauty to others. It’s a difficult job; it’s easy to be lulled by the routine of daily life. What once was beautiful and extraordinary becomes ordinary and commonplace.
When that happens, the temptation is to seek some new vista. “Change the setting,” the writer thinks, “and I’ll find beauty again.” Perhaps, but perhaps not. What she encounters in a new setting is not extraordinary or beautiful to the people who inhabit it. They, too, have fallen asleep. She wonders at the apathy, not yet realizing she acts the same when at home.
That isn’t to say the writer shouldn’t seek out the strange and mysterious. Sometimes she does need to get outside her comfort zone. She should explore the wonders found elsewhere in the world. When she returns home, it’s fresh and vibrant again.
Sometimes, though, all she needs is a change of perspective. She needs to look at her home afresh. She needs to return to the details. The smallest things—the teddy bear abandoned on the sidewalk, the rabbit darting away—can become entry points to something new, something wonderful, something beautiful.
Image: Allan Foster (Creative Commons)
[…] Beauty is everywhere, if I but have the eyes to see it. I can allow the things I see and the emotions I feel to call my attention to not only beauty but also glory. Beauty always points to deeper realities. When I find beauty in the beautiful, I am giving thanks to the God who created the sunrise and who formed that family. When I find beauty in the despair, I acknowledge I am not alone. I recognize that this present moment is fleeting. Something deeper is at work. Refinement, growth is occurring. Beauty will emerge. A promise is at work even if I can’t see it, even if I doubt it entirely. […]