Resting in Beauty
After the erotic powers of receptivity and resonance, comes radiance, according to Deena Metzger (via Sight and Sensibility). Radiance, to me, is what makes something beautiful. It radiates essence. True beauty exists at a level below the surface. It’s not superficial.
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder or a property of the beheld? Laura Sewall writes in Sight and Sensibility that it is both. Beauty is already there and it is granted when we align with something through resonance.
“We have forgotten that we are co-creators of whatever we choose to call beautiful, that beauty is always already.” ~ Laura Sewall, Sight and Sensibility
The Maturation of Seeing
Through photography, I’ve practiced being open and receptive and noticing what resonates. As a consequence, my definition of beauty has expanded considerably.
Photographer Robert Hecht spoke to this in an article published in Lenswork Magazine, describing the steps he’s gone through in the maturation of his seeing through photography.
He went through the following stages: (1) emulating admired photographers, (2) striving to become technically proficient, and (3) producing perfect and beautiful landscape images. At this point, he felt a little emptiness in his photography and moved on to the next step: (4) seeing beauty, rather than looking for beautiful subjects.
“I believe now that my growth has involved a subtle, yet profound, shift from perceiving beauty as something outside of myself, as separate from myself, to that of experiencing it internally, as fully integrated within myself and my values. I had been mistakenly looking for beautiful subjects, for things that were already dazzling and amazing.”
Now, he’s open to seeing beauty in everything, to discovering the beauty that is already there. I too see beauty where I didn’t previously - in rusty fences, accidental art created by debris on the sidewalk, and bare winter branches. Seeing in this way brings joy to my days.
On the flip side, it also makes me feel greater sadness when I see things dismissed, unappreciated or uncared for. How do we learn to see beauty, especially in times of violence, degradation, or illness? This is a challenge worth taking. Even in the midst of destruction or grief, there is also beauty and joy, usually in simple acts of empathy, comfort, or regeneration.
You can always walk the beauty way (from the Dineh tribe).
“The Beauty way simultaneously describes a way of being, a way of viewing the world, and one’s worldview. As a way of being, the Beauty Way is participatory and engaged. One’s body is tuned to resonate, to respond to the subtleties of that which carries beauty.” ~ Laura Sewall, Sight and Sensibility
I practiced walking this way while visiting the desert southwest of the United States. Many think of the desert as dead and barren, yet its subtleties carry beauty. I had to be still and quiet long enough to see it. To walk in beauty means you’re open to the stories you find, whatever they may be.
You may see where natural beauty has been desecrated or covered up, for example, in polluted rivers. You may see what’s broken. There are many reasons for despair in the world today. But, there are also stories of growth and resilience, which give me hope. We’ve all been through a lot in the last year in different ways, yet I see beauty in the ways people are creative and care for others during a time of crisis.
Seeing beauty is a form of reciprocity, of giving back to the world.
Practice
This week will be fun. Just simply walk the beauty way. Notice what you find to be beautiful. Stay with it and notice how it feels in your body to appreciate beauty.
“Beauty is the harvest of presence.” ~ David Whyte, Consolations
When I am present and looking closely, seeing with receptive eyes of love and attention, beauty reveals itself. Can you think of a time when something not considered beautiful, by you or others, revealed its beauty to you through your presence?
Writer and poet John O’Donohue wrote a book about beauty, subtitled “The Invisible Embrace.” When we see beauty, it feels like an invisible embrace, a hug of connection. How does seeing beauty feel in your body?
What makes your heart break? Can you find beauty there?
Share your unconventional beauty. Where do you personally see beauty where others might not? Share it with someone else this week, either by telling them, pointing it out, photographing it, or writing about it. By sharing what you discover, you can help others to slow down and see in new ways.
Resources
Each of these articles (and one video) is remarkable and will get you thinking about beauty differently.
Illuminating the Beauty in Broken Places by Omid Safi (via On Being)
How Loss Helped one Artist Find Beauty in Imperfection, a TED Talk by Alyssa Monks
How Photographer Saul Leiter found Beauty in Gotham’s Gloss and Grime by Andrew Dixon via the Guardian
Guerilla Beauty by Trebbe Johnson, Center for Humans and Nature