50 Stories::The Art of an Ordinary Life

One day I should create a series called “Things I’ve Learned While Vacuuming my Living Room”. Because that’s when I do some of my best thinking. Which was the case with this post from October 2013. It was right there in the midst of the dog hair and the dust bunnies that the inspiration for this post came to me…this idea that Life and Art are really just two sides of the same coin. 

I originally shared this post at the end of my Not-So-Empty Nest series, but in reality, this post was the beginning of a new chapter in my life…a new direction in my blog and my photography. 

I wholeheartedly believe that beauty and magic is everywhere…even amidst the litter box and the laundry baskets. And my sincere hope is by sharing my journey and my quest to find it, that it will inspire you to look at your life differently. Because I promise you, for those with a grateful heart and eyes to see, there is joy to be found in ordinary life.

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As I am writing this blog post this afternoon, I have four days’ worth of unfolded laundry upstairs. I just finished unloading all the sacks from my once a month target run and now I am getting ready to use one of my empty target sacks for cleaning out the cat litter. Because now that I finally figured out how to keep the dogs out of it, turns out I have to clean it out a little more often.

{Wondering now if maybe I should have thought that out a little more.}

At any rate, I’m not telling you this to gross you out. I had kinda sorta promised myself I would restrain from talking about the litter box for this 31 days, but, well…this is my life. My very real, ordinary life. And I wanted to share this, because I think sometimes there is a misconception about bloggers. That we sort of be-bop through life taking pictures of our perfect families and our perfect gardens and our perfect homes. and I’m sure there are some like that. But that generalization does not apply to me in the least.

ok…maybe i be-bop once in a while, but only if i’ve had too much coffee in the morning.

But even with all of its struggles and imperfections, I embrace the ordinary. Because here’s the deal…this is where 90% of life happens. Right here, amidst the laundry and the litter box. And the dirty kitchen and the dog hair. And to be honest, I just have never been able to wrap my head around waiting for that other 10% of my life – vacations, special events, good hair days – to be happy and experience joy. Maybe I’m being a little greedy, but I want joy all the time, not just when things are ‘special.’

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life and elevating them to an art. ~William Morris

In my ongoing efforts to capture the joy in my ordinary life, I recently finished up an online photography class, Picture Everyday with Tracey Clark. The objective of this class was “finding and photographing the magic in your daily life.” Which, like all of the other photography courses I’ve taken by Tracey, is a concept that is right up my alley.

What I love about all of her courses (and her philosophy of elevating the everyday) is that they have taught me to see the beauty in my ordinary life. Because when you really look, beauty is everywhere.

But it’s not always easy for me. Racing around with my running to-do list and ongoing personal narrative of trying to squeeze too much into too short amount of time. Add on to that my annoying inner critic, and together these things not only make for mediocre photography but are also a total joy killer.  I know this from personal experience. And what I’ve learned is that for me to really connect to my life, to be able to really see the beauty – either through the lens of my camera or the lens of my heart – it requires that I slow down. Pay attention. Be open. Let go of my expectations.

Like I said, not always easy…but those times when I do get it right? That’s where the joy lives.  That is the magic not only in a photography, but also in my life.

Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum.     ~Ansel Adams

Well so in addition to my photography class, I’ve also just finished reading A Million Little ways by Emily P. Freeman.  In in her book she states that not only were we born to make art, we were also born to live art.

Now never in a million years would I consider myself an ‘artist’…not in the traditional sense anyway.  I mean I couldn’t paint or draw my way out of a paper bag.  But in her book, Emily suggests that “being an artist has something to do with being brave enough to move toward what makes you come alive.”  And that when we fully embrace who we are, we have to the capacity to touch the lives of others. And that is how we live the art we were born to make.  That is how “we make art with our lives”.

But how can my ordinary, cat litter box changing, messy life be art?  I’m starting to think that whether it’s photography or life, it’s all in the way i look at it.

What is art but a way of seeing? ~Thomas Berger

If I have learned anything from this 31 day series, it’s that joy in my life came from seeing things differently.  And that is what makes me come alive…when things click.  Whether it’s seeing on the back of the camera what I see in my mind’s eye or seeing my life in a new way.  It’s making these connections…these everyday discoveries…that ignite my passion.

I’m wondering…maybe this is my art. Elevating my everyday. Capturing it with my camera.  Seeing the wonder and beauty in my ordinary life.  Experiencing the fullness of life through a practice of gratitude. Learning to seeing Grace in the journey.

Yes, maybe this is it.  Maybe this is art I was made to live…

The art of an ordinary life.

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