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You are here: Home / The Best Part Of My Day / Defending Beauty For Beauty’s Sake: Letting Go Of The Rules

Defending Beauty For Beauty’s Sake: Letting Go Of The Rules

November 5, 2016 By Gail Leave a Comment

If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important Rule of Beauty. “Who cares?”

–Tina Fey

aging schmaging

Beauty for beauty’s sake

A tuft of milkweed floss fluttered in the late afternoon sun. Attached to its dehydrated stalk, and entrenched in a meadow of past-perfect grasses, enchantment clung to the glimmering silk threads. I had my camera in hand and felt deeply drawn to the wonder of nature.

Everybody takes photos of milkweed, I thought. It’s been done and done and done. And yet. I wanted to keep the moment for later study, perhaps on a sub-zero winter’s day when meadows and temperate breezes failed my imagination.

I approached the plant, demanding…what?

Artistic permission?

The light. Was it right for capturing what I felt? Not really. Grey day, blah-ness all around.

Were there strong compositional lines? Nope.

Would Jim Brandenburg take this shot? Heck, who was I kidding? Jim could make spit hanging off a lip look noble and sell a ba-jillion copies.

None of the photographic “stuff” was right, and yet I loved the image in my head as much as I loved the image in front of me. And then it hit me.  Why did I feel a need to defend beauty as artistically worthy?

Why couldn’t I, why shouldn’t I, take the shot for beauty’s sake? Probably because I’ve heard too many artists I admire say there needs to be “more.” A story, boldness, unique power and awe. Leave the ordinary for mass-produced postcards.

Yeah, but. The milkweed was purdy.

Tossing the devil of art off my shoulder, I took the photo. No regrets.

A few days later I attended the Northern Exposures Photography club’s “Fifth Monday.”    https://www.facebook.com/Northern-Exposures-Photography-Club-112816717862/   It is a time to share up to ten photographs we’ve been working on while gleaning feedback and inspiration from the group.  I did not include my milkweed shot because I had others in need of a critique. But, to my delight, at least two other attendees did have milkweed photographs. They poo-poo’d their shots. “Not much to say,” they shrugged, “it is just milkweed.”

Oh, but I knew different.  Enchantment hits hard when fluttering in the late afternoon sun.

Beauty just because. The best part of my day.

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Filed Under: The Best Part Of My Day Tagged With: beauty, beauty for beauty's sake, breaking rules

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Through my blog and website, I hope to share beauty, laughter, inspiration, aging & midlife lessons and advice on dealing with menopause. I will also devote time to integrative health and healing tips and news. I want feedback and questions because, while we may be sharing the journey, every woman has her own experience and her own story.

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