After starting this “challenge,” I’ve begun feeling paranoid that posting a picture every day showing something I find beautiful will be misconstrued as me trying to brag or show off how wonderful my life is. I don’t want doing this to ostracize myself from any of you; I don’t want to be perceived as someone who is only showing the best version of myself in order to make everyone else feel badly about themselves. I know this is a common hazard of online perception versus reality and I am (probably overly) aware that doing this getting me dangerously close to that precipice.
With that in mind, I will clarify that my goal in beginning the Thing of Beauty Along is to create a community of us who are choosing to find at least one beautiful thing, one thing that creates joy in our life, one thing that is good in this world each day and share it with each other.
I don’t want to be the only one sharing my beautiful thing! I’m hoping that by doing this together, we can lift one another up. No matter what is going on in the world, in politics, online, in our own personal lives, surely we can each find at least one thing that lifts us up. And by sharing that beautiful thing with others, our discovery can lift others as well.
What I have already found is that by making myself accountable for “having to find one beautiful thing” has completely shifted my mindset. Suddenly, I am seeing beauty everyone. I am finding myself thinking about and looking for beautiful things all day long. And just this act has lifted me up out of the bog of melancholy…mostly!
(Full disclosure: my fourteen year old daughter recently listed our family in order from most to least optimistic, and I came in fifth out of seven. FIFTH! I am behind my dog (the hands-down winner), my oldest daughter, my husband, and one cat. I only lead my fourteen year old and our very grumpy, very picky cat. So, this is mainly to say that I am not the most optimistic person in the world (or even my own family) and definitely need a little brightness, a little joy, a littly optimism right now!)
The easiest way to share your Thing of Beauty is on Instagram by adding #thingofbeautyalong to your post. Then, if you search for #thingofbeautyalong, all the posts from everyone will show up in your feed! (If you are local, I am happy to show you how to do this!) You could also just comment on this blog and share your beauty there (although I’m not sure if you can include a picture). The final idea–that I just thought of right now–is I’m going to create a new topic in our NPJ Shawl Society Ravelry Group. (I’m not quite sure how that will work, but we might as well give it a try, eh?) Just like posting a picture of your project, you can post a picture of your discovery.
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Today, my thing of beauty is a recent hat I knit, which I think it ideal for this topic, because although the hat is primarily grey, the yellow dominates the colorwork and the mood of the hat. But at the same time, the yellow needs the grey. The two are more beautiful together. Just like in Keats’ poem that I shared two days ago, “Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways/Made for our searching:/yes, in spite of all,/Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.”
Again, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
Let’s create some joy.
Saudade Hat by Ysolda Teague. Knit with Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight in the exact same colors as the designer.
Yes! I do think that most of the time, I’m fun, cheerful and optimistic, but I tend towards anxiety, self-doubt, and negativity when the going gets rough. I continue to work very, very hard to retrain my brain to think positively even during the storms….and I hope “thing of beauty” will help during what is going to be a very stormy month indeed (fingers crossed!).
And your image conjured up some of my favorite memories: with the leaves swirling, walking my dog, trick or treating, walking my girls to school…especially the delightful crunch of the leaves under my feet! Thanks for sharing!
Interesting, because when I think of you, fun and cheerful (dare I say–optimistic?) are some of the words that come to mind first.
I’ve always been a firm believer that the world needs more beauty. My thing isn’t something I have a picture of, just a thing I always enjoy with this type of weather at this time of year: the wind playing with the leaves and pushing them into piles along the sidewalks and yards. 🙂
Reading that makes my heart sing, Shanna! Thank you for sharing; your post is such an encouragement! Your “thing of beauty” is definitely one of my favorite things, too. 🙂
Thank you for this great idea! After raging with my family a bit over the election chaos, I stumbled on these posts, which changed the direction of our conversation.
The thing of beauty I would like to share is the feeling I get when I hear of someone doing something kind for someone else. Maybe that sounds corny. I hope not!