I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art. —Helena Bonham Carter
A friend sent me this quote last week and it’s been on repeat in my head ever since. While I don’t know Helena, I believe we’d be fast friends. We hold complementary life philosophies.
Last week I was in the Berkshires studying with my writing teacher and one process she recommended was list making. It’s a helpful tool when hitting the grocery store and starting a daily writing practice. You probably already do it in some capacity—gratitude lists, holiday shopping lists, to-do lists.
Today I wanted to share a list of simple pleasures. These every day moments can easily be overlooked in our quest to get from point A to point B. At times without noticing our surroundings and often while staring down at our smartphones. No judgment, I’m guilty, too!
To practice life as art, I try to notice daily delights hidden in the mundane. Here are a few from this week:
- seeing blooming lilies during my morning walk with Mookie
- tasting avocado toast sprinkled with Montreal steak seasoning
- practicing legs up the wall
- putting pen on paper
- sipping hot tea from my favorite mug
- sitting outside on a Sunday morning with my pug family and Tim
- placing fresh flowers from the farmers’ market on my mantle
- lighting rose-scented candles
- plugging in twinkle lights
- smiling at strangers
- savoring the sound of a book’s pages flipping
- sitting in meditation
- soaking in the tub
- connecting to my body through yoga
- hearing my pugs snore
- sitting down to dinner with Tim
- listening to a friend’s updates over brunch
- snapping colorful photos at the farmers’ market
- texting with my mom
How do you find art in everyday life? Think taste, touch, sound, sight, and smell. Wishing you sweet moments of pause and pleasure within the mundane. Bisous. x
