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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

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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