I often wonder why I do what I do, and is it frivolous?
frivolous \
- of little weight or importance
- lacking in seriousness
- irresponsibly self-indulgent
I puzzle over why I get up in the morning so eager to set up a still life and take photos …
But it seems I’ve been staging “still life” images my entire life. To me “still life is real life is still life.” To have a chippy chair sitting in the dining room, an apron draped over the top, and treasured linens stacked on the seat is calming. And those poppy seed heads … I grew them, I picked them, and I dried them. What is more real than that?
Right from our first apartment I’ve decorated my home; from the kitchen, to the living room, to the bedroom. I’ve always liked to surround myself with pretty things and while the objects have changed over the years, the passion has not … in fact it has grown to such proportions I can hardly contain myself. And it’s because I now love photography.
I can no longer dismiss this (photography) passion as “frivolous“. It’s become as much a part of my life as creating a comfortable home for my self, my husband, and my children and grandchildren. It’s as important as a home-made meal … as important as freshly baked cookies coming straight out of the oven … and as important as a bouquet of wildflowers sitting on the windowsill for no other reason than to delight the senses.
It’s as important as anything I do because it fills me up, and then spills over into my life.
It gives me purpose at a time when I could be feeling lost. I could be stressing over the fact that I’m aging and my face and body are definitely not what they used to be. But I don’t have time. Where would I find the time to stand in front of the mirror agonizing over sags and wrinkles when there’s a still life waiting to be brought into the world? Oh, and before I bring that still life into the world, I may have to bake something, or paint a background, or find the perfect new semi-opaque curtains for the dining room … the list is endless.
And I mustn’t trivialize the fact that I’ve spent over six years learning how to use a dslr so that I may bring these images to life in as creative a way as possible. I can’t count the hours I’ve spent learning this craft … and I cannot think of one other thing in which I’ve invested so much of my time and effort (unless it’s my blog.)
That’s why the quote by Henry Miller spoke to me … it sums up how I want to live my life. I want to live as artfully as possible … and that’s not frivolous.
#stilllifeisreallife @stilllifeisreallife
Day 25 #nablopomo
Barb, we artists always seem to struggle with our art as frivolous. Why is that? I think, it’s because we live in a utilitarian world and art is about passion and beauty like you said. If we lived in a place where beauty drove our world, utilitarians would be writing articles about feeling frivolous whenever they do something useful. But one is not better than the other; they are perhaps two sides of the same coin. Both are needed: beauty and usefulness. Hey, if it wasn’t for utilitarians, I would still be in the darkroom instead of processing my photography with a cool computer. Your photos are a delight! Keep having fun creating.
Thank you Julie! I so enjoyed your comment and am so happy you stopped by. Now I’m off to define “utilitarian” ;)
What can I say, I have both sides of my brain working sometimes. It means usefulness. :)
What a beautiful post Barb.
As I sit in my chaotic, disheveled home, still recuperating form shingles after 7 weeks . . . I read this: “To have a chippy chair sitting in the dining room, an apron draped over the top, and treasured linens stacked on the seat is calming.”
I realized that’s why I signed up for Kim’s new Still Sunday class. It’s because having pretty still life ‘vignettes’ around gives me peace and somehow a sense that ‘all’s right with the world’ even when things are spinning out of control in the world around.
I’m a long way from that right now, but how lovely it is to come and visit here and share in some of your beautiful art. It gives me joy. Thank you.
Thank you Rosa! I’m so sorry to hear you are dealing with shingles … argh … I haven’t had them, but I’ve witnessed shingles and they are brutal. I sincerely hope that just looking at still life images will bring you peace, and that some of them will be the spring from which you will draw inspiration when you have healed. Sending heartfelt “get well wishes” xo
Barb,
Thank you for always saying such beautiful timely things.
Ann
Thank you Ann!
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful quote, and your thoughts on art – beautifully said! x
Thank you Cristina! xo
that is a most wonderful quote Barb! I too have been creating for as long as I can remember…just because I decided to turn it into a business 15 years ago did not diminish my enthusiasm – which is good since its not always a profitable enterprise! But the rewards I reap are much like the ones you describe – it fills my soul and brings joy into my world…no small feat!
… and I adore your art, Amy! You’ve been an inspiration to me since I began blogging – and I thank you for that!
you have a passion and it creates beauty. nothing frivolous.
Thank you Theresa!
Barb you sum up my thoughts exactly. When are we going to stop dismissing out art ?
This is a beautiful post Mom…I feel this way too sometimes about my blog. Like what is the point…but the point is, these creative outlets of ours are just an extension of who we are. Love your words. xo
Thank you Jo! I know you feel the same way sometimes … blogging is hard work, we put our whole selves into it and we take pride in our work and hopefully someone appreciates it! xo
Today, Barb, I’m so thankful you are among my peeps…you have written about yourself, but I’m there too…I’ve been creating since I was a child, taking pictures on a “kid” camera, growing flowers in sand that my mom said wouldn’t grow, sewing, stitching, decorating. Each place I called “home” whether a minimalistic dorm room, a first apartment, or an English style home….they were each touched with my creative soul. And like you, learning to use my beautiful dslr. Now it all comes together… and the end result is capturing it in camera, to share, to inspire, to enjoy…creating is so beautiful! Thank you for this excellent post…and I adore your chippy chair and stack of linens. xx
ohhh my goodness, you wrote about me, although i don’t bake like you do or have grandchildren yet *wink … maybe soon. You said it so perfectly . I sometimes , on days that are not so great wonder why do I do this, for what. Yes, it’s because in order to breathe I have to create, have always created and made my surroundings beautiful and calming.
We are artists , we all are ! One may paint, one may use a sewing machine , one may mold something with their hands, but all in all , we are the same .
Kim, looking at your photos immediately lowers my blood pressure. I just found you so you can’t ever stop. I’ve just got my first real camera – Canon Rebel DSLR – Please don’t tell me it’s going to take me six years to figure this thing out!
Barb, I am betting you felt good writing this – a declaration of your passion. And I feel exactly the same. I understand the urge to justify what we do . . . I’ve had well-meaning (or maybe not so well-meaning) relatives totally dismiss my photography when they find out that I don’t do it for income or look at me with a bewildered expression when I get excited by tomatoes in a window sill. That’s why it’s so important to have friends like you, because we “get” each other. Your work is surely not frivolous! Can we agree to call dusting and vacuuming frivolous though?
This would be great to submit to a magazine!
Barb
I love your post and it could describe me – as I sit in my loft / work space that needs dusting/vacuuming etc! Around me there are half finished/ half started projects in fabric, paper, digital and hybrid items. I love it all and every day is a chance to be creative!
The older I become, the more I realize that art is NEVER frivolous and only those who have never tried to create anything believe that it is. Continue to create and delight your senses and ours. (your still life photography is amazing by the way)
I hope you consider publishing your photos in a book someday – they are truly breathtaking and artful.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!