It’s a rainy Friday in Denver, a rare and beautiful thing. I’m supposed to be recording the lessons for Write Your Paris Stories, but Friday Art hadn’t been posted yet.
I went to Creative Mornings Denver and afterward, braved the incredible clusterfuck that is Trader Joe’s parking. Why? Why! For the cheap eats? No. For the flowers.
Since drawing and painting my CSA share last year, I’ve changed flowers from luxury item to necessity. Flowers are the love of my life, a daily, elegant love that fuels both my heart and my art.
With the arrival of Trader Joe’s, I am happy to say I can fill my home and office with beauty for $20 each week.
Flower Shrines
I think of the flowers all around the house as shrines. Every time I see and smell the flowers I feel a rush of appreciation and joy. A recent strengths test indicated that my top strength is appreciation of beauty/excellence.
I love drawing and painting flowers. Photographing them isn’t as easy. But today, on this rainy Friday, my flower shrines were making me so happy, I had to share them with you.
Enjoy! Maybe go make your own flower shrine.
L to R: Office Co-Worker; Stock with Show Your Art by Austin Kleon, just arrived!; Meditation Shrine; Office Shrine 2: Not Dead Yet; Kitchen Sponge Puja; Home Shrine; Lounge with Stock; Not Dead Yet
I Love your flowers. I’ve been coming to the same realization lately. I love flowers, they make me happy. So simple. I even managed to plant some seeds that have evolved into a budding flower. Am very excited to go out and look at it every morning. I was just about to post this discovery to facebook, but decided, nah, I’ll just keep this small joy to myself (for now). Thanks for sharing yours !
Share the flower joy! I love that you are even planting them.
One of the things I love about San Francisco is all the flowers on the streets. Totally inspiring.
Beautiful shrines, Cynthia. Wanted to hug the jar of ‘not dead yets”
Challenged by the daring rightness of moving flowers from luxuries to essentials! Was contemplating potplant that is hard to kill for my not so light study, and failing to raise enthusiasm, despite air quality benefits
And only you could write “I love drawing and painting flowers. Photographing them isn’t as easy.”
Julie,
I know – I have a hard time throwing them away. I love seeing the whole arc of their lives.
I’ve got ways to justify the expense. The main one is thinking of how much $$ I am saving by not drinking alcohol. I can think of allocating that savings to flowers, which bring so much to my daily life.
I wonder what you mean ‘only you could write’….:)
I meant that most people would find it easy to photograph and hard to draw…
Yep, you are right, Cynthia. It is questioning habits, assumptions, artificial boundaries and being honest about what truly gives us pleasure and nurtures us.
Petal by petal!
I bought a basil plant to sit on my desk at a writers retreat and inhaled. Delicious. Planted it when I got home,
Are those daffodils!?! Off to Trader Joe’s! I consider them my birthday flowers – March 16th if you’re asking. ;>)
Yes! Daffodils for $1.29 a bunch. I got three.
Happy birthday in advance; if I forget on the day it will only because I’ll be in a workshop in Marin.
Glad you were born and glad you’re treating yourself to flowers!
“think of the flowers all around the house as shrines”
A brilliant idea! I have been thinking about shrines at home as a focus for peace and contentment but my husband doesnt not want anthing religious or Buddah like… But flowers, yes, he likes!
Helen,
That’s exactly it: ‘a focus for peace and contentment’. They bring joy and pleasure with such elegance.
I smile thinking that this gives you more flower power in your life!