5 Beautiful Things - January 2024 (everyday moments of beauty, a recap)

Each Monday, I post content that is relevant to whatever is happening in my studio and life. The last Monday of each month (so today!), I’ve decided to reflect on 5 moments of everyday beauty that I noticed over the past few weeks. I’ve tried various gratitude practices, but have found most of them too prescriptive, and when faced with an expectation to capture 3 things I’m grateful for each morning or night, for example, I find myself freeze up while staring at a blank page. 

I prefer to jot down things that speak to me shortly after, or as I see them, unfolding. I do this in the Notes app of my phone or in my bullet journal, and capture anything from details I want to remember of a meal, to an impactful poem or song lyric, to the way the light filters through the trees as the sun rises in my backyard. These are small but fleeting moments that make me feel alive in the midst of everyday. Years spent carrying my camera everywhere has helped hone my observation skills and see what I may otherwise have missed, but writing about them feels different - it lets me leverage more of my senses than visually capturing an image can. 

There are always more by the end of the month, but 5 felt like a manageable number to share here. I hope these encourage you to find your own moments of everyday beauty - please share in the comments if you feel compelled! 

5 Moments of Everyday Beauty - January 2024

1. The first snowfall of the year. The way it goes from a single flake to thousands in an instant. The contrast of the stark white against the type of dark night sky that makes 5 p.m. feel like midnight. 
2. A steaming mug of my favorite tea (Harney & Sons, Paris). The memory it always evokes of the first time I had it, years ago, alongside sugar cubes, scones, and my best friend, at the Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel in London. 
3. Cooking comfort food (this whole roasted cauliflower, which I’ve made at least 3 times in January *chef’s kiss*), and the smell of garlic still on my hands as I sit down to write, warm under a blanket, while snow falls quietly outside the window. 
4. A card left on the kitchen counter, just because. 
5. Leisurely Sunday coffee surrounded by old books, a crackling fireplace, and a friend who is always on my side. 

Note: my posting schedule has since changed from Mondays to Fridays and this particular series is not a current regular topic