If you caught last week’s post, you’ll remember that I’ve dubbed this month Feng Shui February as a playful motivator to boost positive energy in my home environment.
Mindfulness is being aware of what’s happening in our mind, body, and external environment. My external environment has been neglected for too long, so clutter clearing is my “off the cushion” mindfulness tool of choice this month.
This morning I listened to a heart whisper that nudged me to look inside the “drawer” of my Belize photos from last month’s trip to that gorgeous country. Just like clothes and medicine cabinets, photo files need weeding out too.
Opening the “Belize macro experiments” folder, I felt a rush of joy. I spent very little time alone with my camera on that family vacation, but it was still enough to bring back some images that make me happy, slow down my heart rate, and spark my imagination.
With lots of green tones in these rain forest captures, I’m guessing my Feng Shui consultant Carol Olmstead would recommend some of them for the Family/Health/Community area on the bagua design grid. In her book Feng Shui Quick Guide for Home and Office, Carol recommends attention to this area if you want to cultivate social life, strengthen family ties, and improve health (so they would be a good fit for healthcare settings too!). Even if you’re not into woo woo stuff, the grid can be helpful for someone like myself who is paralyzed when it comes to interior design.
More important to me than an ancient tradition’s philosophy is simply sensing in my body how a piece of art makes me feel. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Sometimes you feel good when you look at a photograph or a painting. Sometimes you feel bad. I choose the former!
What I look for when adding fine art photographs to my collection at damselwingsphotography.com is whether the image will ground the viewer in the present moment, quiet their inner chatter if only for a brief second, and elicit a positive emotional response, be that a sense of calm, joy, or wonder.
Here are a few of the images I found in that photo “drawer” that made me feel good. What about you? Which ones evoke an emotional response (either positive or negative)? I appreciate your feedback! Leave a comment below or shoot me an email. These are so new that they don’t even have names yet, so I’ll just give them each a letter below the image for an ID reference point. We’ll just call the photo above “header photo.”
And with that, I’ll let the images do the rest of the talking today…
***
If you enjoyed today’s post and are not yet a subscriber, please join my Readers Circle via the sign-up box in the right margin and receive my free ebook Six Playfully Mindful Strategies to Beat Procrastination and Boost Productivity. You’ll also receive updates on my book Blooming into Mindfulness, blog posts, and photography, speaking engagement, and workshop news.
Visit https://www.damselwingsphotography.com/ to sign up for special offers on my mindfulness-inspired artwork. Email is much more reliable than social media in getting information to you in a timely fashion, so subscribe to make sure you’re in the loop! (I promise not to share your address or send you spam.)
And if you know someone else who might benefit from an extra dose of calm in their lives, please spread the word! Social media likes and shares are always appreciated.
Finally, if you find typos anywhere on my site, I’d be grateful if you let me know. I hate typos! Contact me so that I can correct the error. Thank you!Share in the comments!
Martha Hendricks says
Martha, these are just stunning! You have such a refined eye for perspective! At first I thought that B was going to be it…the two little pearls of water clinging to the side of the green leaf. Then I came to E, and the delicacy took my breath away – literally. And then, the architecture of the rocks met my heart and reaffirmed what I’ve known since I went to western Norway in 2005…rock is my spirit “thing” (I don’t have a name for that yet; you probably know what to call it…I resonate so strongly with rock!) Its companion, for me, is water, especially the noisy, cascading waters of over-the-banks, storm-bred streams over…you guessed it…rocks. Thank you for your breathtaking collection. I do love the last one, too, as much for how you took it as for the beauty of it. At night…by flashlight. Do more of that! I’m so glad, all over again, to have found you!!! Happy feng shui – ing!
Martha Brettschneider says
Thank you Martha! I will keep you in mind when I’m around rocks and rushing water. We just booked a trip to Alaska this August — you’re coming with me! Hope you’re staying warm and cozy in the midst of your snowy winter. Your support and encouragement are, as always, so appreciated. With gratitude, the other Martha
Alison says
I’d have to go with C Martha! Feeling the love through the pink and the delicate drop!
Although I had a strong reaction to your final night time pic too …very powerful! my world is opening up to colour at present after several years in a calming neutral and healing space.
Martha Brettschneider says
Thanks for your vote, Alison! Yes, this one makes my heart sing as well. I think I gasped a little when it came into focus. Love that you are noticing the different color patterns of life. Embrace the bold color within, girlfriend! ~ Martha