Beauty, Comfort, and the Illusion of Fear

As I was driving down the road today I saw these trees (there were three huge ones that seemed to dwarf the whole block.  They were absolutely stunning) and I thought to myself, 'That would be a great picture.  I wish I had my camera on me.'  And then I remembered that I did have my camera with me, so on the way home I stopped and took a picture.  It's amazing how this little blog that no one reads has made me see the world in a whole new way.  Everywhere I go I see photographs.  

Not only is this project (hopefully) making me into a better photographer, but it is really transforming the way I look at the world.  I see beauty in absolutely everything and it's a wonderful way to see the world. I highly encourage it.  Not only has it made me see my immediate environment differently, but I have also become more creative with other aspects of my life.  As I've mentioned before, I feel that creativity breeds creativity.  I've seen this happening in my own life recently and it's such a wonderful feeling.  Creation is truly an amazing process.

Something else I've come to believe lately is that being slightly uncomfortable is good for you.  For example, it's been getting cold at night here, so with our AC off when you wake up in the morning it's a little too cold.  But I have enjoyed this slight level of discomfort.  I think it has become too easy to simply change the thermostat when we're too hot or too cold, or grab something from the fridge when we're a little peckish.  We forget that slight levels of discomfort build character.  And I believe they inspire creativity as well.  In order to get to the heart of life you need to peel back the layers that cloud it over, including the multitude of quotidian tasks that we've assigned ourselves to keep comfortable.  Pull a Thoreau à la Walden Pond, or an Alexander Supertramp.  

I hate to reference pop culture (and any of my friends would attest to the fact that I'm actually embarrassingly ignorant of anything to do with pop culture) but I do absolutely love The Buried Life.  Those boys go out and do what they want to do.  They live life to the absolute fullest, and even when they're so nervous they make themselves sick they still do it because they know that without making themselves uncomfortable, without putting themselves on the line, without chasing their dreams they would never be able to say they had truly lived.  In this week's episode Duncan is explaining the project and says, "It's about eliminating the what if."  You couldn't get better life advice if you asked for it.  So!  Just go out and live your life!  And remember, don't let your fear hold you back.  Fear is an illusion.  

P.S. - If anyone knows what kind of trees those are, I would love to know!