Today's word is "Quietude." It is a noun, defined as the state of being quiet, tranquility, calmness, stillness, quiet.
I searched high and low for a single word used to describe "simple pleasures" or the concept of serenity through simplicity. I didn't find anything that actually meant what I needed to convey. So, when I was reintroduced to the word, Quietude... it resonated with me.
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| "Around the Bend" |
I searched high and low for a single word used to describe "simple pleasures" or the concept of serenity through simplicity. I didn't find anything that actually meant what I needed to convey. So, when I was reintroduced to the word, Quietude... it resonated with me.
There was a time, when I ascribed to the fallacy that happiness
has a price tag and is found with the possession of a big house, a fast car, hot fashions, expensive jewelry...not
that I had these things, but I thought they carried a lot more importance than
they actually deserve. That said, I (by no means) eschew all physical and
material pleasures now... I enjoy my small, wooded home. I delight in
driving my vintage (and somewhat unreliable) convertible. I both create
and own lovely, one-of-a-kind jewelry and clothing. I actively fight the
Demon of Compulsive Therapy Shopping. I am human (and a Taurus), and I
sometimes find solace in creature comforts.
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| "In Flight" |
Synonyms for Quietude include: patience, peace, placid –
in addition to serenity, stillness, and tranquility. That is exactly my
most prized (and sought) state of being. It is what I search for during
my daylight hours, and dream of during nocturnal adventures. It's the
place I feel happiest, am most aware, and am content in "My Self."
When I walk through the reclaimed estuary (illustrated in these images), I am
similarly flooded with feelings of wellbeing, interconnectedness
with all of Creation, and a direct link to our Living Earth. My heart
beats to the calls of migrating geese, my breath keeps time with the swells and
dips of the paths, my sight drinks in the color and texture... I am nearly
overwhelmed with the explosion of sensory, artistic, and spiritual sustenance. The
estuary is nearly the perfect pabulum for my Muse. It is a
brackish waterscape - cold salt water meeting fresh mountain run-offs.
Neither whole of one, or another, yet absolutely vital for the health of
many.
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| "Flooded Pastures" |
My Muse drives me to capture the beauty I experience... be it in photography, painting, drawing with pencils, writing, or other means. The act of Creation, fueled by imagination and inspiration, fills me with deep satisfaction and peace within myself... as though the process and product of my efforts have fulfilled a involuntary need, not unlike blinking or breathing or the rhythmic pulse of my heart. With this act of expression, I feel peace. A stillness that allows to me absorb even more beauty. An inner tranquility. Quietude.
