You may have heard of the saying ‘collect memories, not things’, it is a simple idea to connect ourselves with the memories that bring us joy. We can collect memories as we go through our days but we can soon forget the beautiful moments when faced with difficulties or challenges. So preserving them and archiving them in a creative way can help us to remember them at the times in life when we need to be shown that everyday may not be good, but that there is good in everyday.
I began to focus on collecting beautiful moments at a time when I was dealing with grief, it was a lifeline that helped me find some joy in each day and enabled me to keep putting one-foot in-front of the other. It showed me how to see my surroundings differently, to slow down, to pause, and find a moment that I found beautiful.
A shadow dancing on the wall in the kitchen as the sun came up and shone through a tree.
Morning dew sparkling like diamonds on a freshly woven spider's web.
A feather dancing in the wind
I discovered that another moment that brought me so much joy was seeing the first buttercups on the lawn and the first fronds of lacey cow parsley on the verges and footpaths in the Spring. I decided to pick a few of each and press them in my last Grandmother's flower press and waited patiently for 6 weeks.
Bringing a few different moments together is a wonderful way to trigger a bundle of joy at the same time. Vintage books also bring me a lot of joy and I also have a bit of a love for envelopes, (especially ones of the small variety) I wanted to find a way of containing the moment when these beautiful wildflowers begin to appear. After some playing and exploring in my studio, I eventually created this botanical envelope.
The writer Sarah Ban Breathnach says in her book Simple Abundance:
‘nothing in your life is too insignificant to be a source of inspiration'
6 WAYS TO COLLECT BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS
Discover what brings you joy.
Engage with your senses.
What smells, sounds, tastes, and sights do you love?
What is it about this moment that has connected with you; the light, the atmosphere, the warmth, the breeze?
What memories are most special to you? Pick three and start from there.
Use photos, pressed flowers, fabrics, and ephemera to evoke the moments.
If you are curious about creating your own botanical envelope, I share the whole process in Chapter 5 of my art journaling course Reap What You Sow which takes you from the first steps of starting an art journal right through to finding your own unique artistic style.
If you would like to discover more about Art Journaling why not start with my FREE book 'A Simple Guide to Art Journaling', download direct to your device, and enjoy with a cup of tea.
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