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Monday 17 September 2012

Thoughts Like Flowers









Spring has sprung,
the grass is riz,
I wonder where the flowers is?

I seriously did wonder 'where the flowers is’; after all, it is spring. This morning I wandered down to the garden in pursuit of finding some, the result being a bunch of different and colourful flowers.
As is regularity with me, I started thinking. About everything - the thoughts going through my head were as random as weeds and as variously shaped and coloured as my collection of flowers.
Sometimes I feel as if my mind is a garden. How an idea can be like coming across a fruit on a tree - you might want to leave it for some time to grow and ripen, so it may become richer and sweeter. Thoughts may be scanned like a patch of flowers for one of interest to be picked. Or the way unwanted ones pop up like weeds and even if you get rid of them, they come back.

I guess I was wandering through two gardens, browsing both thoughts and flowers. The real garden is lacking in maintenance, overgrown, and taken over by weeds (which can resemble my mind sometimes.) It's not beautiful, but since I've become a lover of photography, I've been able to admire a place for just a small part of it, because that part - even if it’s only small - can fill the frame of a camera. I could have a subject in front of a patch of flowers, and no one else would see the surrounding weeds outside of the frame. This lead to a few thoughts about appearance and gave me a different perspective on beauty - that nothing has to be completely perfect, because everything has imperfections, and you must admire the features that are beautiful. This is something that has helped me on how I view my own appearance.

It's so easy to find things in ourselves that we don't like. While I'm very insecure that I have permanent scarring under my lip from an accident when I was younger, most people don't notice. I'm constantly looking at how one of my hips is higher than the other, a collarbone more prominent, a slightly twisted ribcage and misshapen back (all of that being a result of slouching all the time, causing my back to curve as I grew), but I'm told it's not as noticeable as I think. What I’m saying is that we often judge ourselves (particularly our abilities and appearance) too harshly, scrutinizing every imperfection until we make ourselves feel terrible, instead of focusing on some of the things we like about ourselves.

Its times like these that I step back and can see how my thoughts can truly affect how I see myself and thus how others see me as well. This makes me realise that I need to endeavour to look at what I like about myself rather than every little imperfection. A goal I will continue to strive towards on a daily basis.



My lovely mum took these photos on an afternoon walk.
The Floral dress was bought second hand at a market stall a long time ago, I bought the orange dress on sale at JayJays (also some time ago), and it's a bit too small for me now. My mum bought me the vintage 60's pin, the memory-wire bracelet is one that I made when I was eleven. Green Colorado leather bag, vintage 70's leather boots, and belt - all from charity shops. The ring was my Grandma's.

Oh, and sorry if this post was little long!

8 comments:

Jana K said...

This was a very beautiful well written post. i can relate with you. Sometimes I find myself focusing on my flaws way too much, and it really can get me down.

For the record, I think you're gorgeous.

-Leanna

ZoƩ said...

Lovely dress - and so perfect with the flower pinned to it and your hair. Very whimsical and romantic. :)

OrigamiGirl said...

Where does that little saying at the start of your post come from? My sister used to say it. I always that it was one of her little things. Like 'lambs in trees and birds on fields' to mean 'good times'. Bet that isnt really hers either!

We all have these insecurities (I worry about the shape of my stomach and the colour of my teeth) but you are right, people don't notice these things as much as we see them in ourselves.
As far as I am concerned your photos are really good and I think that you are gorgeous and striking.

Ps. Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog.

Rosalind said...

I love the idea of your mind being like a garden (especially as I've just been writing about gardens and flowers as inspirations for a particular collection). Great photos too, especially the first and third.
I see no twisted ribcage or misshapen back in any of your images - and I know what I'm looking at ( you should see my still-twisty torso AFTER surgery...) I see only a beautiful young woman.

Anonymous said...

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Anni said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anni said...

you look so cute on those pictures!
Your dress is wonderfull (:

http://annisherzchen.blogspot.de/

Unknown said...

Very pretty! I love that flower pin!

Rachel
floralprintsandcommonsense.blogspot.com