The beauty within us and around us

The first photograph below is of a pottery maker in either New Mexico or Arizona in 1908. The photograph itself captures something dear and touching in the woman's expression and in her work. We can tell from the photograph that there is a history present and at work in her and in her pottery, and an intelligence and focus that informs what she has made. I also see something of sadness, and perhaps regret, in her face. Am I imposing this or is the center of this sadness or regret in the object, in herself, or in the act of being photographed?

This second photograph was taken by Allen Edmonds in Dandridge, Tennessee this morning. I took it from the Appalachian Americans Facebook page. I think that most of us would drive by an old barn in the fog in the morning on our way to work or running errands without paying much attention. But slow down for a minute. That fog and that barn have stories. Where do they come from? What are they doing there at the moment when you're passing by? The beauty here is not just in the fog and in the barn, but in your place and their places in a story. If you don't know that story you're free to make something up. Make your story as beautiful and as meaningful as you can and maybe pass it on to someone else if you have the opportunity.

This third photograph was also taken in East Tennessee this morning. It comes from Kerwin Cornett. I think that it speaks for itself. Who, after all, can speak for a flower?

To see more in this series on this blog, please click on the "Beauty" tag.