This whole week, I’ve been turning this phrase over in my mind this whole week: “Beauty cleans the mind.”
The wisdom comes from author Matt Haig:
“Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind.”
It felt like an exhale to me. The tension and anxiety thermometer is running high for so many of us right now. Sometimes it’s almost like a buzz in the air that you can sense.
Even if you completely remove current events from the equation, there is so much to distract and get us off track.
I recently got ruthless about the notifications, buzzes, and pings coming from my phone. They had already been at a minimum but even that was too much for my brain and my soul. I set up very tight parameters of what comes through when it’s on “work” or “personal” mode and I’m religious about putting it on “sleep” mode. Every evening, I leave it out of my bedroom when I tuck in for the night.
I’m still working out the kinks because there are some phone calls and texts that I want to see immediately…my husband Bobby has had a heck of a time reaching me by phone lately (sorry, love!). Overall though, it’s a net positive.
Continuing to eliminate random distractions and attention grabs is going to be my drumbeat. As the noise dwindles, the beauty can shine brighter.
Yesterday I was prepping dinner as the boys napped. “Beauty cleans the mind,” popped up for me again. I looked up and the light was piercing through our dirty window, filtering through the leaves of one of our plants. The light highlighted the different shades of green and red, the brown of the leaves that I need to gently peel away. Taking just 10 seconds to focus on that beauty centered me.
Beauty is everywhere. It’s gently reaching out its hand, waiting for us to just look, actually look.
Leah and I have always steered away from creating snarky cards. We don’t really do “trendy” designs or cards that give a nod to the current pop culture hilarity that’s ensuing. Other card companies do that and they do it well! It’s just not us.
We’ve always felt more at home in the sincere. Creating art and cards that try to tap into the beauty around us. We want to highlight the goodness and kindness that is found in nature, gorgeous poetry, heartfelt human connection. A wonderful customer recently described them as “tender and life-affirming” and that feels right to me.
We want each card to feel like a steady hand reaching out when there is turbulence. Or a tight hug that you can send to someone who is trembling. Or a party in an envelope when something SO GOOD has happened and you want to let someone know that you are also jumping up and down in celebration.
We’ve had customers frame our cards or just prop them up on their desk or near the kitchen sink. Many of our cards have phrases that can become a sort of mantra when you reflect on them continually: “You are lovely and loved.” “You have bravery in your bones.” “It’s okay to rest."
When the world around you feels out of control, take a moment to breathe, find a slice of beauty, clean your mind. Maybe find a 10 minute pocket where you can sit with a warm drink and write to someone you love.
We can’t control everything (understatement of the century) but we can take real, tangible steps to be there with our people through our handwritten words, a meal dropped off for a sick friend, gently used mittens and coats donated to bring warmth.
We get to be co-creators in this world and bring beauty to the brokenness.
Grateful to be here with you, searching for the beauty and magnifying it through our attention.
P.S. Curious what beauty has made you pause recently. Let us know in the comments!
27 comments
Love this post. It reminded me of an experience I had being guided through a mindfulness exercise on a hiking trail in Alaska. A couple of days ago as I was waking up a rain storm was ending. I could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance, the rain dripping around the gutters and trees and the most glorious sounds of one by one various birds beginning to sing. This was not visual beauty but auditory beauty. I closed my eyes and laid there for a while just listening to the different birds as they each had their own song. It definitely cleansed the mind and gave me a wonderful start to a bright new blessed day. Cindy
Hello, Your post served as an inspiration for our team’s monthly meeting. For our team check-in, I shared the quotes below and then invited the team to share a word, phrase, or description of something beautiful. It really sparked some wonderful reflections and warm glows in our hearts. Thank you.
“Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind.” – Matt Haig
Beauty is everywhere. It’s gently reaching out its hand, waiting for us to just look, actually look.
Loved your thoughts Grace! The beauty in my living room with a vase of tulips, which makes me think of your Dad.
The sound of chirping birds outside my 7th floor condo.
Looking at Tiny &Snail cards!😉
Lots of love,Auntie🇨🇦
Loved your thoughts Grace! The beauty in my living room with a vase of tulips, which makes me think of your Dad.
The sound of chirping birds outside my 7th floor condo.
Looking at Tiny &Snail cards!😉
Lots of love,Auntie🇨🇦
The soft hues in a painting at a gallery downtown. It was an artist I didn’t know of, two loosely formed figures in a bed. So sweet and soft and beautiful. And the small moments of beauty I find on my mindfulness walks when I’m going to somewhere I need or want to be but choose to take not of specific small details along the way, letting my mind rest from persistent/distant thoughts to being mindful and in the moment. Beautiful moments.