MONDAY MUSE
"Attention is the beginning of devotion" - Mary Oliver // five things fueling my creative expression
The Monday Muse is a love letter to both the beauty that yearns to be held by my attention and the longing to willfully give my devotion.
A well spent life by Lord Cowboy
I first saw this print by Sky Fusco years ago hung on the wall of my sister’s home and upon reading it, my eyes welled with tears. Each line is a beautiful picture of what it looks like to live in community where my good is tied up in yours and yours in mine. Ever since, I knew I wanted it to hang in my home someday. Flash forward to recently, when I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy one for my apartment. I’ve not had it for long, but it is a cherished item. Over the past few years, I’ve gone through many shifts and changes, however, uprooting my life and moving this year was a pretty big one. When I look at these words, I have my past home (and life) in one hand and the path I’m currently walking in the other. As I hold both at the same time, I feel so much tenderness for what it means to find home and, ultimately, people to call home wherever you find yourself in the world. I deeply long to know and show this type of community + connection no matter where I exist. This open armed reception is hospitality and hospitality is undoubtedly creative expression; A lifestyle + way of welcoming people in exactly as they are, warts ‘n all, to belong — to be thoughtful and deliberate in communication to others so they are seen & heard. A call to channel creativity into tangible kindness. What a beautiful thing to exist in the space where people come together and allow “little distinction between what’s mine and yours”, extend love without keeping score yet always taking turns, and celebrate life because “in this house we dance “.
Hilma af Klint
My sister was recently in town and among the many fun things we did, we went to the exhibition of Klint’s work at the MoMA. She dedicated herself to studying nature and painting it in vivid detail in 1919 and 1920 — looking to the plants to discover new insight to her humanity and spirituality. She connects the intricate biology with the intimate meanings these plants carry beyond the material world. I found inspiration in the ways she did not try to negate the spiritual with the scientific or vice versa but held the tension of the two intertwined. The exhibition was thoughtfully curated, with magnifying glasses available to intensify every detail, as well as descriptions of the flowers and the meanings they carry.
Stained glass
An air of romance is present simply through stained glass existing. The light catches delicate panes reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors with each containing stories regardless of how simple or intricate their composition. Something about stained glass calls for reverence. There is a sacredness to it; a slow process that requires dedication and attention. From the planning to the placing of each ornate detail, thoughtfulness goes into every aspect. It is artforms that value intentionality over almost all else that remind me there is a time for everything and endless beauty in patience. Sometimes I miss what is unfolding by trying to speed things up. Stained glass creations are done not in a haphazard or flippant way but in a purposeful journey towards a long-awaited outcome. And when that result comes, it is a gift for those who labored over it and every eye that gets to witness the light pour through. No wonder holy places are filled with these works trying to offer a glimpse of Divinity. I feel very fortunate to look up every Sunday and see such a glow.
Elizabeth Street Garden
A magical little oasis tucked away in the hustle and bustle of the big apple — I know it sounds cheesy, but it is exactly that to me (and I love a little cheese). To say that I love getting to reside in this vast city full of vibrance, culture, and overstimulation would be an understatement. From being a little girl memorizing the entire script of Eloise at the Plaza to staying up to watch reruns of Friends or Seinfeld, I fell in love with the idea of New York. As I got older, that love grew as I visited whenever I could, whether family/school trips, seeing friends, or spontaneous post break up getaways. I don’t think there has ever been a time I haven’t wanted to live here (soon I’ll get to more writing on that: Little Woman, Big Apple). There is a reason this city has always been romanticized (there is also a shadow side to the topic, but you can find that exploration somewhere else). Anyways back to the point. Yes, I love this city AND sometimes I crave something close in proximity but different than the concrete. ESG is that. With its ivy-covered statues, bumble bees, butterflies, and fruit bearing trees, it offers its visitors a moment of solace; a sanctuary to recharge before you venture back out. I’ve been volunteering for a while now and have not only made cherished friends and met so many people from diverse backgrounds but have been able to experience local art through poets and musicians at events. Creativity lives in this place whether it is the leaves dancing in the wind, people snapping photos, or artists trying to put its essence on paper.
Calico x Ryan Beatty
This album is a no skip album for me, smooth like honey + melodic through and through, but it was somewhat of a slow burn for me initially. I remember enjoying it when it came out and last year that slow burn turned into a blaze. I am a sensitive person overall but had some moments where I was particularly in my feelings and indulging in some emotional processing through music. The song “Bruises Off The Peach” gripped me in a way it hadn’t before with its repetitive, echoey intro that builds and breaks with strings. Beyond the sound, lyrically it held onto me before punching me in the gut (in a good way), earning it a spot in my 2024 most listened to playlist. From that point on, I listened to the album again and again and I regularly come back to it. Recently, I found myself struck afresh while listening to it on vinyl (where you can’t skip a song so easily) — never feeling the urge to move on to the next or let it just be background noise. The album contains introspection and exploration of themes we love to excavate every piece of, including love, grief, and acceptance. Most recently White Teeth has been on repeat for me: “Some left, but the right ones stay; a good end to a Saturday “
If you made it this far, thanks for caring. Here are the music muses for the week: