Just by being where we are makes us part of our environment whether or not we want to be. So, if the world around us becomes a part of us, why not turn it into art?

To make our life beautiful, we have to think beautifully and to be active participants.  Because stasis does not lead to experience. And it is experience that shapes our sense of aesthetics. And it’s experience that forms those ideals that give our life a direction.

Simply focusing on beauty can transform our daily life. When my mom was a little girl, she had to walk to the well every day to get water for her family. It was very fatiguing but she focused on the Johnny Jump Ups she’d see once there. Just like the women of Gee’s Bend who, after a long day in the fields, would walk back home thinking about their quilt blocks. Because thinking about beauty soothes the spirit. And helps us transcend the ugliness that surrounds us.

Aesthetics are married to our senses and our senses are like invisible threads that unite us to our surroundings. But our senses need to be educated as they dramatically influence how we perceive the world around us.

Here are some examples of women who created a special rapport with smell, sight, touch, taste, and/or hearing.

Coco Chanel and Smell

Julia Child and Taste

Camille Claudel and Touch

Diana Vreeland and Sight

Chavela Vargas and Sound