Find the beautiful in the seemingly mundane
There is something beautiful about the everyday and the mundane. Something that too often we ignore. Items and objects that are no longer new and shiny, that have been left by the wayside and ignored, left to their own devices.
Petrol (or gas) stations have been the subject of many artists inspiration, from photography, graphic design and art. There is something stunning about the humble old gas station. A perfect example of how you can find beauty in the mundane.
The way the iridescent light shines at night and floods across the landscape causing ripples of reflection. The way that the dust settles in the light of day, and the quietness of the scene giving the feel of remoteness and a different way of life.
Who knew that a lonely gas station could emit so many feelings.
We go through life rushing. Especially those of us who live in a buzzing metropolis. Rushing from one place to another, often with no real need. We have races with people we don’t know whilst walking on the pavement, or run for the closing door of the train even though we are reliably informed there is another one right behind. All this only to have 5 more minutes in our homes doing what we could have done 5 minutes later.
Imagine what we could have seen if we had just spent that 5 minutes slowing down, taking in what the world has to offer, the natural beauty that we miss everyday. Maybe we would have seen nothing, but maybe we would had seen something that made us wonder, that allowed us to play out a story in our heads or maybe even something that made our day.
How many new cities have you been to and seen little differences that you don’t even notice in your home town? From details on manhole covers to the different walk signs at traffic signals. Now think how much of this you notice at home? Yes you may have seen them a thousand times before, but just because you’ve seen something before, doesn’t mean that you can‘t appreciate it again.
This is why I have gained a real appreciation for photographers and film makers who capture these seemingly mundane scenes and shine a light on their beauty. Reminding us of what is out there if we just slow down and look at it. That remind us to live life slower and to appreciate the small things.
As I sit here and write this 5 minutes later than I would normally have left for home, the first day of sunshine this spring has sprung. The sun is streaming through the window, highlighting what people have written in condensation on the windows in time gone by. It’s pretty mundane. But it’s also pretty beautiful.
