DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE PRETTY?







PC: Sebastiao Salgado

A still smooth lake reflects the passing clouds directly above it. The lake cannot help this and neither can you who are both reflected and reflector all in one - you will always mirror your environment. It’s only natural. It’s only fair. Vogue on your book shelf, Chloe in your closet, and Miu Miu on your feet, you surround yourself with art. You literally drape yourself with beauty. You collect fashion editorials because they are beautiful, and beauty inspires you (how could it not?). But eventually, there comes a point when I can’t stand it anymore. The art, the beauty, the inspiration are all too shiny and calculated to seem real. I need to remember that there is something so deeply imperfect lying, neatly hidden, below the art and beauty that inspires me. Why must everything be so pretty all the time anyway? I don't want to pretend that the world is as magical as a Tim Walker editorial. I’d much rather make room for tears, warts and poverty.


22 comments:

  1. I feel like there's a lot of people who are afraid of just that. They are afraid that other think they are ugly, they are afraid that they can't afford the things the neighbors have, they are afraid that some crisis will hit them. This makes people run from actually feeling something, and also run from things that might make them feel something that hurts. Or remind them that life is fragile.

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  2. You are such a lovely writer, and I completely agree. I think that's part of the reason why I love winter so much, that even when the trees are bare and the sky is all flat and grey and cold, it still seems beautiful to me just because it's so natural. I think there's beauty in everything, and that's such an important part of appreciating both life and art.

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  3. wow, this is really amazing. the photos are incredible. I agree with Annie above about winter, as well. I agree, sometimes beauty is both too much and not enough. Thanks so much for posting this, you wrote it really well.

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  4. oh, I think I have to translate into english too. many of my readers are from various countries.
    thanks for your comment! like your blog.
    xxx

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  5. i love these pictures. sometimes the scary/ugly/real can be much more inspirational than the heavily made up/candy-coated fashion images we always see. love it. xx

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  6. i like the pictures!

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  7. Thanks for comment!=) You blog is very nice!=) Lovley pictures, keep it up!=)

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  8. I agree, rough edges are much more interesting than smooth. x

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  9. -no it doesn´t. Sometimes ugly things inpire me more then pretty ones. There is a totally different kind of deepness in ugliness then beauty.

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  10. te zdjęcie są naprawde niesamowite... jestem pod wielkim wrażeniem!!!

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  11. those are such beautiful pictures, sad but so beautiful

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  13. These pictures are so beautiful! when things don't look so pretty they most of the time seem so much more real, wow!

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  14. utterly stunning photos, so much meaning, so many words in one still image! A very thought provoking and perfect post!

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  15. Stunnning images! I feel so inspired

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  16. That is so beautiful. I think that sometimes the most painful things can have the most raw beauty, because they are real, unexpected.

    <3 the girl.

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  17. this photos are incredible.....

    fantastick!!!


    http://mikyscloset.blogspot.com/

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  18. OMG first pic is aaamazing! so sad! but beautiful!

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  19. I love this. So amazing and real, and you write about it beautifully.
    Thank you for the kind words about my blog, and keep up your fantastic work!
    xo Leigh

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  20. This is a great post. and its so true.

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  21. I'm into film so I stopped when I saw the picture from the documentary, "Grey Gardens." That picture perfectly reflects your description of beauty. Your writing throughout this blog is excellent and I'm really looking forward to reading more.

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