Thanks for this initiative, Cole. I'm so glad to have discovered 5AM StoryTalk and have begun exploring your writing, which I have really enjoyed and connected with. Over the years I've found inspiration and solace in Dostoyevsky's line, "beauty will save the world". When everything seems too dark and depressing and I need a dose of hope I try to look for beauty, and then to create some of my own. I called my Substack, By Nature (https://glynsmusic.substack.com/) because that's where I find inspiration and also because I think we are all by nature in search of beauty. As a composer, music is my way of expressing this. Like you, I started photographing things of beauty a few years ago as a way of paying attention. I very specifically chose to photograph the bark of eucalypts because this made me more observant and appreciative of my surroundings when I was out walking in my local area. This seemingly small choice lead to me composing a series of orchestral works inspired by trees, which I have begun sharing on my Substack. One of them has been performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at their meditation concert series and enjoyed by a live audience. Just as you decided to look for beauty every day and the effect on your writing was 'near-instantaneous', my hope is that if we all keep recognising and sharing the beauty that surrounds us, we might just save the world. So, thank you for creating this opportunity for the Substack community.
Thanks for sharing a piece of your story here, Glyn. I vaguely remember something like that from Dostoyevsky, but now I feel I have to go find its source. As for your Substack, I'll get to it ASAP, to see what you're up to here. I look forward to seeing you around and continuing this conversation about beauty!
In search of beautiful things - killer title/concept.
It will be cool to see how different people consider different things 'beautiful'. The sudden butterfly versus a shattered train track.
I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of this, too, as part of my job will be to embrace other's ideas of beauty and not just my own.
Thanks for this initiative, Cole. I'm so glad to have discovered 5AM StoryTalk and have begun exploring your writing, which I have really enjoyed and connected with. Over the years I've found inspiration and solace in Dostoyevsky's line, "beauty will save the world". When everything seems too dark and depressing and I need a dose of hope I try to look for beauty, and then to create some of my own. I called my Substack, By Nature (https://glynsmusic.substack.com/) because that's where I find inspiration and also because I think we are all by nature in search of beauty. As a composer, music is my way of expressing this. Like you, I started photographing things of beauty a few years ago as a way of paying attention. I very specifically chose to photograph the bark of eucalypts because this made me more observant and appreciative of my surroundings when I was out walking in my local area. This seemingly small choice lead to me composing a series of orchestral works inspired by trees, which I have begun sharing on my Substack. One of them has been performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at their meditation concert series and enjoyed by a live audience. Just as you decided to look for beauty every day and the effect on your writing was 'near-instantaneous', my hope is that if we all keep recognising and sharing the beauty that surrounds us, we might just save the world. So, thank you for creating this opportunity for the Substack community.
Thanks for sharing a piece of your story here, Glyn. I vaguely remember something like that from Dostoyevsky, but now I feel I have to go find its source. As for your Substack, I'll get to it ASAP, to see what you're up to here. I look forward to seeing you around and continuing this conversation about beauty!