Whimsy

I have been writing and editing a manuscript for the last eight hours, and at this point in the day, processing information has become an intractable goal, but I'm not quite ready to peel myself away from my keyboard yet.  Something was missing from my day.  Too much biology and not enough creativity.  Not enough whimsy.  So I've come back to my neglected blog to write something brief about whimsy.

Did you know that my built-in thesaurus widget doesn't even have an entry for whimsy?  I don't know what to make of that.

In my biologizing, I often don't get enough built-in whimsy and have to create some for myself.  I think that's partly what drove the start of this blog in the first place.  I need to have a creative outlet of some kind.

Taking photos is one way for me to find that outlet.  Eating M&Ms is another (wait, that's a whole different kind of outlet).  

I've noticed that kids, in general, are really good at getting whimsy.

They live in the moment and aren't ashamed to have glow-in-the-dark stickers on their ceilings and walls (wait, neither am I, evidently).  They wear capes, catch fireflies, wonder where the airplanes go when they pass out of view, and stick olives on their fingers (wait, I do that too). They don't sit at their computers for 8+ hours a day.  They don't read re-caps of the most recent debate (wait, I don't do that either).  They don't make lists (unless they're of supplies for an upcoming adventure). 

My niece looking for some whimsy in her backyard with her "goggles."

My nephew, clearly having whimsical thoughts of some kind, judging by the look on his face.

So I'm taking a whimsy time-out this afternoon.  In a few moments, I will ask Beagle if he wants to go for a W-A-L-K.  I'll throw him and my camera into my car and drive to a prairie park so we can romp.  I'll take some photos of the fall views and let my fingers stop reaching for the next letter, the next word, the next paragraph.

A few of my favorite things

I love taking photos.  Some of the shots I end up getting end up making me really happy.  So to facilitate that happiness, I decided to pick some of my favorites and print them as 8x10s (as large as was feasibly manageable).  

I had a really giant bulletin board donated to the cause that can accommodate 28 of these favorite photos.   Some of these you've seen on this blog before.  All plants and water and rocks and skies.  No kittens or mittens or brown paper packages tied up in string (no offense to those who would choose those for their wall of favorites).  

This monstrosity/piece of simple happiness now leans against the wall at the back of my desk.  So as I sit there to analyze data, write manuscripts, edit manuscripts, read manuscripts, I can take a frustration break once in a while and let my gaze wander across my favorite photos.

It's a little like being able to walk from room to room in the more pleasant wings of my brain, looking at these peaceful colors and lines.  I don't have proof, but I would bet that my blood pressure lowers every time I glance up from my work.

As you can see, I have one open spot left to fill.  I'm waiting for the photograph that belongs there.  I don't know from whence it shall come, but I can't wait to get there!

(not) The big picture

Reason #7 why digital photography is magical:

Sometimes you take a photo that frames the being/object/scene you wanted to capture.

Sometimes there exists a photo within a photo (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not).

Sometimes you can allow less to be more.

I am prone to looking at an original photo and wanting to keep only a piece of it (or at least, wanting to keep this smaller piece separately).

I am apparently especially prone to doing this with photos of vegetative matter.

In these instances, I can feel as if the piece is greater than the whole.

These are all examples of that.

These were once all photos with more in them than what you see here. But now I like them better as smaller pieces.

This is an especial favorite. Really, what good is a photo of the whole log when you can have this instead?

More striking?

More interesting?

Cropping can change the lines of a photo, can let you show what you really wanted to be seen.

It's as if you can take the important part of the photograph and pull that out to be front and center.

And, in this way, you can hope to let someone else see better for having less to look at.