My last blog post was in May and then, suddenly, it’s September. Time flew and so many (good) things happened. In terms of content creation, I continued to write and post pictures on Instagram about slow living. However, my focus shifted from slow living to a more profound nature experience and urge to create.
In May, I participated in a contest (ILP) with three prose poems I wrote to win a literary prize, namely ILP. Although I did not win, it was very rewarding and exciting to participate. I painted a few paintings but also got more into ceramics. I am a total newbie but I love how intuïtive you can shape the clay into something you want. Hand-throwing a bowl is very rewarding. Remarkably, I only started doing it again in August so I realized it’s more a seasonal hobby to me, like inline skating. You won’t see me skate in the winter when the roads are slippery.
Nature was just incredible. During spring I refound my love for flowers and learned more about plants. Besides, my sister’s great interest in pines and cones leapt over to me and what had been a journey of collecting small moments and appreciating the little things became a quest for pureness. Pines smell amazing and the deep green of their needles and the dark brown of their trunks are so beautiful.
Not only the plant world left me speechless, but I fell more in love with fauna too. Surprisingly, I somehow picked up a fascination for bees and bumblebees. Think about it, cute tiny little ones with soft hairs crawling into flowers to reach nectar… simply adorable. I’ve never found bees cute or even appealing but now, I am flabbergasted by their tiny physique and the working of a beehive.
Then summer came, and nature exploded in so many vibrant colours and fresh fragrances. I got the opportunity to spend a week in the mountains and it was such an enriching experience. After paying so much attention to “everyday” natural wonders in Leuven, it was so special to discover nature in Austria. Being back in Belgium made me want to be more outside because I really did miss the mountains and the movement I had in Austria. I discovered an arboretum/ forest nearby where I live and it is such a source of inspiration and pureness.
Now, nature is slowly but surely transitioning into a new season. I honestly dread the prospect of the cold but will warmly welcome the colour party autumn will definitely bring.
After months of capturing all that inspires me, all that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, all that makes me enthusiastic about life, all those little moments, I bought myself a camera in order to document in higher quality. Photography has been more and more present in my daily life and I am now learning how to use my camera properly to better document pureness, kindness and beauty. And honestly, I love every step of it!
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Laura van Cutsem 