Every week I look for glimpses of beauty—in nature, the arts, or the unexpected—and because I’m intentional, I usually find it. So much of enjoying beauty is about paying attention and simply being aware of it around you. It’s a mindset that can be cultivated.
As I’ve said before, part of the joy of beauty is sharing it with others so they can enjoy it too. So, when I launched this blog, I started sharing beauty on Facebook and Instagram @glimsen.
On Instagram and Facebook, I soon found a kindred spirit and fellow beauty lover in Elizabeth Nicholson of BeautyObserved. I asked if I could feature her here. Here’s what Elizabeth has to say about observing beauty.
LeAnne: Your website, FB page, Instagram, and Pinterest profile are all filled with beauty. Tell me about why you focus on beauty. Why is it important to you, and why is sharing it with others important?
Elizabeth: I have always been drawn to beauty, especially in ordinary things. I love line, shape, texture, color, and light. I also love beauty in sound, scent and the written word. I believe that God is the creator of beauty and that it is one of the ways He communicates His love for us. I feel it’s important to share beauty because I want others to see His glory in the beauty around us.
Elizabeth Nicholson, BeautyObserved.com
LM: Tell me about a particular time when you were deeply moved or touched by beauty.
EN: There’s a moment that I talk about on my “About” page on my blog. I was around 15 and doing the dishes. We lived in a house with an old porcelain-coated cast iron sink. All of the silverware was laying in the bottom of the sink and the evening sun was shining down through the window onto it. I was just struck by the beauty in this ordinary moment. Warm soapy water. Dappled light glinting off the metal. I grabbed the family camera and took a photo.
LM: Why did it affect you? Why was that moment so pivotal for you?
EN: I think I was affected by it because once the film came back, someone said they couldn’t believe that I would have taken a photo of silverware. But that photo was beautiful to me. That moment had filled me with so much peace. That experience made me realize that I saw things differently than some other people. It has made me really slow down and appreciate the gift of being able to see beauty where others might not.
Elizabeth Nicholson, BeautyObserved.com
LM: Recently you've been doing something a little different on Instagram. Tell us about it.
EN: For many years, I have incorporated scripture writing into my quiet time with God. There is so much beauty in God’s Word! I also love the feel on the pen on the paper and the movement of my hand as it forms the letters that make up the verses. Recently, I’ve been writing scripture in my daily planner. I like that I can look at it all day long. I've also been adding stickers that feature photographs of beautiful flowers, which I sell in my etsy shop. I post most of my scripture writing on my two instagram accounts. For an explanation about my scripture writing, read my blog post here.
To find out more about Elizabeth and Beauty Observed, check out Elizabeth's website here.
Elizabeth has an etsy shop with stickers that she has created from her original photography like the photos above. She likes to bring God's beauty into her planner.
To follow her on Pinterest, click here.
And, finally, to get my Glimsen blog posts delivered to your inbox, click the blue button below. It's quick and easy and you'll get a gift of printable beauty as my thank you.
