…i have a handful of mini books tucked away in tupperware alongside rocks and jewels and other miniature ephemera that captured my imagination growing up…small things feel big as you note, or at least a little more
meaningful than they really
might be…like the pebble in my boot it might be a big deal, making me blister, distracting my hike…or like the countless other pebbles it might be forever unnoticed and eventually shuck out and left on a trail…it’s too simple to say it is all perspective…but also incredibly true to accept that no matter how big something seems, cosmically it is closer to absent then existent in the eyes of total scale…how powerful i guess that so many small things could then mean do much…
It's so true that our perception has been kind of warped by the grandiose, as you say, or by the giant--going viral, being global, when it's all also living in the particular and specific--the moment. In the dominant culture right now, we equate small with insignificant, and that perception costs us dearly. I love your exploration here. And I appreciate the Ozymandias reminder.
Automatic subscribe. This was wonderful and so spot on. In a world where there is the capability to have millions of subscribers and throngs of followers, true resonance often begins in one’s neighborhood and community. Those that often grow big begin small. The seed contains the oak. This has spurred a bunch of thoughts. Thank you for your share. Awesome watercolors btw.
Thank you so much! It's been interesting to explore this idea. A lot of people seem resistant to it. I was myself. Write after I posted this I saw another writer I admire write:
"It is harder for us to train our eyes and imaginations on the beauty and creativity that are so alive in our world, the generative learning and stretching that are underway. These realities of our time are most visible close to home, in the worlds that we can see and touch. They are quiet. They do not trip the fear center of our brains, which inclines us to attend more seriously in every moment to what feels dangerous and destructive. And, in our time, that narrative of danger and destruction comes to us a thousand times, a thousand ways, each day."
Interesting perspective, Jeremy—both conceptual and physical. I was going to say that I haven’t much experience considering the physicality of scale, but I suppose that’s not true. I hang out with my rabbit regularly. She’s prone to being skittish if you stand over her—the difference in scale I suppose she considers threatening. But lie down on the floor to match her eye level and she’ll come right over. I’ve spent many hours doing just that, and seeing the world as she does. It’s nice down there where she is.
Thanks James! That's an interesting point. I do think pets help us to imagine the world on smaller terms. Our homes are quite literally their whole universe. I've always been curious about owning a rabbit but I'm always afraid of how delicate they are.
That's the worst part, how delicate they are. But in my opinion it's still worth it if you happen to get along with them. They're not everyone's favorite pet, but even though they're excellent at destroying the house, I wouldn't want to live somewhere without one.
I love still life as a way of representing this too. The starting still life is gorgeous, and it feels like it is capturing this fleeting moment. There is something comforting in the small. I’ve been making gouache pages filled with little thumbnail paintings. I think in all the chaos and tumult of our world, there is a draw to making a little painting for me—it feels manageable in a way.
It's so hard for me to make myself thumbnail! Lol i just wanna get to the paintin'! but thumbnails make it so much easier once we get to the big canvas. Yet another way I'm reluctant to look at small things, I guess. :p
As someone who loves focusing on the small and the mundane details I absolutely loved this piece. I’ve found that my world is so much bigger and brighter when I’m moving more slowly and appreciating the tiniest wonders of our world
Hi! Glad to see you here! :) Yeah! I think this is something i've been reflecting on ever since the pandemic. Lol hate to bring it up, but my inner world did grow when I gave more attention to the mundane inside my home.
I loved this post. While reading I was reminded of the idea of ‘servant leadership’, which in today’s world seems nonsensical, as expansion and grandiosity are constantly being rewarded. Thank you for this perspective shift.
Thank you for these thoughts. I'm reminded of William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" and its grand in[tro]spections of scale and scope. Here's the poem:
and here's Blake's on own manuscript in his beautifully arachnid cursive (he may be familiar to you already, but if not, the Blake Archive is an amazing repository of his printmaking/art/poetry):
Thank you! I'm a huge fan of Blake :) Although I don't understand what he's saying most of the time on a literal level, he does help me connect to a more symbolic and mythic understanding of the human experience. I need to spend more time with his poetry...thanks for sharing and reading :)
…i have a handful of mini books tucked away in tupperware alongside rocks and jewels and other miniature ephemera that captured my imagination growing up…small things feel big as you note, or at least a little more
meaningful than they really
might be…like the pebble in my boot it might be a big deal, making me blister, distracting my hike…or like the countless other pebbles it might be forever unnoticed and eventually shuck out and left on a trail…it’s too simple to say it is all perspective…but also incredibly true to accept that no matter how big something seems, cosmically it is closer to absent then existent in the eyes of total scale…how powerful i guess that so many small things could then mean do much…
Excellent
It's so true that our perception has been kind of warped by the grandiose, as you say, or by the giant--going viral, being global, when it's all also living in the particular and specific--the moment. In the dominant culture right now, we equate small with insignificant, and that perception costs us dearly. I love your exploration here. And I appreciate the Ozymandias reminder.
Automatic subscribe. This was wonderful and so spot on. In a world where there is the capability to have millions of subscribers and throngs of followers, true resonance often begins in one’s neighborhood and community. Those that often grow big begin small. The seed contains the oak. This has spurred a bunch of thoughts. Thank you for your share. Awesome watercolors btw.
Thank you so much! It's been interesting to explore this idea. A lot of people seem resistant to it. I was myself. Write after I posted this I saw another writer I admire write:
"It is harder for us to train our eyes and imaginations on the beauty and creativity that are so alive in our world, the generative learning and stretching that are underway. These realities of our time are most visible close to home, in the worlds that we can see and touch. They are quiet. They do not trip the fear center of our brains, which inclines us to attend more seriously in every moment to what feels dangerous and destructive. And, in our time, that narrative of danger and destruction comes to us a thousand times, a thousand ways, each day."
https://onbeing.substack.com/p/the-news-that-is-breaking-is-never?selection=8458b370-d1bc-4544-859e-6e848630604f#:~:text=It%20is%20harder%20for%20us%20to%20train%20our%20eyes%20and%20imaginations%20on%20the%20beauty%20and%20creativity%20that%20are%20so%20alive%20in%20our%20world%2C%20the%20generative%20learning%20and%20stretching%20that%20are%20underway
I think the importance of smallness is slowly making it's way into the mainstream again :)
Thank you for sharing, I can’t wait to read
Interesting perspective, Jeremy—both conceptual and physical. I was going to say that I haven’t much experience considering the physicality of scale, but I suppose that’s not true. I hang out with my rabbit regularly. She’s prone to being skittish if you stand over her—the difference in scale I suppose she considers threatening. But lie down on the floor to match her eye level and she’ll come right over. I’ve spent many hours doing just that, and seeing the world as she does. It’s nice down there where she is.
Thanks James! That's an interesting point. I do think pets help us to imagine the world on smaller terms. Our homes are quite literally their whole universe. I've always been curious about owning a rabbit but I'm always afraid of how delicate they are.
That's the worst part, how delicate they are. But in my opinion it's still worth it if you happen to get along with them. They're not everyone's favorite pet, but even though they're excellent at destroying the house, I wouldn't want to live somewhere without one.
Thank you for sharing this with us
Thanks for reading!
I love still life as a way of representing this too. The starting still life is gorgeous, and it feels like it is capturing this fleeting moment. There is something comforting in the small. I’ve been making gouache pages filled with little thumbnail paintings. I think in all the chaos and tumult of our world, there is a draw to making a little painting for me—it feels manageable in a way.
It's so hard for me to make myself thumbnail! Lol i just wanna get to the paintin'! but thumbnails make it so much easier once we get to the big canvas. Yet another way I'm reluctant to look at small things, I guess. :p
Thanks for reading!
So tender and good. Thank you for this
Thanks Marble <3
As someone who loves focusing on the small and the mundane details I absolutely loved this piece. I’ve found that my world is so much bigger and brighter when I’m moving more slowly and appreciating the tiniest wonders of our world
Hi! Glad to see you here! :) Yeah! I think this is something i've been reflecting on ever since the pandemic. Lol hate to bring it up, but my inner world did grow when I gave more attention to the mundane inside my home.
I loved this post. While reading I was reminded of the idea of ‘servant leadership’, which in today’s world seems nonsensical, as expansion and grandiosity are constantly being rewarded. Thank you for this perspective shift.
Thanks for reading! I don't know that I've heard that term before. I'll have to look into it, but it seems like it's aligned with what I'm saying.
Thank you for these thoughts. I'm reminded of William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" and its grand in[tro]spections of scale and scope. Here's the poem:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43650/auguries-of-innocence
and here's Blake's on own manuscript in his beautifully arachnid cursive (he may be familiar to you already, but if not, the Blake Archive is an amazing repository of his printmaking/art/poetry):
https://blakearchive.org/copy/bb126.1?descId=bb126.1.ms.13
Thank you again for your words; I was delighted to discover your Substack this morning and will eagerly read through your other posts.
Thank you! I'm a huge fan of Blake :) Although I don't understand what he's saying most of the time on a literal level, he does help me connect to a more symbolic and mythic understanding of the human experience. I need to spend more time with his poetry...thanks for sharing and reading :)