I spent the past four days walking around a small island in the Atlantic, taking in all the beauty Mother Nature had to offer in this magical place. There is something about the sea that inspires creativity in me. I dream up stories about the boats off the coastline or the destination of the passengers in the planes overhead. This particular island was essentially deserted and so the walks were tranquil, the beaches empty and my mind was totally open. How often do we get to experience a mind completely filled with creativity without a single distraction from the world? No screens beeping, no people talking, no cars honking; the crash of the waves the only present sound.
Balancing stones on driftwood. Was this the creation of a single person in a meditative day of careful placement or was it a ripple effect that touched many people over the course of weeks? How long does something like this stay stable in such a changing coastal environment? Maybe it was just built yesterday and I am one of the lucky few to take in it's beauty or has it been here for years, protected just enough from the raging waters of the sea?
Stairs leading down to the bluffs on the southwest side of the island. I wonder who hung these buoys here and do they live at the top of these stairs? How did they come to have a set of private steps reaching down to one of the most stunning places on earth? Did they collect the buoys over the years from their summers spent sailing here or did they snag them from a fisherman's dock?
Marine rope washed ashore. What type of vessel did this once reside on and what was its function? Did it simply get tossed one day in favor of something newer or was there a massive storm that claimed this for the sea? How long did it spend in the water before washing ashore here and where did it come from originally? What power the waves must have had the day this landed here and how long ago was that? How many people have walked by this before me and asked similar questions? What stories did they dream up about this simple rope and did it make them smile as much as it made me?
I stopped for lunch one day in a cove on the northwest side of the island. Sitting on the driftwood I looked down at the sand, stunned to see such shades of pink and purple in the seaweed on this beach. I never really took the time to examine seaweed before, I mean it's just the weed of the sea right, who cares? But when you take a moment to look closely, you will see hues of neon green, bright yellow and even red. The textures and the colors I saw on this trip gave me such appreciation for the beauty of this seemingly simple algae. Humans need to eat through the rainbow in order to stay as healthy as we can be. Why wouldn't the same be true for the creatures that feed on seaweed?
I'm not really looking to get deep into phycology, which wikipedia taught me is the study of seaweed. I am however, reflecting on the power I felt in allowing myself to see the beauty in my surroundings. To capture those images in my mind and open it to think creatively about stories and journeys, without distraction, just being present and in the moment.