Much like how society simultaneously loves and hates the artist, beauty is simultaneously revered and reviled.
The interest to covet and possess beauty often dominates appreciation of beauty and plunders the potential for the strength and wisdom it nurtures. This compulsion is often highlighted by the fact that we exist in a world full of contrasts, and this grasping for beauty can be done out of desperate need to be shielded from the ugliness of the world or the ugliness of the soul; perhaps both.
As much as we attempt to avoid it, no one is without the task of contending with the ugliness of the world and the ugliness within. In dealing with these tribulations, however, we still ought to exercise caution. For when ugliness gets recognized far more often and far more viscerally than even beauty does, we lay down mental traps that result in an inability to recognize and appreciate beauty in all the ways that it is present. A domino effect is created, and we also don’t recognize and appreciate all the ways things can and do go right.
Faith in the possibility of that which can go right is not a product of foolish idealism. It is a truth that takes strength to be open to, and it is why I am driven to share and celebrate all that is beautiful. We need exposure to what makes us marvel, and (within reason) we need to romanticize life to a certain degree.
Seeing the heights that are possible with beauty and skill can keep us from becoming too jaded and mired in the difficult areas of life. They enable us to be more than what we would otherwise think ourselves capable of, as is the case when there is little to no exposure. This isn’t to say that we must become “more” in every possible sense. But if there is an understanding that there is so much to life, a deeper depth of appreciation can be accessed, and greater satisfaction is possible.
This is a task that contains no shortage of effort and is a work in progress for every single one of us. No doubt personal flaws, self-loathing, failure, and outside forces we contend with can serve to demoralize but contend we must. And how shall we find the strength to contend? The ways are numerous. There is strength in terms of direct application of mental and physical might, but as much as willpower is essential for them, they can wane without inspiration and morale.
In beauty, we can find strength; beauty in all its forms can inspire and boost the morale we desperately need.
