#13: Nature as Inspiration

At times, I look at the wind as if it’s a breath of fresh air, while other times it feels like fragments of the souls of my loved ones having returned into the universe trying to give me a nudge or a soft gust of love, confidence, and/or calmness.

I occasionally feel glimpses of my late loved ones in the world around me, through the wind, animals, trees, etc.

Nature is where we all began, so it makes sense for me to feel them in the world around me; in that essence, they will never truly be gone.

What makes each feature of nature inspiring?

• Beach - Soothing & Powerful

• Sunset - Stunning & Never the same

• Flora - Great & Patient subjects <3

• Sunlight - Glimmers and shines, but has ominous elements

• Wind - Uniquely soft yet powerful; Contains movement & flow

• Clouds - Sporadic, Varies Drastically; Can never capture the full scope, so it can be very abstract

• Mountain - Strong & Sturdy; A powerful sight to behold

• Some of the greatest inspiration can be found amongst the trees (or bamboo~) and tides.

“There is so much to be in awe about. The wonder that is the world is more than worth exploring if you give yourself a chance to experience it.”

— A Postcard to Myself, Sent in May 2024 during my time in Kyoto & Shibuya, Japan.

I find most of my artistic inspiration through nature:

• Wind:

  • “The wind is as much a part of nature as the flora and fauna. My time visiting Maui, Hawai’i has taught me that I have to learn to be patient and work with the wind, rather than getting frustrated and fighting the natural force of nature. The right gust of wind shifts the plants and offers a flow that can’t be found in stillness.”
    ~Journal Reflection about ‘The Presence of Wind in Photography’

  • “The wind has a mind of its own, whipping through the islands. It’s moments like these where I’m reminded that the spirit of nature is a truly wild creature entity that’s beautiful and stunning in all its free will. It cannot be held or contained, but it can work alongside us if we can learn to respect it.”
    ~Journal Entry on Kihei, Maui, Hawai’i on February 18th, 2024

• Plants: 

  • “The treeline was magnificently green, like the sun was turning them into the most thin Maple-shaped emeralds and topaz, for the world to see the Gem Mines that nature truly is - that trees truly are.”
    ~Journal Entry at Minoh Park on November 5th, 2023

  • Featured Photograph for this Post: “Take (“Bamboo” at Arashiyama)” (2023)

  • Portfolio Photograph: “Heiwa ("Peace" at Rurikō-in)” (2023)

  • Portfolio Photograph: “Pono” (2023)

  • Fungi - Photograph: “The Lone Mushroom” (2022)

• Sunlight:

  • “A stunning visual, truly, as I walk home with my coffee; the first real, strong blast of sun is softened by the rich and heavy clouds that are floating through the Maui Valley. The sun, bright and warm in its grace, beams down in rays of soft gold, and even the clouds are kissed with the sun’s softer and loving light… even the Upcountry decided to take a background seat to let the sunny view take the spotlight (or rather, to let the spotlight thrive in this moment~)”
    ~Morning Journal, Written after my ‘Morning Coffee’ Walk in Kihei, Maui, Hawai’i in Feb. 2024.

  • Photograph: “Hizashi” (2023)

  • Photograph of Sunset: “Yūbae” (2023)

• Beach + Tides:

  • Portfolio Photograph: “Softened Tides” (2016)

  • Photograph: “Marks of the Journey” (2023)

  • Photograph: “World at Rest” (2020)

• Wildlife:

  • Photograph: “Tori” (2023)

• Frost:

  • Photograph: “Frosty Covers” (2020)

• And the list goes on~

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Titled “Take (“Bamboo” at Arashiyama)” (2023).