How Do You Prioritize Beauty + Play?

Make Yes a supportive habit

Katherine Bradford, “Group Swim”, photo by T Sussex

Dear Beautiful Friends,

Here’s a story about prioritizing Beauty + Play.

Last Friday I chose a museum outing over a responsibly-spent afternoon cranking on some creative projects. I’d like to say the decision came to me as easily as plowing through a pack of gummi bears, but . . . no.

I’m going to tell it in three parts:

The Invitation:

It arrived in a text, from a friend I’ve long wanted to join on an artsy playdate, to Seattle’s Frye Art Museum.

My reaction was: Oh that sounds like fun! Followed by: Hmmm, I probably shouldn’t… I had things to do. Very important things—essays to finish and submit, clients to consider, a manuscript to pitch, newsletter to write, videos to make, blah blah blah.

I’m not suggesting that when a person has things to do, these things aren’t important and/or necessary. Maybe even on the urgent side. Sometimes a museum invite is a hard no. But on this Friday, I had no hard no. A lot of creative projects. But no hard no!

It can become a habit, saying No, a habit to think there’s not enough time, or there are too many Seemingly Important Things To Do. Or—this is my fave—I might bow out because I need some downtime.

(I’m a huge believer in downtime, but I already get plenty. And, what, exactly was I swimming in for two years starting March 2020 if not a gigantic ocean of downtime?)

“No” can be so seductive, so easy to drop from the lips. Nothing has to be gathered up, no transportation to consider, no outfit to ponder. Sometimes my No goes on an exercise kick, gets really strong and wants to flex her muscles all over town. No! No! No! Like a Superhero—WHAM! BAM! NO! NO TIME! THINGS HAPPENING!

Here’s the truth. I’m not too busy. There’s plenty of time. Most of my pressing agenda items are being spun on an imaginary loom, created by an insecure mind working to earn her existential keep, to justify her Life on Earth, ergo making sure she appears very, very busy (to whom? good question!) with many important things to do. I could laugh for hours on this one, honestly!

🤣🥺😳 🤣🥺😳 🤣🥺😳

But on this Friday I re-considered my priorities. Remember Beauty? Play? How I’m encouraging people to turn towards B + P as the purpose of life? What could be more purposeful than a museum outing with one of my favorite people, Suzanne? Suzanne, for whom the arts is not a special occasion but a regular event. Suzanne, who ran to the museums the instant they opened during the pandemic to see anything, everything; who painted rocks with beautiful mermaids and sea creatures and placed them anonymously in friends’ yards as fun surprises. Suzanne, who has this one particular favorite painting that hangs in SAM, which she visits from time to time just to feel good in the world. Suzanne, my playful neighbor who showed me how to integrate a mid-week ski pass into daily life, who swims in the lake all summer long, taught herself how to fish—this woman knows how to live!

Suzanne🧡

I want to live!

I RSVP’d YES. We took the bus

“Are we seeing something special?” I asked on the ride there. Suzanne shrugged and said something about “women.” I wasn’t really listening, didn’t really care. The Frye is an intimate museum, once housing a permanent collection of giant landscapes in thick ornate frames. I was good with that.

And then,

W H A T I S T H I S . . . ?

we stood before giant canvases filled with Rothko-ian color fields; there were beaches, bathers, glowing night seas, oversized bodies, some of them flying through space in capes, bejeweled ocean liners, the BOLDEST of hues. I was slurping. Could not believe what I was seeing. We roamed through rooms with more giant canvases, colors, humor, narratives, inquiry.

M I N D B L O W N !!

The show and artist on exhibit: Flying Woman: The Paintings of Katherine Bradford. To say I was in a euphoric state of shock-and-awe wouldn’t be an overstatement.

Photo T Sussex, in Frye Museum, work of Katherine Bradford

Here we were, two devoted, avid swimmers, surrounded by ocean scapes and swimmers.

At one point I looked over at Suzanne, almost laughing. “DID YOU KNOW?” I mouthed. “NO,” she museum-whispered back.

Must I tell you the obvious? That this exquisite afternoon, this surprise encounter with a charming and astounding artist is categorized under: Makes Life Worth Living. Suzanne and I had such a wonderful time together! I will remember this experience, this art, the artist, my playdate with S forever. I would not have remembered those three hours sitting at my office.

Artist Offers Wisdom on Habits

There were these short lovely videos scattered throughout the exhibit. In one, the artist served a very fresh take on “habits” that caught my eye. I have some prompts around it below.