The Shakers of Pleasant Hill truly lived in a world with a view. There is no end to those views. Here are just a few.
This past weekend, my husband, daughter and I drove out to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill - a place I simply love. The timeless and simple architecture, situated on the rolling hills of Kentucky countryside, can only be experienced first hand. “Shaker style was defined from the beginning by their unswerving focus upon the goal of creating heaven on earth. Functionality was everything. Building designs could be both functional and beautiful, but the beauty had to be inherent in the design itself ....” (Catherine L. Carter and Martha E. Geores, University of Maryland) For more information on the Shakers visit: http://gorabs.org/journal/issu/2006/GOR01_01_carter.pdf This visit, I found myself especially taken with architect Micajah Burnett's use of natural light. He was seventeen years old, in 1809, when his parents brought him to live with the Shakers. At the age of twenty-three, he began to design the village here in Kentucky. The Shakers of Pleasant Hill truly lived in a world with a view. There is no end to those views. Here are just a few. Written (and photographed ) by Courtney Snyder.
Post (and detailed rendering above) by Courtney Snyder I used to love to shop. All those hours spent in a glorious trance, pushing carts, walking aisles, scanning shelves, moving hangers, unfolding clothes, folding the clothes I just unfolded……I did each of these with the serious intent of finding something I didn’t need. As a now ex-"shopper," I’ve wondered why I frittered away so much time. Maybe unnecessary shopping is a remnant from our hunting and gathering days. It’s something we do since there’s no need to go out and search for berries. This too might explain those who prey on and kill animals while their freezer is stocked full of meat from Cosco. Aside from evolution, family was another reason to shop. Bargain "hunting" (see what I mean) at TJ Maxx was a once celebrated bonding ritual for the women in my clan. My sister’s water even broke at TJ Maxx, which really put a kink in that shopping spree. Then there was romantic love. There were times, when I thought if I had the right clothes and the right look, I could influence meeting the love of my life. When I did meet my husband, I couldn’t have looked much worse. And he thought I was pretty fabulous anyway.
There were also the identity issues. Shopping seemed like a great beginning - a way to take on an identity of someone I wanted to be. After I started doing art, I went shopping for an artistic wardrobe. I’m not sure what I was thinking, because I didn’t even end up with a beret. Later, faulty 21st century parenting contributed to my shopping habits. When I wanted my daughter to develop an appreciation of nature, the first thing I did was take her to the store to buy a magnifying glass with accompanying tweezers,… because everyone knows you can’t fully experience nature without big colorful plastic instruments in hand. I should talk about how shopping served as an escape from feelings of sadness, worry, repressed anger and boredom, but really, I don’t remember any of these. I was shopping. Also, I'm sure I was a victim of brain washing by mass media, marketing and our consumer culture. But the only suspicious thought I remember having was, "Is this a two way mirror I'm standing (undressed) before?" Lastly there was the need to contribute to the GNP. Okay, I REALLY wasn’t thinking about this one, but our political leaders will tell you, “Shopping is an excellent way to the support the GNP.” An even better way is to buy something, throw it in the trash and buy it again. I now believe the amount of time I spent in stores fit with how unhappy, unfulfilled and apathetic I was. These days, I find the more time I spend with family, friends or creating (art, writing, cooking, or gardening), the happier I am. I've learned that nothing has decreased my shopping more than finding people and activities that I love. And I didn’t find any of these at the store. This post was written by Courtney Snyder. It’s hard to say when it all began, but things definitely got worse after I attended a conference in Boston last April. Though the focus was on the impact of marketing to children, I was with activists from many overlapping areas including food. It wasn’t long after, that I began to feel a bit restless in my kitchen But what was it? Where was it coming from? Was it:
What could I do? Abstaining from food, water and air wasn't an option. Neither was delving into the research. Instead of definitive answers, I‘d only find more reasons to fear my kitchen. So I did what I always do when I’m in a pickle (I didn't even mention the risks associated with pickling), I started to make a piece of art; an installation of sorts. My goal was simple. I'd make my kitchen, cooking items and food enjoyable for me to look at. I already loved the look of the some wooden cooking utensils my husband had bought me. These simple utilitarian items would be the start to my finding peace in the kitchen. Minimize Plastic After noticing a plastic spatulas and spoon were detracting from my lovely wooden ones, I sent them off. The plastic cutting boards were next. Dangerous or not, I didn't like how the plastic looked, especially next to food. And since I was making a piece of visual art, how something looked was my guiding force. Gradually, I replaced the plastic storage containers with glass ones. I use these in the refrigerator, freezer, pantry and microwave. I even serve in them for our nightly meals. The four round sizes stack easily and because the tops match, I'm never searching for lids. (Yes, the lids are plastic. I consider them symbols of compromise). All of this leads me to the greatest thing about my glass containers - I can see my food; the cut vegetables, fruit, nuts and even left overs. I love that. Before they were forgotten behind foggy plastic. The most recent plastic to be dismissed were the chip clips. Wooden clothes pins have taken their place. If this is all sounding extreme...it is. And I'm becoming extremely happy in my kitchen. Minimize Packaging My mother never liked when someone put a bottle of ketchup, canned drink or anything packaged on a table she set. "Does it really matter?" some might ask. It really does! I've even extended this thinking to my pantry and refrigerator. When I come home from the store, many of the groceries go straight into my celebrated glass containers. This act connects me to my food. And when I look in my refrigerator or pantry, instead of seeing pictures of food on boxes and bags, I see actual food. All this has heightened my respect. Not only do I waste less, I also buy less processed and buy more whole foods than ever before. Highlight Food Just one point on food presentation. Before I held food in such high regard, I liked colorful dishes. Now I prefer simple white or clear dishes (0r wooden bowls) which highlight the true colors of the food. Use Colorful Food My meals used to have a lot of "white stuff"- sugar, white rice, pasta and bread and potatoes. But this is not where the color is at and I'm making art here. So now I prepare a wider range of colorful fruits and vegetables. I've also gradually transitioned my family to the "brown stuff" - whole grain rice, bread and pasta. It has been surprisingly easy. Even the American Dietetic Association recently encouraged everyone to "Eat Right with Color." I don't think they were talking about the artificial kind. My husband would add, “French pastries are beautiful too. And so is chocolate.” We definitely still enjoy a completely refined treat. Only now it's more of a treat. About those pesticides:
Since these changes, I do buy more organic, especially those in the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" - a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest concentration of pesticides. (They have a "Clean Thirteen" list too). I also buy organic for items we eat regularly such as milk and eggs. About the water and air: My concerns about water relate to the fact that we live in a 100 year old house with old pipes, and have a young child. The water filter now on our kitchen faucet, at the very least gives me some peace of mind. As do the two new pans. About the aesthetics of meat: As much as I'd like to simply overlook this issue, I have to admit, it 's unlikely that my kitchen can be truly beautiful to me, as long as I'm eating and preparing meat. If anything, my growing connection and respect for food has moved me farther on the path to becoming a vegetarian. I'm not there yet. Lessons Learned: The lessons from my kitchen have been abundant. I’ve found that a scenic view doesn’t have to cost more. What we save by wasting less, eating out less, and buying less meat and processed food offsets the cost of the few new kitchen items and the organic food. I’ve learned that by focusing on aesthetics, we're eating healthier and have addressed most of the real and imagined risks that had kept me unsettled. Lastly, I’ve learned that instead of living in fear, we can create a life closer to what Mother Nature intended - one as real and whole, like our food. This post was written by Courtney Snyder. On Lincoln's birthday, this past February, we took our daughter to his birthplace. It was a rainy day and the first opportunity to use my new umbrella. While we were there, this photo caught my eye. It was taken on another rainy day, 100 years earlier. “Look how striking all those black umbrellas are,” I told my husband. They looked just like mine. Until that day, I’d always carried the cheapest umbrella I could find. If I didn’t lose it, a gust of wind would quickly mangle it. The number of umbrellas I’ve outlived and the amount I've spent on them, I'd rather not know. My disposable umbrella life changed, however, after a friend told me she'd found a classic umbrella. I've always considered them so lovely and I wanted one. I was uncomfortable spending the $30.00, but decided I would take better care of this one and have it longer. When I first met my new umbrella, I was so very happy. It was and is elegant and sturdy. It refuses to collapse in order to fit in my backpack or pocket. I love to raise it up in the air and let it boldly and gracefully pop open. I love the sound it makes as I tap its end on the ground to shake off the raindrops. It has some weight and it should - it creates a generous space and shelter from the rain. Have I mentioned how much I now love walking in the rain? And I never accidentally leave it behind. It’s too substantial. As I've waded through the past rainy week, I’ve wondered why I have such adoration and respect for my umbrella. Yes, it’s beautiful to me and functional. But I think there’s more. Perhaps it represents something durable in our throw away society; a society dependent on planned obsolescence. Perhaps it's a symbol of a world I hope for - one in which our items and structures are attractive, useful and meant to last. Or perhaps it 's simply about a way of being; a way that is less like a modern obsolete umbrella and more like the steadfast and solid umbrellas (and those holding them) in this photo. This post was written by Courtney Snyder. Cutting paper and painting wooden balls have been my forms of meditation. While my mind is busy serving my hands, it takes a break from my daily routine and worries. It is in these very moments, I find clarity and inspiration. Recently I’ve discovered that getting rid of clutter can also be meditative. Sorting, arranging and removing does wonders for the mind and spirit. As I get rid of things, I’ve found that the following phrases keep me on track. Most can be applied to our psychological clutter as well.
The present...It really is all we have. This post is the second of two parts and is written by Courtney Snyder.
(For Part 1, please see the previous post) Step Three – GET STARTED and REAP THE BENEFITS. This is not a recipe, just what I’ve found helpful.
Post written by Courtney Snyder
In my quest to make the world a more beautiful place, I've been thinking big, but starting small. The first step has been to get rid of the clutter in my house. By that I mean , those things that are not useful, meaningful or enjoyable for me to look at. My daughter, who is six, has her own clutter .....or is it actually my clutter? Here's what I mean.
Step One– DECIDE WHAT I WANT FOR MY CHILD.
Step Two – GET MY CHILD ON BOARD. I wish I could say, I gracefully got my daughter on board with my mission. I didn’t. There were a few days early on, in which I was more determined than patient. But the more I cleared my own spaces and called upon that wise, compassionate, yet firm inner voice (for me Mary Poppins, Maria Von Trapp, - okay Julie Andrews in any form will work), the more I realized that these changes would come with time.
The next post, Part II and will include: Step Four – GET STARTED - practical strategies I've found useful. Step Five – REAPING THE BENEFITS - the unforeseen gifts of removing clutter. Post written by Courtney Snyder
I’ve been thinking about the Broken Window Theory since attending a meeting on the litter problem in an industrial neighborhood here in Louisville. The theory says, if you keep urban environments in a well-ordered condition, ie. replace broken windows and control graffiti and litter, you may prevent further vandalism and possibly more serious crime. Though I don’t break windows, paint on trains or litter, my desk is often a mess. And when it is, I have less respect for my work and I don’t put things away. When it’s orderly, I feel good and I want to keep it that way. Even my thesaurus knows we can’t separate our mindset from our visual world. Clutter: mess, litter, disorder, untidiness and confusion. “I don’t have as much clutter as I used to and I certainly don’t have as much as clutter as she does,” I can tell myself. But the best rationalizations and projections don’t matter as much as the question, “Am I living the life I want to be living?” Our life is frittered away by detail…..Simplify, simplify. - Henry David Thoreau Thoreau could have said, “Our time, energy and true selves are frittered away by clutter - those collections of things that aren’t useful, meaningful, nor bring joy to our lives. Which all leads me to wonder about the cost of my clutter? WASTES:
DEMORALIZES:
ME: I like the image of my family playing cards. And, don’t some card games require more than one deck? (I wouldn’t know this because …. my family doesn’t play cards.) CARDS/ CRITICAL SELF: What?! You have not made your family into a card playing family?!??! KIND/WISE SELF (Think Maria Von Trapp meets Mary Poppins for this one): You may not be a card playing family, but you are a 20 questions family, a walking in the neighborhood together family, and a hiking family. Must you be every kind of family? With this and the discovery that three of the four sets are incomplete, I begin to send the cards into the trash. CARDS/CRITICAL SELF: Wait!!!. Couldn’t you do something artistic with three incomplete sets? Shouldn’t you be the kind of artist that only uses recycled materials? WISE/KIND SELF: You really don’t have enough room to collect all the things that you could possibly do art with. All this stuff is getting in the way of the art you want to do right now. It’s okay to let go of the recycling art dream, because your bigger dream is waiting for you to get started. You can’t if you’re kicking yourself for not being a card playing artist or a playing card artist. In THE END the three incomplete sets are gone. They can no longer tell me I’m a bad parent and artist. The fourth set – the complete one survives… for now. KEEPS ME IN THE PAST:
ME: These things had meaning at some time, but now?? GRANDIOSE SELF: Well….. maybe someone, someday will want these things, you know to open a museum, a presidential library of sorts,.... WISE/ KIND ME: But isn’t your reality, that you are grounded and connected to family, friends, place and your current life? With this thought, I keep weeding through the items my mother and I have saved. At present, I think I’ll keep my baby book, a baby dress, select photos, my journals, letters to and from my parents, husband and a couple of lifetime friends – the things that carry meaning for me now and that I may want in the future for inspiration or comfort. I find that as I get rid of things that don’t matter, I am able to see what does. As in life, I hope I can turn these large boxes of stuff into one smaller box of meaningful treasures. Stay tuned if you're thinking, "I could get rid of all this clutter, but I have a child and it is the year 2011!" Now that’s a different story! Is it really? Does it have to be? I’ll be wrestling with that one next. In the meantime, I’ll be trying to channel that all wise and compassionate mother with Julie Andrew’s voice ….for myself and for my daughter. For those without children, stay tuned. I’m also learning some practical ways to remove clutter and keep it from getting into my house. All this inevitably leads to tackling relationship clutter, activity clutter and emotional clutter. - Post written by Courtney Snyder
“A World With a View” . That's the name of my mission - the one to make the world a more beautiful place. I hope I've already been doing this, at least in a metaphorical sense. But now I'm gaining some clarity and some grandiosity. Until recently, I wasn’t sure such a goal was worth pursuing. “Something nice to look at. Does it really matter? Does providing people with a moment of visual pleasure or a lovely space in which to live or work, really have a positive impact on the world?” I wondered this even as I continued to follow my bliss and make art these past four years. I’ve never had a deep appreciation for the ornate, material items or spaces associated with wealth, but I have found great solace and inspiration in nature, certain buildings, man made spaces and functional art. As I’ve thought about the importance of our visual spaces, I've remembered many of the places -now 22 - which I have called home. I think about the ones I’ve loved and the few I hated. I visualize the rooms that reflected my struggles and the rooms that reflected my joy. Or should I say, the ones that inspired me and the ones that held me back. I’ve wondered if I could go back and change how some of these homes looked and felt, could I have prompted changes in my life more quickly? I think I could have. I think I can now. So as I set out to make the world a more beautiful place, I think about my current visual surroundings and ask:
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Teddy Roosevelt So as I start my journey, what are my steps? I’ve recently read that I should take my goal and determine the steps backwards. <<I want to make the world a more beautiful place << I'll start with my own world << I'll make my home a more beautiful place << I'll have to start with decluttering my home. This doesn’t solve the challenging natural light issue, but I can’t let that stop me from getting started. To start on a journey, we often have to clear out the obstacles in our homes, our minds and our daily lives. Fortunately they all works together. Decluttering our spaces starts to brings clarity to everything. If you don't believe me, start and you'll see. |
I am an artist, psychiatrist and mother.
I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my husband and daughter. Categories
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