It’s been said that inspiration can be found wherever you are… just take a moment, look around, and appreciate the surroundings. Luckily for me, my surroundings just happen to be the coast.
One of my favorite things is to take a walk at the beach. If timed correctly, we can catch low tide when all the shells wash up and line the shore. I seek the shells with the most unique shapes. I’m most fascinated by the tubular, conical, spiral, and nautilus varieties.
One day, after collecting a few of our favorites in our pockets, my husband presented his handful of shells declaring, “These reminded me of you so I collected them for you”. This surprised me, as they were all the same typical clamshell shape. I asked why these would remind him of me when he knows I favor the more interesting shapes, not usually giving much thought to these simple commonplace ones. He said, “Look at the design. Each one looks like a different textile weave.”
They do look like different weaves! In an instant, instead of viewing these commonplace shells that I was so ready to dismiss, I found myself cradling them so gently in my hands as if they were a treasure. They represented more than simple clamshells, even more than just designs reminiscent of textile weaves. They represented someone’s thoughtfulness in recognizing something uniquely special about them and wanted to share that with me. That, to me, is inspirational.