I’ve been luxuriating in the delicious world of “What Nowness?”. At times short bursts of anxiety come into my head like little meteor showers but I’ve been managing to let them pass and not get caught up in them. They are merely debris from the past I remind myself and if you just let them take their course they become beautiful shooting stars. Lately, I’m traveling through the world and taking photographs simply because I like something I see, even if it is the most mundane of subjects. I’ve been posting some of the photos on Instagram Stories and it shows a very different view of life than the ones that are on my main Instagram feed. One is increasingly commercial and one allows me to maintain and develop my creative identity. I’ve also been wandering with Calvin into stores, neighborhoods and new experiences, engaging with spaces, people and ideas.

Before, too tired to make myself go, I now make the time to attend events in order to experience something new. Last night I went to one that mysteriously only stated in the invitation that I would be introduced to a Japanese innovation. Both the mystery and Japan were intriguing so I wandered around Soho taking pictures until it was time to appear. Last spring I would have blown it off and gone home because I was exhausted. Last night I entered the all-white space already primed and open because of my photo taking and immediately became engaged with the product: mostly because of the story.

The innovation is actually an eyeliner but one that has a purpose and intent beyond makeup. One of the founders, Imamura Hiroshi sees the liner as, “A reminder that beauty is not something dictated by a privileged few. Rather, it’s something that exists in all people that only needs to be revealed.” The liner (in 14 different colors)  becomes your tool to “open your eye” and take a creative risk whether that be large or small. The outcome will be different for each individual who decides to draw a line(s). For the purposes of “What Nowness?” I was captivated with the idea that drawing a single line could be the beginning of a new chapter. In a chance moment of serendipity, I had a wonderful lunch earlier in the day with a very successful artist who has written a book on making art with Sharpies.

I’ve been thinking about “eyes” recently. I will at times get compliments from followers on my Stories noting that I have a “good eye”. I’ve set myself the goal in my photography this summer of “developing my eye”. I’ve been using a darker liner and making my “eyes” the focus of my make up as I’ve been posting more photos without sunglasses. The eyeliner colors I chose last night were blue, pink and orange, I’ve been experimenting with color and why not on my eyes as well, they are my best feature.

The hand made brush, made by one of the seven remaining brushmakers in Japan from custom fibers, thoughtfully designed sustainable packaging and ergonomic case all combine to create a sense of luxury with an affordable price. This reminds me that the art forms I love to combine: photography and writing are both crafts and crafts must be practiced each day to flourish. True luxury is about thoughtful attention and craftsmanship. Coming to the business, knowing nothing about the space they were entering (reminding me of my own story), this creative, artistic conceptualization of something as “mundane” as eyeliner is the result of very deep engagement between the founders and their customers. Much in the way I am trying to live my “What Nowness?” right now. Practicing your art, your craft and engaging with others is what one does in the “What Nowness” while at the same time learning how to “manage the meteors”.

How are you engaging in your everyday life, practicing your craft and “managing the meteors” if they come?

Thanks to UZ Unframe the Beauty for inspiring me today.