This morning, we opened Hold Still by Sally Mann at random and found this:

As for me, I see both the beauty and the dark side of things; the loveliness of cornfields and full sails, but the ruin as well. And I see these at the same time, at once ecstatic at the beauty of things, and chary of that ecstasy. The Japanese have a phrase for this dual perception: mono no aware.  It means “beauty tinged with sadness,” for there cannot be any real beauty without the indolic whiff of decay. For me, living is the same thing as dying, and loving is the same thing as losing, and this does not make me a madwoman; I believe it can make me better at living, and better at loving, and just possibly, better at seeing.

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

3 replies on “Opened at Random: Hold Still by Sally Mann

  1. Great Post Sally.

    ..,pausing between this, that, and the utter;
    i took a breath and klicked on the box.
    What a beautiful post.
    What a deep breath of fresh air.

  2. Well, Sally Mann wrote the post. I too was knocked out when I read it. I was amazed, again, at how perfect her words are for right now.

  3. Thank you Sally ol’ friend,

    I too,was moved by the tenderness, artistry and sorrow of Mann’s words.

    Like you, my Sally – she walks us through pulsating fields of emotion that are essential for our very being.

    What would we/I ever do without your brilliant culling of the worlds poets, artists & sensitive souls ~ past

    or present. Your artistic curiosity continues to educate, challenge and delight me on a daily basis,

    Just as it did when we were first entering the food world in the early eighties…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *