This morning I looked at a cigar box that I use to store art supplies. There, right before my eyes I noticed that the word Joy was hiding in plain sight. All I needed to do was notice (see photo below).

Hiding in Plain Sight

I couldn’t resist making a photo of the box and then playing around in Adobe Photoshop to make the joy more apparent. Using flowers from photographs I’ve made previously I adorned the box digitally. It was a silly little project but it made me smile.

This afternoon I plan to teach a one-on-one Lightroom class to someone I’ve not met before. Ironically I didn’t advertise or even plan to teach right now. But when I began working on my website overhaul, a glitch in the new theme I chose caused old website pages to become accessible. Before I figured out how to fix the glitch, a local photographer found my old one-on one class page and contacted me to see if he could set up a class with me.

I guess you could say that my old one-on-one class website page was also hiding in plain sight.

Though I’ve made progress on my website re-design I’m far from done and I’m not sure I’m happy with the changes I’ve made. There may be more drastic changes to come. The funny thing about re-designing web sites is that you have to have a goal in mind or you will spin your wheels without making any progress. I thought I had clear picture of where I wanted to head with my photography and website.

Then I got sick with the virus from Hell. And I feel like I’m still in

Survival mode

(from a virus I caught almost 3 weeks ago). Though my energy is beginning to return I continue to cough a lot and need extra rest. This week I finally took down the Christmas tree, and was so thankful that I only put up a small tree this year. The boxes of ornaments are still sitting in the living room as neither Jon nor I have the energy to put them away.

As I begin doing more around the house (necessary things like taking out the trash, washing dishes, cooking meals) I have no energy to spend on my photography. This is not what I had planned.

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”

― Woody Allen

But it is what is happening. So I let go of my plans and let myself flow with what is. I know that this experience of not feeling well will not last forever. My website is fine as it is. I can decide about and plan my work for the coming year when I’m feeling better.

“The way out of our cage begins with accepting absolutely everything about ourselves and our lives, by embracing with wakefulness and care our moment-to-moment experience.”
― Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha

I feel grateful that this morning I found joy hiding in plain sight. Moment by moment I give thanks for good books, nourishing food, comfortable surroundings, my sweet family, and dear friends.

What have you found hiding in plain sight?

May you walk in beauty.