Laura Lucy: amongst the plants

Running through a parking lot never felt better than it did today. I was hit by a surprisingly mild breeze, despite the fact that I was donning a skirt and despite the lower temperatures. I felt free for the first time in much too long. I felt free breaking up the usual, crazy schedule--the one I have to run to keep up with. For the past couple of months, I've rarely allotted myself any time for fun; I find myself sitting at my desk about 90% of the time. And that's great to a certain extent, but we all need to change things up every once in a while. So, I suppose today was a sort of a much needed "treat yo self" day.

After eight hours (eight hours!) of sleep, I rose amidst a soft shower of pale yellow sunshine and the pastel sound of music. My favourite way to wake up. I slipped on my turtleneck of an incredibly soft fabric and wandered to the kitchen to swallow a quick breakfast. I slid into my room to pack my back pack--cameras, lenses, tripod, batteries. Somehow, the morning flowed and I finished preparing rather quickly and wound up in the car, ready to go before 9:30. Driving on the freeway was beautiful. No more coats in the car, it's too warm. The sound of bright guitars streaming from the radio, drowning out the noise of the tires meeting the tired pavement. Freedom. Blue skies with a healthy helping of fluffy, cotton ball clouds. A summer sky.

I ran through the parking lot upon arrival and through the visitor's center. Finally, I found myself where I always love to be, regardless of the season--the botanic garden. The air outside was rough, but it swirled around my exposed legs, hands, and face with the careful touch of spring. Blossoms laced the fingers of a majority of the trees; the trees stood bravely against the occasional light force of the wind. I strolled through a few gardens waking up from their winter slumber, so hopeful. I couldn't help my excitement for the beauty they will hold in a few weeks.

I walked into the warmth of the green houses with my camera around my neck. A mildly humid climate, the busyness of the morning rituals of watering the plants floated about me. Loud colours peeked from behind masks of green and noise enveloped the space. I opened the next door and was welcomed by moist air and exotic plants. A few people scattered around. Some taking photos, some reading the small plaques describing the plants, some talking. I snapped a few photos myself and moved on to the next room. A stream of the cooler, arid atmosphere hit me as I stepped into the room. Quiet, away from any chaos, this was where I took all of my favourite photos. There is something so comforting about standing in a room full of plants--even though they are they type capable of injuring my curious fingers. It is so strange, but as soon as I see a cactus, all I want to do is pet it. Especially those fuzzy-looking ones. I get pricked nearly every time I gather the courage to test its sharpness. Apparently, I haven't learned my lesson. Anyway, it was absolutely enjoyable and I was overflowing with happiness. A bit later, children with eager faces arrived on a field trip. I was so pleased to witness the same excitement I had for plants within them. I spent a little over an hour in that room and I would've stayed longer, but I walked through the gardens and back to the car.

The drive home was just as enjoyable as the one to the botanic gardens. Once I arrived home, I grabbed the mail and found a lovely letter from my friend Tina. It was a perfect surprise on such a beautiful day and it even matched my plant adventure with some gorgeous leaf stickers. I then took a trip to Target and bought some goodies.

Now, to the point of this post: breaks are necessary, days off are necessary. This little trip sparked a surge of creativity in me that seemed to be burnt out lately, all due to the exhaustion of the everyday. Why hadn't I remembered this before? In all of my stressing over completing my to-do lists, I completely ignored the fact that relaxation is just as important as the other twenty things I write down. There is absolutely nothing smart about working non-stop. I guess I needed to relearn this. The next time you have a creative block, remember this: it's probably because you're trying too hard. I'm not kidding. Take a day and see what happens. I'm definitely going to work on incorporating time for myself into those crazy to-do lists from now on. (I hope you enjoy the photos.) xx