Finally. 1 p.m. My favourite time of the day. My two youngest were settled into their afternoon naps and the oldest was in school. I had an hour to myself before the late afternoon routine began.

I needed this time to recharge. Life with three young kids and a husband who travelled frequently was busy and exhausting. The days all seemed to run together. It was like I was on a ferris wheel ride that never ended – round and round we went, only stopping for much needed sleep.

Moving to a different country had lost its sense of adventure, leaving me feeling disconnected from family, friends, and even myself. I would wake each morning feeling numb. My life had no direction and purpose outside of caring for my family. Don’t get me wrong. I loved my family deeply and felt lucky to be able to stay home with them. But, something was missing.

My refuge came from this one hour time slot, curled up on the couch with a book of letters and images by photographer Ansel Adams, listening to the soothing piano music of George Winston, and sipping a cup of sweetly scented Early Grey tea.

I don’t even know how I came to have this book. Photography wasn’t a big part of my life at the time, except to record my kids’ antics and our infrequent vacations. I kept scrupulous scrapbooks of our evolving life. However, I did admire Adams’ wilderness photographs and this book was about much more than photography. His wit, passion for life, and humanity shone through his letters to friends and family.

Adams had been groomed to be a classical musician, but a summer trip to Yosemite National Park sparked his passion for wilderness and photography. Although he loved music and thought it would be his career, he followed his instincts and became one of the premiere photographers in the country, with music as his hobby.

Adams was also a workshop teacher, writer, and environmental activist – but most of all, he was an extraordinary communicator through writing and photography. His photographs were not strict documents of wilderness. Through his deep presence in the field and his darkroom process, he was able to show not only what he saw but how he felt in wilderness – a deep sense of reverence and connection. His photographs were used as evidence in congressional hearings and were instrumental in the formation of many of the U.S. National Parks.

In a letter to his future wife, I felt as though Adams was speaking directly to me.

One cannot live on love alone – the soul hungers for expression and ceaselessly strives for an understanding of all that comprises the cosmos. The more of beauty in the mind, the more of peace in the spirit. Time is a definite and moving quantity – conserve it! The structure of life we build for ourselves determines the colour of our soul. Think more of yourself, realize your duty to yourself, and your duty to those who shall come after you, who shall shape their lives on your influence. Develop the sense of inner beauty and majesty of Nature. ~ Ansel Adams, Letters & Images (paid link)

This quote, this book, sparked a longing in me to develop this sense of inner beauty. My first step was to visit Yosemite National Park, a place Adams loved and photographed extensively. Next step was to take a black and white darkroom photography course at the local art centre. And, the rest is history.

Transformation comes in unexpected places. 

I recently finished reading the autobiography of neurologist Oliver Sacks, who sadly passed away just a few days ago. His life has inspired me to think about ways to restructure my life in the coming year.

What’s been inspiring you lately and what will you do with it?

George Winston’s CD – Autumn