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I love when there’s a little serendipity in the newspaper.
In Tuesday’s Arts & Life section, we debuted a new monthly feature called It’s The Little Things, about just that: the small pleasures that bring us joy, and might bring you joy, too.
In June, that looks like rolling the car windows down, strawberry season, asking someone a question instead of consulting Google, a viral recipe that’s actually good.
If you know me, then you know I’ve made “loving lilacs” a cornerstone of my personality and I have a rule that every time I come upon them, I must stop and smell.
Rain drips from lilac blooms on William Avenue. (Joe Bryksa / Free Press files)
(It’s all very interesting how when my dog Phoebe wants to stop and smell something disgusting I let her but when I want to stop and smell something lovely, she hustles me along like she has to get to the bank before it closes.)
It’s an instant dopamine hit but so, too, are the people who have noticed me doing this. They have either given me a knowing smile, or have stopped to have a little chat about how beautiful they are.
Also in Tuesday’s paper: my feature on Robert Pasternak’s new solo show, The Art of Noticing, which features a full 1/12 scale contemporary art gallery, filled with 90 original works of art.
Robert Pasternak peeks over his Miniature Katie + Gunner Gallery gallery, which is at 1/12 scale and includes a 3D-printed model of Robert looking at his art. (Mike Deal / Free Press)
My favourite pieces are actually made from chocolate foils the Winnipeg visual artist found on the ground; amazing how when you flatten them out and pop them in a frame, they truly look like modern art.
Taking time to slow down and notice things — the art of noticing, if you will — is a big part of joyfulness, I believe. It’s how we discover the little things.
Pasternak’s exhibition is an invitation to notice — not while viewing the exhibit but in your own life.
“Stop halfway through what you’re doing, and, OK, what am I doing? What am I seeing? What am I looking at? You could do that when you’re walking. Just stop and look. Look at the ground or look at the sky and just noticing those things — a crumpled foil wrapper,” he told me.
So, on a walk later that day, I did this. I took the time to notice.
And on a square of pavement I spotted a Slurpee cup on its side, striped straw at a jaunty angle nearby, the colours made more vibrant by the grey sidewalk.
I snapped a photo and posted it on Instagram. Winnipeg Still Life.
Winnipeg Still Life (Jen Zoratti)
If you look closely, it’s crawling with ants; the Dutch painters liked to include evidence of decomposition in their still lifes, too.
Allow me to pass that invitation to you. Take time to notice, especially the little things that bring you joy. They might be unexpected. They might even be art.
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