Just A Random Thought on Beauty

I randomly tuned into “grown up” PBS tonight just in time to catch a bit of a show talking about the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health designed by Frank Gehry.

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I really didn’t see much of it, but I was just in time to catch the interviewer as a doctor who works there, "How does this space inspire better work?"

He responded something like this, spoken very impassionately,
"If you aren’t cutting edge, if you aren’t innovative, if you aren't the best there is, you feel like you are failing the space. You feel like you need to live up to the space."


That struck me so hard.

So often I want to tell myself to stop caring about the things I care about. I care so deeply about things being lovely. Especially the space I live in. Not because I care what anyone thinks of my home. I actually hate feeling like a show off. I just need the space to feel good for me.
Sometimes that feels so vain.
Sometimes that feels so trivial.

But then every once in a while I get a deep reminder that this is how God made us. We are inspired by beauty.
I think it’s because he made beauty.
But being around beauty is renewing and inspiring.

I just loved hearing that doctor say that about his stunning building. It made me stop to value once again what I value, because it means something to people. Not just me. Everyone is inspired by beauty. And beauty calls us to more.

A couple tears may have been shed when he said that. It’s just so deep.

I want a space that makes me feel like I need to live up to it.
That’s what I’m slowly working towards.

It’s just nice to know it’s not all in my head. It’s nice to give myself permission to feel that way.