Many years ago, in a drawing class, my teacher said something I’ll remember for the rest of my life—something that honestly made me see things differently. Obviously, the phrase wasn’t his own, but he still managed to convey exactly what he wanted: that when we were drawing, we should pay close attention to every detail, but more than that, that our focus should be on capturing the beauty in something.
He said, “Everything has some beauty in it; you just have to know how to look.” This idea has stayed with me for a long time, and I remembered it just the other day when, during my walk, everyone was taking photos of the prettiest and most recognizable things. Suddenly, I came across a millstone that had been reclaimed by nature, and nature had created such a beautiful patina on it that you couldn’t help but photograph it—because it struck me as incredibly poetic.
So on that walk, I devoted myself to taking photos of everything that struck me as beautiful and worth sketching—like a light bulb glowing in broad daylight or some roots poking through the mountain and revealing themselves. The scene teaches us that we go through life seeing what’s shown to us and what’s been prepared for commercial purposes, while overlooking what nature has created on its own.
But the truth is, if we’re completely honest, we all agree that the most beautiful creations and the most pleasing sights are the natural ones. They’re the ones that appear out of nowhere and, even though they repeat themselves every day, continue to surprise us. It made me think that, even though humans have created so much and destroyed many parts of what is natural, nature still prevails over even what has been built.
On this walk, I gained several insights. Obviously, I’m not saying that what the local people created for us to enjoy is wrong or unattractive—because the truth is, it is beautiful—but I made it a point to notice those little things that were just there, simply existing. I really enjoyed the experience because I feel like I got so much more out of this walk and was able to notice what sometimes goes unnoticed.
Although it’s something devoid of emotion, the truth is that in some way it makes me think in that sense—about how one feels and about realizing that, despite everything, you are valuable and always will be, simply because you’re a human being and have so much to share, such as your own thoughts and a unique and truly curious way of seeing life and the world. I feel like this hike was one of those where I spent the whole time reflecting and applying to myself everything that nature was teaching me.
-Content entirely of my authorship and inspiration.
-Original text in Spanish, translated at DeepL.
-Personal photographs, taken with my Huawei p30 Lite Phone.
-Banners designed in Canva Pro.