An Ocean of Perspectives
Brand New Ocean Image
This started as a simple photo post of a spankin’ new image, which I took with my Sony A7ii… then it took off from there. Typical! But imagery first…
This is from a lovely spot on the California coast, just north of Santa Cruz. I like coming here because it’s got several vantage points to take in. You can create 6 or 7 really unique points of view all in the same small area. It’s just beautiful and you get super great bang for the photographic buck. Love that!
Now, truth be told, I’m not really an ocean person. More of a mountain girl. That said, I really do enjoy my forays to the coastlands, because the contrast of vibe and scenery is so completely refreshing. The ocean speaks differently than my mountains. Different voice, different perspective, different smell, different air. I think different kinds of thoughts there, feel different things. I like that. As an artist, I really feel it’s important to constantly see and think… differently.
In this image, I like the contrasts. Movement and eternal stillness. Bright light and mysterious shadows. Fluid and solid. Earth and sky. Yummmmm!!
It made me want find a cool quote… and that’s when things got (even more) interesting!
Ocean Quotes
I thought… the ocean. It’s vast. It represents humanity and consciousness. Very “Ommm”, very expansive. I thought “An inspiring quote here would be fun!” So I went hunting – and learned more about each author in one simple line than I ever imagined!
For instance:
Anna Freud:
Anna was the daughter of Sigmund Freud. (Now THAT had to be tough! Can you imagine?) Her ocean quote is insightful because of what it reveals about her own tender heart… I wonder what daddy dearest would have had to say?
“We are imprisoned in the realm of life, like a sailor on his tiny boat, on an infinite ocean.”
Ouch.
Saint Augustine:
Augustine of Hippo (St. Augustine) was… well, a saint. He used the ocean to springboard his suitably-saintly introspective reflections. I love this, because of the BAM! right at the end:
”Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.”
Morihei Ueshiba:
Japanese martial arts master Morihei was the founder of Aikido. Naturally, his ocean used the ocean to illustrate his meditative perspective with diamond-like clarity:
“Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts.”
Henry Beston:
Beston was a renowned writer and naturalist, so naturally (heh) he saw the elements in a more… elemental way… reflecting his complete and utter passion for the physical, outer realms, which obviously moved him deeply on his insides:
“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.”
Mother Teresa:
What Mother Teresa says here is worth pondering. Especially for those days (if you ever have them) when you feel invisible, like you don’t matter, like nothing you do has impact. It’s become almost a pop-culture phrase, devoid of meaning from having been said soooooo much. Why do I put it here? Because Mother Teresa said it. It’s hard to blow off when it comes from someone like her.
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
Alan Watts:
I swear, philosopher, writer, speaker Watts is one of the most often-quoted fellas around. Every time I turn around, there’s a pithy, perfect Alan Watts quote floating by my screen. And sure enough, he made one that involves the mighty ocean. It’s interesting, because he usually talked about the cosmic side of things… here, he folds in the physical realms:
“You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean.”
Isaac Newton:
I love this one by Isaac Newton, because here’s this genius… the most influential scientist of all time… describing his process: childlike wonder, curiosity and PLAY!
“I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary,
whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
Ambrose Bierce
Editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist Bierce cracks me up on his oceanic perspective, from the Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary:
“Ocean, n. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man — who has no gills.”
So there you have it. What begins as a blog post to share simple ocean image, winds up with an ocean of interpretations. Ha!
How do YOU feel about oceans… perspective.. and do YOU have a favorite quote? Would love to hear it – because I’m on the hunt for good ones these days. 😀