The Pursuit of Beauty and Why it Matters

Beauty has always held a place in human life. We experience it through art, music, spaces, words, the bounty of the natural world. It nourishes something within us, and when we begin to pay closer attention, offers to change us, sometimes softly, sometimes dramatically, and often very beautifully.

Yet beauty is often dismissed, seen as surface-level, superficial, or simply optional. As though beauty for the sake of beauty isn’t reason enough to seek it, embrace it, and fervently create it.

I propose a different view: that beauty is essential for a fulfilling life.

My relationship with beauty

It was probably about 5 or 6 years ago that I realised I’m very sensitive to my surroundings.

Growing up in the city of London, I think I became desensitised to the chaos around me. Busy streets, underground tubes, fast cars, pollution. I still love London and think it’s a cool place, but it was loud, rushed and relentless.

I got used to it because that was simply the environment I lived in, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have an impact. That lifestyle affected my physical health, mental health, and it also didn’t give me real room to breathe, to connect with myself and reflect on what was truly important to me.

In my mid twenties, I left to travel. I spent time exploring the world, immersing myself in new places. I spent more time out in nature – mountains, jungles, volcanoes. I experienced different cultures, architecture, art, interior design, and ways of living.

Seeing all the beauty the world has to offer opened me as a person. I expanded. It nourished my senses, inspired my creativity, and I began to form more of an understanding of the type life I actually wanted to live. My values shifted. Peace became a priority. Creativity became a priority. Slow living and connecting with people became a priority.

Now I’ve created a home in Costa Rica. I spend more time out in nature. I fill my home with beautiful things that please me to see, use, and hold. Handcrafted ceramics, natural fibres, artisan pieces that hold a story.

I enjoy the small moments of everyday life. Watching the morning sky light up with the first sip of tea. Choosing which earrings I’m going to wear that day. Sitting down with a paintbrush and ink to create something new. Or simply lighting a candle and appreciating the warmth it brings to a space.

Noticing the beauty in the everyday has become my small reminder that life is here to enjoy.

What is beauty?

We all have our own ways of seeing, but if it were me, my definition of beauty would be like this:

Beauty is a feeling. It comes from an essence, source, spirit, or whatever we may call the eternal life force all things come from, and it manifests through sensual experience. As we take in beauty through the senses, we feel it within our being.

Beauty is not just in aesthetics. It is in song, food, film, poetry, relationships, and the small intentional moments of presence we give to our days.

When beauty became confused

Somewhere along the way our relationship with beauty became distorted.

Particularly for women, our concept of beauty has been caught up in certain body image ideals, based upon the whims of what’s trending in the current culture and time period we find ourselves in.

On the one hand, there is often a pressure to conform to those ideals. And on the other, there is an underlying message that we are shallow, vain or superficial for caring.

This can end up distorting our view of not just how we see ourselves, but how we relate to the idea of beauty as a whole.

A gentle reframe

I’d like to offer an alternative perspective - that beauty is a gift. Whether it be through writing a poem, arranging flowers, creating a product, putting an outfit together, doing our hair nice, or decorating a home.

The act of creating beauty is a way of bringing good into the world, and we should not ever feel bad for striving for that. It is an act of generosity, and therefore something to be celebrated.

The problem is not beauty itself, but when it becomes disconnected from truth. When we stay connected to the truth of who we are, the beauty in our world has depth.

Beauty as a way of self love

We are sensual beings born into this world to experience. Through our senses we take in the world around us, and what we encounter shapes our wellbeing. The objects we hold, the spaces we inhabit, the products we use, all influence how we feel.

Therefore nourishing our senses is very much a part of self love. Putting effort and intention into our sensual life soothes the nervous system, relaxes the mind, uplifts the spirit, and gives ourselves the message that we are worth the care. We are worth a life filled with that which we find beautiful.

This in turn raises our sense of esteem and builds us into happier, more fulfilled people. And the happier and more fulfilled we are, the more light we can share with the world.

The pursuit of beauty as a way of living

Pursuing beauty changes the way we live. It invites us to slow down and become more intentional. To ask deeper questions about what truly nourishes us.

Everyone has a different perspective on what is beautiful to them. Bringing more beauty into our lives is therefore less about finding the one answer or following trends, and more about embarking on a journey of deep self discovery and realisation.

It’s about connecting with what makes us feel beautiful. What style reflects us. What wellness routines make us feel our best. What art we want on the walls, and what cushions we throw on the bed.

Real beauty takes time and reflection. It involves trial and error. It asks us to consider, to let go of what no longer resonates, and make space for what does.

When we pursue beauty intentionally, we often end up consuming less but choosing better. Instead of filling our lives with things that attempt to satisfy a void, we surround ourselves with fewer things that genuinely nurture the body, mind and spirit. Beautiful things hold meaning when we allow them to, when we take the time to appreciate the value they bring to our lives.

In this way, beauty is life-affirming. It very simply says that life is worthwhile, that it is worth making better. And that’s pretty beautiful.

The act of creating beauty

In order to create beauty, first we must experience it. In its purest form, beauty enters our being and nourishes, restores, and elevates us, giving the strength and inspiration to transmute what we feel into even more beauty, through the lens of our own unique perspective and creative essence.

So embrace that which you find beautiful. Close your eyes and listen to music that moves you. Visit an art gallery and wonder at the richness and depth of another’s creations. Watch a film, without distraction, and appreciate the nuance of the acting and storytelling. On your walks, stop to notice the colour and delicacy of a flower. Nature itself is an infinite source of inspiration. When we pay attention to the natural world, we see that beauty exists everywhere.

Then, with all that beauty you’ve taken in, create what you feel inspired to create. Don’t worry too much about what other people are doing. Comparison depletes our creative potential.

Create what you see as good. Create for others to feel, to enjoy, and to experience with their senses. Put care into your craft. Make it a labour of love. When something is made with this level of devotion, it serves to enrich the lives of the people who find it, in both small and large ways.

Creating beauty is therefore not simply an aesthetic pursuit. It is a way we can contribute to a more thoughtful and restorative world.

Closing thoughts

Perhaps this is why beauty has always been an integral part of human life. Through the ages – in art, music, stories, homes, clothing, buildings, film-making, cake decorating – beauty has been there, endlessly expressed in various ways.

When we pursue beauty as a way of living, it changes us. We become more embodied, more appreciative, more creative, more in awe of the world around us, and I would propose, more loving too.

When we invite beauty in and express it outward, life becomes a little richer, a little more meaningful, a little more alive. And with that, we help make the world a more beautiful place to be.