the ordinary
or·di·nary
/ȯr-də-ner-ē/
adjective
of a kind to be expected in the normal order of events (Merriam-Webster)
“Even the common articles made for daily use become endowed with beauty when they are loved”
(Yanagi, 1989, p. 185).
open collection: hydrangeas
People warned me, and I can confirm it’s true: as I grow older, the days, weeks, months, and years pass by, subtly accelerating with speed. Part of me wants to slow everything down, but another part is fascinated with what is discovered when considering the long view – a perspective of accumulated time. This new perspective has me interested in the cycles of nature, particularly of the plant life that surrounds my home. Tulips pop out first, usually in February, and sometimes too early only to be attacked by a late winter frost. Next are the daffodils – the yellow ones I despise, but I am un-offended by the white, or any other oddly hued ones. A special treat comes in May when then perfect little white bells of lily of the valley emerge – their overwhelming floral scent mismatched to their size. I know all the apartments with these tiny lilies out front, and at dusk I sneak a few stems so I can enjoy their fragrant bloom inside.
Hydrangeas are ubiquitous in Vancouver – they are the bushy plants with large globe-shaped flowers that bloom in July and August. These flowers range in colour from green to white to purple to blue to pink. I have been told their colouring is based on the pH level of the soil, and that you can change the pH yourself as an experiment. Before noticing, it was easy to ignore these gauche blooms, but as I focused my awareness, I found myself seeking out hydrangeas that seem to be caught in-between colours: blue/green, blue/purple, green/white or pink/white.
Have you noticed hydrangeas in bloom while exploring your neighbourhood?
What colours are most prevalent?
Click the link below to share your own collected photos of hydrangea.
How has your perspective of the world changed with time?
Is there an object that you never noticed before, but eventually caught your attention?
What milestones carry you through the seasons? What do you excitedly wait for each year?
Click on the link below to share your perspectives, memories, and experiences on the discussion board.
scroll through the collection...
Do you have any ordinary collections you wish to share with the collective? Do you have any questions for us? Let us know! Click the link below to send us a message.
personal collection: grocery lists
collector: Hiller Goodspeeed
Sometimes what seems like trash on the ground isn’t trash at all, but in fact an ephemeral monument to an attempt at remembering the mundane details, like what to buy at the grocery store. Hiller Goodspeed’s consistent practice of picking up and throwing away others’ litter led him to notice these small, often poetic memory monuments. Below is a selection of his favourite lists to date, but his collection is growing, with the current count around 50 lists. This may not quite compete with The Grocery List Collection, which boasts an inventory of over 4,000 lists, but there is something special about building your own collection, that serves as an intimate microcosm of your distinct community.
Do you collect an object that others consider trash?
Where do you see beauty or intrigue where others may not?
Click on the link below to share your unique thoughts with us.
COLLECTING PIECE
Collect sounds in your mind that
you have overheard through the week.
Repeat them in your mind in different
orders one afternoon.
1963 autumn
(Yoko Ono, 1964, n.p.)
ordinary life in film
Life Can Be So Wonderful is a visual anthology of five shorts that embrace the melancholic, honest, and less perfect moments in life. Each short in this freeflow collection narrates the characters' philosophical contemplation as they are surrounded by the mundane presence of life. The film's underlying message is intentional and full of conviction: to celebrate the intimate details and beauty of living.
Take a look at this collection of film stills.
What is in a name? What is an object without a name? Why is this little detail so important?
What is the relationship between a name and identity?
How can a name distinguish ordinary and mundane objects?
Would you rename anything in your life? Why? How would that change our perception?
Click on the link below to respond and share your thoughts with the collective.
Life Can Be So Wonderful - Ch. 5 (2007)
Directed by Osamu Minorikawa
(Minorikawa, 2007).
literature of ordinary things
The Orange
by Wendy Cope
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.
And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.
(Cope, 1993, p. 5).
In this poem, Cope mixes the banal with the joy and simplicity of loving and living life. Think for a moment about the happiness of ordinary things.
Go for a walk around the neighbourhood. Have an intimate conversation with a loved one or a stranger. Visit a place you loved as a child. Look closer at the nature around you. Take the train or bus and look outside the window. Go grocery shopping. Have a meal outside alone. Watch as people come and go.
Embrace these moments and think of an object that represents each experience.
Pay conscious attention to your thoughts and feelings as you do these activities. Are they intentional? Record anything that comes to your mind. Ponder on these thoughts later, and record some more on your reflections.
Write a poem or a stream of consciousness prose as you reflect on the object, the experience, and the relationship.
Click on the link below to share your work with the collective.
"I love all things, not just the grandest, also the infinitely small –" (Neruda, 1994).
music of ordinary things
Take a look at this article that links music to the Odes to Common Things by Pablo Neruda. Each song is inspired by one or more common objects celebrated in the odes.
Can you think of or find any specific songs that are inspired by ordinary objects?
As you explore for more music and listen to the songs in this article and the discussion, ask yourself these questions:
What do you like (or dislike) about the song?
How does it make you feel? Did anything surprise you?
Do the songs reference the object in the lyrics, title, or overall instrumental composition?
In what way do the characteristics of the song symbolize and embody the object that is not explicit to the listener?
Do you think this is a good celebration of the object's true qualities or a romanticized representation of it?
Click on the link below to share your musical discoveries with the collective.
Share your thoughts, musings, videos, and photos with the community by contributing to an existing collection or participating on the discussion board. If you have an idea for a new collection, or any other questions or comments, just ask!
Do you have any new collections you wish to share with the collective? Do you have any questions for us? Let us know! Click the link above to send us a message.
Follow the link above to the discussion board to begin a discussion on any topic or collection on
his page.