On My Mind: Beauty From Ugliness

I was re-reading one of my favorite little books, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers and came across a powerful quote:

Beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness...beauty is a dynamic event that occurs between you and something else. Beauty can spontaneously occur at any moment given the proper circumstances, context or point of view. Beauty is thus an altered state of consciousness, an extraordinary moment of poetry and grace.

A reminder, perhaps, for me and others struggling with the lack of natural beauty in this city...You can call NYC a lot of things--exhilarating, fascinating, energizing, awesome, cosmopolitan, majestic--but I don't think most people would consider it one of the world's most beautiful cities. Still I know what this quote is getting at. I've had those moments. So, here's to opening myself up to more "poetry and grace."