Projects

When Poetry and Watercolors Collide

Blooming Beautifully

In due season,

she blooms

beautifully and unapologetically

because it didn’t come without trials.

But, in spite of the conditions,

she persevered and weathered the storms,

so her bloom could be authenticated.

Now, she knows the cost to bloom,

and she isn’t afraid to take up space—

inviting all to come and see

the beauty she beholds.

-Jessica J. Carr

I had the honor and privilege to collaborate with Fine Artist Heidy Sumei Chuang, where I was able to write a poem for one of her red peony watercolor paintings from her Garden Series.

“The work of Heidy Sumei Chuang invites the viewer into a healing space of wonder. Her vision begins in a garden, where flowers reveal the story of the earth’s awakening. The spaces in between the leaves, petals, and branches reveal the poetry that captures her imagination. Focusing on edges, forms and lines as it translates to the textures of the paper, fibers of her brush and the fluidity of water, she unveils the essence of her subject. These paintings express the fragility of something elemental to the human heart: a yearning for the ineffable.”

I titled the poem ‘Blooming Beautifully,’ as I was drawn to the beautiful red peony. And as I got lost in awe and wonder of the painting, I knew the flower had a story to tell about the seasons it endured and the storms it had to withstand—all so it could bloom beautifully in due season and let everyone see the beauty it beholds.

As you reflect on the painting and poem, may you find yourself resonating with the peony’s journey to blooming beautifully. Here’s some questions to ask yourself:

~What seasons have you endured?

~How have the trials produced endurance in you?

~And ultimately, how are you blooming beautifully in this season?