There is something about the truly authentic, once encountered, it changes you forever. Its subtle imprints wear along the outskirts of your imagination, slowly but surely working its way into all that you do. Whimsical water color illustrations of candlelit evergreen trees and reindeer flying across a bright, full moon, influence how a beloved holiday should be celebrated. While the lush intensity of a green garden wall, inspire unbridled curiosity. From Mother Goose, to the Secret Garden to the famous Christmas classic, once you encounter the work of legendary artist, and illustrator Tasha Tudor, there is no going back.
Case in point, me. I was always far more interested in the pictures in the books, than the actual words describing them. I much preferred to let my own imagination do the storytelling. The artwork and illustrations of Tasha Tudor were among my favorites. I couldn't exactly tell you why at the time, but there was magic in those whimsical brush strokes and colors. The stories she brought to life through them are forever embedded in my memory.
At the same time as I was falling in love with these images, I was also entranced by the coffee table books filled with photos of country gardens. I guess you could say I went through a pretty intense Secret Garden phase, but I could spend hours looking through them! Looking back I remember one book in particular. Filled with photos of the most amazing garden I had ever seen, where an old woman in a long skirt gathered flowers and lived in the house of my dreams.
To be quite honest it was only very recently that my sister helped me put two and two together. "Who is Tasha Tudor?" I asked. "You know the one who did Mother Goose and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and there's that book Mom has about her garden" she said.Yep, light bulb moment. Suddenly it all clicked together, this lovely old woman is responsible for the majority of my childhood day dreams. The world I would escape to, when the trials of growing up seemed to big to conquer, was one of her making.
So I started researching, looking into her life and how she lived, and that light bulb got even brighter. I tried to find the book at a local book store with no luck, so my wonderful mother turned her house upside down to find her copy for me. As I looked through the colorful pages, one word came to mind, a word and a meaning all too commonly diluted and obscured these days, authentic. Or rather the blindingly bright presence of authenticity.
Tasha Tudor lived her life according to what she believed. She lived simply, dressed in 1800's style wardrobe, and often went barefoot. She used the money from teaching nursery school to buy a cow when she was in her teens. Her obituary tells the story of buying antique dresses when she was just a little girl. She knew who she was and how she wanted to live her life, and she did it. Most impressively of all, she did it well. The authenticity of her very existence was extraordinary, and it showed in every brush stroke and illustration she created.The stories she brought to life, along with the very life she lived act like watermarks, and trademark symbols around the world. She was good at what she did, and she did what she knew.
One of the lessons they teach in journalism school (and in a recent movie, right?) is, write what you know. Reaching for what is popular, trendy or in fashion is great, but if you don't know everything about it and possess your own truth within it, it's going to show. I see this in my own writing, and in the photos I take. When I'm not present, when I'm not wholly interested in what I am doing, my writing is boring and my photos are flat, my work unnecessarily suffers. The problem I find is that being that interested, that engrossed in what you are doing all the time, can be exhausting. Add in the fast pace of everyday life and work of our present reality, and its no wonder... authenticity is scarce. I know, once again, this is nothing new, but I feel like I (and maybe a few others, heck, maybe even the world) am at a turning point. I say maybe even the world because I see it. I see the desperate need and trend towards creating a more authentic life. One filled with gardens, home cooking and slower paced days. I say myself because I can see the cliff before me, and I'm not particularly fond of heights. So I want to turn back, but how? That is the age old dilemma isn't it? How do we move forward and encourage progress, while nurturing the wonders of our past? How do we remain authentic?
Something tells me, Tasha Tudor might have a few of the answers.
Write what you know...
~ Jordan
P.S. speaking of the old fashioned, we have a winner of the Rainy Day Giveaway!
And the winner is Jenn who wrote:
"What fun things to play with! Thank you for the chance to win!"
Thank you to everyone who participated!
*Last time in tell me a story: Rainy Day Giveaway!