July’s Theme is Treasure

Our instinct is to clutch them tightly. We seal our treasures in glass cases, to preserve them from time’s decay, to display them as testaments to our worth. We fear their loss, yet in this fear, we lose our ability to cherish them. We must soften our grip and magnify our time spent in their presence, precisely because nothing will stay with us. Eventually, even crown jewels will pass into dust.

What happens when we expand what we treasure beyond the rare, the beautiful, and the precious to the ordinary and the unnoticed? Even graffitied poetry on the side of a bus stop is a relic of someone who had passed through there, leaving traces for future archaeologists to excavate. What treasures can only you discern?

Our Brisbane chapter chose this month’s exploration of Treasure, Spectator Jonze illustrated the theme, and Mailchimp is presenting the theme.

We asked you, what do others overlook that you consider a treasure? Where do you seek precious things? You shared beautiful projects using found and reclaimed materials, rituals that help to ground you, and the ways cultural treasures are passed down to you.

💎 Buried Treasures

“I am so grateful to be part of the CreativeMornings community! As a small sign of my appreciation, I started to design and make a plaque with the theme for the month on as a gift for the speaker. I’m sharing this because it fits with this month’s theme ‘TREASURE’ in that the wood used for each plaque is always salvaged end board that would have otherwise ended up as ‘trash’ in a woodbin; but instead finds its way into the hands of the speaker, reclaimed into a thoughtful gift to be ‘treasured’ and remind them of their CreativeMornings experience!

As an emerging artist, I love to turn ‘trash into treasure’ by using locally sourced reclaimed materials. A significant goal of each piece I make is to showcase the beauty of these naturally weathered, imperfect and often unwanted materials, by combining them with contrasting colors and textures, elevating them into art that has new found beauty, purpose and value. My Mineralogy collection is inspired by precious mineral structures.” – David Ives, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

“For individuals that live with pets, that won’t come as a surprise. But for the people who interact with me daily, it would be astonishing to them how much my pets give me inspiration, a sense of purpose, moments of fun, and overall companionship. Life hasn’t been the easiest the last couple of years, but looking at the three rascals that own my apartment has given me energy and inspiration to keep creating beautiful things. In 2021, while in lockdown, I felt like drowning in my own space. But then I took the time to breathe and admire all the plants and pets that were around me. That led me to illustrate an alphabet – the pawphabet – where each letter is composed by cats and plants. And that daily task was what honestly kept me sane. This project is my personal little treasure.” – Natalia Garcez, Copenhagen, Denmark

“My treasure is the oak tree I see from my dining room. It’s the first thing I go to in the morning to ground myself while praying and setting the intention for the day.” – Ana Torralba, Madrid, Spain

“Fire hydrants are often overlooked, but I love going on road trips to try to find some pictures of fire hydrants. Feels a lot like going on a treasure hunt and finding a treasure when I find a good picture.” – Brent Umphlett, Springdale, Arkansas, USA

“The humble hawkers who continue to make traditional food or snacks, making them readily available (and affordable) especially on festive seasons and culturally significant days are such gems. I did not come from a homecook household, nor did I possess the luxury of growing up with grandparents who would pass down family recipes; so being able to purchase bakchang (glutinous rice dumplings) thanks to traditional street food stalls during the duanwu festival is something I treasure fondly. How special is it that every year the Chinese make and consume a dish that has transcended centuries? This is only made possible by the people who continue to carry on making these traditional wares for us regular folks.” – Shelby Kho Gaik Hwa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

“When I saw the theme in the email, something resonated with a blog post I just wrote. So I guess my submission is an observation. Nature is a treasure. Honoring its seasons, cycles, and care of the earth juxtaposed to our own journey in the art of life, and what we value most. It helps connect us to the most precious parts of ourselves.” – Angela Cay Hall, Tennessee, USA

“I spent the night in one of the bungalows at Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden and the experience was transformative. Treasure takes on many meanings here, but the most obvious being that Howard was a self-taught artist, called by God to create art. So “treasure” as a path to Heaven is the goal of the artist. But to me, in Finster’s works, and most notably the living installation that is the garden, the magic lies in how he transforms everyday found objects (Coke bottles, hubcaps, spare bike parts) into something majestic. His quote, “I took the pieces you threw away, put them together by night and day. Washed by the rain. Dried by the sun. A million pieces all in one.” says it all. He once said of the garden, “I built this park of broken pieces to try to mend a broken world of people who are traveling their last road.” In this sacred place, I feel whole and connected, touched by his light and inspired by the beauty of his vision.” – Gabriel Wardell, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

“I absolutely love nature and the tiniest things are a treasure to me. The smaller the better. I made this little mini book of feathers to show my love.” – Patricia Coyle, near Richmond, Virginia, United States

“I see treasure in plastic waste, specifically plastic I can melt together to create sculptures and other objects. I leap at sheets of bubble wrap and plastic bits and bobs that are challenging to recycle. I love to see them used again, a bit of contemplation of beauty or a thought toward the life cycle of plastics.” – MJ Benson, Maine, USA

“I delight in finding shells in the sand. This tiny act brings me great joy!” – M.B. Paradise, New Jersey, USA

“This illustration captures the types of finds that make me clap my hands and smile – dewdrops reflecting light on leaves.” – Deepti Kannapan, Los Angeles, California, USA

“On the theme of treasure, I recently relocated from Wales to England. I gave away or sold most of my possessions and brought with me: found items such as feathers; handmade things — such as a painting my friend’s 3-yr-old had made me and some small ceramic pots a friend had created for me. I brought photo albums, letters I’d kept and tickets from festivals and gigs I’d been to. Meanwhile I gave away designer shoes and sold expensive dresses and furniture.” — Helen Jane Campbell, Worthing, UK