Think about the last time you went to the eye doctor. You probably thought you were seeing just fine until the exam. It turns out your vision was blurry and you didn’t even know it.

Our creativity works the same way. We get busy and distracted. We lose sight of the amazing world around us and forget to maintain a sense of wonder. Our hearts and minds get blurry.

Artist and author Joanne Miller said, “There’s something holy about seeing and listening more intentionally. God’s beauty is all around us in sight and sound, taste, touch, and smell. But unless we intentionally seek illumination we may just continue down the path of mediocrity, never experiencing the richness.”

There’s a lot of truth to the old phrase, “Stop and smell the roses.” When you pause long enough to see the beauty in the people, nature, and world around you, your pathway will be illuminated. You will see the light.

All the inspiration you seek, all the beauty you need, is right there in front of you. Will you open your eyes and pause long enough to see it?