The sun rose red and orange in the quiet twilight. I sit here excited

about another chance to create today.

The joy I experience when I create is only matched by the joy of sharing it with others.

These last few days have been hard. It is so hard to wrap my thoughts around the pain someone must feel in order to kill so many. It is so hard to grasp the empty space that has been created in the lives of those left behind. It seems that creating beautiful images of God’s creation does nothing to help the pain in this world.

Yet I know that it can. Beauty can make a difference! I only have to look at my experience with so many of the great artists I have known and been inspired by throughout my life. The great thinkers and dreamers who found the encouragement to go forward. Beauty is food for the soul. Encouragement to start again when hope seems lost.

Throughout history, visionary artists have been supported by rich and powerful people. These patrons gave the artist the ability to live and work while developing their vision and creations. Today we stand in a new paradigm. It is no longer limited to the rich and powerful to help with the needs of the creative artist. We all have the ability to make beauty a priority in our lives. Not only by being encouraged to create ourselves but also in the ability to add our support to those artists that ignite our imagination or bring us closer to the wonder of God’s creation. Today, for less than the cost of a coffee at Starbucks, we can be part of the creation of beauty in this world. Together we can celebrate the value and importance of the glory of the created world with gratitude and reverence.

For three years, I have ventured out to find beauty wherever I could. Every month, I would share what I found on my Patreon project with my faithful supporters. Each of my supporters gave what they could to help me to continue to share the beauty. This month, I mark my three year anniversary on Patreon by launching my Patreon 2.0 project. I have an exciting new interface to share my photos with my patrons and some new “thank yous” to express my gratitude for my patron’s support.

This is how it will work. Each month, I will venture out to find some beauty and capture it with photographs for my patrons. I will place the photos into a gallery and share the link and passcode to enter the gallery with my patrons. At the end of the month, a new adventure will be created and a new gallery will be shared. The gallery from the month before will be opened so that a passcode will not be needed. In this way, together we will share beauty freely with everyone, with the intention that together we will add to the sum of light in this world. The gallery will allow patrons to buy prints or downloads for your next newsletter, blog or any other creative project. And as a patron, you will be thanked for your support with early access, discounts and free downloads.

To learn more about my project or to become one of my special patrons, check out my Patreon Project at patron.com/lisakoubou.

In the words of my favorite Rumi poem, “Let me show you one tiny spot of the beauty that cannot be spoken.”

I believe this world is yearning for something beautiful. And when beauty fills our days, our days can be filled with joy and renewed hope.

Will you help me share a spot of beauty?