I blame Becca for being the final “testimony” that got me to go Gluten-Free. For all of you who think it’s the “invisible disease,” go talk with Becca. Some ridiculous life transformation, people! Sadly (or not sadly depending on the way you look at it), after six weeks of no gluten in zee ol’ body, I decided to incorporate it back into my diet to see if I was actually allergic/would explode. Thankfully, I did not.

I want to officially announce that I have now gone Gluten-Free-Free.

But Becca is the real deal. Give her gluten and her arms will fall off. So for all you haters out there…trust Becca. It’s a real thing.

What else is real is her ability to capture magic through her photography. All of her work has a whimsical element that entices viewers to wonder where the rest of the chapter will take us. I love her work and her heart and I am so excited to have her featured as part of the Illumination Project.

Enjoy!

Quiet and Light

By: Becca Blevins

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I chose this piece because of its still and peaceful quality, similar to holding a bit of hope or light in the darkness. Hope comes from vision, vision that can only be found when the soul knows rest. 

God has been talking to me about the idea of rest for a long time. I’ve contemplated and written numerous journal entries on the subject without actually doing anything that looked remotely like resting. Three years ago, I decided to spend the winter in Barcelona, Spain to do just that. The idea was to provide space for my own sort of “illumination moment.”

A time set apart to focus on art, God, and rest.

As people we are often uncomfortable with empty space or unscheduled time. What happens when you turn off your cell phone, music, computer and just take a moment? Do you feel anxious, uncomfortable? Are you afraid of what you will think about?

What happens when you are left with just you?  

We are focused as humans on productivity, constantly producing, but we very rarely take the time to refill our source of inspiration. Even at this moment, while I am trying to force productivity and creativity, I have to remind myself that I am designed for a balance of rest, play, and hard work.

We need to take time to stop and breathe—not just a quick gasp, but a deep, slow breath. Stop.

At first, the idea of resting was difficult. I felt anxiety about what I wasn’t doing and tried to force myself into structured routines. But after a while, the quiet sunk in. My walks became longer, my sleep deeper, my chats and meals with friends had fewer boundaries. I learned to stop and really enjoy a meal, to put my work down, to take a moment and enjoy food shared with friends.

It was like the heavens opened.

I began to be comfortable with myself without having to rush off to the next thing to feel significant, needed, or important. What I found in that space was everything. I saw the unstructured time as it really was—a blank page—and it was my job to fill it with beauty. I became a seeker in search of beauty. Spending moments delighting in details, noticing God at every corner.

This piece came from my second trip to Spain, and is a reminder of this important idea of rest. It is not something that is done once but rather something that must become a rhythm. When I rest, God becomes a source of peace, hope, light, and vision for my heart in times of darkness.

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Questions

What are some ways you can become a seeker of beauty?

How do you find rest in your daily life?

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Becca Blevins is a photographer and fine artist based out of Portland, Oregon.  She studied Fine Art at Portland State University, with an emphasis in painting and printmaking. Becca is a full-time photographer specializing in wedding and portrait photography. Her strong love of other cultures and travel informs her playful, elegant aesthetic. She has a strong interest in vintage and antique objects, often drawing inspiration from a particular item or time period in her work. Becca enjoys creating word-based art that draws from great literature or stories by recreating the story elements or characters in her photographs.

Find Becca on Twitter HERE. Check out Becca’s blog HERE. Check out Becca’s photography HERE.