For those of you who know me well (which in this case means “he’s technically challenged…”), the idea of a blog may seem a bit of a stretch. First the Blackberry, then the iPhone and iPad, and now a blog? Michael Carter??? Well why not! About three years ago I made a New Year’s resolution to embrace technology. I had been desperately trying to avoid the unavoidable. True, we may be living in a graceless age, but the competitive side of me won out and determined not to be left in the dust, I purchased my first smart phone. So armed with digital camera and a world-wide venue, I now aim to take these tools and, even if clumsily, share a viewpoint and a vision that acknowledges the need for art, design and beauty in our everyday environment. As an interior designer working in Boston for the last three decades, I have come to appreciate more and more those often-fleeting episodes of our existence that celebrate and value an aesthetic point of view. And especially to those many people who devote their whole lives to this pursuit – artisans, designers, architects and gardeners – I say thank you! And please don’t stop!!! As my now 87-year-old aunt wrote to me in a birthday card when I was just a boy, in her always-impeccable cursive lettering: “Seek a thing of beauty everyday”.
I took this shot when I was antiquing in Connecticut a few years ago. It’s the garden outside of Gary Sargent’s wonderful shop in Woodstock. I printed it off my camera and thumbtacked it onto my enormous bulletin board located over my desk. You can see why I find it almost spiritual to study, especially on a stressful or hectic day.
