Day 141 • Something Beautiful 2022: Community

Something Beautiful is the resurrection of a 2014 initiative to find a visual feast for each day of the year.

Day 2 of the Horseshoe Bay Farms Stickswork Project was a beautiful reminder of the comfort and joy of community. I was scheduled to weave but Patrick Dougherty, the artist in residence for the project, determined we were short of willow after a big construction day on Tuesday. So five of us volunteers trudged to an area nearby with acres of willow growing. Before long, we were clearing, binding and stacking bundles in a farm’s trailer. It took about 4 hours of work to get two trailer’s filled. During which, I met people from all over the country three of which grew up within 20 miles of me in Illinois.

At first glance, the willow bundles are hardly what you’d think of as something beautiful, but when you see us standing in front, enjoying the experience and company of people who were strangers only hours before — it really is something too rare and beautiful.

One of the fields of willow donated by local residents.

The harvest crew of 6/8/2022. Patrick Dougherty is third from the right.