You know what? I am really liking my art classes.
It’s strange, because at first, I thought 3 hours of art was way too long. And for the first few classes, the last hour got pretty tedious for me, and I started questioning myself whether art really is a passion of mine.
But now…3 hours just whizzes by. And I have pretty much no problem getting up in the morning on the days I have my art class (it’s a miracle!), and I walk up to my art room clumsily with my art supplies, portfolio, and coffee mug, my heart buzzing in anticipation.
Oh, it’s glorious. Even that annoying, ear-piercing opera that my art professor insists on playing is soothing in a way. I love getting all dirty with charcoal underneath my nails; the way my hair falls down my face slightly but I never notice; and the little moments when the opera singer gets so unbearable, the students raise eyebrows at each other and giggle.
But the best part about art? It opens your eyes. It makes you view things in a totally different way. They call it the artistic perspective; I call it God’s daily miracle.
For example, the hands. I used to think I have rather ugly hands. I have a horrible addiction to cracking my knuckles (and my back, and neck, and…), so my finger joints are pretty broad. I also have a nasty habit of biting my left middle finger (no idea why), so it’s chapped. And because I used to write so much, I have calluses on my second and middle fingers. Add to all that the fact that my fingers are kinda scrawny, and the result is angular, misshaped, chapped, and calloused hands.
But, oh! They are so much fun to draw, precisely because of their awkward shape! I have a newfound appreciation for my hands. They may never appear in a fashion magazine modeling nail polish, but they are so beautiful in the way they are shaped. And without them, how could I even draw? 
See that? God’s miracle. It’s visible in everything, everywhere. We’re breathing, touching, using, eating, drinking, and living God’s little miracles all the time. I love that art never views anything as ugly. The only thing art views as bad is conformity and triteness. Everything is beautiful for its individuality and uniqueness.
Take, for another example, the humble muffin: 
Look at them. So cute. But…boring? I mean, who has never seen a muffin before? And the way they are presented. A pyramid? Can you get any less original?
Okay, fine. Let’s “mess” them up: 
That better? But wait—don’t just look at them! Smell them! 
Mmmmm! Can you breath in that fragrance? Can you guess what it is? Sorry, you can’t…but I can! It’s coconut! And hmm…a faint hint of almond?
Oooh yes! Coconut-Almond muffins. But wait till you taste them! 
Oh wait! You can’t taste it either! Oh well, I can! And it tastes freaking WONDERFUL! The intense coconut flavor from coconut milk, a curious sweet undertone from almond extract, and obviously the combination of butter, sugar, and flour creates wonders. 3 of these made a glorious Sweet Treat Wednesday.
Sorry, you must be staring daggers at me right now…But here’s the point: Stop. Observe. Appreciate. Given our fast-paced society and lives, we get so caught up with our endless lists of things to do and ambitions that we forget the presence of God in everything around us. Okay, some of you don’t really believe in a God…but you can’t deny that this world we live in? There’s beauty everywhere.
So…Can you do that? Stop, observe, and appreciate? Just once, or twice a day…and I swear your day will be different. Heck, keep it up daily, and your life will be different. Don’t believe me? Well, why don’t you start first? 
Another thing for which I stopped to observe and appreciate recently was the Lee’s Philly Gogi truck: 
This must be one of my favorite food trucks to date. At first I was turned off by the word “gogi”…I immediately I groaned to myself, Jeez, another Kogi imitator? But upon more curious observation, I realized that the menu was a bit different:
Hot sandwiches. With cheese. Spicy! Three no-fail combinations! Ooh la la! 
I ordered the Gogi Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak Philly sandwich: 
It was freaking HUGE. Almost a foot size. And oh, so FAT! Stuffed full of tender, spicy, well-marinated chicken and onions! 
The only problem was the lack of cheese, but that was easily forgiven as I sunk my teeth into this delicious monster. 
Flavors exploding in mouth. I could barely talk. It was freaking wonderful. A grease-bomb, but totally worth the artery-clogging experience! 
It also came with a side of potato salad: 
This was, unfortunately, lackluster. It needed some acid or fresh herbs in there. 
It wasn’t bad, just kinda bland compared to the flavorful sandwich. I wrote that on my review at Yelp.com, and the owners replied me and said they would work on it. So hopefully, next time there will be a kick-ass potato salad to accompany the kick-ass sandwich!
Oh, and Lynn from The Actors Diet also reviewed it, so check out hers!
By the way, thank you for the overwhelmingly warm response to my prayer request on my last post. I sound like a broken record, but I truly think that the blog world is full of beautiful, real, and kind people, and I feel so blessed to be part of this community.
Question of the day: What did you stop to appreciate today, which you previously did not notice? Anyone celebrated Sweet Treat Wednesday?
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We are on d same page about Gods miracle’s dear and i recently said something very similiar in a post…its awesome to be a part of God’s Miracles and live it every day along….
ANd the muffins are fantastic too, oh the sandwhich, absolute delight….jus what i’d love to sink my teeth into rite now, that too have jus swiped clean a plate of a jam tart[s] and black coffee…..and yeah gurl …u rock!!!!!
omg! I love art too!!!
The hands you drew… really really nice!
You drew beautifully, dear gal. You really do! Oh, and I noticed some birds that I haven’t seen before in the park this afternoon. They were gorgeous! =)
ahhaha thank you kindly about my foot! i wonder who should kiss it an dmake it better…..lol.
those mufins loook great! i’m so hungry now!
I have to say in hopefully the least annoying way possible that that is not a PHILLY cheesesteak. Those are dripping with provolone and Cheez-Wiz, and only made with steak…that being said, your sandwich is exactly the way I used to order mine before I went veg (chicken + light on cheese), and they’re delicious, no matter how much grief my older brother gave me for not ordering the real thing.
Hands are definitely one of the hardest things to draw, but yours are beautiful! So expressive. And I definitely celebrated Sweet-Treat Wednesday with Dessert for Dinner- a three course chocolate extravaganza!!
Ok, I might not agree that chicken philly cheesesteak is one of God’s miracles…however, I will agree that you are quite the artist! Look at that picture- that is amazing!
Your soo right–it’s always nice to be reminded to stop and smell the roses! Your art is just amazing–it’s a toss up between your art and cooking. They are both amazing!
Sophia – I grew up in art classes, and throughout the years learned to be a very tough art critic, even helping my Mom out with her adult student reviews. Hands are one of the most difficult things to draw, and yours are amazing! Seriously! They are expressive, accurate, and intense. I LOVE them! Keep going!
And those muffins — oh my! Might be my baking challenge for the weekend
Can you please add the recipe?!
Another incredible post!
1. You are truly a talented amazing artist! wow
2. Amazing metaphor for life (once again). Don’t laugh, but have you ever considered writing inspirational type books/ self improvement etc? You give great things to think about/reflect–these BAM moments of enlightenment–and make them relatable/understandable with great analogies (hands, muffins etc). You have a great way of communicating.
3. The muffins…WOW. DROOL
4. That sandwich looks great- dare you to replicate it at home WITH CHEESE, hot peppers etc and make a killer spicy potato salad!
Thanks for the great post!
XOXO
Truly sending all my love,
B
You are so amazingly talented. PLEASE keep posting your art! I love it!
And I want to take those muffins, slather them in almond butter, and pop them into my mouth RIGHT NOW. Okay, if I slathered them in almond butter I’d probably need a big glass of almond milk to wash it down haha.
Oh Sophia, you are my fellow carb lovah sista from another mista. I’m not a meat fan, but I want the bread from that sandwich!!!! Hahah and thanks for your comment about “enriched wheat flour”. Where would we be without croissants, foccacia, ciabatta, sourdough, MUFFINS, and La tortilla traditional olive oil wraps?
LOVE YOU! Have an amazing day!
Arrgh why oh why don’t we get hoagies here? You guys really seem to have the art of a sandwich down pat. And Sophia, your drawings are AMAZING! How can you not be a professional artist?
Looks like we both enjoyed food truck meals the past few days! Yes, you’ll have to check out a food truck next time you’re in DC. They have some really great new options!
Yummy on those muffins, Sophia! I was talking to the screen…frosting, frosting! until I saw the muffin open and then I thought, no, this is too good without frosting!
That Philly cheesesteak looks better than I NASTY one I got in Philly!! That’s srange, that just isn’t right.
Sophia you have such talent as an artist. Can you please post more of your art? I know you have before, but I want more!! I am in such aw because I zero ability to draw/paint or do anything artistic. You have true talent. And yes, I have issues with my hands too, but when you really think about it, they are amazing
Mine are slightly disformed…..but I love them!
Your hands are beautiful and so is your art! Sean (the bf) is an artist and he always pushes me to see things in different lights and that’s something that I’ve learned from him and loved!
I remember drawing hands in my first college drawing class. Amazing how much detail they have when you actually look at them. Your muffins sound like a very yummy combination.
You are such a great artist! You know Hannah, after ignoring art in preschool, all of a sudden is so into art! You should see her coming home from school with her hands and face covered with paint and markers. I bet she would to have a three hour art class! Perhaps I need to sign her up for one
I think i don’t stop to observe and appreciate God’s beauty often enough. So sad! It’s easy to get caught up in the business of life that I fail to notice what God’s doing around me. Thanks for the reminder.
Umm, those coconut muffins look a-mazing.
Oh those muffins look so perfect and delicious!
I would agree with you that art makes you appreciate God’s masterpiece, and I think that applies to all artforms. Today I took a good look at my college campus for the first time in a while. Over the past four years, I’ve taken its beautiful Gothic architecture for granted.
that is an amazing drawing of the hands! visual art can be so good for the soul and definitely relaxing
Happy weekend
Katherine
I used to hate stopping. I hated waiting for the traffic light, I hated stopping to take off my jacket once I got warm on my walk, I hated stopping for friends. I always wanted to be on the go, on the move, I always wanted to run with no friends to slow me down. When I was little, I had this pink notecard holder with a girl on it that said “Stop and smell the flowers”. I hated that thing. I never understood what it meant.
But these past few months, I’ve been enjoying the chance to stop. I credit this to having my perspective enlarged, much in the same way that art class has done for you. Now I enjoy taking days off of running just so I can bask in the Sun and simply be, instead of trying to sweat it out and run against it. Sometimes when I’m walking back from the grocery store I’ll set my bags down on the sidewalk, take out my camera, and shoot. It’s wonderful.
I feel the same way about you and your blog. I love to stop, observe, and appreciate all that you continue to show me, all throughout the – I want to say “years” but alas… – past months. And, hopefully, years to come.
i’m seriously considering moving back to LA solely so i can hit up all the food trucks out here.
Wow beautiful drawing!! And you are so right everything is a mircal created through the power of God and it is oh so important to take the time to step back and appreciate even the smallest of things. It reminds me of the song ordinary miracle!! Today I am watching the documentary God grew tired of us, I am so taken aback by how much I have and take for granted ei a mataress, food, trashcans, showers the ability to recieve a formal education. So so much!! Thanks for the post girly!! Have a wonderful day!! <3 <3 <3
I had to draw my hands in college too. I like yours better!
may i just say, i LOVE your writing style? I really think you need to be a full-time food reviewer/ journalist. I wish there were some food trucks in FL.. looks like they have some purely delish menu choices. Today I’m going to focus on stopping to appreciate the little things! Thanks for this reminder girly
You are so talented. I can’t even draw a stick figure. I’m being 100% serious. I can’t draw anything. You have such a gift.
LOVE the hands..next week can you post your feet!!So cool..one question Sophia..what are you not good at? You are sooo frigggin talented!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it’s fabulous you found a way to look at your Art Class in such a positive way
How multi-talented you are! An artiste in the kitchen and in the classroom. And time does fly when you get into the “zone,” as you concentrate on creating something fabulous no matter what medium you are using.
I love the sound of those muffins! You know I love my coconut
Did you buy them or bake them? If you have the recipe.. PLEASE share lol.
Hmm.. today I stopped to appreciate how funny birds can be. I was attacked by crazy one for the first time ever lol. I just had to laugh to myself. I was freaked out at first though! I can’t remember if I did celebrate Sweet Treat Wednesday… trying to think back hahaha. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend Sophia!
XOXO
I went to Penn State for 4 years and NEVER had a Philly cheese cake!
I am on my way out of Singapore and am catching up on my google reader…Sophia you are SO talented! I wish I could draw such amazing things but unfortunately (or fortunately??) my brain is wired more towards math than anything else.
I did celebrate Sweet Treat Wednesday but it was yesterday instead…hope you don’t mind the delay.
I am going to put up a post at some point so you can see the amazing sweet treats you have to look forward to next month!
i wish i can draw like that, or draw, period! I’ve got to check out Lee’s Philly Gogi when I head over there next week. I’ll let you know if more flavor has been added to the potato salad or not
Hi Sophia, I’m actually a new reader and came by way of your guest post on Choosing Raw. I have to say that I am quite inspired by you and your blog.
The picture you drew of your hand is brilliant! I wish I had the ability to draw like that.
I really needed to read your post today. I was just thinking to myself about stopping, observing, and appreciating. Except your post brought a bit more clarity to my convoluted thoughts. So I thank you.
And OMG to that muffin AND that philly cheesesteak. YUM! It looks amazing!
The drawing of the hands! Man, u got serious talent!
Coconut almond muffins?? didja bake them? recipe???
I celebrate sweet treats everyday Heheh..i buy 3 cakes each week and put them in the fridge and devour them over the week..a quarter of each everyday!
im ignoring the muffins.. that sandwich looks absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!! holy crap!!!! im drooling over here.. eating an apple and wishing for a magic wand to turn it into that sandwich.. lol
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