When I taught third grade, I asked my students to explain the meaning of the phrase, “Signs of spring are all around.” One English learner thought it meant there were little wooden signs that said, “Spring is here.”

The Meaning of the Spring Heralds

I found myself thinking that we often wander around oblivious of the many signs of spring. This year, in the wake of the pandemic, an unprecedented moment that is touching the lives of everyone on our planet, the signs of spring take on a new meaning.

Here, I turn to poets from many times in history and from many backgrounds. Each one inspires us to open our doors, notice and welcome the many beautiful signs of spring.

Spring Is Coming

In this time of darkness, it is easy to forget that spring will be coming again.

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
—Hal Borland; AZQuotes

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.
—Pablo Neruda; AZQuotes

Let spring into your life, into your heart.

Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!
—Sitting Bull; AZQuotes

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley; AZQuotes

Spring Wakes Us Up

Go out and feel the spring with every one of your senses – smell its fragrance, look around you, listen, touch it, feel it.

Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?
—Neltje Blanchan; AZQuotes

I am going to try to pay attention to the spring. I am going to look around at all the flowers, and look up at the hectic trees. I am going to close my eyes and listen.
—Anne Lamott; AZQuotes

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.
—E. E. Cummings; AZQuotes

And lest we forget the rhythms of life and the cycles.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
—Ecclesiastes

Every spring I hear the thrush singing in the glowing woods he is only passing through. His voice is deep, then he lifts it until it seems to fall from the sky. I am thrilled. I am grateful. Then, by the end of morning, he’s gone, nothing but silence out of the tree where he rested for a night. And this I find acceptable. Not enough is a poor life. But too much is, well, too much. Imagine Verdi or Mahler every day, all day. It would exhaust anyone.
—Mary Oliver; AZQuotes

I am a big bird winging over high mountains, down into serene valleys. I am ripples of waves on silver seas. I’m a spring leaf trembling in anticipation.
—Maya Angelou; AZQuotes

What signs of spring have you witnessed this year? What poems inspire you? How have they made you feel? Please add your thoughts below.

I’ve tried a lot weird things for the sake of beauty, from using a lip-vacuum device in attempt to fake a plumper pout to dousing my lackluster locks with a bottle of IPA beer to restore some shine after a bleach job gone wrong. One thing I never imagined doing, however, is spreading warm candle wax on my body with the hopes of achieving supple skin, but alas, here I am.

Before you assume that this skincare-candle hybrid is a product of kink culture or a sexy Valentine’s Day gimmick, hear me out, because apparently skincare candles are the latest thing in the beauty and wellness space. I’m guessing you’re either intrigued or horrified at this point, so I’ll go ahead and get on with my Neom Organics Skin Treatment Candle Review.

To offer some much-needed context here, I’ve been a huge fan of Neom’s luxe candle range for some quite some time now, but I have to admit — when I stumbled upon their Skin Treatment Candle, I was a little hesitant — not to mention kind of confused. But, in the name of beauty (and my job, of course) I figured I had to give it a try for myself. Spoiler alert: it’s not scary, painful, or kinky (unless you want it to be, that is) at all.

In fact, it’s the ultimate me-time selfcare product I’ve been subconsciously dreaming into existence for the past year (I mean, let’s face it: we all could use a little extra TLC after the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020.)

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Basically, you simply light the candle as you normally would, wait 10 or 15 minutes for the skincare-grade wax to soften and pool into a liquid, and then you’re ready to drizzle this yummy skin-enhancing wax-to-oil formula all over your skin — just don’t forget to blow out the flame. Clearly, Neom’s Skincare Treatment Candle isn’t formulated with any old candle wax. The soybean oil base is infused with not only twenty-four different de-stressing essential oils, but also a slew of nourishing skincare ingredients, including jojoba oil, cocoa butter, almond oil and rapeseed oil.

Courtesy of Neom Organics.

Neom Organics Intensive Skin Treatment Candle

It probably goes without saying, but this candle also happen to smell like straight-up heaven on earth — i.e. lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood.

Full disclosure: while I was ever-so-slightly concerned about getting burned, rest assured, it wasn’t an issue. In fact, this is one of the most relaxing nights to myself I’ve had in a hot (pun intended) minute. Neom recommends that you make a night of it too — draw a warm bath, pour a glass of wine, and get ready to have the literal softest skin ever after massage in the moisturizing oil and breathe in the relaxing blend of anxiety-erasing aromas.

Neom offers two versions of their Skincare Treatment Candle: the Scent to De-Stress and the Scent to Sleep. I tried the de-stress version, and as someone with an apparent inability to fully unwind, I found that it really did the trick.

Courtesy of Neom Organics.

Neom Organics Perfect Night’s Sleep Skin Treatment Candle

For all of the restless night owls out there, it’s time to give this sleepy time candle a try. Not only does it smell and feel amazing on the skin, but it also helps you wind down and prepare for some solid shut eye with the help of English lavender, calming sweet basil, and jasmine.

Buy: Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep Candle $46

What did you love to do as a child? Do you remember getting happily lost for hours, so immersed in a hobby or passion that you lost all track of time? In childhood, we had the time and freedom to pursue our interests. We were open to joy and confident in our talents.

Visit a kindergarten class and children will easily tell you that they are good at art, great singers, fast runners or great builders. In childhood, we spent time doing things we loved. Whether we knew it or not, we were developing our sense of self.

As we grew into adulthood, our childish pursuits were often lost. We started to pay attention to messages from the universe that told us what we couldn’t do.

Perhaps we weren’t the fastest runner after all. We started to notice that other people were better artists. We became less confident in our talents. Eventually, work and responsibilities replaced carefree days of play.

Exploring Our Passionate Childhood Pursuits

Sadly, on the way to adulthood, many of us lose sight of some of the things we love, the things that fill our buckets and connect us to our true selves. We lose the joy that we found in our passionate childhood pursuits.

While cleaning out my parent’s home, I found some old pictures of myself. I had not seen these photos in years, if ever.

There was a picture of me with my first bicycle. I remembered that beautiful blue bike and the freedom I felt when I rode it around the block. I wanted to explore everything, and my bicycle was my ticket to adventure.

In another photo, I am sitting in front of the Christmas tree, proudly holding a typewriter. There is a small desk lamp sitting on the floor next to me. I looked at the photo with astonishment.

I don’t remember that typewriter or the desk lamp, but I know that I must have wanted those things above all else. Even as a child, I understood that Santa’s means were very limited and that I would likely get only the few things I most desired.

Children Can Sense the Needs of Your True Self

My 8-year-old self was wise to the joys and needs of my true self. I loved reading and writing. I stapled papers together into little booklets to write my own books. The library was my favorite place. I dreamed of someday having my own desk. I planned to be a writer when I grew up.

I realize now that I had a typewriter and a desk lamp before I had a desk. I am reminded of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. In the movie, the main character, a writer, leaves her home in San Francisco and buys a run down old villa in Tuscany.

Afterwards, in frustration, she declares, “I bought a house for a life I don’t even have!” Eventually, her house is filled with family and friends, and she realizes that she finally has the life she wants.

Somewhere along the way, I forgot the passions of my childhood. I gave up writing for a serious job, a real job that would pay the bills and offer a retirement plan. With a full-time job and a busy family, traveling and adventures were also put on the back burner.

Time to Be a Grown-Up Version of Your Younger Self

Now, with more time and freedom, I have discovered my childhood passions once again. I eventually left my job as an educator to became a writer. I finally have my own desk, and it is one of my favorite places to be.

I am happiest sitting quietly with my books and my writing. I still love to go on adventures, though now I am inclined to go around the world instead of around the block.

I am delighted to find that at this stage of my life, I have become the grown-up version of that little girl. My 8-year-old self, with her desire for a typewriter and a desk lamp, understood what I needed to be happy. I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to realize it.

What Were Your Childhood Passions?

As a child, did you love to be outside, climbing trees and playing in the park? Were you the competitive type, playing games and trying to beat your friends?

Perhaps you were an animal lover, finding and caring for wounded and abandoned animals. Maybe you loved to make things and enjoyed sharing your crafts with others.

Our childhood passions can impact our lives in significant ways. Perhaps they played a significant role in the career you pursued. Perhaps you never left your hobbies and continued to pursue them throughout your life.

On the other hand, maybe you had favorite pastimes that have been long forgotten. If so, your childhood interests are waiting in the wings for their time on stage. Is this the time to reconsider them?

Knowing the things that bring us true happiness and pleasure and spending time with those things is bound to increase the joy we feel in our lives. Our childhood selves understood what we needed to be happy. We can access that wisdom and use it to find fulfillment and contentment as an adult.

What were your childhood passions? Do your childhood interests no longer seem relevant or important to you? Are you content in knowing that you have found a place for the things you loved as a child in your adult life? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

Back in June, we told you about #PullUporShutUp challenge, a campaign started by Charon Chuter, founder and CEO of Uoma Beauty. It was a movement to get brands to release their number of Black people employed in both corporate and leadership roles. Now, for Black History Month (and just because it’s an important cause), Chuter is continuing her activism with the Make It Black campaign and corresponding products. This movement raises funds for the new Pull Up For Change Impact Fund, which provides capital to emerging Black founders, but also helps shift perceptions around what it means to be Black.

Have you looked up “black” in the dictionary lately? In an open later to the Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam Webster Dictionary, Chuter states the definition of black and some of the negative synonoms. “Your definition today still reads ‘characterized by hostility or angry discontent,’ ‘not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable,’” she writes. She’s requesting these companies change these outdated ideologies.

“Language plays a critical role in how we perceive the world,” Chuter said in a statment. “The function of language goes beyond expressing ideas and concepts, it shapes thought and defines our collective consciousness. Language should be neutral, unbiased and reflective of our current realities. It is in this regard that the dictionary has work to do.”

Source: Instagram

Not only can you help by signing the petition, but you can also shop some stellar beauty products to support the important cause. Some of our favorite brands including Briogeo, Colourpop, Dragun Beauty, Flower Beauty, Maybelline, Morphe, NYX Professional Makeup, PÜR and UOMA Beauty repackaged their most iconic products in sleek black. The limited-edition products are available for purchase at Ulta Beauty through the end of February. 100 percent of the gross profits benefit the Pull Up for Change Fund.

These products look so chic and you’ll want to have them in your bathroom. Plus, they’re already ones you know and love. Shop a few online now and check back when the rest hit Ulta on February 7.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

UOMA Beauty Afro.Dis.Iac Cleopatra Ink Liquid Eyeliner

An intense, long lasting, water-resistant liquid eyeliner in the blackest black.

Ulta.

Morphe Make It Black Continuous Setting Mist

Vitamins E and B5, as well as fruit extracts, condition skin as you lock in your makeup.

Ulta.

PÜR x Make It Black Fully Charged Magnetic Mascara

Lift, separate and define lashes for maximum impact.

Ulta.

NYX Professional Makeup Make It Black Warm Neutrals Ultimate Shadow Palette

With 16 perfect neutral shades in matte and shimmer finishes.

Maybelline x Make It Black SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick – Thrillseeker

Fans say this is the best black liquid lipstick on the market.

Most beginner photography articles on the web start with complicated drawings of the exposure triangle and intricate explanations of white balance.

I think that’s the perfect way to take the fun right out of learning photography because it focuses too much on the technical side of things. I’m not saying technique isn’t important. It is. But I do feel it’s not the best way to start learning photography.

Photography Is an Art

Despite the generally advocated idea that photography is not too difficult, there’s a lot more to it than pushing a button. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and defeated after you’ve bought your first ‘serious’ camera and the thing looks like an alien to you.

Looking for some straight forward tips on picking the best camera for you? Check out this How to Choose a Camera Guide.

Like so many other beginning photographers, you decide the safest thing to do is to keep it in Auto mode, so you don’t miss out on precious moments and once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities.

And that is a shame because your camera’s ‘brain’ is very limited. It really needs your loving guidance to get the best out of it.

So, I’m not going to overload you with technique. I am going to give you 5 simple and practical tips you can implement today. Without all the technical background information you have no place for right now.

This way you can start to get to know your camera a little bit better and most of all develop a sense of control and fun in the process.

Hold Your Camera the Right Way

So, let’s start at the very beginning. How to hold your DSLR or Mirrorless camera. It might seem like a trivial thing, but I can assure you it’s not.

Your camera is your tool, and you should feel very comfortable with it. The end goal here is for your camera to become an extension of yourself. That starts with holding your camera the right way.

Camera Shake

When you hold your camera the right way, it doesn’t move when you press the shutter because it’s supported by you. You have to become a living tripod to give your camera the support it needs to keep still.

When you don’t support it enough, you might end up with blurry pictures caused by camera shake. This is the super small movement the camera makes the moment you press the shutter. So, you see why this first step is so important.

The Steps

#1 Let the base of the camera rest in the palm of your left hand and wrap your fingers around the lens.

#2 Take hold of the grip at the right side of the camera with your right hand.

#3 Let your right index finger rest on the shutter, ready to press.

#4 Press your upper arms in the side of your body, and keep the camera as close to your face as possible.

#5 When it’s time to press the shutter, make sure your right index finger is the only thing moving.

#6 Holding it vertical is basically the same procedure. You support the camera with your left arm and hand, using your right hand only to release the shutter.

Shoot in Program Mode

Program mode is an often-overlooked exposure mode, and that’s a pity because it can help you to step away from Auto mode without the fear of missing shots.

In Auto mode, there’s absolutely nothing you can control. It’s the safe way to go for sure when you’re starting out. But soon you become frustrated because the camera is doing its own will.

Going from Auto mode to Manual mode is a huge step and often results in missed shots. And after you’ve missed a couple of important moments because you were fumbling with your settings you resort to Auto mode. Just to be on the safe side.

But there’s a solution for beginning photographers who don’t feel confident enough to shoot in Manual mode. It’s called Program mode, and it’s perfect for taking your first independent steps in photography. It’s like learning to ride a bike with the side wheels on.

There are a few important settings you cannot control in Auto mode, but you can control them in Program Mode.

Control the Focus

The most important one is setting focus. In Auto mode, the focus is determined by the camera and it might or might not align with where you think the focus should be. As a result, you end up with blurry pics regularly.

In Program mode, you gain full control of your focus settings. It’s the main reason why you should shoot in Program mode.

Control ISO

The second reason is you can deactivate the flash and select the ISO. The ISO determines the sensitivity of the sensor. And when you’re able to select a high ISO yourself the camera will not automatically open up the flash when there’s not a lot of light available.

Shoot in RAW

And the third reason is that you can select the RAW image quality. When you shoot in RAW the range of possibilities in the editing phase is so much larger than when you shoot in Jpeg.

This is good news when you’re starting because the margin for error in exposure is quite large when you shoot in RAW. This means that even if a picture is for instance underexposed you can still make it look awesome when you’re editing.

Shooting in RAW is a no-brainer even if you don’t have access to editing software right now. For now, you can select the Raw/Jpeg image quality.

Shoot a Lot and Experiment

To become a better photographer, you have to shoot a lot. And you should definitely not be afraid of getting it wrong. It’s how you learn the best.

Of course, there’s such a thing as overshooting. That condition when your finger is just not able to let go of the shutter, and you take dozens of identical pictures in a row. That’s not what I’m talking about.

Shoot with Intent

I am talking about shooting with intent, about experimenting and playing. Trying out different things when it’s okay if you make mistakes. To carve out time for yourself to practice without the pressure of others waiting for you or the fear of missing the shot because it’s an important moment.

This is really important when you’re learning. Because it doesn’t make sense to experiment when you’re shooting a once-in-a-lifetime thing or a precious moment. You need to do that when it’s okay to mess it up. So you become comfortable with your camera and confident enough to try out new things when it actually does matter.

Discover What You Love to Shoot

Shooting a lot and experimenting become so much easier when you photograph what you love. It doesn’t matter who or what it is.

Figuring out the subjects or situations that make your photography heart sing is a very important step as a learning photographer.

Maybe your idea of a perfect day is strolling the streets of a city with your camera, or your photo heaven is spending time in nature, or you get your photography juices by photographing your kids or grandkids.

It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you discover what you love to shoot so you can shoot with love.

Photographing with love gives you the motivation to keep at it. To show up again and again. To make the mistakes and keep coming back. For as long as it takes to get it right.

Mix Up Your Point of View

One of the most persistent mistakes I see beginning photographers make is to photograph from the same eye-level perspective all the time. Mixing up your point of view will dramatically improve your photography.

To mix up your point of view you want to be an active and involved photographer. Because what you actually use to change your point of view is not so much the camera but your body. That’s why it’s vital to be active, to walk around, and to look at your subject from different perspectives.

Walk towards your subject to photograph a detail, crouch down to get a low point of view or climb on top of things for an unusual perspective.

So, dust off your camera and start practising with these five simple, yet very effective tips, and I assure you, you will not want to stop photographing.

To help you get started, I created a free Starter Photography Playbook with a step-by-step guide for shooting in Program Mode. It gives you motivation to practice with 5 super fun and creative photography projects you can do at home.

Is photography a potential hobby? Have you tried going around town to take interesting shots? What subjects or events are your favorite to photograph? Has your hobby developed into something more? What tips might you have for a beginning photographer? Please share them below!