Cardboard Creations & Morning Light: Finding Magic & Mindfulness in the Everyday
By Kelly Hudgins
Section 1 subtitle
Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a candid documentary family photographer in Raleigh, and – more importantly – the mom of a wildly creative six-year-old. With my work I get to step into people’s homes and capture the magic of their everyday lives… The way a toddler drags a stool to their refrigerator & stands on tiptoes to find what she wants. The warmth of a mom as she hugs her baby tight. The quiet (or chaotic) dance of getting dinner ready.
If I’m being honest though, it can be tough to take a step back and recognize the beauty of these little everyday moments in my own life. I struggle with the same things you do – finding a snack my son NEEDS right this second, cross-checking calendars to see when we can fit a play date in, and constantly doling out “have you brushed your teeth yet?!” reminders. It’s easy to get caught up in the demands of everyday mom life all day, then all of a sudden it’s bedtime… and almost time to do it all over again.
While I’m great at finding beauty in your house, I sometimes forget to look for it in mine. And when there’s so much going on in the world, it’s more important than ever to find micro-joys and unwavering beauty without extra effort.
I’ve been trying to practice “the art of noticing” – pausing for just a moment, taking a breath, and finding beauty, magic, or joy that’s right in front of me. It’s not about adding something to your plate, but just shifting your perspective a bit to find the glimmers that are already there.
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Section 2 subtitle
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Reframe the Scene
You may move around your house to find untidied toys left out on the living room floor, crumbs scattered on the table, and a sink full of dishes taunting you. We look around and take in all the mess at once, which easily gets overwhelming.
Think about zooming in to reframe things – both with what you see and with your mindset:
- The first thing I notice is light. Natural sunlight coming in from a window can make just about anything beautiful, even if it’s a floor full of Legos. Noticing the way light & shadows play in my home helps me see everyday items as art and appreciate the beauty.
- Noticing light and beauty helps me with a mental shift. Instead of feeling bogged down by the messes around me, I try to reframe it as the evidence of a happy family. People feel comfortable living here. Play happens here every day. This is a season of life that won’t last forever. It’s my son’s childhood! I can be really grateful for this current season.
- Focus on the details. With a heart open to gratitude & an eye for beauty, now I can focus in on the details. When I consciously notice one little thing – like the way my son’s hair looks in the morning light – the “background noise” of a messy house or long to-do list naturally blurs out for a moment.
Manage the Beautiful Mess
The part of my house that feels most overwhelming is my son’s room. It’s a 6-year-old’s bedroom & I have a big appreciation for all that entails, and also… it can be hard to walk around in there. He’s currently in a big “creator” phrase, which personally I hope never goes away in some form. He notices a box and a paper towel roll and sees a mailbox. A piece of cardboard with a hole in it becomes a camera. He has no less than 3 iterations of a drone made out of recyclable materials right now.
What do we do when we truly appreciate what our kids do and make, AND it results in overwhelming clutter and crowding at the same time? My sentimental heart and I have not perfected this, but creating a digital record of it helps a lot. I take a quick photo or video of his creations – bonus points if he’s explaining it while I record. I save them in a special folder on my phone & later transfer them to my computer for safe keeping. Once they’re documented, we’ve honored his hard work, the memory is captured so we can always be reminded of his creativity and how cool that creation was, and it’s a little easier to let the object go over time without the guilt. It’s a way to hold onto the magic without drowning in cardboard & papers.
When items feel sentimental but are contributing to clutter & you don’t really need to keep them, take a photo to preserve the feeling the item brings you.
Find a Glimmer in the Morning Rush
The moments between “time to get up!” and buckling my child into the car to go to school may be the hardest slice of my day to find glimmers of joy. If your house is anything like ours, it’s a whirlwind of breakfast, packing lunch, and feeling your heart rate rise as you give your fifth reminder to put on shoes. I’m so focused on what needs to be done that I’m not paying a lick of attention to anything else.
In these moments, I invite you and me BOTH to find just one glimmer. Some kind of joy, fun, peace, or reminder that today is a good day. It doesn’t stop the clock, but it does calm my body.
- A Detail: Seeing my son’s backpack waiting on the chest by the door, a little worn but covered in colorful stars. His messy morning hair. The fact that he’s still sleeping with his “snuggle blanket” and brings it out to the couch each morning.
- Something Sensory: Opening the blinds to let morning light in. Stretching my body and drinking a few extra sips of water. Feeling the warmth of a mug of tea in my hands.
- A Moment of Connection: Giving my son the first big hug of the day. Feeling his weight as I say, “I am so happy to see you.” Stealing a few extra seconds in the carpool line, because he still wants a quick squeeze before he jumps out of the car.
May we both have the mental space to find these glimmers in the most chaotic moments. (As a bonus, it’ll make finding glimmers on SLOW weekend mornings even easier.)
Ground Yourself & Breathe
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When I can feel the demands of life catching up to me, I lean into a few more things to ground myself to the present.
- The 5-Senses Mindfulness Practice: This is the best way to reset myself. Whether I’m in crisis mode or just want something to focus on while I eat lunch, I pause and name: 5 things I can see, 4 things I can feel, 3 things I can hear, 2 things I can smell, and 1 thing I can taste.
- As I write this, I see sunlight falling on the plant across the room, casting a cool shadow. I feel the warmth of a blanket on my lap. I hear birds chirping outside. I can smell the deodorant I put on but don’t like and need to replace (haha). I can taste water from the water bottle at my side.
- Take the time to really list out the 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 things… It brings so much appreciation and presence.
- The Digital Boundary: I love my phone’s quick access to take a photo when the moment strikes, but it can also be majorly distracting in other ways, making me disconnect from what’s happening right in front of me. I try to put my phone across the room or in another room entirely during down moments, especially if my family is around. When the world inside my phone is away, I’m forced to notice the world – and the people – right in front of me… and that’s a beautiful thing. When something happens that I want to capture, it’s still not far to go grab. (Or sometimes I keep an actual camera close by – shocker!)
- The Evening Reflection: Each night, I write down something I’m grateful for from the day. No fancy gratitude journal necessary… I use a fun self-care app called Finch that reminds me to jot it down right there in the app, but you can also write it in a simple notebook. Or make a point to think about gratitudes while you brush your teeth at night. It’s a simple way of telling my brain, “Hey, we saw some good today,” before I close my eyes.
An Invitation to Notice
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Motherhood is heavy, but it is also full of light. You don’t need a professional camera to see it – you just need to give yourself permission and space to look. Your family’s real story, your real life in all its beautiful imperfection, is worth noticing.
Today, I invite you to find one small thing in your home and simply acknowledge it. Maybe it’s a pocket of light, a sweet expression, or even a messy corner of the room. Don’t worry about cleaning it or fixing it quite yet… just notice it and let yourself pause with that for a moment. If you want to take it a step further, write it down tonight and try to do the same tomorrow.
May we all practice the art of noticing and invite more joy & peace to our lives through seeing the magic of our everyday spaces & rhythms.
Kelly Hudgins is a family documentarian, visual storyteller, and the photographer behind Light Creative. All photos included in this article are hers. As a Raleigh-based mom with 15 years of professional photography experience and 6 years of parenthood under her belt, she specializes in unposed documentary photography that captures the heartfelt, beautiful chaos of real life exactly as it is. Her mission is to help parents “time travel” back to this season of life, ensuring they are not just the ones behind the camera, but a cherished & visible part of the story. Beyond her work with newborns & families, Kelly is a passionate storyteller for the local community, partnering with small businesses and nonprofits to document the honest narratives of their everyday work & impact.
Learn more and see her work at: www.lightcreativephoto.com
Connect with her on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/lightcreativephoto
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