Tien-Jen

A beautiful quote from Rei Kawakubo “For something to be beautiful, it doesn’t have to be pretty”. The words are golden because we all have our own perception of what is beautiful, yet somehow when I reflect on what we leave to the imagination as a society, the answer is not much. When we think of it as individuals, we have the ability of how much we reveal of ourselves. To leave something to the imagination means to not show or describe all of the parts or details of something. Have you ever read a book, then watched the movie and felt as if the book were better? It’s common in these cases, because our imaginations can create a world that seems even more alive and vibrant in our own mind.

Leaving something to the imagination, is not also in relation to what we wear, but in every aspect of our lives. There are often things that are better to be unsaid, happy memories that don’t need to be captured or enjoyable experiences that can be kept to ourselves. However, I strongly believe there is an importance in modesty, in who we are, what we value and how we present ourselves. In an article here by Gabriella, she says “Somehow, somewhere, sexy became equated with showing everything. Ladies know that sexy means leaving a little something to the imagination. Don’t get me wrong, a tiny dress has its time and place. It’s how you mix it up that makes the difference.”

This was an important quote to touch on, because there’s nothing wrong with wearing a short dress, but it’s how we present ourselves that makes the difference. In a sense it shows how much we have self respect for ourself. An article at Elite Daily, talks about why we should all start leaving a little more to the imagination. I find this such an important topic, in a generation where we are known for over sharing, capturing images and having an excess amount of information with easy access to. Privacy is now a value, because so much of it doesn’t exist the way it used to, when everything is online.

There are many things that are kept to ourselves, whether that’s our thoughts, goals, dreams and achievements, because they give us a sense of quiet, peace and focus in our own lives. As much as it’s great to share with others, sometimes certain things are better left to the imagination. It creates a sense of excitement, mystery and makes life much more interesting! As it mentions in the article: “Not everyone needs to know all our intimate thoughts, desires, wants and wishes. (They don’t even need to know our mundane day-to-days.) … Just because other people may be open books, doesn’t mean we need to bend our covers, too, and lay every single line bare… If we tell everyone everything, there is nothing left to discover.”

Quiet is often a value that’s under looked, because it’s not valued the way it should be. It’s often in the silences that we can learn more about someone. It’s often the conversations filled with meaning that give us true satisfaction. When we think of the imagination, it emcompasses everything. Not only the visual, but the ideas and thoughts. It’s like the way we judge a book by a cover, but discover what a beautiful book it is. Or the way we slowly get to know someone over time, and they become more attractive or less attractive. As the well known quote by Eleanor Roosevelt says Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Art by Yelena Bryksenkova