The Star Magnolia, a Living Fossil, and Me.

This time of year, when the daylight hours begin to grow longer.
We start to see signs of a new spring little by little.

The other day, on my way to my parents' house,
I spotted some star magnolia flowers.

'Ah, it's starting to feel like spring.'

Feeling the arrival of a new spring that day as well,
I gently moved my car forward.

In my parents' garden, there is a white magnolia tree.

It is a tree they planted with my daughter in mind,
to commemorate the birth of their first grandchild.

Last year, a neighbor pruned the tree, which had been growing wild,
but because they were quite aggressive with the pruning
so that it wouldn't need to be cut for a while,
it seems it won't reach the point of blooming this year.

Right now, small buds are just
peeking out from the sides.
I'll just have to look forward to enjoying
our white magnolia next year.

There used to be a star magnolia tree as well,
but because the flowers weren't considered very pretty,
it seems it was removed at some point.

It is true that the white magnolia
is cuter with its plump, rounded shape.
It looks great in photos, and I like it too.

But lately, for some reason,
I find myself drawn
to the star magnolia flowers.
I've come to find that unique form endearing.
Why?

I was curious, so I looked it up.

The star magnolia (also known as the Kobushi magnolia),
which is a relative of the white magnolia,

is one of the plant groups that has existed since the age of the dinosaurs,
'the oldest flowers on Earth.'
(Incidentally, the same is true for the white magnolia.)

Isn't that amazing!?

This was back in an era when insects hadn't even fully evolved yet!

To think that flowering trees from such an era still exist today,
with almost no change in their form.

It's incredible vitality!

I am aware that my own vitality
is quite weak right now.
Perhaps that is why I am drawn to them even more.

The star magnolia, in particular,
remains in its early evolutionary form,
and that rawness and wildness, born of its incompleteness,
must be what exudes such primitive energy.

Simple, yet different from other flowers,

I feel a powerful charm in them.

I want to give shape to those feelings.

When I was working in nursing care, I often made seasonal decorations.
Using YouTube and Pinterest, I would make things with origami and colored construction paper.

I like making things.
However, since I quit my job, I haven't even had the energy for that.

But, for some reason, for the first time in a while, I felt like making something,
so I decided to make a paper collage of a star magnolia.
I feel like it might give me a little boost of energy (lol).

Until now, I had only made things by imitating existing ones.
But this time, I'm trying my hand at an original for the first time!

First, I looked for an angle I wanted to create based on photographs,
and while using that as a reference,
I decided on the composition, shape, and colors,
but I didn't have any of the colors I needed with the materials I had on hand!

But I didn't have the option of going out to buy more,
so I tried to make it with what I had through trial and error.

I kept talking to myself, saying, "No, that's wrong, that's wrong!"
I redid it over and over again...

Here is what I finally finished.

　　　　⇩　　　　　⇩　　　　　⇩

In the end, there was so much redoing and resting,
that it ended up taking all day to make.

I suppose that's the result of starting without any preparation,
just hoping to borrow some of its power. (Self-reflection)

The finished product is a little different from what I had imagined,
but I was able to see it through to the end,
and that alone was enough for the day.

When I feel motivated again, I want to make something
that I can be satisfied with next time.

Thank you for reading this far.

※This article was featured in #MyTwentyFourSolarTerms
【Suishin's Gratitude Room】 A Collection of Thanks for Likes and Support☺️💞
I found a wonderful article! ✨ I've collected articles I want you to read!
Joint Magazine 【Must See】 Wonderful Creator Introduction MagazineThank you to everyone who read it.