Everyday moments make a difference

April 3, 2024April 7, 2024News Updates

If we don’t take the time to stop and witness everyday moments, we miss the opportunity to appreciate the joy found in these experiences. A new artwork featuring Cottage by the Sea highlights the impact of being mindful.

Supported by Anthony Costa Foundation, the “Everyday Moments Make a Difference”illustration by local artist and illustrator Liz McGrath depicts visiting children at Cottage by the Sea playing in the sandpit. The engaging artwork features 12 charities in the Geelong and Bellarine region, highlighting how local organisations are working to support our community.

Overlooking the ocean, the sandpit has been an iconic touchstone of the Cottage playground for more than two decades. It’s where the children dig for treasure and, if they’re lucky, find a Treasure Box of goodies. While they’re playing, visiting children can hear the roar of the waves in the background and native birds chirping in the trees above. As Liz was drawing, the kids were interacting with her and witnessing the artist’s creative process unfold.

“It was a really nice project,” reflects Liz. To the illustrator, the concept of everyday moments making a difference is about using mindfulness to appreciate day-to-day life. “It’s about stopping, taking time and really noticing things that you might normally walk past or not pay attention to. It’s about watching things carefully, giving things attention that are normally overlooked. The title ‘Everyday Moments Make a Difference’ came from my art practice. It’s a personal acknowledgement that there’s a beauty in what you’re doing.”

For Liz, capturing and recognising everyday moments acts as an important reminder that all is well. “Just watching an interaction between my kids at home, a flower that’s blossoming or chatting with the children in the sandpit at Cottage by the Sea. Everything is a reminder that life can be good – that’s the important stuff,” she shares.

“Anthony Costa Foundation was a really valuable part of the project. Without Costa, this wouldn’t have been possible,” shares Liz. For this commission, the artist was taken to places she wouldn’t normally get to experience, from yoga to gardening to boxing. “I had insights into moments on programs that if I hadn’t been given this opportunity, I would have only read in a report. It was a unique perspective on all the good that’s going on in Geelong. I met really interesting people and had really great conversations – it really opened my eyes.”