Back in March, a friend shared a post to their Instagram story that was so lovely I felt compelled to share it myself. I headed over to the artist’s account and immediately discovered myself lost in a world of beautiful art and words that spoke eloquently to…well…life. Morgan Harper Nichols is a talented artist, writer and musician whose work captures both intimate and universal portraits of humanity. She describes her work as being “inspired by people and their stories” – it is this that makes it so appealing. She tells stories and encourages others to be storytellers.

What started as my latest Instagram obsession blossomed as I discovered more and more of Morgan’s work. From liking and sharing her incredible work on Instagram, I discovered she had a book of poem-letters. Now, you know me, I love books and poetry and with my new found love for the work of Morgan Harper Nichols I obviously had to order a copy. It is one of the most beautiful poetry collections I have ever read. Each is framed as a letter to an individual. Some felt like they could have been written to me, others were lovely observations that evoked time and place and emotion but the poignancy of them all is in their simplicity. The use of language that cuts to the heart of the joys and struggles of being human. I adore it and have returned to it again and again.

The delights this artist has to offer didn’t stop there, though. I next discovered her music and her song Storyteller is currently top of my most-played list on Spotify. After that, I found her app – yes, that’s right, an app! This little bit of digital loveliness brings you a piece of Morgan’s art, in a downloadable format that can be used as a wallpaper, along with a letter/essay type message every day. I started with the 7-day free trial of the app and loved it so much that I treated myself to a subscription. I have found that these simple images and encouraging words bring me a moment of mindful reflection every day, in a way that many mindfulness and meditation apps and methods have failed to manage.

I could go on about the many methods through which you can enjoy Morgan’s work but the thing I’m really trying to share and shine a light on is the fundamental, heartwarming goodness that she is putting into the world through all she produces. Art in any form is a fantastic medium for expression, reflection, questioning and exploration – Morgan does all this and more through her work and she does it in such a way that we are invited into conversation with each piece. Welcomed with open arms to enjoy and take away what it is we find we need in that moment.

I have found her recent work around waiting especially poignant. It has helped me to make peace with unexpected personal circumstances and encouraged me to trust in where I am at this moment, even if the next is unknown. As someone who struggles with anxiety and low mood, anything that helps me combat those darker thoughts and destructive patterns is an absolute blessing

In her Instagram post yesterday, Morgan wrote that gratitude is “the quality of being able to see the light in little things”. What an exquisite sentiment. My gratitude goes to Morgan for bringing those little lights to life for all to see.

I encourage you go to read, browse, share and generally enjoy all of Morgan’s work and have a listen to this fabulous episode of Sounds Good Podcast, in which she talks about her work and how it all started.

Go gently, friends.

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