Inspired by the Life of Beatrix Potter

This lovely little book by Matthew Dennison (2016) is the source of all quotes and images in this article, unless acknowledged elsewhere. I've included page numbers where appropriate.

Hello! This week has been a warm one, with time spent in the garden (both weeding and planting), in the kitchen, and around my house. I've been reading a lot as the warm sun makes our covered deck the perfect place to sit and read. This biography of the life of Beatrix Potter was on my reading list and I loved it! In case you haven't popped by this week, I've showcased Potter in a Bitesize Inspiration post and a free, downloadable word search, which you can find here. 

This week I'm focusing on certain aspects of Beatrix Potter's life and work which may serve as inspiration for those of us seeking to live a simple life inspired by the classics. I hope you'll grab a drink and settle in, because there are quite a few! The headings I have chosen for each of these inspirational ideas, are ones that I believe are still so important today and are worth cultivating in any life, inspired by the classics or otherwise.

Memory

Potter was known to commit poems and whole plays of Shakespeare to memory, as part of her own self-education. "Recording memory - confining it within words and giving it concrete shape on the page - was one way Beatrix sought to control her self-identity." (p84) Potter herself wrote (after the death of her fiancé Norman Warne), "I think it is a comfort to have pleasant memories, if nothing else" (p151). This notion of controlling one's memories, being able to recall even the most minute detail, not only served her well as an artist, but also has given us incredible insight into her daily life over one hundred years later. Although Beatrix claims that she was laughed at for what she remembered, some things as early as one or two years of age, it was a source of pride for her and a talent that she cultivate and relied on her whole life. 

Art 

We all remember Potter for her beautiful anthropomorphic images of rabbits in waist coat and hedgehogs in aprons, but she had actually had quite a extensive artistic background and was discerning about the art that she liked best. As Dennison notes in his book, "Art was a compulsion for Beatrix" (p47). There were many times that she was obsessed with certain subjects for her art (her fungi period was particularly pronounced), and during her lonely and isolated childhood and young adulthood, having art as a refuge was an immense relief for Beatrix. She attended art galleries, museums and exhibitions with various members of family, though predominantly with her father, Rupert. She could be quite critical of the artwork of others and was often quite vocal in her criticism. This criticism, however, was often turned toward her own artwork which, self-consciously, she was often too shy to share with others. 

"I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result" she wrote in her journal in October 1884, revealing just how much of a compulsion art was for Beatrix.

Language

Although she was schooled at home with a governess and spent very little in time in the company of anyone outside her immediate family, she was a devout learner and loved to play with language. She memorised rhymes and created riddles, and even published nursery rhyme books: namely, Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes and Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes. Anyone who has read her 'little books', as she refers to them fondly, will be familiar with her fun and lively use of language. 

Reading

Beatrix's love of language came, of course, from a deep love of reading. Her lonely and sad upbringing saw her escape often into stories, especially those of Jane Austen, Walter Scott, Virgil and Homer. In fact, she even saw her own engagement to Norman Warne as aligned with Anne Elliot's engagement to Captain Wentworth in Jane Austen's Persuasion. Unfortunately, they were not to share the happy ending of Austen's characters, due to the tragic and untimely death of Norman Warne in 1905. It says a lot about Beatrix's character, I think, that she chose to relate to characters in her favourite novels when significant events happened in her life and these are often reflected again in her own stories. The impact that reading can have on our lives is often immeasurable and everlasting. 

Money 

Although it is believed that Beatrix paid excessively too much for her first farm purchase, Hill Top in 1905 (reportedly £2,805) she was known to appreciate a bargain and to be a wise spender. Although she claimed, "It greatly detracts from the enjoyment of a purchase if you have paid an exorbitant price," (p43) I think we can safely say that Hill Top was the exception to this rule. Nevertheless, she learnt from her parents and grandparents early on that "...the feeling of... well-assured wealth, honourably earned and wisely spent, charity without ostentation, opulence without pride" (p43) was one to be appreciated and cultivated. And Beatrix did work hard for both the money she earned and for her independence. Although her parents were well off, she bought Hill Top and subsequent farmland from her own earnings.

Education

Beatrix Potter was a lifelong learner and naturalist - "The spirit of enquiry leads up a lane which hath no ending" she wrote in her journal in 1892. I absolutely love this quote! It shows that although Potter had no formal education (outside the few governesses who attended her education at home), she valued learning and enquiry and natural curiosity. As a naturalist, and a rather obsessive one at that, she didn't give up on an area of interest until she had absolutely exhausted all there was to know about it. Fossils, fungi and other flora were often the root of these interests and the many illustrations and paintings that exist detailing the exact nature of such things demonstrate her dedication to her learning. When she took on Hill Top she dedicate herself to learning about farming, animal husbandry, village life, land law and conservation.  As seen with her dedication to her art, Dennison comments astutely, "Nature and art marched hand in hand" (p58).

Journalling 

"The journal records holidays, scenery, natural history. There are apparently verbatim reports of conversations and painstaking transcription of her grandmother and great-aunts' reminisces", writes Dennison in his biography. Beatrix also uses her journal to record her daily occurrences, feelings, reflections and art critiques. At times when she spirits and hopes for the future were particularly low, her journal was a source of comfort. When angry with her parents, journalling offered her a safe and private opportunity to vent her frustrations. Beatrix's journals have given us so much insight into her hopes, dreams, fears and thoughts that by reading through them it is like we can almost know the woman herself. This is a touching way to reconnect with people from the past, something I always advocate when trying to live a simple and contented life. Beatrix Potter experienced a whole range of emotions throughout her life and it is in her well-written journals and reflections of these ups and downs that we can find kinship and connection with a much loved author. 

Nature

"In adversity she drew succour from the beauty of nature; she looked to the landscape for tatters of reassurance" (p149). Dennison wrote this quote after commenting on the death of Norman Warne, Beatrix's fiancé. Beatrix herself also claimed to take "the strength that comes from the hills" (p155), to get her through the worst of her grief. As seen above, Beatrix painted Hill Top and the surrounding countryside continuously after Norman's passing. 

Work

Although Beatrix knew that she needed to paint to have a contented life, she took the time to find her own way to independence. It wasn't until she reached her late thirties before she was able to fulfil her dream of being of independent means due to her own painting. She worked hard to maintain reputation as "the most successful author Warne's published," (p188), and although she had the added work of her newly acquired farms, she also needed to look after her ageing parents. Such time-consuming and stressful work took its toll on Beatrix's health, and yet she remained dedicated to her work and no-one could ever accuse her of being lazy or neglectful in either work or filial duties. "Since publication of The Tale of Peter Rabit in 1902, Beatrix had completed nineteen 'little books,' often at a rate of two a year" (p190). Sometimes it can take time for us find out what work sustains us in life, and sometimes that work changes throughout our lives (don't I know that!). When Beatrix married William Heelis in 1913, her life priorities began to shift. She enjoyed being a wife and farmer and her life in the Lake District took up a lot of her time. By 1916 she was referring to herself as 'a farmer,' and was proud of the title. 

Home

A desire for a home all her own, fitted out according to her own taste and comfort was high on Beatrix's list of priorities. Hill Top became that, and Beatrix threw herself into decorating her little farm house all to her own tastes after Norman's death.  Her time in the Lake District taught her to "appreciate the memories of old times, the simple country pleasures, - the homely beauty of the old farm house, the sublime beauty of the silent, lonely hills." (p168). After the rather cold and lonely upbringing she endured in London with her parents, her homes in the Lake District were a source of warmth and comfort. 

These few ideas that can be gleamed from Dennison's lovely account of Beatrix Potter's life, are inspiring to me. Of course there are aspects of Beatrix's life that are sad, tragic and even uninspiring, but I think her attitude, her self-will and her dedication to learning and improving her situation are all things to admire. Often described as a remarkable Victorian woman, she broke several glass ceilings, especially in the areas of publishing and farming, and we owe her a great deal in her work with conservation and animal husbandry. If you're interested in Beatrix's life, please pick up a copy of Dennison's biography; it is a gem! Please share your thoughts in the comments below. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading about Beatrix's life and inspiration and thank you so much for stopping by (and reading this far!) I hope you have a lovely week,