just before

When I teach workshops, I encourage participants to look past peak expression–to look for subjects in a state just before or just after full maturity. The just-before, and the the just-after are more interesting than the stasis, however brief, of perfect ripeness. The just-before and the just-after tell a story; whether of becoming, or of letting go. This echinacea bloom is almost there, but not quite. Full of a bursting energy and just a little bit of tension. It can’t quite fill out its prom dress right now. But you can see the woman in the girl.

 echinacea/coneflower