HSPs and aesthetic sensitivity

As HSPs, we can be particularly stirred or moved by art, music, nature.  All manner of things.

This pleasurable phenomenon is called ‘aesthetic sensitivity’.  You can read more about it in this article from the Sensitive Refuge website.

One of my aesthetic pleasures has always been sport.  It’s in my bones.

I played football in the garden with an uncle who said he’d never seen a toddler pay so much attention to a ball.  I never took my eyes off it and how his feet controlled it.

It then turned out I had good hand-to-eye co-ordination.  So I could play all sorts of ball sports – basically anything that involved hitting a ball with a bat, club, racket or stick.

My ability got me into teams and competitions.  I even won a few.  But what I loved were the aesthetics, not the competition.

Take tennis.

I played with a wooden racket for much longer than my team-mates because I loved the lines, layers and colours of my Slazenger Challenge.

Most tennis courts are in lines or pairs.  But several places I played had one court that was fenced in on its own.  I always wanted to play there – it was its own perfectly-shaped bubble.

Another joy was playing on grass courts.  One tournament a year was played on them and I couldn’t wait for it to come round.

The lower bounce let me hit my favourite shots – sliced backhands and low, running forehands.  And a grass court was the natural place to get to the net and volley.

So, you’ll not be surprised that I love Wimbledon and finals weekend.  Well, depending on who’s playing …

I was delighted this year’s women’s singles final was between Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini.

Both use angles, spins and strategies to win points.  Their games are based on guile and style, not height or strength.  They rely on artistry, not a big serve or thumping groundstrokes.

Artisans of their craft.

And they do it all without grunting or shrieking or screaming as they hit the ball.  Hallelujah for that!

I wonder what gives you aesthetic pleasure?  What does your aesthetic sensitivity particularly enjoy, and why?

Being an HSP brings challenges, for sure.  On the plus side though, we do seem to appreciate things more deeply than most.

Soak in that pleasure.  Celebrate what makes your sensitive soul sing.  Be your HSP self.