I miss the ocean. The sea has always been the source of grounding and reset for me. Now I live in New York, which thankfully is surrounded by water, but it’s not quite the same. When I was creating this moodboard, I was craving the ocean air, the taste of the sea, and the feeling of sand stuck to your legs. I was craving how I feel every time I sit in front of the ocean and watch as she changes, builds, calms, lashes. The ocean has always cleansed my heart, washed my tears, brought me a sense of calm, and continuously humbles me.
If you haven’t heard of the Haenyeo divers, real-life mermaids of Korea, I would definitely recommend reading about their incredible history. These women of Jeju Island free-dive (no oxygen tanks), up to 20m deep, and can hold their breath for up to three minutes. The tradition is slowly fading as many of these women are in the second half of their lives. Day after day, for hours upon hours, they withstand all of the moods of the ocean only to bring up treasures like abalone, conchs, sea urchins, and more.
The haenyeo divers were an inspiration for the idea that life, like the ocean, is unpredictable. Life, like the ocean, can be serene, calm, the grounding nature one seeks, and then the very next moment, it can sweep you up and tumble you in the waves to the point where you don’t know which way is up. Life, like the ocean, becomes harder with resistance, like when you keep swimming in the riptide and not parallel to it. Yet, if we can freedive to the bottom of our mind where it is quiet, or if we flow with the currents of life, we can turn those unpredictable moments into treasures. We can come back to the surface with these treasures that can, in turn, help us grow even more, and ones that we can share with others.
There is so much beauty in the strength and resilience of these women. I hope one day soon I will be able to travel back to Korea and witness the strength and resilience of these real-life mermaids.
I hope you enjoy the moodboard 🐚. The source list is below.
xo, Kimberly Moon
Source List
The list is from left to right:
Background color is from Portola Paints
These photographs by Seoul-based photographer Hyung S. Kim, Haenyeo Divers, are stunning
Mesh tote bag is from Parker Thatch
Conch necklace is SCOOPEWORLD
Necklace by Chan Luu
Prada Antiqued Leather Pumps
Shell Clutch for on Merci, C’est Vintage
Marc-Antoine Barrois Candle N°XIII. It smells like honey and bees. It’s divine.