I used to think that cloudy, overcast days were to be spent indoors, bundled up and hidden away.  But once I started venturing out, I found that the clouds and overcast skies were more of a reflection of my mood more often than not and that I didn't want to hide indoors from them at all.

These images were captured with my cellphone and allowed me to capture the beauty that is still present even when we think there is none within a cloudy, overcast day.  We just have to have a different perspective and be willing to look beyond the clouds to look within.

Rain clouds and overcast skies have always carried with it a sense of foreboding to most people--that ominous feeling that they have that something bad is going to happen that fills them with anxiety.

I used to have a sense of anxiety when it came to rain clouds because of my experiences with Hurricane  Katrina (after all, being trapped in a hurricane-ravaged city for five days would leave anyone a bit anxious whenever it comes to thunderstorms :-) ). But as I have learned to look beyond my fear and anxiety and instead closely examine the clouds themselves and nature for what they have to offer and show me, I have learned that if you learn to look past your sense of foreboding, there is not only beauty but much more to be experienced--and discovered.

There is both a simplicity and a complexity to be found in the clouds.
They can both hide and reveal much--if you only catch them at just the right moment.

(Click image to begin slideshow.)