Beauty is all around us. This thought feels simplistic, and given the past year, even wrong. Stuck in our homes, away from family and friends, a city as large and vibrant as Los Angeles becomes terribly claustrophobic. And even for those fortunate enough not to be directly affected by the pandemic (we are all affected in some way), it’s normal to become disaffected from your environment. Spend enough time anywhere, you’ll forget why you’re there in the first place.

The best way I’ve found to re-encounter beauty is to return to that most basic of artistic principles: light. I’ve found that very little warms the soul more than good lighting. Be it blinking and bright neon, soft daylight streaming through waving branches, or twinkling pin-pricks scattered amidst inky darkness, light is beautiful across all of its forms. And there’s hardly a better city, nor time of year, to find good lighting.

The sunsets are earlier and more brilliantly colored. Holiday lights of every hue adorn store-fronts, slanted eaves, and tree trunks. Streets are emptier and night is longer. This last Pick of the Week for 2020 can’t be found in any gallery. No, this week, I recommend getting in your car, putting on some lively music, and driving until you find that special lighting that makes everything stop.

From the thick veneer of shimmering lights that extends all the way to the horizon, visible from up high in the hills, to the dazzling street displays on Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard. From the tall, shifting columns of light on skyscrapers downtown, to the festive and demure lights found all over every neighborhood. There isn’t a wrong answer, and no matter which lights you like, you’ll be happy you found them.

Three tips to finding good lighting:

1. Trust your instincts. If you left feels good, turn left; if you want to go right, turn right. Mix it up. Drive in circles. In squares. Hell, drive in triangles. All roads lead somewhere.
2. Just keep moving. Try not to get bogged down in traffic or stuck on highways, and unless a place really strikes you (which is what we’re looking to happen anyways). No need to get out and gawk either; the magic of light hunting is in the moment of discovery.
3. Look at the city with fresh eyes. Act like you’ve never been here before. Hit the big name streets and tourist havens. You’ll surprise yourself with how wonderful our city can be without all the cynicism.