Last week was particularly stressful for me. I had too many thoughts running through my head and very few solutions or good options available. My house was a wreck and I had some long overdue projects to complete. I decided to run away from the housework and work on the projects.
I always forget how creating something returns balance to my world. Some people get this feeling from cooking and nourishing their loved ones. Cooking has never been a creative outlet for me. No matter how hard I try, cooking is only functional for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating and trying new things, but it always is more satisfying when someone else creates it. Thank goodness, Mike loves to cook and is very good at it. What satisfies my soul is making something beautiful and utilitarian from material that would normally be thrown away; for example, mosaic light-switch covers made from broken pottery or candles from leftover candle wax.
I have wonderful childhood memories of going into NYC, riding the subways, walking the streets and going to museums. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the mosaics everywhere. For years I thought about making them, how I would go about it, read about making them and then I finally made one. To get started, I asked local potters and asked them for any broken pottery and they were more than willing to provide me with an ample supply.
My first project was a family name sign that I gave my husband for our first wedding anniversary. Although I made some mistakes, I simply love my first mosaic. I love seeing it hang outside our house. Unfortunately, after 16 years of marriage and being exposed to the elements, it has developed cracks along the seams. Construction of the frame was one of my mistakes – never use unsealed wood – ever. As a gift to Mike for our 16th anniversary, I decided to repair our family sign so it can weather the storms once again and hang at our new home.
Although I was not creating something new, it felt so good to get into a creative project again. I haven’t made a mosaic for a couple of years. When we moved cross-country, I decided not to take ten boxes of broken pottery with me. I kept telling myself, I could get some wherever I go, which is true. When we moved back to the east coast, I started talking to potters again and they were more than happy to give me their broken pieces. In fact, some shops said they would sell my switch-plate covers. Nevertheless, my head wasn’t in that special creative place anymore, or at least I kept telling myself. My focus has been on creating herbal remedies for the past six years. It seemed like a new creative outlet for me but now I realize it is not creative enough. I must go back to creating utilitarian art. Perhaps it will be mosaics again or something new. I just acquired an old wooden love-seat that needs some attention. Perhaps, once it is reinforced and stabilized, I can adorn it will some lively colors. Regardless, I must create; I must remember to feed my soul.
What do you do to feed your soul? Please share and I will continue to share.
