two works in progress

reflections from a creative retreat

Last weekend, I bought twenty five pounds of sandy white wet clay and settled in at the sweet little home my great-grandparents bought in the 1960s. It sits mostly quiet these days, silently soaking in the Arizona sun, but for years they would retreat to this magical space in the winters. Eventually my grandparents would spend colder months here, and then my own mother, and now me. I’ve wondered and begun researching who it was that stewarded the space before my family, and for today I accept the gift and great privilege it is to rest and create in the same sunny space as my family before me.

The first week of this new year, I offered myself three days with no plans, no vision boards or concerns of what pottery other people may want to buy from me, just clay and water and trust in my hands that they would make something meaningful and beautiful, infusing creative energy from the spirits around me.

Now, toward the end of my three days, I rest on the green shag carpet my great-grandma picked out decades ago, smoothing the side of one of my pieces and gently shaping it’s neck. I look up into the mirror and see two works in progress. My vase is slender and textured and will soon dry and be fired and glazed. It will reach a stage of completion and find a home and be filled with flowers or stand tall as a sculpture. But me, I’ll shift through stages of progress for as long as I live. How lucky am I - how lucky are we all - to exist as works in progress for however long we get to live in our bodies and take up space in this world. The great wonder of discovering new perspectives and encountering different beliefs - and shifting our own over time - as we learn and grow.

Wishing us all the space to bloom and the beauty of being works in progress our whole lives through.

• I have been 32 for three days now so today is the last day of my birthday sale!! 16% off my whole site, including my stem arch vases and my very last alma boob mug (I am retiring this design!) Discount is automatically applied at checkout <3

• My studio photo this week is my work sitting out in the sun in a rock garden behind my great-grandparents home where I made a few rock-like pieces I’m creating for a larger experimental project.

The personal peace toolkit is your own catalog of accessible mindfulness to fold into your life in 30 seconds, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes, bringing a little more thoughtful calm and creativity to your days.

This week is focused on gently caring for yourself, exploring your creative spirit, and playfully connecting with the world around you.

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