Yeah, I know. It’s the end of January 2012, and you don’t have a clue who I am and if you do, you probably wondered where I’ve been for the last year. Well, I could write a book on what I’ve been up to, and I may do that some day. All you need to know right now is that I took a walk through some fire, gained some perspective, and here I am. I took a “road less traveled,” so to speak, and that’s just the way I live my life. I sort of like how Liz Gilbert says it in “Eat, Pray, Love”:
In the end, I’ve come to believe in something I call “The Physics of the Quest.” A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of Quest Physics goes something like this: If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.
About a month ago, as I was rounding the last bend in my little “quest,” I remembered that I still had all this glass and equipment. I could sell it all and walk away from the umpteenth artsy-crafty venture in my life, or fire up my torch and see what happened. I chose the latter.
I expected to make brilliant beads right off the bat, but of course that didn’t happen. I don’t think I realized that until I looked back over my stash last night and laughed at myself. But, I feet the ability to create and explore while balancing the pressure I put on myself to produce and make this “hobby” pay for itself like before.
My heart and universe has been expanded. I’m beginning again.
Lampwork by Lori 