We're all trying to make something out of nothing.
Issue #75
Last Tuesday, I started a six-week pottery class. This was one of my original goals (lol remember those?) but as the pandemic wore on, I figured learning to make misshapen bowls and mugs would be yet another casualty of 2020. Then, I got an alert that enrollment was open - only four spots due to social distancing, and by some miracle I managed to grab one.
I used to have a lot of artistic hobbies. Sewing, embroidery, weird little arts and crafts. (I did all these things badly, but still.) Then, at some point, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that if I wanted to be excellent at one thing rather than middling at many, I needed to focus and commit. And because I wanted to be excellent at writing, I put away my sewing machine, gave away my embroidery thread, got rid of my crafts.
And it worked, for a while. During those years when I had no other creative outlet, I wrote countless stories, three novels, too many blogs, this newsletter. Earned an MFA in creative writing, started freelancing, and launched a career as a content specialist. I sat in front of a computer, shaping words and stories for work, for play, as a side hustle, and as a passion. Writing was my singular focus and as the years passed, I got better at it.
But might I have gotten better anyway, over time and with practice? Might those other creative pursuits have helped me in different ways, freeing my mind and loosening threads that were wound too tightly? Might figuring out how to cut and assemble fabric, or using thread to make something more beautiful, or working with my hands, taught me things about the creative process that sitting in front of a desk day in and day out could not? I can’t say for sure, but my guess is: probably!!! Last Tuesday, as I sat in front of a pottery wheel for the first time, my hands wrapped around a mound of clay, I realized how novel, how exciting, it was to do something other than type.
By the end of our first class, I made three bowls, all of them ugly in different ways, but that didn’t matter. They started the night as a block of clay; two hours later, despite my clumsy efforts, they existed, solid and real. Magic!
And now for a plot twist: there were actually four bowls, but our instructor told us to take the last one and slice it open. I didn’t want to, of course. I had painstakingly shaped that bowl on the wheel, and I was already attached to it. But I listened, and I’m so glad I did. “Look,” she said, tracing the place where I’d cleaved the bowl in two. “See how the clay is thicker here? See this air bubble? See how thin the bottom is? These are your weaknesses, but the only way to see them is to cut it up and look.”
"Cut it open and look." What a lesson, and what a perfect way to end my first class. I can't begin to imagine what I will make and learn over the next five weeks. 💛
Snack of the Week
Another thing I learned this week: if you forget about your jalapeños and leave them on the plant for too long, they'll turn bright red. Good to know! Our little pepper plants have been super productive all summer (the cherry tomatoes come in a close second), and we've currently got a bumper crop in our kitchen. If you have any good recipes that call for a little kick, send them my way!
Relatable Reads
Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful, Elemental. "[The pandemic is] different from a hurricane or tornado where you can look outside and see the damage. The destruction is, for most people, invisible and ongoing. So many systems aren’t working as they normally do right now, which means radical shifts in work, school, and home life that almost none of us have experience with. Even those who have worked in disaster recovery or served in the military are facing a different kind of uncertainty right now." 😷
The Women Making Conspiracy Theories Beautiful, The Atlantic. This deep dive combines two of my favorite things - Instagram and conspiracy theories. What a journey!!! 🌸
My friend Sally is a first year teacher in Chicago and she's raising money to build an inclusive library for her 38 first graders. (Yes, 38!!! That is not a typo!!!) If you have some dollars to spare, send them here. 📚
A Tiny Challenge
Do something with your hands instead of your brain. It might be the shift you need.
See you in two weeks! 💌
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