that's how I roll...

I don't always do things the easy way. In fact - I tend to go the hardest route, doing the opposite of what everyone tells me, and learning lessons the hard way. Sometimes I wish I did things differently but at the end of the day I'm just not willing to change! Using artist-speak I would say that it's part of my process....translation: that's how I roll.

My hands are always in bad shape - sometimes worse than others. I get cuts and scratches when I'm handling the glass - also when I grout. I get all kinds of unsolicited advice: wear gloves, use a trowel, or hire someone to do the dirty work. So far my favorite was a well intentioned e-mail link about using robots to create mosaics. Robots?!?!? Creating art?!?!?!

All of this advice came from a good place; a helping, caring place that makes me feel loved. However, when I think about it, I really don't mind the scratches, cuts or even stitches (and I only needed stitches once, OK!!!).  The whole reason I chose this crazy profession (actually, it kind of chose me, but that's a whole other blog....), was the feeling that I get while I'm creating. There is nothing like it. To stand in front of a huge blank wall is to stand in front of an empty canvas and I become overwhelmed with its potential. Cutting glass into tiny pieces that together make a beautiful design fills me with a joy that is still to this day indescribable. To see it done is not enough. I want to touch the glass, break it, adhere it and grout it in. That is where the excitement comes from - not simply the finished product.

It makes me think that our society puts too much into "safe perfection." I have to undo a lot of this mentality when I'm working with both children and adults. The idea of making a mistake or not doing something perfectly right away can inspire enough fear that one often chooses not to even try. What a joyful discovery that even when the work doesn't turn out exactly as planned, it is still wonderful. To me what differentiates the artist from the hobbyist is the ability to set forth on a path, encounter new ideas and celebrate the happy accidents instead of becoming frustrated that the end result was different than the original plan.

I can live with the cuts on my hands. Instead of worrying about it, I just think about how awesome it is to be working and creating. No gloves, trowels, or robots for me.