An Abundance of Work and Love.

Abundance and love come in many ways.  There's health and sunshine.  Flowers blooming in winter.  A softly snoring dog and cozy kitty.   A warm home loving friends and family.  And work.  

Never before in my life would I have put work and love in the same sentence.  

I grew up with work to do all the time.  Didn't you? Chores. Homework. Dishes.  Laundry. Ironing. Running errands for someone else.  When I got my first job, I dove right in working hard to be successful. Striving and achieving. I thought I liked it but it was difficult, tiring and stressful.

Then, working was always all about how hard I worked. But something's changed along the way and I didn't even see it. Now work is about desire.  Challenge.  Courage and discovery.  

And love.  

I work in my studio with clay and color and sometimes window screening.  I throw on the wheel and roll out slabs.  I paint leaves red, eyebrows purple and stamp circles into squares.  I make cups, plates, bowls, vases and masks.  Each and every time, it's a challenge to make the shapes I want, the colors work and dry the porcelain clay without cracks.  Just when it seems I have figured it out, there's a new problem to solve leading to a new creative discovery.  I'd like to say I'm an expert at what I do, but the truth is I'm still learning. That's where the courage comes in, facing my mistakes or inexperience and keep on working anyway.

I did my very best, then.  I still do.

Now, I see an abundance of work on my shelves, drying racks and sculpture stand as an abundance of love just waiting for me.  I don't know where I'd be without it.