Saturday, July 21, 2012

Signposts and Guides for the Creative Life

"We think much more about the use of money, which is renewable, than we do about the use of time, which is irreplaceable."  Jean-Louis Servan Schreiber, via Buon Viaggio.

I have a friend who gave me a cute  "origami" peace crane made of polymer clay.  She'd bought it at  a craft fair and it was beautifully packaged in a clear plastic box, nestled in a mound of shredded paper.  I could see the appeal this item would have, all these cute little birds in an array of bright colors, waiting to be purchased as small gifts of friendship.

Lori knows the woman who makes these; she's a fellow polymer clay artist.  And the story goes that this woman finds the birds to be such high sellers that she doesn't have enough time to work on the more interesting projects.   It seems like she's turning herself into a one woman sweat shop, cranking out the cranes, because she knows that her booth fees will get paid.  And perhaps her soul is going unsatisfied because what she'd really like to be working on would mean taking  a greater risk.

Neely McCormack wrote  a blog about her own decision process that relates to this very topic this past week.  Check it out.  And share your own thoughts here.

4 comments:

  1. That experience by the lady paper crane maker is double edged sword. She is a victim of her own success!

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  2. This is a dilemma that a lot of us face. We have "bread & butter" items that cover us financially so that we can create the things we are passionate about. The trick is to split your time between both so that your soul still sings.

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  3. Life is full of opportunities to either make choices or get swept up in the tide.

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