This is so cool and, believe it or not, I could sit and watch people blow glass all day long. I find the fact that you taught courses amazing and, if nothing else, you have the experience of doing it. I share your view on 'the process'. For me, it's writing. I don't expect to ever make a dime on my work (besides Kindle Vella bonuses, for however long those last) but I enjoy the process of sitting down and putting ideas to paper/computer screen. As for reclaiming part of myself that I've left behind, I could see myself doing that with drawing.
Go back and grab what was once yours. You have absolutely nothing to lose :)
Oh, Rebecca. This is great is so many ways! The writing, your writing, of course.
I also love the William Morris quote. It is one of my favorites and one that I live by, as a minimalist. The Arts and Crafts Movement is one of my favorite time periods in architecture, design, and craftsmanship, so throwing a William Morris quote out there will grab my attention. But I love how you challenge his words with the things that you create and how the process of creating means so much more than the usefulness or beauty of the creation.
I love art glass and I imagine the process of creating, especially in that flow state, is so wonderful. While I have no desire to work with the flame, I so appreciate what goes into that creative process and the result. On our recent trip to Seattle, Washington, we visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass and it was so amazing. There was a heat wave in Seattle and the facility's air conditioning was not keeping up, so they had to close early on the afternoon we were scheduled to go, but we luckily were able to reschedule.
"The walls at home didn’t challenge me." Wow, that really got me and I can so relate. I am going to hold onto this and ponder it for a while. I was a homebody before Covid shut everything down (I am an Introvert and HSP, so home is my safe space), but I have definitely become even more of a homebody and I have been finding it so hard to get back out to do the things I enjoy. I could use a little challenge from the outside world.
Your glasswork and beads are so beautiful! Getting back into it for the pure joy of creating and how the process makes you feel is so great and inspiring, and makes your work even more beautiful!
Inspiring for its honesty and hope. For me as a writer, author, teacher (amateur painter and flutist), process is everything. You described the importance of process, working on the making, not the feedback from others that can be so discouraging—though closing the round, so to speak also calls me—and you did this with heart and soul. My need to help others overwhelms all else, even as I pursue these other projects. Thank you, Rebecca! xo
Aug 25, 2022·edited Aug 25, 2022Liked by Rebecca Holden
I love every bit of your post! Thank you for sharing...such brave writing. It's interesting as I'm in this moment right now with my career. Do I leave it behind or do I return. Thank you for inspiring me to dig a little deeper on this...I think for me it's the outside validation-I'm worthy— that is calling me back however that's not sustainable especially for my health. (I'm an adult and I'm still looking for that! Sigh) Thank you again. I'm really happy you are getting back to what you love and missed. Cheers to curiosity!
Ah yes, this was just lovely! Thanks so much. I’ve been trying to pay attention to people’s “voices” in all the Substacks I read, and find myself gravitating to those that feel very unique and “authentic,” to use a terribly overused word. Your voice here is very strong and real.
What a cool talent you have! The beads are beautiful. I think they definitely satisfy Morris’ recommendation. And I’m a big believer that not everything has to serve an obvious purpose or pay for its keep—demanding that it does is often the way to spoil its magic. I used to think I wanted to train horses professionally because I loved riding so much, but trying to make a business of it (I’m not a business person either!) sucked all the joy out of it for me. It took a while before I rediscovered what I loved about it, this time on my terms :-) Glad you’ve found your inspiration again!
I love this so much. (Also, honoured you chose to include my post.) But it speaks to something in me: the idea that we’re allowed to create without expectation of practicality or purpose, but to enjoy the process. To create art without giving a hoot about likes or shares, but to exist and explore. I hope you’re enjoying the re-emergence; certainly, what work you’ve shared is beautiful.
You do beautiful work! It takes a talent to be able to learn all of the intricacies of creating a specialty art like that. I like most art and these are so unique with them being so small. It's too bad you had to shutdown the teachings. I feel for you on the covid safe. I'm in that kind of situation still. I'm curious, did you do group or one-on-one workshops or both?
Very beautifully written, if I may say so, and very brave decisions looked at from one perspective. I think you might feel an affinity with this story by Kahlil Gibran: The Gravedigger https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58709/the-grave-digger
Writing this post gave me the (welcome) opportunity to expose to the light some of my feelings about giving up my workshop, but it had unexpectedly left me feeling rather sad.
That in itself is a point of learning: it has reiterated to me that words are powerful things which can have huge momentum. I should know this from my journalling practice!
I'll be posting again soon - I'm working on another piece about process, albeit very different. :D
Rebecca, I had no idea you had been a glass artist.
Your work looks stunning and I am glad the desire is becoming a slow burn again.
Covid was odd for creatives, I think. Dpn't you?
I thought that Lockdown would enable me to write like a fiend. In fact the reverse happened.
Deprived of spontaneous freedom, I began to crave it and so became much more of a gardener, a walker (legal acc. to the rules of Covid), helping husband more on the farm. Writing became something that was, not something that is.
Once the discipline lessened, I worried that creative spirit, art-form and brand would collapse and so I wrote a Pillowbook (observations of life) and a small anthology, just to keep my bookmark 'out there'.
Still I was struggling. So I finished a hist fict that I'd begun just before Lockdown, sent it into the marketplace and then shifted genres entirely.
That reignited the desire to be a writer again but at a less frenetic, more balanced pace. Covid taught me that there is so much of life out there that must be appreciated. Did you find the same?
And that's the way it is now - fiction writing, a newsletter, gardening, embroidery, walking, but first and foremost family and dog.
So I look forward to reading more of your artistic/literary progressions. I suspect there's a book in there, isn't there?
PS: Did you ever blow simple marbles? I LOVE marbles. I LOVE millefiore too...
The joys of flow... hope you have fun!
That was a very pleasant read Rebecca. Thank you! I always admired crafty people (not being apt at anything).
I think we're all feeling that tug of "I left myself somewhere and I need to retrace my steps".
This is so cool and, believe it or not, I could sit and watch people blow glass all day long. I find the fact that you taught courses amazing and, if nothing else, you have the experience of doing it. I share your view on 'the process'. For me, it's writing. I don't expect to ever make a dime on my work (besides Kindle Vella bonuses, for however long those last) but I enjoy the process of sitting down and putting ideas to paper/computer screen. As for reclaiming part of myself that I've left behind, I could see myself doing that with drawing.
Go back and grab what was once yours. You have absolutely nothing to lose :)
Oh, Rebecca. This is great is so many ways! The writing, your writing, of course.
I also love the William Morris quote. It is one of my favorites and one that I live by, as a minimalist. The Arts and Crafts Movement is one of my favorite time periods in architecture, design, and craftsmanship, so throwing a William Morris quote out there will grab my attention. But I love how you challenge his words with the things that you create and how the process of creating means so much more than the usefulness or beauty of the creation.
I love art glass and I imagine the process of creating, especially in that flow state, is so wonderful. While I have no desire to work with the flame, I so appreciate what goes into that creative process and the result. On our recent trip to Seattle, Washington, we visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass and it was so amazing. There was a heat wave in Seattle and the facility's air conditioning was not keeping up, so they had to close early on the afternoon we were scheduled to go, but we luckily were able to reschedule.
"The walls at home didn’t challenge me." Wow, that really got me and I can so relate. I am going to hold onto this and ponder it for a while. I was a homebody before Covid shut everything down (I am an Introvert and HSP, so home is my safe space), but I have definitely become even more of a homebody and I have been finding it so hard to get back out to do the things I enjoy. I could use a little challenge from the outside world.
Your glasswork and beads are so beautiful! Getting back into it for the pure joy of creating and how the process makes you feel is so great and inspiring, and makes your work even more beautiful!
Inspiring for its honesty and hope. For me as a writer, author, teacher (amateur painter and flutist), process is everything. You described the importance of process, working on the making, not the feedback from others that can be so discouraging—though closing the round, so to speak also calls me—and you did this with heart and soul. My need to help others overwhelms all else, even as I pursue these other projects. Thank you, Rebecca! xo
Really interesting read, good luck with getting back into it!
I love every bit of your post! Thank you for sharing...such brave writing. It's interesting as I'm in this moment right now with my career. Do I leave it behind or do I return. Thank you for inspiring me to dig a little deeper on this...I think for me it's the outside validation-I'm worthy— that is calling me back however that's not sustainable especially for my health. (I'm an adult and I'm still looking for that! Sigh) Thank you again. I'm really happy you are getting back to what you love and missed. Cheers to curiosity!
Ah yes, this was just lovely! Thanks so much. I’ve been trying to pay attention to people’s “voices” in all the Substacks I read, and find myself gravitating to those that feel very unique and “authentic,” to use a terribly overused word. Your voice here is very strong and real.
What a cool talent you have! The beads are beautiful. I think they definitely satisfy Morris’ recommendation. And I’m a big believer that not everything has to serve an obvious purpose or pay for its keep—demanding that it does is often the way to spoil its magic. I used to think I wanted to train horses professionally because I loved riding so much, but trying to make a business of it (I’m not a business person either!) sucked all the joy out of it for me. It took a while before I rediscovered what I loved about it, this time on my terms :-) Glad you’ve found your inspiration again!
I love this so much. (Also, honoured you chose to include my post.) But it speaks to something in me: the idea that we’re allowed to create without expectation of practicality or purpose, but to enjoy the process. To create art without giving a hoot about likes or shares, but to exist and explore. I hope you’re enjoying the re-emergence; certainly, what work you’ve shared is beautiful.
You do beautiful work! It takes a talent to be able to learn all of the intricacies of creating a specialty art like that. I like most art and these are so unique with them being so small. It's too bad you had to shutdown the teachings. I feel for you on the covid safe. I'm in that kind of situation still. I'm curious, did you do group or one-on-one workshops or both?
Very beautifully written, if I may say so, and very brave decisions looked at from one perspective. I think you might feel an affinity with this story by Kahlil Gibran: The Gravedigger https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58709/the-grave-digger
Dear Reader,
I thought I'd just write a comment here myself.
Writing this post gave me the (welcome) opportunity to expose to the light some of my feelings about giving up my workshop, but it had unexpectedly left me feeling rather sad.
That in itself is a point of learning: it has reiterated to me that words are powerful things which can have huge momentum. I should know this from my journalling practice!
I'll be posting again soon - I'm working on another piece about process, albeit very different. :D
Love Rebecca
This really made me think - thank you.
Rebecca, I had no idea you had been a glass artist.
Your work looks stunning and I am glad the desire is becoming a slow burn again.
Covid was odd for creatives, I think. Dpn't you?
I thought that Lockdown would enable me to write like a fiend. In fact the reverse happened.
Deprived of spontaneous freedom, I began to crave it and so became much more of a gardener, a walker (legal acc. to the rules of Covid), helping husband more on the farm. Writing became something that was, not something that is.
Once the discipline lessened, I worried that creative spirit, art-form and brand would collapse and so I wrote a Pillowbook (observations of life) and a small anthology, just to keep my bookmark 'out there'.
Still I was struggling. So I finished a hist fict that I'd begun just before Lockdown, sent it into the marketplace and then shifted genres entirely.
That reignited the desire to be a writer again but at a less frenetic, more balanced pace. Covid taught me that there is so much of life out there that must be appreciated. Did you find the same?
And that's the way it is now - fiction writing, a newsletter, gardening, embroidery, walking, but first and foremost family and dog.
So I look forward to reading more of your artistic/literary progressions. I suspect there's a book in there, isn't there?
PS: Did you ever blow simple marbles? I LOVE marbles. I LOVE millefiore too...