Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Jill of all Trades...Master of None

 I just did a thing...I bought a small loom from my friend Mauri. She wanted a bigger one and I wanted to try weaving. I wrote about weaving in my book Just One Thing without ever having used a loom (I also wrote about pottery before my first pottery class). 

As I worked at putting my first warp on the loom I found myself thinking about all the crafts I've tried. It started with my Mom teaching me to cross-stitch and embroider, then crochet. Over the years, I learned to sew and quilt, I learned basketweaving, I learned pottery (and found my true love) and now I'm toying with weaving. I'm a Jill of all Trades and a Master of None. And that's ok.  

I talked about quilting also in Just One Thing and wrote a supposed Amish tradition (which may or may not be an Amish tradition), that they purposefully add a flaw in every quilt because nothing but God is perfect. I love that thought. 

I don't strive to be perfect. I do strive to be competent and to enjoy the process of each craft. 

I think there's a lesson in that. I know there's a lot of pressure in the world. But what if all the jobs we're striving to be perfect at, we instead allowed ourselves to make mistakes? What if when we're trying something and find we made a mistake, we think...well, that's my unintentional, intentional flaw? Maybe we'd be more apt to try something new. 

Now I suspect this world view wouldn't work so well with, well, let's say skydiving, but so many things we try won't be harmed by one small flaw. Some may be even more beautiful because of it. I think the other advantage to trying new things is...staying young. Learning, trying new things, expanding our horizons.  I'd love to hear from friends who've been expanding their horizons and trying something new.

Holly

Speaking of trying something new...
Check out some of my books!



Exclusively available for Kindle and KU.
 Around the Square
Book 1-6 are available now! Book 7 is available for preorder and the final book will be out this fall!






Slip and Fall: A Harry's Pottery Mystery #2 Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Nook A View to a Kiln: A Harry's Pottery Mystery #1 KindleiBooksKoboNook
A View to a Kiln on Jeopardy!!



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