My Blog / A Philosopher's Daydream

My Blog:

A Philosopher's Daydream

 It's All About The People

While I have switched from my monthly newsletter, to a general blog, I will continue to include updates about The Haven. I hope to let you see more of a behind the scene view.

The above scene was taken a few years ago. That's me on the left with one of my many guests who enjoy a relaxing moment of storytelling,in my studio, a space which is in a continuaus flow of energies, allowing different settings as well as different artistic explorations.

Over the eight years I have been hosting, many people ask if I enjoy what I do. The answer is, of course,yes. I cannot imagine working at something one does not enjoy. Having said that, like any job, or profession there is a behind the scenes story, demands, and dedication ot work.

When I was a full time potter, people would say how wonderful it must be to make pots all day...

while those potters who might be reading this, know that wedging clay, mixing clay, mixing glazes, having one's favorite pots explode in the kiln, is not exactly wonderful. Then there's the ordering of the clay, in fifty pound boxes, which is no small task when unloading a half ton. And then, like any other business, there's the bookkeeping, not only of your students work, but your work, classifying the kiln results, and tracking glaze results. There's so much more, but you get the idea, if one did not completely love the process of creating in clay, there is no way, any of us would survive the back stage efforts. The behind the scene tasks and resposibilities become the foundation for the joy of hands in clay.

Running my airbnb, my Artist's Haven, is precisely the same. After eight years of washing laundry, ironing sheets, cleaning rooms, time in correspondance,overseeing the monthly calendar, not to mention climbing stairs. Thankfully, I now have my washer/dryer on the main floor. This reduced the up and down to the basement. But, keep in mind, my house is small, so I forfeited a room to achieve this. These are not complaints, not in any way. We all wiggle about to create what we want. And if what we want gives us joy, then the wiggling is well worth the inconvenience.

I suppose you could say, I'm rather blessed at having the skill and inclination of making the best of a situation. It's a survival skill I picked up along the bumpy road of life. But here I am, enjoying a graceful life of slow living. I never know how my life is going to change, none of us do.On a dime, circumstances change, people pass on, careers end... the only question is, where do I go from here? Usually the answer is a resounding, "I have no clue"

Have you ever felt like you had no idea of where you were going, and no idea of where you belonged? And even if you did have an incling of an idea, there was always the next question. How do I get there from here. There's only one thing to do. Sit down,sit still. All that inner chatter, whether in the mind or the gut, will, indeed settle down like fall leaves surrendering to the winds.

As I have said many times to many people, I have been blessed with the most wonderful guests, each one a blessing in their own right. My house grows with their appreciations, their willingness to share their stories, as well as listening to mine. Many return several times over, and then there are those who keep in touch, sharing their new milestones.

I have learned a lot through my guests. One helped me with my instagram, another urged me to get certified as a grief coach, it's never to late. She, herself had finished her degree in her late sixties. There have been times of encouragement and consolment as one might be recovering from a set back in a career, or and end to a relationship.

All this is to say, I consider myself blessed and grateful, to be able to keep my doors open for the weary traveler, the workshop attendee, the summer vacationer, the writer meeting a deadling, and of course all the women who need a safe and warm place to step back, and simply relax.

Since I am a highly visual processer, the phrase "connecting with people", makes me think of the old fashioned pop-it beads. What good is connecting if we aren't willing to open our doors, literally, or metaphorically, and share space with one another.