Scratching an Itch, Not Saving the World

I finally did it. I made my very own glass art piece. 

I snagged the last spot in this stained glass workshop months ago and Saturday was the day. 

It also happened to be the first gorgeously sunny Saturday of the year and the day of the protests. I wanted to be outside. I felt the pull of standing in solidarity with the big crowd downtown.

But instead, I spent three and a half hours indoors with a small group of strangers.

So, was it worth it?

Yes.

Did I make a masterpiece?

No. But I'm thrilled with my little sun catcher.

Am I abandoning painting for stained glass work?

No. There’s nothing like pushing gooey colors around and watching what happens when they meet.

Did I have deep creative conversations?

Not really. We were more focused on not slicing our fingers off.

So what was the point?

The point was: I scratched an itch.

As you may remember, I’ve been curious about stained glass for years (read about it here). I wanted to know how it worked, what it felt like, which parts I’d like or not like. (Scoring and cutting glass: fun. Grinding and applying copper tape to small pieces: not so fun. Soldering and watching the magic of patina: very fun.)

And now I know.

That’s it.

Really? No Big Life-Altering Revelation today, Mary?

Nope. Just glass, playing with a soldering iron, and satisfying my curiosity.

I’ll let you in on a little secret (in case you haven’t figured it out by now): I’m an ideas person. I’m surprisingly unpractical. I like to understand things, and then share my findings with others. That’s what drives me. 

It’s what has fueled my own healing and my work with others. 

It’s also weighed me down with responsibility and made it hard to enjoy simple pleasures. 

I’ve gotten good at catching glimpses - noticing beauty when it shows up. 

But actually doing things that are pointless, fun, and just for me is still a wrestling match sometimes.

That glass art workshop wasn’t important and full of meaning. But it was new and interesting. 

Next up? I’m kind of curious about welding.

P.S. I’ve started using Chat GPT. Yep. The content is all mine. The words are 95% mine. These are the things I ask:
1. Does it make sense? What is the main message that is coming through?

2. Can you tighten up the language.