Like a lot of us around here, I grew up in the country. As a kid, I was lucky enough to have a pony – pictured here with me and dad, is Midget – a pony we borrowed and kept from friends. Midget was well behaved – a rarity for ponies in my opinion.
A few years later, I’d have Brownie. Brownie was NOT well-behaved. We kept Brownie though her entire life time. She was a cranky gal, who was well-loved.
Brownie loved low hanging branches and fence posts; she’d try to scrape the rider off any chance she got if they were lucky enough to get the saddle on snug. (If a horse could have an wicked chuckle, I’m sure she would have had one.) She was good at bloating her belly with air; I have a vivid memory of pulling up on the reins trying to get her to quit grazing and having the saddle come loose and me basically sliding/topping down her neck when the saddle came loose and the ground coming at my face at warp speed. She was fantastic at frustrating the rider. Turning around to nip at the toe of my boot, turning to try to bite me in the butt when I trimmed her hooves when I was much older.
Once, my dad and I were out riding in the country – he was on a gelding named Buck. (Appropriately.) I was on Brownie. More than a couple miles from home, we were riding past a farm when some drying fans turned on both our rides spooked and we were bucked or dumped off. I’m pretty sure we caught our rides – or maybe not because I do remember having to walk to a friend’s house (our rides may have ran straight home back to the barn). That part of the memory afterwards is pretty much gone. I just remember the surprised sensation in my belly as I was airborne and then the shock of us both being on the ground.
What does this have to do with soapmaking? Does it actually? Well…I’m just here to say, sometimes there are things that are worth being bad at just to have fun, just to have the experience. Or, sometimes it takes a long time to master something. (I never did master horse riding – I was solid basic at best – despite my mom being a crowned rodeo queen in her youth.) Sometimes all the growth is in the imperfection. That’s where the good stuff is.
I tried so many creative endeavors before I discovered soapmaking. I still pull them out from time to time….knitting, jewelry beading, sewing and quilting, potter’s wheel , sculpture, oil painting. Some I’m pretty decent at….others….are more a practice in patience and I think just enjoy buying the supplies. (I’m thinking of my yarns when I say that.) Somehow soapmaking just *fit.* But I wouldn’t give up all the wandering and trying of the other things because I don’t think I would have found soapmaking if I didn’t make the journey through all the other arts and crafts. And my soapmaking would be less without them.
Give yourself permission to explore, to be clumsy, to be less-than-adequate, a bumbling newbie. When it comes to creativity, just get on the horse and see where the ride takes you.
