Finding your Ebb and Flow will, over time, lead you to a simpler way of living. As you shed the excess hustle to make room for Ebb, I believe it is a natural evolution to gain a greater appreciation for the simple things in life.
The simplicity of working with your hands to build, make, or grow is a creative process, your Flow. And it is always beautiful. Not because the end product is something to behold, but because of what we pour into it. Creation is an act of love. A manifestation of what lives inside us that we share with others. This is always beautiful.
Is this beauty necessary? Isn't beauty more of a luxury of life that we shouldn't necessarily prioritize? Does loving something beautiful make us shallow and superficial? Aren't there more important things to which we should be focusing our time and attention?
Certainly the things necessary for our survival require our attention first. However, I argue that we should make room for the beauty of the creative process.
Why?
Because beauty elevates us to the Divine.
Without this elevation we remain mired in the drudgery of task completion which is completely devoid of joy.
My son and I have recently been teaching ourselves how to make bread. We have enjoyed experimenting with different recipes, each with its own unique outcome. Despite the different shapes and tastes that result from these efforts, there is beauty in the creation of a simple loaf of bread. It is about the love poured out through our hands. It is about the time we spend working and laughing together. It is so gratifying when this tangible form of love elicits delightful "yums" from our family. And so, if only for a moment we have come together to share in the creation and work of our hands. And it is delightful. And even more so, it is beautiful.
When I think of working with my hands, I cannot help but think of Saint Joseph. He was a simple carpenter, a manual laborer. But he wasn't just a manual laborer. He was an artisan. I do not think it is insignificant that Jesus chose a foster father who was creative. He didn't choose a politician, an executive, or a powerful ruler. He chose a simple man who literally poured out his heart and soul through his hands to create beauty. He chose an artist.
And so this creative process and pursuit of beauty, naturally grows from living a simple, natural rhythm. This is why I chose to associate this philosophy and lifestyle with my jewelry brand. Working with the elements of the earth and sea (gemstones, pearls, and metals) I am able intertwine these small pieces of God’s creation, through the work of my own two hands, to create something beautiful I can share. I am grateful that you allow me to share it with you.
It is my dearest hope that this beauty also inspires you to find a gentler rhythm, so through the work of your hands, you too can create beauty to share with the world.
Peace,
Jen
