The Beauty of Becoming

"Life is about the journey, it is not about being, but becoming."

In a conversation with a friend who creates beautiful works of art with his hands, he commented that thinking about a project is fun, finishing it is wonderful, but beginning it was so much stress, because he was necessarily starting so far from the finished piece as he could see it in his mind, and there may be so many practical modifications that must be made to it that its never certain if the beauty that exists in his mind will be realised.

I am so envious of those that can create beauty with their hands. The closest I come to that is in my writing which flows most often from some inspiration. I am actually working towards the ideal of envisioning a piece and then determinedly creating it as my friend needs do for his art. It seems easier to know the way, to know what is needed, to know how to make adjustments when needed. But maybe that's just the grass being greener. (I'm sure he thinks it would be easier to write.)

But something even more significant crept into my mind and that is about finding the joy in the process. For me and cooking, this is effortless. My senses are engaged in the process, constantly being petted and fondled by the sensations, smells and sounds of washing, chopping, sauteing fresh ingredients and using spices like magic pixie dust. For writing, its a bit harder because the phrase I have just written either flows and evokes something in me, and hopefully other readers, or is just unsatisfyingly reaching for that effect. And then it becomes a process of rearranging words and phrases, etc., like pieces of furniture, looking for that often elusive feng shui of communicating feelings and images through words.

How can we find more joy in the process? Why is it easier in some types of projects than others? What is the challenge or lesson to learn from doing so? We have become so much a 'before' and 'after' culture, with what happens in between more and more hidden. The challenge, I think, is to find the beauty in the 'becoming', the evolution of a project. I think this is easier the less 'in our heads' the project is, the more it uses us physically, the more it engages our senses. I often experience this from training and racing triathlons. Early on I was constantly reminded by a seasoned triathlete that the point was to enjoy and be present every moment of it - the training, the racing, the post race reflection. Even at the most painful point of my recent races (not so much time for training these days) I remind myself of just how happy I am to be there, to have the time, the money, the physical ability and the desire to be in this very painful and yet exhilarating moment.

A confession; Sometimes when writing, I print out what I have so far, for no other reason than to see it, to hold it, to remember it as I watch the pages grow over the process. That's why, too, its hard to throw out my scrawled notes from the very beginning. That's why I print out nearly everything when finished, even these blog posts. (I have a special folder). I am capturing the process by which my writing was becoming.

So to my friend regarding his projects, always more free advice - anytime the stress starts to creep in, stop and look backward, not forward, to see how far you've come. Stop and look around, not forward, at the moment at hand - sweat running down your brow, sun on your back, arms tired from your efforts, and the careful tending of the project that is beneath your hands, becoming - becoming in ways you could not have imagined, both before you, and inside you. It takes your breath, your thoughts, your dreams in with its becoming and its becoming is a journey you share. It will be finished, maybe even before you are ready to let it go. So enjoy every moment of it. That is your challenge. Not finishing it by XXX or making it as close to your mind's eye as possible, but letting it become, enjoying being the creator and being changed yourself in the process. That is the true reason for even beginning something new.

Happy creating to all!