The Circle is an idea to bring together writing from other personal bloggers who are closely observing the world we inhabit together. Working at the edge of dream, symbol, the body, and the unseen.
This past week I have been practicing being present in the moment. It sounds simple, but rarely is. The practice has taught me much more about myself than I thought possible entering it. I’ve wrestled in the past with letting my mind fixate on a problem or issue. I’ve gotten better…but I didn’t expect to find myself using it as a safety blanket, a kind of lullaby.
It’s also taught me more in my quest with creativity than I imagined. I’m learning that it is more than just about the end, but what the creating itself has to teach me.
Hadley Uribe and Carter Gillies have both been paying attention. Hadley writes to strangers who have shown her something about herself. Carter writes about teaching pottery, and how much there is to learn before we even see the pot we are trying to make.
A Thank You Card
Hadley Uribe · inkful · April 27, 2023
“Though sometimes I can’t ignore that tick, that itch, to pay attention.”
Hadley Uribe
Hadley writes two letters to strangers she never speaks with, reflecting on what those brief encounters teach her. She learns about her relationship with faith, and the comfort of retreating behind a blank stare, as if hiding away from the world. She gives that inward refuge a history, remembering how she learned to conceal hurt as a child.
Learning craft
Carter Gillies · Carter Gillies Pottery · January 22, 2015
“Learning a craft is, in a sense, learning to make sense of the world and to find your own place within it.”
Carter Gillies
Carter is teaching a pottery class called “Copying the Masters.” His students are studying a Michael Simon pitcher, trying to understand its proportions, its details, and where their attempts succeed and where they fall short. He speaks about the students learning more than how to copy a pot, but learning about their very selves instead.
Read it at Carter Gillies Pottery →
Every piece here belongs to its author. Join the circle and hear what they have to say. Leave them a comment if it moves you; that is how the circle moves.
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