Like most of us, I have worn a number of hats in my life…I’ve flipped burgers (never again!), helped heal many dogs and cats as a vet assistant years ago, and performed laboratory tests to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS patients. I did a brief stint testing used motor oil and diesel fuel for abnormalities indicative of problems with the heavy equipment they were used in. I’ve cut many a yard of fabric while working part time in fabric stores.
Continually searching for meaning and how to ‘put it all together’, I’ve been reading Body of Work by Pamela Slim. She spends some time discussing the creative process and the mastery of one’s craft. I really love this line from her book: “When you choose the adventure of your craft, you find unexpected, beautiful, and unlikely twists and turns that you never expected.” Have you found that to be true for yourself?
I find myself thinking about the phrase “the adventure of your craft.” What exactly does that mean? Can many of us say that our “craft” involves adventure? Are we supposed to be creating an adventure of our craft regardless of what that craft may be? Can I create an adventure from a desk job, or do I need to find something else? If my craft is not adventurous, should I move on? So many questions.
If you would like to turn this over in your mind for a minute, I would really love to hear your thoughts. Hope you are having a beautiful day and enjoying a little adventure in your life.
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I looked up the definition of adventure and this is what I found: “An exciting or very unusual experience.” So, I think any profession, or craft, can be an adventure. It depends on your attitude. If you go to work every day with the attitude that it is going to be another boring day, that is what you will have. If you go expecting something exciting to happen, you may just find that too. And, if you don’t see it now, take a look back on your life and how it has unfolded. I think you will see the “unexpected, beautiful, and unlikely twists and turns that you never expected” were there all along.
Nice! I love the “looking back” – it can show us so much. For me, the trick is keeping that in mind in the current daily life. That one day I will look back on this particular time in my life and hope that I will like what I see and that I can influence that to a large degree. Thanks for your insight 🙂 Hope you are doing well!
I respect deep perception over adventure… though deep perception is adventurous; however, perception can go way beyond adventure. Some people pursue adventure at the expense of the environment, not caring what the environmental ramifications are; such behavior negates deep perception to a large extent. The most profound adventure may be to seriously go into perception deeply, beyond caring about becoming adventurous.
That’s interesting, Tom. I’d like for the people who have told me “You think too much” over the years to read your comments, and your blog, for that matter. Our minds are capable of much more than most of us ever attempt to realize. Using sleeping dreams as an example – while not conscious thought, some of our dreams are the biggest adventures of our lives. I often think that dreams are our minds’ deepest perceptions, as strange as they may be.