I will be working in my studio today, attempting to get something creative accomplished. My word for 2011 is Perseverance.  This has recently been difficult because of a severe RA flare that began before the holidays. My father was visiting and I had no choice but to persevere through the pain. I decided to destash with Etsy and have been persevering getting started but it has a long way to go. 

That brings me to how my Word andWabi-Sabi relate. If you aren’t familiar, here is a definition of Wabi-Sabi:
“ Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.”


I read an article that compared Wabi-Sabi personalities to NOT Wabi-Sabi personalities. I discovered that in the entire list given, I am Wabi-Sabi. Because of a few acquaintances who couldn’t possibly relate to this concept, I had been trying to accept their way and persevere. There I was in black and white! Maybe that makes me the odd man out, but that’s okay.


My word last year was Acceptance.  I have finally accepted that some of the activities I was involved with simply weren’t working for me. I was persevering and trying to make them work but finally had to accept defeat. I don’t do that willingly. 


My life will be much freer now that much of the toxic emotional clutter is gone. I am feeling great relief that I can get back to my creative life and continue to be Wabi Sabi.