The Succulent Soap

The Succulent Soap

The succulent soap arose because of a desire to create, but not having the skills to pipe. I have seen amazing soap makers pipe succulents. I love the results, the concept. However, I am not attracted to the process of piping. So, the question is, do I force myself to do something I don’t like and push through? Or do I find another, more attractive way, to achieve similar or same results?

Endless Ideas

Having endless ideas is such a great place be. What do you do when your ideas gallop past your skill level?

I tailor my ideas to my skill level. What I mean is I don’t let my skill level stop me from manifesting my ideas. I essentially learn backwards. I see the idea in my mind, figure out the things I need to do to achieve it and learn along the way. If I want to duplicate those results, I have now taught myself something I will not forget.

The caveat is I do not take shortcuts. I find the way that works for what I want to accomplish.

Learning or Education?

A long time ago I read Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and then Atlas Shrugged. There were key ideas in her work that changed how I saw the world. The first thing I did was quit college. No worries for those who felt like I threw cold water in your face, I have since returned to college and two universities. I love education however I didn’t like THAT education. I do not memorize because I’m told to, I want to learn. Why does it work? How does it work? What are the facts that make it work. I do not believe because others do. Even when it seems to fly in the face of convention or common thinking. I think, based on fact, and that is not always grounded in the material world.

The next thing I did after I read Rand’s work was take a hard look at where and why I created. What was the source? Where does creativity come from?

Why do you Create?

One of my college instructors asked me, “Why do you create?” I said, “Because I can’t not.” Other then the obvious double negative, I refused to dig deeper. She continued to ask why, but I could not answer. I was almost kicked out of her class. Oddly, she kept my final creation as a positive example of all she taught in her class.

Now, after many years of creating photography, magical realism in writing, story telling with soap, a solid soap dough process, and many books, I realized that I create because I have a curious mind. Well, that’s part of it anyway. I don’t wait for someone to answer a question, but seek self evident truth. I want to see the process and prove something to myself. I break things down to find out how they work. Are they repeatable results? Did I achieve what I set out to? All these things I explore and test.

This is one of my favorite quotes:

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius.

Sometimes things I don’t want to do grab my attention and if I dig deeper, contemplate the resistance, the door will be unlock and the way will be clear… For me. I have discovered that some areas of resistance are locked doors, and I simply have not found the key. Some doors of resistance are clear indicators of paths I do not need to tread. The subtle of life is discovering the difference.

Come see me at sorcerysoaps.com