Putting the Pieces Together
Mosaics are amazing pieces of art. No two are alike. They begin with a bunch of miscellaneous pieces of glass, stone, or other material of the artist’s choosing. To the untrained eye, the broken pieces of glass can look like scrap. It’s only when the artist begins to assemble the pieces that the mosaic starts to come together.
I’ve seen mosaics that are very uniform, with every tiny piece perfectly fit into a pattern of perfection. I’ve seen others that are random, abstract and without a plan— yet the end result tends to be quite spectacular. Whether you’re gluing stones together to make a mosaic for your garden, or soldering glass pieces together to create stained glass for a window, you have to decide where each and every piece will end up, what colors to choose, and when it is ultimately complete.
My friends have an art studio and I was invited this winter to join them for a day of mosaic-making. Their work is beautiful and I was really excited to try it myself. To start, I had to sift through bin after bin of broken glass remnants. At first it was hard to choose because the scraps, aside from being different colors, basically looked the same. As I started to hold each piece and shape up to the light, I noticed they weren’t alike at all. Some were transparent, others opaque. Some had smooth edges like beach glass, others were jagged and sharp (which also explained the first aid kit they kept nearby). I had complete freedom to choose the pieces, lay them out on a tray, cut and assemble in whatever pattern I wanted, and then glue and grout them together into a permanent arrangement.
The process takes hours, sometimes days. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle except that none of the pieces are pre-cut to fit into any other. You are responsible for the spacing, slicing and assembly. There are no instructions— just your imagination and creative freedom to put it all together.
Needless to say I Ioved it. I’ve been back to the studio several times and already buying my own supplies for upcoming projects. I’m finishing up my fourth piece this weekend. Each mosaic I’ve made is different. As I spend more time on my projects, I’m also learning to let go, relax, and see where each takes me. I’m getting better at it. And I’ve only needed two band-aids so far.
As I was putting the final touches on a project recently (see picture above) it occurred to me how mosaics are a perfect metaphor for people. Think about it: We are all made up of seemingly miscellaneous parts. Some of us are very colorful, others come across as more muted. Some people are transparent, others quite opaque. There are people who approach life in a very methodical, well-thought-out pattern. And there are others who just wing it with no clear path, but are perfectly content waiting to see how the pieces ultimately come together.
Like different textures and thicknesses of glass, some people are fragile and need to be handled with care— while others seem to be glued and soldered and grouted together with incredible strength and resilience. Over time, some of us may break— and our “pieces” will need to be put back together, reassembled and reinforced. When this happens, the new mosaic may not look exactly like the old— but there is still beauty in the broken-but-reassembled final product. To me, this metaphor also helps to explain some of life’s ups and downs— and how important it is to develop skill in putting our own pieces back together at times.
As we learn to appreciate a complex piece of art, so too can we take time to step back and quietly appreciate each of the complex people in our lives. No two of us are alike, but we can certainly learn to admire the work of art that each of us is.
This Week’s Resources
Gloria Steinem’s New Book
Interested in hearing what Gloria Steinem is thinking about today? At 87 years old, she has a lot to say about her life experiences and her incredible history. You can read her new book The Truth Will Set You Free, But First it Will Piss You Off. In it, she reflects on life, love and rebellion: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Will-Free-First-Piss/dp/0593132688
To Return to Work or Not?
Many small-to-medium size companies are struggling with when and how (and if) their employees will be returning to work post-pandemic. This article from The Harvard Business Review does a great job helping companies shift their focus from leases and real estate decisions to culture, productivity and change. Read more insight here: https://hbr.org/2021/02/is-your-midsize-company-designed-for-a-post-pandemic-futureutm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_actsubs&utm_content=signinnudge&deliveryName=DM118652
The Grandmas Who Beat the Stock Market?
Have you ever heard of the Beardstown Ladies? They were one of the first all-female investment clubs. Their story is controversial and fascinating. Sitting around the table drinking Pepsi and eating Doritos, these ladies invested $100 each to get started, and paid $25 a month in dues. Then they analyzed and picked stocks and quickly gained notoriety. How legitimate were they? Read here for a terrific article from The Hustle: https://thehustle.co/the-wild-story-of-the-grandmas-who-beat-the-stock-market/
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