Sugar Flowers

Sugar Flowers

This morning I came across an interview with cake decorator Maggie Austin. I was touched by her story. She began ballet at the age of four, her life’s passion. But due to an injury, had to walk away. That shift alone holds so much heartbreak and loss! Eventually, after training in an entirely different arena, she turned the creativity, detail and beauty of her passion for classical ballet into the art of cake decorating, with her specialty in sugar flowers. This is the part that really caught my imagination, Maggie explains “Ballet is the relentless pursuit of perfection, but I’ve let that part go. Imperfection is so much more interesting.” She explains her creative process, one based on research, consultation, inspiration from art, nature as well as joyful unexpected sources. “I’ve learned to go with the flow of the work rather than struggle against it”.

As I read her interview, I found my own spirit taking in a new vision of how I want to approach my work as a therapist, as a mother, as a woman. For me, the concrete principles, concepts, laws of success unique to whatever I am pursuing have always been foundational to my efforts. And now, this idea of creative flow wrapped in and around those elements bring a greater sense of freedom and joy. It just speaks further to the truth that while our lives may be bound by certain parameters, court ordered divorce agreements, economic limitations, family and career responsibilities that can outweigh emotional and physical abilities sometimes to do it all, especially as single parents, there is in fact space for our spirits to take flight. Space for the divine gift of creativity, joy and lift to bring light and freedom regardless of our life’s constrictions.

May you find space today for a little more whimsy, a little more joy.

(Interview excerpts taken from American Lifestyle, issue 103, pp.44-47)

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