"The Joy of Living with Your Hands"

There is a kind of thinking that only happens through your fingers. I feel it when I knead dough, shape clay, or sew the hem of a curtain. It’s not the same as logic — it’s older, wilder. A knowledge that lives in the body. Hands don’t rush. They remember. They repeat. They improvise. And in those quiet, tactile moments, I often feel more awake than during hours of scrolling or reading.

When I open a new block of clay, I don't plan. I respond. The material speaks, and I answer. The same happens in the kitchen, or when I rearrange a room — creativity starts not in the head, but in motion. I believe in the sacredness of process. In touching, trying, failing, adjusting. Beauty is born through rhythm, not control. That’s why I love rituals — making jam in late summer, pressing leaves in books, or dyeing fabric just to see what color the day becomes.

Some people meditate in silence. I meditate while scrubbing a sink. Or trimming a bouquet. Or dancing in the kitchen with no music but the sound of a boiling kettle. I find deep peace in movement. And joy, too — that fizzy kind that rises when you're just present. I don’t need perfection. I need to feel alive. That’s why I don’t outsource everything. I want to touch my life. Literally.

We often underestimate the power of tiny creations. A hand-woven potholder. A painted stone. A perfectly peeled orange. These are not just acts of function — they are gestures of love, of attention. They say, "I was here, and I noticed." This is how I live: not chasing big art, but letting beauty bloom in the quiet corners of every day. I don’t need applause — just texture, scent, shape, and soul.

My hands tell my story better than any photograph. The slight calluses, the small scar from learning to carve wood, the way my thumb knows the weight of a favorite mug. These are my journals. My archive. My art. Working with my hands keeps me grounded — and wild. It reminds me that creativity isn’t a product, it’s a practice. It’s in everything we touch, shape, cook, mend, and love.