Curiosity may have killed a cat, but it never hurt me*
Curiosity. It's a funny thing, you know? Colloquialisms like "curiosity killed the cat" and "jack of all trades, master of none" teach us that being too curious will not end well, will not lead to success. And yet, if that's the case, how do you explain the fact that the word "google" is not only recognized as a verb in most mainstream dictionary sources, but was chosen as the American Dialect Society's "most useful word" of 2002? I can't help but think that our love of finding answers must logically stem from the fact that we all have questions, lots and lots of questions! And aren't those very questions, that innate curiosity, what has led humans to explore and invent and push limits and create? I would answer with an unshakable and resounding "YES!"
It's been only recently that I've come to recognize the true value of my own curiosity, to see the wonder and opportunity that it's added to my life despite the havoc it's wreaked on my official resume. It leads me up mountains and down rivers because I simply have to see where they take me, how they might touch me, what they are to others, how they affect and relate to our place in the universe. To cross oceans to lands where I don't speak the language and to try foods that are unrecognizable and utterly unfamiliar to me because there is a compulsion to see and to try these things for myself. It inspires an ever growing set of arguably "useless" skills because there is an inherent joy in the very learning and a driving need to understand a process. There is nothing off-limits, nothing too obscure, too far-off, too anything to stave off my curiosity.
I felt apologetic and guilty for this insatiable curiosity for a long time. I felt that it meant that I wasn't focused or driven enough, that I was easily distracted or "A.D.D" or simply lacking something that I was supposed to have. Something that would allow me to zone in on a single thing that I was "meant" to do at the exclusion of all others. But as it turns out, none of that is true.
What it took me a long time to realize is that I thrive when I have multiple interests engaged. That I am at my most creative and my most productive when I can move between several things that interest me. That writer's block can sometimes be cured by drawing. Or knitting. Or yoga. Or running in the woods. That a meditation practice can enhance my ability to notice the light as I consider hitting the shutter button. That the mindset that serves me as I push for the summit or for mile 26 or to launch a spanky new brand is really, actually, the same mindset after all. And it all starts with a bit of wonder.
So here we are.
My landing spot.
I make no guarantees to you about what this site or this blog will contain. There will be travel. There will be the outdoors. There will be photographs. There will be opinions and ideas and questions. There might be fiction on occasion. I might share a drawing. I might talk about my dog. Or my husband. Or my dreams. Or my fears. Or coffee. It's quite possible that I will overshare at times (I have a tendency to do that). I really love food**, so food is bound to make an appearance. And I will likely subject you to whatever randomness has most recently caught my fancy. So be prepared. You've been warned. This space inside my head is a rabbit warren, a labyrinth leading in a million different directions.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading these words that I write and for looking at these images that I create. Thank you for taking this leap with me and trusting that it will take us somewhere together…many places, I hope! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
* Quoted from the preface of A Book About A Thousand Things by George Stimpson…a rather hilarious and intriguing read, especially if you keep in mind that it was originally published in 1946!
**Don't, however, mistake me for a "foodie" because I actually have no taste or style whatsoever…I just really like to eat delicious things, and sometimes what I find delicious is hideous and embarrassing.
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Take a good look around…the amazing and utterly unstoppable force of pure brilliance behind the look and feel of this site is the one and only Kelsy Stromski of Refinery 43. She has made this process a pure joy and her dedication to creating much more than a logo, to helping me articulate my actual brand vision, my most authentic voice, has made this journey one of illumination, excitement, and just plain ol' fun!
I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts…be sure to leave a comment with your feedback!