"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." -Victor Hugo 

I have my first show of the season this weekend.  I'm busy creating as many books as possible while simultaneously giving my booth a make-over.  These are the kinds of weeks where I literally don't do anything that isn't related to my business.  It takes over.  I've come to call times like this my vortex.  Luckily, I really like what I'm doing and it's just the nature of getting back into the season of art festivals.  I do have time to think as I sit quietly sewing book after book (sometimes, I work best in silence...especially if there is pressure to move quickly).  One of the things I’ve been reflecting on is potential and actualizing it.  In many of my formative years, I focused on people’s potential not wanting to look at where they actually were and what their actual choices involved.  Instead, I chose to see what they were capable of and what choices they could be making.  This wasn’t helpful for either of us in the long run.  It is rare that people recognize their own potential AND choose to act on it.  I've come to learn that potential isn't so great if it isn't ever acted upon.  This is one of the thoughts that inspired a couple of my new journals designs.   It felt important to represent both potential (a bird resting) and potential actualized (a bird flying).  While resting and knowing one's potential is good, it is also imperative to actualize this and to fly.  Enjoy the weekend!

(All my new bird designs)