Promises and the Chaotic Life

So, I promised a post on my current design adventure. Well, its hard to post about a design in process without photos. When I started this blog, I knew that I would need to learn how to post photos and I finally did figure it out. I then realized that I needed to get into the habit of taking lots of digital photos. So, last week, I spoke to my staff, rallying us all to keep the camera handy and shoot, shoot, shoot. Only to realize that we can't find the camera. Ugh....

The last person to use the camera knows exactly where she put it, but its not there. It resides in a nice leather bag with a charger, a spare battery, a little tripod, etc. So, its not as though its a tiny little thing that could be tucked just anywhere. Was it stolen? Or is it somewhere in Circles we haven't looked yet?

In some ways, it doesn't matter. We needed the camera to be in use already. Stolen or misplaced, Its just another little thing that thwarts progress.
And this is what its like. So many balls in the air and I'm, apparently, not a master juggler. All these little things are the frustrations of being a small business owner. The printer won't print, can't find the camera, out of toilet paper, a glass vase shatters all over the yarn room.... Doesn't matter the day, an army of little things launches a war against your cause. The "to-do" list grows and the papers take over your office. Like any vibrant child, a business brings chaos to the most obsessive, compulsive lives. This one is no exception.

How do I keep going? Faith. And an ever growing realization that perfection and impeccable organization are not required for success. Perhaps a personal assistant. But many a successful person has been full of persoal shortcomings. I only beginning to allow myself to accept that my shortcomings don't mean failure. Besides, a lot of creativity is coming out of all this chaos.

Recently I pondered two of the metaphysical theories of how the universe was created. (Ok, i'm the type who ponders these things all the time.) One says that in the beginning there was a metaphysical being and that being created everything out of itself. Another says that in the beginning there was chaos and this metaphysical being created order out of the chaos. From the second version comes the belief that chaos is evil. Having had chaos imposed upon me by someone else, I can wholeheartedly buy into the concept that chaos is evil. Yet, if I reconsider the order out of chaos theory, I realize that the ultimate act of creativity came out of the ultimate state of chaos. If that's the case, there is a pentultimate amount of creative potential in my life!

So, as a creative response to the missing camera, I'll post about something else until I resolve how I will get photos onto the blog. Next time: some of the joys, synergies and tensions in my two roles as shop owner and community hostess.