I returned to tile mosaics today for the first time in a long time. I have a stash of tile I got mostly a long time ago, but I had it kind of stuffed away and it’s kind of hard to work on it in the basement. I finally got motivated enough to pull it out and vacuum off the cobwebs, wipe away the dust, and play with it a bit. The table took a lot longer than I expected (everything always does), but I think it’ll look good once I get it grouted.

I missed being able to make things. I neglected working on mosaic for a while, partially due to busy-ness and partially due to depression and stress. I’d been thinking about that little table, though, for quite a while.

I get scared of making things sometimes because I’m afraid I’m going to screw them up, especially if I’m working with expensive or difficult-to-find materials. I’ll sit and look at the tile or glass and worry about if I’m using the right color or making a good choice. It is a good practice for me to have to use imperfect materials and broken things to make something beautiful because it forces me to let go of the tendency to want perfection. Broken tiles or glass cannot be “perfect.” That’s the point. Still, it’s a tough mindset to get myself into sometimes.