choose the marble.

What do a dog, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and a marble all have in common? They all changed my life in 2024.

The Dog: Aldo. My guy. Aldo left this mortal plane on March 6, suddenly and unexpectedly. When he did, he left me a giant reminder that our time here is limited and can end with no warning, so we should spend it doing things that fulfill us.

The Artist’s Way: It’s a book, but so much more than that. In it, Julia Cameron guides you through a twelve-week journey of self-examination and re-engagement with your creativity. You re-learn how to journal, how to play, and how to nurture your inner artist. You get clear about what you want and what’s not serving you. Most importantly, you give yourself the time and space to figure it out. My husband gifted me this for my birthday this year in April, right when I needed it most.

The Marble: A little sea-green ball of glass, nestled amongst about 200 of its fellows in a giant glass jar on my desk. On a bad day, I took it out of the jar and it became my worrystone. As I worried it over the course of several months, it took on more significance for me: the way it captured the sunlight coming into my window concentrated the warm light so I could hold the sun in my hand. It came to mean potential, purpose, clarity, energy. It became a vision, a goal. And I chose the marble.

Now…

Aldo is a warm presence in our house, coming to life through the sweet faces and warm fur of two new rescues, Henry and Emmie. The Artist’s Way and its full companion volume are in a place of honor in my home office.

And the Marble? The actual marble is now a pendant so I can keep it near my heart. And the metaphorical Marble is my project: a series of workshops, 1:1 coaching sessions, and a growing network for people who need a push to get to know themselves, speak language that advocates for those selves, and make meaning in their lives in and out of work.