The phoenix is rising

When I make my fabulous toffee, I stir and stir and stir without stopping for a while before there is any noticeable change in the confection. Then gradually, a little patch here and a little spot there starts to shift, as it transforms from mere sugar, butter and water into utter scrumdiddilyumptiousness. The progress is slow initially, but I keep working at it, and soon it picks up and changes more and more rapidly.

Just recently, I've noticed some little pockets of progress in various aspects of my life. Like those patches and spots of change in the toffee, I'm noticing some growth and progress, and this is very encouraging.

For example, it's been a long time since I was genuinely excited about something besides traveling. But I'm actually excited about some mixed-media creative projects that I've thought of doing. And even more exciting to me is that the ideas for them came to me directly, not inspired by anyone else. One project involves stones, one involves sticks, there's a digital one, and some photography ones. And they all have personal meaning to me. I also have a musical thing I want to do, as well as some writing. I've been itching to get to all of this, and am looking forward to school starting next week and having some chunks of time to devote.

This may not sound like a big deal, but for anyone who has struggled with dysthymia as long as I have, it's big. Finding joy in the journey is one thing...and it's easy to see a lot of it in my life. But feeling the joy in the journey, well, that's been just out of reach for a long time.

As my Blue Whisperer said, it sounds like the phoenix is rising.

Grateful for:
1) Studio night, which started this process
2) Loving encouragement
3) Great examples all around