Did I ever mention that I'm a beekeeper...?
I started beekeeping several years ago after feeling the last minute urge to attend a meditation class that I had heard about on the topic of bees... yes, bees! :-) It was amazing - and it opened my mind and heart into a world that I was hungry to know more about. Since then, I have created the dearest network of bee-enthusiast friends including many fellow of my local beekeepers.
The bees were calling me - that is the only way that I can describe my interest in embarking on this hobby. And as hobbies go, it has been nothing short of incredible.
In my life, I divide it into various "before" and "after" moments. Before I embarked on having my own business - and after. Before I met my husband - and after. Before I welcomed my daughter - and after. And, before I set forth to look after my beloved honeybees - and after. There is a distinct before and after from each of these moments because my life got ultimately more enriched and colorful by each of these milestones.
Bees are wild. Just when I think I understand them, they do something totally new that pushes me to grow and discover more about them. For someone who enjoys learning about new things, it's the most fabulous of never ending intellectual/spiritual adventures. I find many parallels to mothering and running my own business. One must find peace with constant change, cycles of ebb and flow, and honoring the aliveness of it all.
When I open one of my hives, I can feel the raw energy of the colony. They are gentle but fierce creatures. It is a peaceful, zen-like, magical, and humbling experience. Each time, it is an honor to see them up close and personal. It's a very intimate experience with nature and with life itself.
What does this all have to do with creativity, you may ask? The artistry of bees are endless. They make their home by using their means to transform what is in their environment to support themselves, their home, and their community. They are tough, resilient, and hardworking. They are agile and nimble. They make it work with what they have and in the most unlikely of environments. They look after each other and work for the greater good. They create. They transform. And, ultimately, they make sweetness.
After the ups and downs of 2020, these lessons are so dear to my heart as a creative person, a business-woman, a human, and a mother. There is so much for us to learn from nature.
Long live the bees. May we follow their lead and all create the same magic in our own lives, communities, and work.