Latte Art

Sometimes we try to force our love through a channel that it doesn’t fit through and that makes for funny situations. For example, maybe you have some art in you. You bring it to work and they say, “uhhhh no, we need burgers flipped not houses made of french fries.” So you go to a cafe and they let you make cappuccino latte art. And everyone is happy. Coffee shop sells lattes, and you can express yourself. But then you start making sculptures again, it’s good at first. You add a few marshmallows, cleverly placed, like eyes in a snowman. But then you gain some mastery, get excited and start to experiment. You make a giraffe. But the customer doesn’t want a giraffe made out of marshmallows. “Too many marshmallows! Too much foam!” They say. They ask for a new drink. The line gets longer. Customers are waiting and uncaffeinated. Your manager gets upset. You feel your creativity squelched, and ashamed for letting everyone down. 

No one is wrong here. It’s just that you were trying to squeeze your art into a channel it doesn’t fit in. And your art has gotten bigger. You’re channeling more of it, so it needs a new vessel. This is normal. You’re growing! Yay. But it doesn’t feel great huh? You feel kind of squozen or like you don’t fit. Well that’s because you don’t fit anymore, not in this way at least. It’s like a snail in a shell. It’s time to leave that old shell behind and grow into a new one. No rush! If the shell is still comfy, by all means hang out there. I spent 8 years as a researcher until I realized I was feeling squeezed. But once you realize what you want it becomes easier to find what you need.