Big Rocks First

Big rocks first, then gravel, then sand, then water. So goes Steven Covey’s famous anecdote about priorities. Making mixed-media mosaics, I’ve learned how valuable this advice can be.

As Mark Nevins writes in Forbes: “Simply put, your big rocks are your priorities. They are the tasks, projects, or goals you absolutely need to accomplish. They are your mission-critical objectives, not the items on your never-ending to-do list.”

Put the most important things—the big rocks—in first. If you allow the distractions and unimportant tasks to control your time, you’ll fill your jar with pebbles and sand, leaving no space for the big rocks, the things that really matter.  

***

I am always on the move. A 102-year-old friend once told my husband that I had more nervous energy than anyone he’d ever met.

But then came COVID-19, and the lockdown. What’s a screaming extrovert going to do in a lockdown? Something new, that’s for sure. 

I saw a Facebook post for a mosaic workshop in my area, gathered a few friends, and went on a COVID-safe adventure. Masked, five of us spent the day learning how to mosaic. I was hooked. I set up a home studio. I love order and organizing, so that was fun. 

My dear friends are my muses. They encouraged me to keep creating and introduced me to a community of artists. One friend, Nancy, is involved in every nonprofit in our community.  Many have silent auctions, and she asked me to donate my mosaics. Of course I said yes, and to my amazement, they sold quickly and folks loved them. 

I am mesmerized by the work, the visions, and the community that is encouraging me. 

***

I’m not a mosaic artist that cuts glass or files ceramic. I collect found objects and jewelry, items that have found their way to Goodwill. Knotted in clumps, they sit in jars, just waiting for the treasure hunter to unearth them. My collection has grown immensely, especially now that friends have started dropping bags of stuff on my doorstep. “You can use this,” they say.

These treasures have contributed to my mixed-media mosaics. When laying out my pieces, I have discovered that the best way to start a mosaic is to identify the big statement pieces first, the ones that will wind up carrying the whole work of art. Big rocks first.

My favorite projects are “trees of life” that I am doing as commissions. I discovered that so many people have their mother’s or grandmother’s treasures and don’t know what to do with them. For example, Debbie had over 100 pairs of clip-on earrings from her mom. “What is someone supposed to do with this,” she wondered. She found me, and I created a mosaic with them. Using all of her mom’s treasured items, I made a tree. “It is the tree of life for those who cling to it,” as Proverbs 3:18 says. My “trees of life” tell the stories of the treasures a woman had that made her feel special. Rather than stuff them in a box or give them away, I create art. It’s a blessing to preserve these treasures. 

My studio is about to expand, and I plan to hold classes for friends who are interested and just want to hang out, clear their overwhelming thoughts, and create. Create art and friendship and memories simultaneously. I will teach them to put the big rocks in first, then fill in.

***

Making mosaics is a metaphor for life. 

There was a time for me when life was a perfect vessel. A vessel that contained my journey.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, that vessel broke into a million pieces. I broke into a million pieces. I could have just given up and disappeared. 

Instead, I put that vessel together, one piece at a time, and from those broken pieces, created a beautiful mosaic.    

We all break. Breaking is human. It is what we do with those broken pieces that affirms who we are at our core. 

With blessings!