One of the many blessings that I have is the opportunity to stay at home and take care of the home, which includes a gazilliion things during the course of a day. When I have some “free” time I teach ESL at high schools and privately. This I do as a way to connect with others around me in a cultural exchange, to share not only my language but my culture with them and also as a way to give back the love and abundance that is a part of my life.
One of the things I see a real lack of in many native English speakers is this ingredient of humility and I think it’s one of the first things that non-English speakers unconsciously perceive about us and our culture when learning our language which can cause resistance and block the flow of communication. We are enormously fortunate to be native speakers of a language that is THE main language of the world. Many squander that fortune with arrogance.
So what’s this got to do with perfume making?
In the same way if I approach my raw materials with arrogance (e.g. rose: oh, I know this smell already, no need to really try) or with a lack of curiosity (gee, I wonder what the differences are between rose grown in Turkey and rose grown in Bulgary?), either because I’m angry or anxious that day, there is a resistance in communication between us — either it will not reveal it’s full complexity or I will be unable to perceive it. What I am finding is that a humble approach to perfume making can take me to a rarefied place when I’m formulating or researching a natural raw material or isolate. I believe the world of flora to be nothing less than miraculous; the wonderful fruits of a lifetime of growth that help us human beings bridge a gap between the tangible and the intangible. Arrogance cuts us off from accessing this bridge.
And why would I want to have such a connection if all I’m making is perfume, you ask?
That answer, I knew before I began this journey: to narrow what we perceive as a separation between what we can see with our eyes and what we know in our hearts to be true and real. That is all. That is a lot.
Have a wonder-filled Friday! Maxine
Her Two Scents 