The Butterfly Challenge-Learning to Fly

     Spreading my wings and ignoring the fear of failure, I begin my week-long journey of learning the butterfly swirl technique. I have never participated in a soap "challenge" before. Heck , I've just barely started sharing my expression of this art-form beyond my friends and family. I have been soaping since the summer of 2011 when my dear friend, Rocio Mendez of "Souled Out Soapers", taught me how to use cold process soaping to formulate wonderful soap that didn't break the budget. Several other friends joined us in our endeavors, and in 2014 we formed a monthly soaping group to learn techniques beyond recipes, colors, and additives. Growing together, encouraging each other, and just enjoying getting together for some good "clean" fun, this group of women has been instrumental in helping me realize I wanted to do more than just save money by making my own soap. I wanted to spread my wings and fly!

     I was immediately intrigued by the beauty of this technique. While difficult to "master", even the "failures" are mesmerizing, each work of art resembling a sort of ode to the Rorschach Test. Do you see the butterfly? Did you feel it develop as you used your tools to create your masterpiece? Was it so elusive that it escaped you? Did you give up before you even began?

     I spent a week learning, side-by-side with my "Partner in Grime", Jackie Duff of Key Expressions. After seven attempts at the swirl, some frustration, and a lot of laughs, I had several examples of what I believed were very good butterfly swirls. I presented them to my friends, family, and the soaping community I have come to love and respect. I asked for help deciding which image best represented the "Butterfly Swirl Challenge". Overwhelmingly, a lovely blue and green butterfly was chosen. I struggled. While it probably was the best butterfly image, it wasn't right. It wasn't ME.

     I'm pretty much an open book and have very few secrets. I love people, yet sometimes am overwhelmed by loneliness. I am creative and love to express myself, but will put my passion aside to help others grow in theirs. I still believe that I can do anything...because my momma told me I could, however, I wonder if it will only be good "enough". Maybe this challenge was a type of Rorschach Test, more than I could have known. Maybe this challenge helped me to really see what I was looking at, not just the blots of color before me, but the real image. For those reasons, I chose the butterfly that may not have been as soft and beautiful, may not have been the favorite, but best represents The Whole Orrdeal...the person that is the artist.