I’ve been so enamored of my newfound art – penny rugs – that I felt compelled to list what’s making me so happy. In doing so, I realized that this applies to YOUR passion as well. Take the test, and let me know how you do.

1. You can’t wait to get to work on your project, whether it’s trying a new recipe, writing a verse, or getting those seeds into the earth NOW, if it’s your passion, you’re hungry to dig in. You dutifully show up for your schedule of appointments, but before, between, and right after, you eagerly jump back into your passion, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time.
2. You wake up thinking about it. Maybe you even dreamt about where you left off. Where did you locate that scene? Did you get the chord just right? Can you find the combination of colors, steps or words that make you tingle?
3. While you’re at work, nothing else exists. There is no pandemic. Everyone gets along in the family and in the world. Politics is a remote concept. That’s enough motivation for anyone to discover their passion.
4. Each step of the way offers beauty, excitement, and motivation to continue. The order of those five notes lifts your heart. The aroma of herbs has you salivating. The button you chose is the perfect complement to the cuff. You discover one joy in creation, and the next step beckons you forward.
5. Every aspect of your passion enchants you. Though you have a hard time sitting still to meditate, when mulling a creative conundrum you’re able to sit silently for 40 minutes allowing silence and stillness to inform your process. Budgeting is a chore you detest. However, when you’re planning how much to spend on your garden, every decimal point captivates you. Locating the ketchup in the refrigerator is daunting, but opening the hood of your vintage car to replace a hard-to-locate part is sheer delight.
6. Outside help comes from unexpected places. Just when you were thinking you’re all alone in this endeavor, an article you’re reading sparks the perfect answer you’ve been seeking. You need to purchase a keyboard for your voice work, and a friend you mention it to offers you his.
7. Your enthusiasm for your passion lifts up those around you. Yes, sometimes there’s jealousy or resentment (you’re happy and engaged and they’re not), but more often, when you let someone know that the poem you’ve written was incredibly satisfying, you’re met with their excitement and joy for you pursuing your creativity.
8. Other challenges in your life seem to solve themselves. I’ve always been a fan of the quote, “Polish here, shine there,” and can apply it to knowing your passion. A sculptor, after welding metal pieces together, effortlessly finds a summer rental. The embroiderer, enthralled with her latest creation, offers a virtual step-by-step class which fills immediately.
9. Your passion won’t leave you alone. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton, the musical, and featured luminary on Dear… says, “it keeps tapping you on the shoulder. Tap, tap, tap! until you have to pay attention to its demand.
10. Completing a project brings you and others joy. Speaking of Hamilton, it’s brought joy to millions. You hear, “Can I buy one?” “When can I hear more?” Plus, you regard your finished piece as a proud parent– lovingly, and with a sense of fullness unlike anything else you do.

Since I began sewing these treasures, I’ve had offers of buttons and beads from one good friend, a sewing machine from another, an offer to build a hand-made wooden frame to support the work-in-progress from my son, and plenty of “oohs” and “ahhhs” from those who’ve seen my progress. A common refrain of, “You could sell these!” is also reinforcement that I’m on track for more than self-satisfaction. I would love to receive commissions and will soon be adding an ARTIST page to my website.

Here’s the piece I’ve been working on for several weeks now. Each penny now needs to be individually stitched to the black background. Then I will decide if the buttons in between are just right or too much. What I especially love about this craft is how forgiving it is. If I don’t like the way the buttons look after sewing them all on, I can easily remove them. With my egg work, no such luck. There were many happy surprises, but not as much control.

It’s my fervent wish that you, too, find what brings you all of these listed pleasures, and that you allow yourself to experience the fulfillment of that talent welling up inside you.