Turning Broken Plates into Art #FeelingFriday
Think of this as a “turning lemons into lemonade” story …
Source: Me
My husband is really into dishes. It’s one of the things he collects and it’s one of the things that gives him great joy in life. And it’s my job to keep them neatly organized in cabinets for easy access and it’s my job to do table top design for not only when we eat dinner together just us or with our family, but also for the holidays. I get to chose among the buffet of dishes and put together various combinations. The fun comes in combining plates of different sizes/patterns to see what I can make of them. His passion has become a creative outlet for me. Let’s call it a win win. :)
For years my husband has had his eye on these Italian dishes from Ginori 1735 (literally founded in 1735), but they are quite hard to get and quite expensive so they’ve always been out of reach for him/us.
Well he finally was able to order them after many years of hand wrangling. After years of hard work, he deserved to treat himself to a guilt-less pleasure … four in green and four in white.
They took months to ship and after much anticipation, they finally arrived. The box of white dishes were expertly packed for shipment from Italy to New York, and arrived in perfect condition. The green dishes, not so much; they arrived all broken. In fact as soon as I saw the outside of the box, I just knew it wasn’t going to be good news.
A moment of panic. How am I going to tell him? Then a moment of quick problem solving!
Maybe it’s my current mood and the state of the state we’re in, but what might have otherwise caused stress and disappointment turned into an instant creative thought. Ding!
We had recently purchased a piece of art that is a broken champagne bottle enclosed in lucite.
Inspiration for a problem solved!
Source: Me
So we gave the broken dishes to that same artist and asked him what he could do with them. Wow were we impressed! Once a broken dish with no use, now a piece of collectible art hanging on the wall! Four pieces of art to be exact.
And now here they are, in our home …
Source: Me
It’s a version of the story, “turning lemons into lemonade.”
This art has given my husband so much joy because now he looks at the collection daily, much more often than if they had been a set of dishes sitting in a cabinet.
It’s so unique, it’s us, and it tells a story of longevity, determination, turnaround … and ultimate beauty. Much like life itself.
It’s a lesson learned in making the most of what life throws at you. I’ve often said, especially in my most trying times, “deal with the cards you are dealt with,” which doesn’t mean settle, it just means make the most of what you’ve got.
And while I will fight for what’s right, I will also embrace all that life is and enjoy it to the max.
In these times today where we are in fight mode much of the time, we also need time for joy.
How can you turn “broken plates” into “art?” What’s your experience?
Wishing you moments of joy! JIM