THE ART OF EMBRACING THE UNEXPECTED

 

“Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life,” R.I. Fitzhenry once said… and the more I live and create, the more I feel the truth in that. Life is anything but predictable. We make plans, set goals, map out the weeks and years ahead, and try our best to stay on track… but somehow, God always seems to have a different idea. And if we’re being honest, that might just be the most beautiful part.

Imagine for a moment if life went exactly as planned. No twists, no sudden detours, no unexpected encounters or opportunities showing up at just the right or wildly inconvenient time. Wouldn’t it all get a little dull? A little too perfect to feel real? In the same way a story loses its spark when you already know the ending, life loses its flavor when everything is certain. It’s the mystery, the not-knowing, the surprise of it all that makes things meaningful. The unknown is where life blooms… not in the carefully scheduled, but in the in-between moments we never saw coming.

As a creative, I experience this mystery almost daily. When I sit down to design, whether it’s a piece of art, a logo, a book cover, or a digital sketch, I might start with a vision in mind. I might have a plan, a mood, a color palette… but somewhere along the way, something shifts. The design starts to breathe on its own. It takes a different turn, softens in areas I didn’t expect, or bursts into something bolder than I had imagined. What I end up with often surprises even me.

There’s a quiet magic in that… in creating something that doesn’t look exactly like the version in my head, but somehow feels more alive. Each finished piece becomes a mix of thought, emotion, timing, and something else I can’t quite name. It’s like a dance with the unknown… part instinct, part imagination, part surrender. And even when the process feels unsure, the outcome almost always carries a beauty I didn’t plan for.

I think life is like that too. We don’t need to have it all figured out. We just need to keep showing up with open hands, with curiosity, with courage, and a little faith. Sometimes things don’t go the way we hoped… but other times, they turn out far better than we dreamed. The breathtaking parts of life are often the ones we didn’t see coming… the unplanned detours, the chance encounters, the work that unfolds better than we envisioned.

So here’s to the mystery, the unpredictable, the unplanned. Here’s to designing, living, and dreaming without all the answers… and still making something beautiful.

WHEN NO ONE CLAPS… CLAP ANYWAY

 

There are days as a creative when it feels like you’re shouting into a void… posting, sharing, building, pouring your heart into something only you seem to believe in. The world scrolls past, barely noticing, maybe even laughing, and deep down, you start to wonder if any of it means anything at all.

But here’s what I’ve come to realize:
It does.

Most people won’t support you at the beginning.
Not because they don’t love you.
Not because they’re against you.
But because they can’t yet see what you see.

They wait for the success, the finished product, the results that scream, “This is worth it.”
But we, the creatives, live in the process.
We create long before there’s applause…
Long before the outcome is clear.

There will be many moments when the only eyes on your work are your own.
No feedback. No likes. No sales. No confirmation that it matters.
And in those moments, you have to choose to show up anyway…
Not because it makes sense,
But because it’s in you.

I imagine mornings on a balcony…
Measuring success in the quiet, coffee in hand, eyes closed, heart full of questions.
I wonder if it’s all worth it, just like in my illustrated image.
But I know those moments are still part of the journey.
They remind me to breathe.
To be present.
To find peace in the pause.
Because of that stillness?
That solitude?
It’s where the next idea is born.
Where I gather the strength to try again.

I’ve had to learn to cheer for myself in the quiet.
When hope feels like a whisper
And doubt screams louder than the dream.

But just because no one sees it yet
Doesn’t mean it’s not working.
Just because I haven’t “made it”
Doesn’t mean I’m not becoming.

Every sketch.
Every caption.
Every late-night edit.
Every post that didn’t go viral…
It’s all part of something bigger.

We don’t always see the fruit right away,
But the seeds matter.
What you’re planting today will grow.
It might take longer than expected.
It might look different than imagined.
But one day, it will bloom.

Until then…
Let it cook.
Water it.
Protect it from doubt.
Speak life over it.

Even when it doesn’t make sense.
Even when you feel foolish.
Even when you’re tempted to quit.

Clap anyway.
Applaud the effort.
Celebrate the heart, the vision.

Because one day, they’ll catch up.
They’ll see what you saw all along.
And when they do,
You’ll already be standing in the reality
Of what you once built in silence.

So if no one’s clapping for you today…
Clap anyway.
It’s not for nothing.
It’s never for nothing.