What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

In 2010, I made xmas photo. In 2011, I made metaphorical things—that were intentionally symbolic of relationships and history.

This year, the last thing I made was something for my ice cream project. In whole, this year, I have made a lot of ice cream.

Because the process of ice cream making is so arduous and time-consuming, I let myself get lost in the process. It’s catharsis. The fact that I must pay attention to the heating up a cream mixture so that eggs don’t curdle (and they have curdled a lot in front fo me). Then the preparation of the focal ingredient (whether it’s tea leaves or fruit), it’s stress-relieving.

I must pay attention when I am chopping. I must attend to the level of simmering for all heated mixtures. I must constantly test (and make sure that I don’t use the same spoons over and over again.

I adjust the recipes on the fly and I have to take note on my draft blog posts that I can note it in recipes.

All of this process takes me away from the mess of my room, the every day banality and calls of help emanating from my email.

I am making. I am making happiness, joy and rewards.