Writing Again

It's been nearly two weeks since I started rewriting the course curriculum at The Natural Perfume Academy, also known as The Academy of Perfuming Arts. I'm taking a break from it today while the course administrator, Ruth, works on some technical issues. The school is down for maintenance and even I can't get in. I'm getting time off from this enormous pile of notes and print outs and the long list of add ons and fixes. I can't say I haven't enjoyed it, because I have. This newer course is truer to my feelings and beliefs when it comes to the art of natural perfumery. It's real. It's also much less overwhelming for a six-month course, and much more revealing. The exploration of natural perfumery moves away from basic facts and plodding themes to getting down and dirty with the experiential exercises.

What all this writing has revealed is that at the core of it all, I'm experiencing a lot of depression over not having a proper studio. Making soap here and there is fine and well, but it doesn't go far enough to feed the creative fire. My perfumer's studio, my work space, my art, is my anti-depressant. Whenever things get tough -- and believe me, the last 5 months have been nearly intolerable -- I always had my art to turn to. I don't have that right now, and my only recourse -- my only creative outlet -- is to write about perfumery, like a long, lost love.