A Non-food but Nevertheless Venture

“Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!” Well, for me and probably you as you read this it’s “Detox, Detox, Detox!” Seriously, should I stop writing about this detox already? If you answered yes, post a comment and tell me to quit it. This has been a very pervasive undertaking and has forced both my body and mind to undergo some cleansing. Today I’ll document a snippet of the mental portion and take a brief pause from my food focus. You read that right; I hate to admit this venture through detox is not just about food. It feels strange to admit that, but I guess that’s part of the detox therapy.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I’ve been re-evaluating my relationship with food as a part of the non-physical cleansing process. I say relationship, you say obsession, I say hobby, you say fetish… Whichever definition you choose, food and cooking tend to dominate most (ok...all) aspects of my life. Activities are positioned around meals, boredom is solved by munching, emotions are pacified by sweets, and elation is congratulated with treats. I seem to devote a lot of time and energy towards eating, cooking, and exercising which is just a necessary consequence of eating.

Fasting, an important part of detox, is a homeopathic remedy for many mental and physical ailments. It is practiced in several religions and has long been thought to contribute to longevity. While I don’t feel ready to engage in a strict fast, I did dabble with it slightly during this phase as an attempt to achieve some mental and spiritual clarity. It was actually the perfect approach to answering how I would fill my time if it were not spent eating, cooking or exercising. I love being out, finding new activities and attending events around town. But food is on my mind no matter where I go. This was a perfect opportunity to explore something without food on the mind, though it had to be something that required a little less energy as my body literally had a small supply.

Having attended the monthly art festival in Phoenix, I was inspired by some of the artwork and flat-out unimpressed by some of the craft. While I actually adored many of the greeting cards artists were selling, the visible pen and marker lines made me look twice. In short, I left thinking “I can make that myself at home.” So I marched over to the arts and crafts store the next day, took my time perusing through the aisles, and came out with a somewhat loose idea that I hoped would bloom on its own.

This was so therapeutic, and I can’t wait to make more. Hopefully it will financially pan out to be more economical that buying cards for people. They are fun to make and you can’t beat a personal touch. I especially like sketching out my ideas first – I almost feel like a real designer or something. Hello? Hallmark, is that you? No these are not for sale you sentiment-robbing, cheesy-verbiage monger. There is real love in here that cannot be squashed by your silly bar codes and dollar signs! For a nice price, I might give in to Etsy though.

The lucky recipient was someone very deserving, who I really do think is super. And just in case you are curious about what lays behind the card in that little pink basket - I'll publish the recipe for those bad boys once I perfect it...