I learn by doing and I fail a lot. I overanalyze. Everything is so much simpler when other people do it. We don’t get to see their messes and mistakes, unless they choose to share it with us. I feel honored when people share their messes with me. I like to think it makes us real. Real people, real friends, or real relatable at any rate. In this bottle is nature, memories, artistic expression and a bit of hireth.

• the bottle is a recycled Maple syrup bottle
• the cork is from the craft store in a pack that cost less than a US dollar
• the chain, boat, treasure chest and eye hook are also from the craft store
• the shells are the smallest ones from my late Grandfather’s shell collection
• the sand is from a beach close to where a loved one grew up
• the bottle sits on a piece of petrified wood from my late grandfather’s rock collection, which came from a place in central Washington state, between the home I’ve made and the home where I grew up