"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
—Albert Einstein
Middles are hard.
The beginning of a project is exciting. The end is satisfying. The middle, well ...
Last week I started a necklace for a magazine deadline with great enthusiasm. I sketched out several possible ideas and ordered some special handmade beads.
The first two steps were a breeze. Easiest project ever! I'd finish this necklace and move to the other tasks I needed to do. Then I got stuck. I fiddled. I tried this material and that.
I set it aside. The problem must be with those beads. So I started another necklace with different beads. This one, too, started easily, but again, I ran into a snag halfway through. Anything that could break, broke. Anything that could be crooked or mismatched or off in any way, was.
I started a third necklace with a completely different set of materials. By this time, I felt anxious. Luckily, the editor had offered me an extension before I even had to ask, but still, time was running short. This late in the game, I needed to work with what I had. It was too late to order new materials or dream up yet another set of designs. I was starting to get a little scared. I was reminded of those contestants on American Idol being told, "You're only as good as your last song." If this necklace was my last song, I knew I wouldn't be singing much longer.
I decided to stick with the third necklace. Another day passed. It still wasn't coming together. I was starting to doubt myself. I stared at five different pieces of ribbon and cord and debated the merits of each. I liked the color of this one, but the softness of this other one, and this one didn't fray as much as the other two, and this one was the perfect width ... I felt paralyzed.
Around the fourth night, I started dreaming about the necklace. Moving beads this way and that as I slept. Using these beads and those beads. Turning the necklace upside down and backwards. Speaking to it in pseudo-Swahili and listening for a response.
Near the end of the week (two days before my new deadline), it finally started to come together. There wasn't any dramatic breakthrough. It was more like a steady drop of water wearing away a stone. I found a chain that worked with the design. I made some color choices and stuck with them. I pushed aside all the doubt that had been creeping into my mind. The necklace is finished and on its way to the editors, who hopefully will like it as much as I do.
Sometimes you just need to muddle through the middle and trust that it will all work out in the end. Persistence is every bit as important as talent.
Photo: Not every middle is delicious as this vanilla cream filling by Martha Stewart.