together

Lately, I love to work in a series.  I am making small pieces again and each one seems to lead to the next. As I assemble a group of small pieces, they gain strength.  One seems to inform the other.

It reminds me of Peter Wohlleben’s book The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel and How They Communicate. He talks about how trees are better in group and how they help each other. One tree alone is never as strong as a group of trees. 

This series, Birch Trees, did not start out as a series but as I worked on them, they felt stronger when I looked at them together. Like Birch trees in nature: OK alone but better together.

It seems that everywhere I turn, I am reminded of the importance of collaboration. In my work as a consultant, I see how teamwork and the variety of strengths is what enables an organization to excel. The Mayo Clinic is at least partially the superb institution that it is because of the collaboration between doctors, nurses and other caregivers. Most great accomplishments in history have come through collaboration.

I like the idea of letting my pieces collaborate.