I Could Do That!

Screengrabs from a video by Amaury Guichon, chocolate artist

One of the things I do sometimes (when my brain is reeling too fast) is to watch short videos of dessert artists. By this I mean the cake decorators or chocolate sculptors (or the like), who use common items in ways that are truly impressive.

Of course, my brain takes me to the unlikely place where I actually think: “I Could Do That!”

And, maybe I could: if I were to spend the time in training and practice that these folks have, and invest in the tools and implements that they have, and build up the businesses that they have, and then plan/edit/coordinate the videos the way that do.

I could do that!

The reality is: I’m not going to. I appreciate the 60-second montages of these creative endeavours, but I doubt I would have the long-term interest and desire and commitment to the craft.
And that’s okay!

Instead, I know I spend my time and energy in ways that are fulfilling to me: ways that may have minimal interest to others.

Our society has an abundance of ‘content creators’ who share the edited successes they have. We seldom see the journey to get there; the failures, the trials, the journey of getting there. And if we’re not careful, we can get swept up in the notion that everything is easy, and immediate. We know that to be an inaccurate view of the world, which can lead to unrealistic expectations on ourselves.

And so I remind myself that when I think “I Could Do That!” to hear it with a giggle, and a realistic re-assessment. The journey to getting things right is practice, the discernment to things we’re called to involves trial and error. God blessed us all with unique skills and abilities and interests, and if we try to fit into someone else’s mould of ‘success’ we will deny our own pathway.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, the psalmist reminds us knit together by God as unique individuals: so too our interests and abilities will reflect the unlimited glory of God. What a pleasure to discover our own gifts to be shared with the world, demonstrating a strong faith to which others might declare “I could do that!”