We Are All Made of Stars

Day 7 – Made to Matter: 13 Soulful Stories from the Studio

Some pieces arrive before their purpose.

I found the desk years ago, drawn to its bones, but unsure of what it needed to become. For a long while, it sat tucked away, waiting quietly while I navigated transitions in my life. After my mother passed and I stepped away from work, I felt called to create a new space—one that would serve not just as a work area, but as a map for healing.

Pulled from Storage …

The room I was designing it for had deep purple walls, and I knew I wanted to pull in night sky hues, golden accents, and cosmic symbolism. I began slowly transforming the desk: painting the trim black, layering in celestial decoupage papers with star charts and a soft golden glow. I added crackled copper-gold to the legs, stenciled stars on the drawer edges, after painting the sides in a rich plum shade.

I commissioned my daughter-in-love, Brittany, to create an illustration that would add constellations and moon phases—filling in the recessed panel that once held leather with a tribute to the heavens. We topped it with a protective piece of glass, sealing in the cosmos. The final result wasn’t just a desk—it was a constellation of memory, purpose, and rebirth.

During that year of pause, the desk became more than a project—it became an anchor. While I rested, researched, and dug deep to discover what was next, it quietly held space for my unfolding. Eventually, the desk was moved again, this time into a shared space with my sidekick. Now it continues to serve as a place I write, reflect, and connect with my community. It's become even more special with time—a sanctuary of sorts to possibility, presence, and new beginnings.

The desk had been waiting—just like I had. I originally purchased it from a woman named Sherry at a local resale shop, not knowing then how that single purchase would lead to friendship. We connected through a shared appreciation for pieces with soul, and though we don’t get to see each other as often as I’d like, that first meeting planted a seed that’s grown quietly in the background of my creative life. I think of Sherry’s warmth and her bohemian spirit. I love the curves of the desk legs, and the quiet companionship of a piece that has become so much more than furniture.

I’ve worked at this desk nearly every day since, and still pause sometimes just to admire it. It's a reminder that beauty can come from what’s been stored, stilled, or set aside. Sometimes healing looks like putting your hands to something physical—layering, painting, remembering—and watching it glow with new purpose.

This desk, like a fixed star, or perhaps the North Star Polaris, in my personal galaxy, reminds me that we all have a place in the constellation of stories. Some shine boldly, others whisper in glimmers—but all are part of the greater whole.

“If the stars were made to worship, so will I.

Lyric — Hillsong United, “So Will I”

“For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.”
—Carl Sagan

A Thought to Carry

Even in your quiet seasons, you are still becoming.
What seems forgotten may simply be waiting for the moment to shine—
you, too, are made of stardust and second chances.