Three things that I like about my work
Work life! Being an herbalist is the best and most wonderful mix for me for 10,000 reasons. If I listed them all, this would indeed be a very long journal entry. Instead, I hope that the highlights that follow offer some insight.
Insight? Because often, without inside information, we don’t really have a clue about what any particular profession entails. I use the word “profession” because there are many “hobby herbalists”. I use the word profession to reflect both a standard of practice and because that’s how I earn my living.
Earning a living as an herbalist is quite different than venturing into a corporate position. For one thing, professional herbalists are, most often, self-employed (solopreneurs). This means that we create our own work structures and our own work uniforms (!). Unless we’re generous with ourselves, and able, there’s no paid time off and no 401K. It also means that there’s no commute to the office but, on the other hand, no regular work community/co-workers.
However, as solopreneurs, we have the opportunity to create something that is uniquely ours, for our chosen community; a community that we serve and support and supports us in return.
There are as many different types of herbalists as there are leaves on a tall cottonwood tree … a really big cottonwood.
Some of us work one-on-one with clients with a focus on health and wellness. That’s me. Some of us teach the general public and mentor individuals. That’s me too. Like me also, we forage, grow, harvest and make medicines. And some of us, again like myself, continue our own personal and professional development because as we all know, creating and understanding is not a static process. Integrating new practices and ideas is key.
Some herbalists focus on one or more of these activities, at the exclusion of others. For example, growers supplying others to make medicine and medicine makers supplying practicing herbalists and practicing herbalists working with clients, family and friends. And so it goes.
And some people who work with herbs may shine as retailers, dispensing quality herbs. They may, however, not be practicing herbalists and it’s important to remember this when purchasing herbs, asking for input regarding herbal decisions. So …
… what are the three things that I like about my work?
Plants and people probably head my list.
I continue to feel so much joy, amazement and gratitude when from a tiny seed a mighty tree emerges, or an edible sprout, and from there a leaf and then a flower. But this progression isn’t always the case! Think coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), a springtime ephemeral who flowers before she leafs! I like the feel, the aroma and the aesthetic that herbs offer us, in a pine forest, an urban garden or an herbal storehouse. I like the ways in which particular plants resonate with us individually and collectively and how much they offer us without ever asking anything in return. They offer the air that we breathe. And people. I have so much to learn from the people around me. When working with individual mentees and individuals attending workshops; with individual colleagues or formulating for individual clients, the key word is individual. Two people can have similar suites of symptoms, or wish to study the same topic, e.g., tincturing, and yet wellness plans and resulting tinctures will reflect their individuality and the unique ways in which they come into community with herbs.
Variability comes next. The variability of my work as an herbalist is second on my list.
As a solopreneur, I am the creator of my own schedule which affords me freedom to travel and adjust my activities around commitments. I value this freedom as I do not thrive within the rigors of a 9-5 gig. Of course, it also means that I need to have a productive work life, balancing both my work needs and my own rhythms. The variability of my daily work responsibilities is also extremely important and very satisfying for me. My work necessitates that I am not just either inside or outside. The changeability around where I work suits my spirit and varies seasonally. How I spend my time varies day to day. I teach, see clients, make medicine, have very physical days and others that are more sedentary. I have days when I interact with others often and then days when I am more solitary. This feeds my work ethic, keeps me interested and often results in tangible and meaningful outcomes like
medicines made
beds weeded or harvested or planted
formulas shipped and
client notes updated
I definitely like checking things off my “Too-Do List” and, secretly, I’ve been known to add completed tasks to the list just for the sheer pleasure of a check mark,
Finally, the third thing I like about my work is its spirit-based creativity, intellectual rigor, and professional development. Lol, three in one!
There are times indeed when harvesting medicinals is a meditative experience. It’s also a time, regardless of how well I think I know an herb, to explore more deeply and to spend time
[re]acquainting myself with feel, structure and aroma. Although an herb has never spoken to me in English, as some herbalists have recounted, plants do “speak” to me. I believe that is why I feel so at home amongst the grasses of sand dunes, in pine forests or even why I utterly enjoy the appearance of a singular cosmos. I believe that this, in part, explains why some medicinals resonate with some individuals but not others. Yet, while the “spirit” of plant medicine is undeniably a very real and important aspect of working with plants, it was beyond the scope of my doctoral training; indeed, of many training programs. People who know me well also know that I ask a lot of questions. Questions are an integral part of my being as they lead me to new perspectives, new ideas, new rabbit holes and are often the impetus behind my continuing education. I certainly like research. I very much like those “ah-ha” moments. I think my research training lends itself well to working with both plants and people. So, while I’ve not shared the entire list of 10,000 things I like about my work, I’ve certainly taken full advantage of a liberal counting system!
