Can I Candle?

  This week I tried scenting a candle in a new way. So far I have only used fragrance oils, but I came across ways to use ground spices. So my candle has vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. We will see how it goes. The wax was an ugly brown color when it was still warm, and then when it cooled the cinnamon had separated to the top and bottom.  I think candle making falls between options F and G, which are enjoyment and interest. Enjoyment is the cross between high meaning and low-level engagement. Interest is the cross between high meaning and high-level engagement. I chose both of them because I think the level of engagement varies depending on what part of the candle-making process I am in. I also chose both because I don't completely agree with the way they are defined. I feel like I experience enjoyment and interest in different ways during high and low levels of engagement. So I don't like the idea of separating them. With how busy I get during school, it...

Way back in the first week I tried to make my own lemon and orange scented fragrance oils. About four weeks ago I made candles with my homemade fragrance and they basically have no scent. So this week I melted down the lemon candle and added more fragrance oil, but it didn't seem to make a difference. I might try one more time and add even more, and if it doesn't work then I will probably give up on the homemade oils for the time being. My new occupation of candle making can facilitate well-being by giving me a time to take a break from school work and do something calming and relaxing. In the first few weeks it was more exciting, and I was more nervous about getting it right. Now I have more of a system going and it feels more calming. In some ways it can hinder my well-being, because I still consider this occupation to be school-related, which makes it hard to find the motivation to do it sometimes. Though even when I don't want to do it, it always feels great afterward t...

 This week I went back to just making one candle. I focused on finding a way to keep the wick in place. I've been securing the wick to the bottom of the container by just dipping it in a little bit of wax and allowing it cool. The problem is when I pour hot wax in, that little drop melts and the candle moves. The wick is also coated in wax and stops standing up straight. I bought these fancy wick holders way back at week 1 or 2, but they don't work very well. So I put two wooden craft sticks around the wick and taped them together. So far it is looking good.  I also found some candles at Trader Joe's that are the same size and almost the exact same container. So I bought one to compare the strength of my candles' scent to it. It is a vanilla harvest scented candle and the one I just made is vanilla scented. My quick stop to Joann's to get the wooden sticks is a good example of how this occupation fits in with my identity. I grew up doing many types of crafts and lov...

Last week I felt pretty comfortable making two candles at a time, so I tried making three candles at a time and it was a little chaotic. I knocked over one of the bottles of fragrance oil and struggled with my wicks. I think next time I will need to devise a new method of holding wicks in place. The apple candle I made two weeks ago actually smells a little stronger than it did last week, so that is exciting! When I chose this occupation I was definitely influenced by self-knowledge and self-awareness. I grew up doing a lot of crafts with my mom, so I've always considered myself to be creative and capable in the context of crafts. So it was very easy for me to consider a crafty-type activity for my new occupation. While I had very little knowledge of candle making, I had the self-esteem to recognize that I can learn new things and problem solve to figure it out. To my understanding, the transactional nature of occupations refers to how the person and the context are "part of e...

 Candle Update For those visiting the first time, in my first week of candle making I attempted to make homemade lemon and orange scented fragrance oil. Basically I have had jars of olive oil and shavings of lemon and orange peels sitting on my counter for four weeks. I decided to finally try them out, and I'm still hoping for the best. The oils themselves aren't super strong, but they do have a very sharp citrus smell. We will know more as the candles cure.  Last week's candle was scented with all natural apple scented oil and I was able to light it today to test it out. It seems to be doing pretty well. It is not quite as strong as I would like, but it is a pretty small candle. So I will call this a success. I've been pretty disappointed in previous candles, so I never lit them a second time, but maybe I will try this one out a few more times and see if anything changes.  Flow When I first learned about flow early in my undergad, I was really intrigued by the idea and...