Small Steps

I thought moving a set of shelves from my storage unit into the basement was going to be simple. Turns out the shelves I built are much sturdier than I remembered. It was tough just to fish out a set, take it apart, load it on the truck and move it into the basement. It was tough to set the shelves back up. Then I realized the floor was so uneven that the shelves could not be made to stand. Tom, the architect neighbor, glibly said, "Just pour a slab over the floor about three or four inches thick." That conclusion was reached over a year ago.
I could not do a slab over the whole floor at one time. I hem-hawed around and finally decided to pour individual slabs. Each one is about the same size as a city sidewalk section. I calculate 24 tiles will be required to cover the entire floor. I have completed three. This work gets my imagination spinning. Working with concrete brings to mind studies of plastering and mosaic tile. I have determined to make this my school of these kinds of works. I love to improve efficiency.
I publish this in part that persons searching for avenues of achievement may receive inspiration from my stumbling forward. I publish in hopes that someone with knowledge will weigh in. These little concrete slabs are nothing but a bit of mud poured like batter into a pan. A little imagination of the ages can reveal whole worlds lost or not yet discovered. One thing I think about is how superior plaster is to sheetrock. I would like to carve out a new and better way in this line. I float some concrete and I dream of how the old masters did frescoes and mosaics. I love the smell of the concrete. I love the temporary lighting. I love the struggle to master the material and cause it to conform to my desire . I dream of doing beautiful, useful works myself. Do you?