I’ve dabbled in adult figure skating for a few years, so I feel a connection to skaters like Alysa Liu who step away and then return for entirely new reasons. Watching her gold-winning free skate brought tears to my eyes. Yes, it was technically excellent. But what struck me most was something deeper: it felt like pure artistic joy. People do what they do for many reasons. But the easiest way for energy, effort, and creativity to flow is when the intention underneath it is jo