Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Let Sleeping Blogs Lie & Other Adventures in Daily Practice


Yes indeed. 
Over a month. 
I admit it---
 I saw the number of gnomes growing and I kept making them one by one, day by day and putting them aside, promising myself I would remember who went with what day. Promising that I would photograph each one and post him or her up and write about him or her (each one has a personality, they just come that way!)


But I didn't and- I lost some, well, more than "some". There are gnomelings missing and a couple gnomes I just can't find. What a mess!
BUT I soaked up the loveliness of creating with my hands- in the heat of this speedy summer and in the chaos of travel; laughing & fighting children; staying up night after night with a sick horse and a scared child, demanding- and sometimes overly affectionate- sheep and in the face of new adventures in new places.


Oh yes, I made those gnomes- in so many colors, soft and coarse wool, always impish and sweet and always whispering their stories to me as I felted away. 
Yes, there were days when the heat and humidity took me down like a fainting giant- my daily practice crushed beneath me like mountains as I fell off the path. Days when my arms were sore and I dared not use them for anything and days when I put the gnome aside and couldn't find it later. (I suspect canine intervention- some hats for a bulk gnome production went missing and were later found partially consumed on my bed.)
But I made those gnomes.


I did a horrible job tracking them but I made them and that rhythm is really what it's about. That- and the forgiveness (this is perhaps the hardest part of anything for me- that pesky forgiveness). I know that I am only human but I still insist on holding myself to standards that are slightly ridiculous and those standards aren't applied to others- just me. How else can I ensure that I'm never done; that I'm never quite good enough? That is certainly no way to nurture myself and we all need to nurture both ourselves and others.

(above: felted wool painting of a sweet donkey named George)

You should have seen my to-do lists, scribbled out on recycled paper a mile long.  I tried to get it all done-- and then I gave up mid-stride. I had to ask myself what was more important? Vacuuming or making art? Making dental appointments or visiting with friends whom I rarely see?  Could anything on the list wait a day or two or did they have to be done then and there on that day? So, I took a deep breath and sat down to felt with new friends.

(above: felted wool sheep painting)

How the world changes when we have both art and friends in our lives!
And then there were a couple sick days but I chugged on and I made gnomes- and pictures. So, many, many felted pictures. I played with needle felting combined with wet felting and came up with ideas to mix mediums.

(above: felted wool northern cardinal painting)

Images and ideas fly into my mind on wings- and I must create with my hands. 
I must because if I don't, despite all the human error I hold within my bones and all the times I fail or mess up, that glowing ball of creativity that burns so fiercely within my heart and soul urged me on and if I don't create, that ball of creative light will certainly and most definitely burst from me and I might just shatter apart when it does.

(above: felted wool duck painting)

(above: felted wool swan clock in the works....)

(above: felted wool swan coffee press cozy in the works....) 
It keeps me going-- knowing that I can create with these hands and this heart and this mind-- knowing that anyone and everyone can create, that is what makes the world shine. That one truth is what makes me keep going- our infinite ability to create beauty every moment of every day for the rest of our lives- even if it is just with our thoughts and our heart.
We just have to choose to use our magic in that way.
And everyone has magic.
Everyone.
Period.

6 comments:

  1. Yes!!! Everyone has magic. I always say that :) Thank you for your beautiful work. It is much appreciated.

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    1. I'm glad you like my work :-) I'm also glad that you remind others about all that good magic we have coursing through us. That is wonderful!

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  2. Absolutely beautiful work...and fun too!

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    1. Hello Terri,
      I'm so glad you like the work. It is so much fun and there are so many challenges in there that get the creative juices flowing. Thank you for taking the time to let me know what you think.

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