I spent a few hours reinventing.
Interesting things happen when you rummage through your stash. Experimenting is one of the most time consuming studio activites. Basically, it is research. Combining, testing & manipulating materials in every which way to see what you can or can't do with them. Like editing a photo, you have to play around with the effects to see what works, what you like. reduce reuse recycle rethink reimagine recreate rejoice! Folding, ironing, trimming, layering, sprinkling, sticking, sewing... Old wrapping papers, calenders, clippings & cuttings, fabric scraps, words & sparkly hearts now have new life as bookmarks & cool quirky envelopes.
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I am falling behind this week. It isn't a huge problem but we all know what happens when we let things lag, catching up is hard work.
I try to embrace my slumps as much as I can but that doesn't keep the frustration at bay. I am not...wait, I need to turn this around. I often overthink things which sometimes leaves me feeling overwhelmed. I am slow and steady. Once I find my starting point, things usually come together quickly. Maybe messy beginnings allow me to reign in the essential or maybe that's the way it flows sometimes. I am as confident as the next person which, from what I've understood. isn't as much as I should be. I get things done. I doubt. I try not to but I do. Mostly I doubt myself. I am fairly trusting of people though I try to be cautious. I trust my instincts, my intuition is rarely wrong, though I try to look at things from all perspectives. I am easily distracted. I have lots of ideas. These ideas excite me. I strive for optimism. Living positively is as natural a high as they come! And yet, occasionally I feel like I'm kidding myself. I am made up of contradictions. My energy fluctuates like teenage mood swings. Sometimes all I want to do is stop; To stop in front of the TV and binge for a day, To escape between the pages of a good book, To drink bottomless cups of tea, To do anything except what I know I should be doing. I am human. No surprises there. None of this makes any any sense or difference to anyone but me. So in my long winded way I get to the point. I find my way. This weekend I didn't feel like doing anything. I felt physically, emotionally and mentally lumpy. Perhaps it is befitting that my succulent terrarium was made during a dry spell in the middle of a downpour. Nothing like dipping your hands in good earthy energy and the promise of new life. Succulent, from the Latin sucus meaning juice or sap, is one of my favourite words. It has a juicy feel in the mouth. It arouses the senses with culinary associations. A lovely way to finish the week after feeling two-dimensional for most of it. I often keep and collect interesting bits and pieces or scraps that I think may be useful. Unfortunately they usually lay about or are forgotten somewhere and by the time I manage to transform new life into into them, perhaps years have passed!
Even so, it is amazing when these materials are rediscovered. Somehow they find the shape and form they need as if it was already decided. It is hard to describe how it feels when materials magically speak themselves into new existence. I hardly have to do anything, it all just happens, as if they have minds of their own. Some materials are nothing special to look at but for some unknown reason have caught my eye and combined with something else, change dramatically. Quite regularly I am obliged to adapt to the materials I have at hand. This is surely when people create their best work. Imagination and improvisation become necessity rather than choice and true creating happens in these moments. There is rarely a plan, only experimentation, trial and error...in fact, some mistakes become masterpieces! After these first few weeks, I already feel a satisfying sense of achievement. Four of these projects have been in my head or on my to do list for a long time and I am now able to tick those boxes! I love lists and even better, I love ticking or crossing things off lists. I am also reimagining, recycling, repurposing and using up my marvellous stash of materials. There is a moment in the week when I feel a sensation of slowness, when time stretches out before me languidly and everything seems possible. Then suddenly the weekend is over and the shock of a new week is upon me! It is a very brief moment but incredible while it lasts.
Even if I was a super organised time management expert, there still wouldn’t be enough time for everything. I have been thinking, even mildly trying, to adapt my sleeping habits and become an early morning rather than late night potterer but I don’t think I’ll manage it. I do love the mornings and am often up early-ish anyway, but they are busy with routine and time frames and teenage sluggishness. Hardly ripe for my relaxed pondering. This weeks project reflects the mood and the moment, short and sweet. As I ironed the old creases out of my little upcycled skirt, I considered that this 52 weeks process may help me define what I really want. (Ooh, that’s a biggie). I sense change and new choices in the air. Time to smooth and iron out the kinks and flaws in readiness. I have discovered over the years that I am quite precious about my me time. It may sound indulgent but it is SO important. Offering and allowing myself time, keeps me happy and sane and I occasionally growl when other things intrude on this space. Does reduced time lead to reduced effort? Sometimes. Depends on how mindful you are. Mid-week 6 and I’m lagging. This was to be expected, once work and school resumed there is often a chaotic period while routines and rhythm adjust. I am feeling overwhelmed as my teaching role consumes me…but I have been here before and once I sort things out I should be fine. For now I will just do my best and pretend!
This will also make my making more challenging with less time to experiment and create. While my W5 rather large pin board is technically finished, I need to visit the local hardware to grab what is needed to firmly attach it to the wall. It was probably a slightly ambitious project considering I worked most days last week and only had the weekend to complete it. I also relied on valuable help from my neighbour as well as the use of his shed and power tools. So the weight of a project takes much consideration. Most of us try to do too much on a daily basis as it is and though our lists of projects & desires may be long, it is important to balance everything out as best as you can. Never neglect your ME time, simply adapt it to fit, which is exactly what I’ll be doing these next few weeks, possibly months! Think about the WHAT HOW WHEN & WHERE of what you want to achieve. Have you all the materials at hand? Do you need help? How long do estimate it will take? I am going to concentrate on using my stash and my sewing machine to whip up some nifty pieces. Lampshade Mobile
It is getting easier...kind of! I had a good start on projects this week, but yesterday just when I wanted to finish things off, if I wasn’t busy distracting myself, there were plenty of other distractions from animals to teenagers, technology, phone calls and friendly neighbours. I’ve kind of figured that despite how focused I manage to be, there will always be the daily juggling act to contend with and my routine is going to get busy quickly. Even so, my colourful chandelier looks lovely and I also finished two others! ( I could probably spend the year or more simply completing unfinished projects...) These last few years I have become quite fascinated with mobiles. I call them hanging gardens, (see my Pinterest board of the same name for plenty of inspiration), and they can be anything from dream catchers, sculptural hangings, mobiles, light shades or installations. I make them imagining that whoever acquires them will add their own personal touches, keeping the creative energy alive. Today I am up late again. Week 4 has begun with a minor material setback all because La Marquise (my car), true to her nomenclature, decided that she wanted a new set of keys. Who ever dreamed that 2 keys could cost a days wages! No choice, I coughed up the fee and lost an hour and a half in the process so, once again, not as many ticks on my list as expected. Keys today, an exploded spare tyre a few days ago, what surprises will tomorrow bring I wonder? Fortunately I can say that the anxious feelings have nothing to do with creative projects.
Unfortunately it is due to the beautiful region we live in being a hot and dry bushfire prone area and there is currently a large fire burning through the Pilliga just to the east of Baradine. This is a good lesson in planning and preparation especially as I find myself less prepared than I should be! Who would ever think there could be a down side to being creative? Creativity = collecting = stuff = interesting, irreplaceable bits and pieces. I know...it’s just stuff and most of it can be replaced. The frustrating aspect is that the small percentage of irreplaceable bits don’t all fit in the car! It would seem I get more comfort from my stuff than I thought. Costumes and hats are fun to make and dress up in but they are also bulky and heavy, creative writing journals, diaries and correspondence trace the passage of time and books...I won’t even begin about how precious they are! Your stuff tells a story. In some ways it defines us or at least reinforces whatever definition we have made for ourselves. Does that sound kind of sad? Maybe but without my stash, I can’t make anything and yet the down side is that all of this stuff also weighs me down, physically and figuratively. Unsurprisingly I now have the urge to purge! The plan:
This may seem kind of crazy but I have already lost everything in a fire many years ago. I didn’t have the option of taking anything with me and the shock of that loss was even more devastating with time as I slowly remembered all the bits I could never replace. We had to make a list itemising everything for the insurance...no easy task after it’s all gone. You would think I’d have it all sorted having experienced it! So we come back to PP planning and preparation. Whether you are making something wonderful, putting together a flat pack, cooking or in a crisis situation, a little PP goes a long way and will hopefully help you avoid feeling anxious, staying up too late and writing paragraphs about stuff. Despite distractions, I managed to finish my postcard creations. They have turned out quite well, there are 7 in all. Making them kept me busy and BONUS, if you are one of the lucky 7 to ask first by leaving a comment on this post, I’ll send you one! It seems appropriate to finish off with the following quote (not sure who said it), For the longest time, I thought I needed to be more organised. Now I know I just needed less stuff. As week 3 begins I have been contemplating how lamely I dealt with week 2.
I’m sure I will stumble and crash along the way so this has already demonstrated how easily distracted I tend to be. I don’t need to be self critical or worry about it because the reality is that we often try to juggle more than humanly possible despite our humanness! And time management and creative self discipline have always been tricky for me. I possess them in a strange way, just like my organisation skills are completely unique even if I feel I appear all over the place! I am definitely capable but have noticed that I do things in concentrated spurts of activity rather than a constant, consistent flow. I am also rather greedy when it comes to sacred ME time! I have begun, though not finished, revamping the covers of our sofa. I have previously attempted this task without liking the results and it has been on a deeply buried to do list for years. I sometimes underestimate how long certain projects will take even though experience has taught me otherwise! However there are always surprises. Occasionally I begin a project where everything goes smoothly and the results are exactly what I imagined all in record time. That is an amazing feeling. In these early stages of this project I have recognised that planning is super important. In week 1 I knew what I was doing, had the materials ready and did it. This week I ummed and ahhed about what to make, never settling till the end of the week when time got the better of me. But week 3 is a new week. I will indulge in some creative correspondence by making my own mixed media postcards. Dare I suggest one for each day of the week...in between work, painting walls and living with teenagers?
I have discovered that focus is not straightforward.
I keep getting distracted by life & myself. I am good at inspiration, probably too good. I find it anywhere & everywhere to the extent that I get caught up in being inspired & don’t actually make or do anything! To be able to focus, I need to decide on a project for each week; plan, prepare & make. I need to retrain myself & keep it realistic because I already have so much happening in my daily routines. I am not a fast person. I like & need my PONDER time, so 52 weeks will allow me to challenge myself while continuing to work (teaching & hanging out with books), be a mum (full of wonder), read (because one can never read enough) & being a domestic goddess...(not ever going to happen!). I have chosen 52 weeks because 365 days would be more than I can manage at the moment. I recently bought a book called 365 A Daily Creativity Journal Make something everyday and change your life by Noah Scalin. It was a great find only days before starting my own challenge. There are daily prompts, tips and interviews with people who have or are making everyday. I am starting off with a hand bound creative journal which I plan on personalising for a friend who is currently living her own challenging journey. |
AuthorFor me, it seems there is not much difference between wondering and wandering. It has always helped me find inspiration. Creative dabbling is good for the soul, I couldn't imagine life without it and often surprise myself by what I come up with. Archives
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