13/52 "New Moon" ...reflections...glimmer...translucent...
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Weeks 13-16 of the 52 Collage Journal
Another four weeks down and I will admit, there was a week that I really was pushing to make the deadline. It was a late night but I did it. Having a self imposed deadline and a community to hold me accountable is what kept me going. It is so easy to put everything else before creative time. That is the very reason that I began this challenge. There are times when I am tired or feel like being lazy but having this challenge makes me go into my studio and just get down to do it. What I have found is that once I am there, it starts to come. It comes and then the tired or lazy feeling goes away and I am in my flow. He is what came out of that for weeks 13-16.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Weeks 9-12 of the 52 Collage Journal
4 more weeks closer to reaching my goal of 52 weeks! I have found it really interesting to see how much the moments of the week have found themselves coming through in the pieces I create. Some inspiration is subtle while others are more literal. When I look at each one, I have a memory of the story behind it.
9/52 "Keep Walking" ...dreamweaver...path...spiders & snakes...visitors...
10/52 "Connected"
11/52 "Anticipation" ...family...magic...vacation...love...
12/52 "Bridges" ...unity...cultures...acceptance...it's a small world...patience...
Monday, February 27, 2017
Weeks 5-8 of The 52 Collage Journal
Another four weeks and another four pieces! I am enjoying this challenge although some weeks I enjoy it more than others. I had a tight week for collage #8 so this is where there is a true test....to squeeze in time for art when it is seemingly impossible. I have my favorites and some that I see as just "okay." But I feel that with each one, I am learning.
5/52 "Boundaries" ...setting them...keeping in...keeping out...
6/52 "Pull" ...interests...directions...pulling...
7/52 "Bloom" ...darkness vs light...growth...beauty...
8/52 "The Clock" ...time...countdown...spin the dial...
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Weeks 1-4 The 52 Collage Journal
I have completed the first month in my goal to create a collage each week for my 52 Collage Journal Challenge. So far the experience has been really fun and enjoyable. By having a deadline, I have been forced to push through self doubt and decision making. Here are the pieces with a few words of backstory to them.
1/52 "Renewal" ...fresh start...dark to light...rebirth...light & airy...
2/52 "Tying Up Loose Ends" ...to-do lists...organizing the unorganized...new year...end of year...
3/52 "News/Noise/News" ...news...politics...noise...
4/52 "No Mud No Lotus" ...unity...love...women...announcement of my niece-to-be
If you are interested, you can follow along with me each week as I post my progress on Instagram @the_meditative_stitcher.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
52 Challenge
I have given a lot of thought about my life, and what makes me the happiest. Ranked up at the top of my list with my family and friends is Art. If Art is in the top three, why am I not treating it in that way? If this little thing called Art can make me so happy then why am I not doing more of it?
Art is like dessert. Saving the best for last.
I go about my day with work and chores, trying to get those things out of the way so that I can spend my time guilt-free creating Art. That thing called Art is hanging above me from a stick, waiting to be pulled down but always a little out of reach. The work and chores take longer than expected. The drain from the day has depleted my energy. The list of to-dos grow while Art waits in the corner.
But what if I made Art come first? If I put it on the top of my list of things to do? I think that somehow the necessary chores of daily life will still get done; the bills will get paid, the dishes will get washed and laundry will somehow still get folded. And my soul will be fed.
So this year, instead of a resolution, I have given myself a challenge...The 52 Collage Journal. I am committing to creating a mini fiber collage every week of 2017 to document my life. I created this challenge with the goal of doing more of what I love and becoming more confident in my creative decision making.
So in 2017 I am eating my dessert first. Follow along on Instagram @the_meditative_stitcher to see the year unfold!
Art is like dessert. Saving the best for last.
I go about my day with work and chores, trying to get those things out of the way so that I can spend my time guilt-free creating Art. That thing called Art is hanging above me from a stick, waiting to be pulled down but always a little out of reach. The work and chores take longer than expected. The drain from the day has depleted my energy. The list of to-dos grow while Art waits in the corner.
But what if I made Art come first? If I put it on the top of my list of things to do? I think that somehow the necessary chores of daily life will still get done; the bills will get paid, the dishes will get washed and laundry will somehow still get folded. And my soul will be fed.
So this year, instead of a resolution, I have given myself a challenge...The 52 Collage Journal. I am committing to creating a mini fiber collage every week of 2017 to document my life. I created this challenge with the goal of doing more of what I love and becoming more confident in my creative decision making.
So in 2017 I am eating my dessert first. Follow along on Instagram @the_meditative_stitcher to see the year unfold!
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Making the Hard Choices
The process of art can be a therapeutic and rewarding experience. I often share my own personal experiences of using art to work through difficulties in this very blog. There is another side of art making that is sometimes not discussed; the side that is full of creative blocks, frustration and questioning oneself.
Sometimes I just want to get to the making. I wish I could standardize things to take the difficult decisions out of the process. Figure out the most successful way to get my point across, the basic common steps of the process, and the easiest way to frame each piece. Then I can get to the fun/easy part. But each piece is different, a different application is needed, and thus a decision needs to be made.
Awhile back I had an artist friend who was dealing with some difficult life circumstances. Knowing how art has helped me, I asked if she was doing any painting. She said that her art had become automized. She worked on it assembly line style to create a work of art that was cohesive and quicker for production. At that moment I felt so sad for her. Something that could help to give her joy and be used as a way out of the darkness had been lost.
Sure, I would love to get better at my work but not at the expense as to where it becomes too easy. The struggle is where the magic happens. Not only do the hard choices add interest and emotional power to your pieces but they also keep the fire inside alive. I know it is cliché to say it but I truly don't know where I would be if I did not have my art. Trying to make the hard choices easy is when the light in your fire starts to go out.
Sometimes I just want to get to the making. I wish I could standardize things to take the difficult decisions out of the process. Figure out the most successful way to get my point across, the basic common steps of the process, and the easiest way to frame each piece. Then I can get to the fun/easy part. But each piece is different, a different application is needed, and thus a decision needs to be made.
Awhile back I had an artist friend who was dealing with some difficult life circumstances. Knowing how art has helped me, I asked if she was doing any painting. She said that her art had become automized. She worked on it assembly line style to create a work of art that was cohesive and quicker for production. At that moment I felt so sad for her. Something that could help to give her joy and be used as a way out of the darkness had been lost.
Sure, I would love to get better at my work but not at the expense as to where it becomes too easy. The struggle is where the magic happens. Not only do the hard choices add interest and emotional power to your pieces but they also keep the fire inside alive. I know it is cliché to say it but I truly don't know where I would be if I did not have my art. Trying to make the hard choices easy is when the light in your fire starts to go out.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
A Retreat Inside of Oneself
For my milestone birthday this year, I gave myself the best present I could have ever asked for... I always wanted to go on an art retreat to learn from wonderful instructors and spend my days creating art! I signed up for a week-long retreat with Squam Art Workshops called "Into the Mystic."
What I ended up receiving from this experience was so much more than the creative techniques and art making that I expected. The gift I received was spending time in the company of the person who I take for granted on a daily basis...myself! Even the art classes were a life lesson. Instructors, Joetta Maue and Colleen Attara embrace the imperfections of creating art. The art is the process and sometimes letting go can create the most beautiful outcomes.
I would never consider myself a nature girl. I'm the girl swatting at flies, fighting with humidity, running from bees and covered in mosquito bites. With time seemingly standing still, I naturally slowed down as well. I laid on the hammock with butterflies, coexisted with massive spiders and walked through trails to sit riverside with my journal.
My life is usually so loud- days are packed with conversations, podcasts fill my daily commute and days off often consist of chores, obligation, planning and "should dos" with art squeezed in between it all. In the mountains in the woods, I loved the quiet sounds of nature. There was no need for constant stimulation. Instead of my non stop inner voice commentary, I was alone with a sense of peace. The should dos became the question, "what do I want to do?"
Now back for over a week, I admit, it is a struggle to keep that inner quiet and peaceful feeling. I find myself craving walks through nature, time to meditate and journal. By allowing myself the gift of granting these things whenever I can, I find that magical place in myself again. The skills and lessons learned from that transformative week will stay with me forever. Every single woman that I met on this retreat I love and cherish like family. There is no possible way for me to describe this experience properly-nor do I wish to- doing so would take away some of the magic. It was a personal journey in which I feel extremely grateful to have had.
What I ended up receiving from this experience was so much more than the creative techniques and art making that I expected. The gift I received was spending time in the company of the person who I take for granted on a daily basis...myself! Even the art classes were a life lesson. Instructors, Joetta Maue and Colleen Attara embrace the imperfections of creating art. The art is the process and sometimes letting go can create the most beautiful outcomes.
I would never consider myself a nature girl. I'm the girl swatting at flies, fighting with humidity, running from bees and covered in mosquito bites. With time seemingly standing still, I naturally slowed down as well. I laid on the hammock with butterflies, coexisted with massive spiders and walked through trails to sit riverside with my journal.
My life is usually so loud- days are packed with conversations, podcasts fill my daily commute and days off often consist of chores, obligation, planning and "should dos" with art squeezed in between it all. In the mountains in the woods, I loved the quiet sounds of nature. There was no need for constant stimulation. Instead of my non stop inner voice commentary, I was alone with a sense of peace. The should dos became the question, "what do I want to do?"
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