Weeks 17-20 of the 52 Collage Journal

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the midway point in the 52 Collage Journal Project.  When I began, one of my fears was that I would run out of ideas.  In fact, I have found that the more I create, the more ideas I have. Here are the pieces from the last four weeks.

17/52 "Cocoon" ...Mary Oliver...How I Go Into the Woods poem...safety...security...

18/52 "Layered" ...peel it back...

 

19/52 "Oracle" ...visualization...steps...if you dream it...

 

20/21 "Incubator" ...one day the black will swallow the red...

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.

 

13/52 "New Moon" ...reflections...glimmer...translucent...

14/52 "Internal" ...inspection...analysis...search...

15/52 "Tidal" ...tides...waves...movement...

 

16/52 "Pause" ...slow down...meditate...mending...

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...

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...

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. 

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!

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.