Creative Phases ~ Socks

Not unlike the attention span of a Jack Russell terrier, my creative phases and interests vary and shift at a rapid rate of speed. Similar to some of the other creative makers that I have come to know over the years and can happily say I have found "my people" in the midst of them, leaving me with a welcome relief that I am not alone, nor am I this oddity that some people have a hard time grasping.

Sometimes I have a hard time relating to the slow and steady wins the race folks, perfection seekers, as well as, finishes all of their projects people, but I do find them charming enough.

To their credit and in no way to judge their personal process they do get the job done. They don't have to live with the half completed ideas, piles of assorted mediums and never enough time to complete them all syndrome that I suffer from. Which of course is something I do not know anything about..

I've have come to accept that that is part of my maker self and am grateful that at this point in my life the few that are close to me understand this and allow space for me to express my ideas, try and fail, try again and succeed. Everyone in my designated cult should be so fortunate.

Today I thought I'd share my "sock phase".. There are probably another dozen or more pairs that were not present for this photo shoot due to them being gifted, lost or worn out. But, you'll at least get a vibe for the creative allure and a peak at the passion that drives the makers heart.

Working at a yarn shop for five years off and on didn't help this helter skelter creative distraction issue, but did allow me to have a fabulous stash of gorgeous materials to work with, and now that I have my own time and space around me I can make away! There's always a silver lining somewhere.

It's been a while since I've knit any socks but lately I keep circling around the idea again. I'm preparing to fly to Nashville this month to take care of my nieces and nephew while their parents fly off to some warmer, all inclusive romance venue for a stretch and socks have always been the perfect traveling project.


I do have a "second sock" that I've needed to knit up since last summer but that always feels like a penance as anyone who makes socks can testify to. I'm going to have to think about this a little more.

Here's a random idea! I could bring the second sock exclusively like my polar opposite friends do and then I would have no other choices. A scary option for someone such as myself. But, who knows? I might even finish it, maybe even wear them home. Stay tuned!

What creative phase are you in? What are you making today?

Generating Creativity

Years ago I was wandering around the old Bookland & Cafe in Brunswick, ME. Miss it still! While flipping through the inspiring works of writers and artists I came upon the book, "The Artist's Way", by Julia Cameron. At the time I had never experienced any of her writing and within the first few lines I was hooked! It was a book based on courses that she had developed on cultivating and nurturing your creative self~ in whatever genre or creative realm you existed within. Mine at the time was writing of course, as that has been my mainstay since I was ten, but I was also exploring color and painting through watercolor outside of a home based stenciling job that I was working at in our basement while raising our three young sons.

Julia set me on a course of exploration.. She gave me tools within her books that I still utilize in my everyday creative process. Over time I have shifted in my mediums up and down the span of art but have always maintained the "process" that I learned through her wonderful 12 week self directed course work. I highly recommend it.

Morning pages (journaling) and artists dates are the two constants in my daily creative path that I learned from Julia's book. The writing just seems to flow now after all of these years. My journals fill up without effort, the artist dates took a bit more time to cultivate.

Elizabeth Gilbert in her latest book on creativity, "Big Magic" quotes Joan Didion, "I don't know what I think until I write it down." I related so much to that one statement and understand fully after twenty four years of writing that this one line is why I have to get up every morning before the world begins to write, otherwise I am stuck. Who knew! Thank goodness I have that tool, without it and left to myself I'd undoubtably be a hot mess.

The artist's dates didn't come as easily to me. It was more of an effort to take myself out and experience those times in the beginning. The biggest hurdle I think was to truly identify myself as an "artist". It felt very self indulgent and ego centered initially to claim that label, but over the years I've come to be kinder to myself and to allow that artist inside of me to come fully into place regardless of my critical self or God forbid what others might think.

 How else would I explain my quirky, random colorful idea flurries or frenzied involvement within my pages or in the learning phases of my art if not for the clear definition of a creative mind.. I just had to wait a bit for my true self to evolve.. ahhh.. wisdom, it's a beautiful thing.

So.. the artist's dates as of late have been in the form of taking a class at my friend Mandy Russell's new mixed media art studio, The Painted Dog, in the Brunswick area. A haven of creative energy and support to explore color, texture, layers and just freedom to play. It is fabulous!! Tuesday I jumped at the chance to attend her morning class offering and it made my whole week. New ideas flourished in my own work, I felt excited about learning something new. Being excruciatingly verbal I shared much if not all of my five year old excited self with dear hubby throughout the last few days. He being eternally supportive and encouraging of each of my new expeditions listened attentively and even had some awesome ideas of his own that I'm going to infuse into my work over this weekend! Awesome sauce!

A collaborative journey and one that required a fine balance of community, process and practice. Hence, the purpose and goal of an artist date.

This weekend I have another opportunity. I have the honor of being included in a scrapbooking extravaganza retreat weekend that my two nieces attend every year in Freeport, ME. It's a paper wielding, generally female focused event where they learn techniques and generate ideas for crafting and creating gorgeous memory books for their families drawing from all of their yearly experiences. It's a cult like experience no doubt, but pure fun! There is nothing more invigorating then freedom from responsibility and daily life. These ladies are fueled with Monster energy drinks, candy they don't have to share with anyone, their own minds, as well as the affirmation and encouragement of sharing and connecting with other like minded artists in their own unique medium. It's awesome!

For me, a non scrapbooker, but a fringe dweller and a paper whore I see all of the possibilities in the scraps. Templates for painting and mark making in my own work with art journaling and mixed media paper collage. Ideas for card making, techniques for assemblage and pop up books, a perfect pairing but mostly I go for the connection with these beautiful young women that I treasure daily.

Did I mention they were the flower girls in my wedding? Love them so! Craft on ladies~

Peace Always,
Denice

Why Blog?

It's been a week since I resurrected my blog and it seems like the timing has been perfect as far as flow and content ideas are concerned. My writer's mind is reeling as it often does when the creative side is driving and I find myself spooling with fun topics, scenarios  interesting perspectives, at least I think so with the fun flurry of creative energy that streams onto the page.

So, of course I am extremely verbal and in my more conservative crowd of people I begin to SHARE.

"I started my blog back up".. this and that about ideas, taking pictures of everything, telling them how to find it, "click here and click there".. "follow me", "subscribe to my feed".. Oh my goodness.. kinda nutty, but the excitement is contagious and they seem to be genuinely interested in this foreign idea to them and are at least open to entertaining me which I am grateful for, it's possible they could just be being kind. Who knows. What I did discover in the last week is a common question amidst my nearest and dearest that had the purest pleasure of my creative processing verbal word storm..

The question was, why do you blog?

Simple enough right. Well, I actually had a very quick answer to that and it was pure and true and I kind of surprised myself by the answer as well.

I blog or I chose to share my writing in this format because it's a creative way for me to share the life that bubbles up around me. It's a way to reach out and touch people that may not approach you on any given day. It's my platform to inspire thought, joy, plant spiritual and creative seeds and more then not I blog because it's fun! It's fun to walk through any 24 hours that I've been blessed to have and see things that would be touching, inspiring, funny, spiritual, creative.

Blogging teaches me something as well. That I don't know squat about a lot of things and that I know a damn lot about others.. It teaches me to be attentive, to be patient, to listen to peoples stories and to be present in every situation. There is so much to learn and to be apart of in our lives and if the blogging reaches just a few cyber spirits and creates just one smile, one new thought,  inspires a creative impulse or slows you down just long enough to realign yourself and be present, then it has done it's job.

I went to the library this week, which is my heaven by the way.. and picked up some books on blogging. "Blogging For Dummies".. Lol.. perfect! I learned that "Blog" was derived from the words web and log.. hence the name blog. I couldn't help but revert immediately to my childhood memory of The Electric Company shadow people that would enunciate the sounds of words. One side saying  a portion of a word and the shadow person on the other side would finish it.. WEB~LOG, BLOG.

I hope that explains the why of it. Comments below the post are my only way of knowing what your thoughts are so feel free to post away! Who knows, maybe I'll be reading yours someday as well.

Peace Always~ Denice