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12/30/09

Walking through the rooms of our lives ....

We spend January 1 walking through our lives,
room by room,
drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. 
Maybe this year, to balance the list,
we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives  not looking for flaws,
but for potential. 

I really like this quote by  Ellen Goodman.  It fits the activity most of us for most of our lives have engaged in at this time of the year:  reflecting on how to be better people; healthier humans; trimmer, thinner and more fit.  Loving ourselves less than we ought.  Planning personal changes not from self-love but from self-loathing.


Sure, I could make another new year's resolution to lose those nasty ten pounds.  I could resolve to exercise every day.  Eat more salads.  I could.  But I won't.


This year I want to focus not on becoming the 'person I should be' but on nurturing my creative spirit.  Not because I should.  Not because it will make me a better, healthier person.  But because it brings me joy and fulfillment.  Makes me laugh.  Brings me happiness.


This year I will   
s.    t.    r.    e.    t.    c.    h.
my creative spirit




By learning new techniques through Workshop on the Web

By participating in challenges.
For example, a tantalizing one from  musings of a textile itinerant
.....  a challenge .... to follow the KISS- Keep it Simple Stupid principle .... make a 50 cm square quilt using only two coloured fabrics ( or white for that matter) and threads ( as many colours as you would like) but using only straight stitch by hand or machine- no fancy stitches- of course straight stitching can be done in any form- and absolutely no embellishing- just fabric and stitch and your imagination  --  with a march deadline.
And, from Fiber Arts/Mixed Media, this challenge for January:   Pick one of your ugly, or plain, or "why did I ever buy that" commercial fabrics, and enhance it with fabric paint so that you end up liking it! Paint over it completely, outline or color in the shapes, give it an all-over tint, etc. We want to see before and after pictures of the fabric (any size piece). This is a technique challenge— you don't have to use your painted fabric in a project to enter. But once you gussy it up with paint, you'll be inspired to make something fabulous!

5 comments:

Françoise said...

These sound like good challenges.
Best wishes for the new year.

Yvette said...

happy newyear!
I have to read your post more clearly when I've got the time!
love
yvette

Deb G said...

I like it! That quote really is a great one and it will be very interesting to see what you do with those challenges.

Gilli said...

I love that! I too am not resolving to lose the weight I need to lose, organize and clean. I am resolving to explore my creative self, and in turn will have less time to eat and in looking for all of my materials the organizing and cleaning will get done. 2010 is about exploring potential.

http://www.slowlymadegoods.blogspot.com said...

we are so 'conditioned' to be and to look to a certain standard. so we are turning away from the norm when we move towards our creative selves and let them take flight.

here's to our creative spirits in 2010.

it is all about potential ..... yes.

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