06.29.06
Time
I don’t know about you, but for me being active and creative is one of the most important aspects of life I can possibly think of; almost as essential as breathing. When breathing stops, life stops. When creativity stops the meaning of life stops. It’s as simple as that, actually.
Why is it then so difficult to live a life according to this statement? Why do I always accept practical issues and obligations to get my attention first, when what I really want to do is to work in my studio? I wonder…
What happens to time? Days, weeks, years pass. Sometimes I´m too busy to really reflect on this, but at other occations I´m totally aware: life without creativity is boring; mostly a question of doing the dishes, doing the homework for the next day, paying the bills and the rent and stuff like that. Why is it then, I have this feeling I almost have to steal time for my important creative work? Oh my God, this is something I want to change: my priorities. I want to be better doing the parts that are important to me according to my life philosophy – even if it means I will have to do less of the obligatory stuff, and even if it means I’ll have to say “no” and decline both offerings and tasks. I hate to disappoint people, but I’ll learn to say “no” and to do that in a gentle, firm and non-offending way. It’s not that I don’t want to please others, or don’t want others to be happy; it’s simply because I have an important project going on in my own life, and I can’t get into doing it properly when too concerned about other peoples´ business and what they might think of me, my way of living, my paintings or whatever…
06.26.06
A full circle
Got a very nice surprise by today’s post: An American flat rate envelope containing a heavy magazine: Handcrafted – The best of Stampington & Company. I didn’t order anything from Stampington recently, so I was really amazed.
However, Handcrafted is a special publication where the editors and team of Stampington represent their favourite articles and a gallery of readers´ art from previous magazines (Somerset Studio, Stampers´Sampler, Legacy, etc). and finally, when I turned to page 186 I realized this issue has been sent to me because a collage of mine was published in Legacy Spring 2003. It was so funny and strange to get this greeting from my past.
The collage I had made then was an image of my youngest daughter, Emilie, in a moment of deep contemplation, eating a watermelon somewhere in Greece. It was accompanied by a text about the experience of time you have when you’re a child and summer holiday seems equivalent to eternity.
Well, I think you can be lucky to experience the same feeling of beeing present; not in the past, not in the future but being present in the eternal now, but in glimpses only, when you’re a grown-up person. Actually, it’s a feeling I’m always longing for and today my own collage and words were send to me to remind me of this. Most interesting…
06.25.06
Midsummer
Friday was a busy, pleasant and joyful day. First I joined Emilie to her school to celebrate end-of-term. As she is at Sydskolen, a Waldorf School, it meant a goodbye to her class teacher during 8 years, also some of her classmates leave for other schools. When school starts again after the holidays she will have a new set of subject teachers and new pupils will join the class. This change fills her with both expectation as well as a slight touch of melancholy.
In the afternoon Emilie went off for a couple of days with her cello-ensemble and their teacher to Langeland to exercise and spend a pleasant time together, while Anna Sofie, my father and I went to the celebration of my graduation form the teacher-training college. More than 300 new teachers graduated, and it was also a both festive and somewhat solemn ceremony; 3 hours with music, speeches, presentation of our certificates, a little refreshment: wine, strawberries etc. Unfortunately I forgot to join my class to the photo-session to make the official photo because at that time I was involved in an interesting discussion and I’m afraid it’s typical for me to forget the programme is going on. Anyway, never mind… I’ve got a few photos of my own from the afternoon, and to me an official photo is not that important.
In the evening I went with my family to Djursland to celebrate Midsummer days Evening. In Denmark we traditionally make a big bonfire with a “witch” on top, and someone makes a speech usually saying something about this time of year where the light, the nature and the power of nature culminates. The sun, the light is at its height and we have a special possibility to transform whatever we wish to transform in our selves; it seems that forces of nature as well as forces of the universe support this transformation. The people I’m among often like to write down what they want to get rid of, and then throw their bits of paper into the fire… I like the ritual; it makes me reflect on my life. It’s so easy to forget we all have the responsibility for our own lives. It’s so easy to throw guilt on somebody or something else when life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to. Life is what you make it into, and what you think about it.
06.21.06
Summer holidays start here and now!
Yes!!! I did it, I did it – it’s over and done! Yesterday I passed the last exam (english grammar, literature, didactics), the only one I was really anxious about, and the reason there has been no time for log-writing these last days. Anyway, everything went well; far above my expecation. I’m now sort of “licenced to teach” so watch out for me!
The next couple of days will be about graduation and end-of-education celebration, and then it´s holiday for 7 weeks!!! I really look forward to spend my time with my kids and to get into the art-part of my life again.
Well, thinking about it, I would say that summer holidays have actually started. They did yesterday – right here at this lovely white bench – a graduation gift from my family at Samsø.
06.13.06
Hot House
Today is real hot! Inside and outside the temperature is almost overwhelming. It feels like there is no oxygen in the air, so take it easy and look at Nala, she understands the importance of allowing oneself a siesta!
I think I’ll follow her example; I´ll leave my books now for a while, drink a glass of water and then take a nap in the shadow…in order to establish new energy. You see I’m going for my next exam tomorrow (I´m going to deal with literature, fantacy, Tolkien, Lord of the Rings) … so hopefully I can concentrate in reading again later tonight when temperature is becomming more human …
06.09.06
Finally, after more than one year!
Ta-da-da-da, here comes my star-quilt! I’m very satisfied, it has become exactly what I wanted – an object of both functional value and beauty. I enjoy the result – and so does our cat, Nala!
It has been taken quite some hours of course – as it’s all sewed by hand. This procedure has some great advantages though: you can bring your needlework along, into the garden, to visit a friend etc. what you can’t do if it’s machine-made and the hand-making ads an authentic dimension to your work. Besides stitching is a most relaxing contemplative and meditative occupation, I can clearly recommend it, think I’ve become a real sew-by-hand-addict…
Anyway, I started this more than one year ago ( haven’t been sewing all the time of course) inspired by a library book with photos of old, American quilts. Some of them were very worn and shabby but still so beautiful and rich in colour texture and pattern; I fell in love with many of them.
Then one day I was in need for a new project, I made my mind up for the star. At that time I had brought back the book to the library long ago, so I had to make the pattern from memory. Luckily it was quite simple as I could recall/reconstruct the main principles of the octagon star. I realized then how much fabric I actually had on my shelves; not big pieces but small bits and pieces and left over – in al my favourite colours – all sort of pale and faded shades of white and pastel blue and red, just perfect for patchwork.
I decided to simply jump into it and see what would happen then. In fact that’s often how things work out for me. I start with an idea – but I don’t plan it all the way through. The advantage of this method is, that you are more open to the influence of the moment. The problem is you can suddenly have structural problems or problems like running out of a specific colour etc. However, I knew this couldn’t fail because it was a step-by-step project. If I only managed to sew one single section or two it could end up as a pillow or a decoration for my bag, and if it was easy going I could choose to go on and make it into a quilt – and gradually it did grow into a quilt!
As I had chosen to work with environmental questions in relation to textiles and as re-design/ recycling and “creating new from old” was the headlines for the practical part of my needlecraft exam last week, I decided to finish my star-quilt-project and let it be part of the practical part I was in a hurry right up to the exam so to be honest the quilt wasn’t 100 finished, two of the corners were kept together with pins – but I think no one noticed at the exhibition. And now I’ve completed these last few details I’ll like to show you.
06.07.06
A new garden shed
Of course the carpenter calls right now – to tell he is coming today to tear down the old garden shed and make us a new one. So in the middle of my preparing for tomorrows didactic exam I had to drag half a ton of garden tools, flowerpots, tubs, cans and bottles with cleanser, oil or old dried up paint + a lot of junk and rubbish, I don’t even remember why I kept in the first place, outside to sort out: a great part for the waste container – the rest I stored at the lawn with a tarpaulin on top (if it should start rain).
And what about my big red rose and blue clematis, which usually climb up the wall of the shred??? I hope they will survive this break down and renewal process!
06.06.06
Birds & Nests
Look what the postman brought me today: A box with the most delicate and lovely rubberstamps from Cavallini (ordered at StampDiva) with birds and nests motifs. So this summer I think you can expect letters from me will be full of birds all over. You can look forward!
It’s always just wonderful to have new materials for your creativeness. I can’t think of anything more inspiring…
06.02.06
“Space clearing”
Here are a few pictures from my exhibition. We all got a small "room" to display our practical projects.
Dorte, my friend and college, helped me organizing and styling it all. She did a great job, without her I think I would have spend half the night at the college!
Never the less I ran out of energy yesterday evening. I was simply happy but exhausted! After the exam, I had packed all my stuff and brought it back home again. All over it´s still in a mess but I had to relax in order not to collapse.
Fortunately there´s nothing like a good nights sleep so this morning I was fit for fight again and started the day using a couple of hours on "space clearing" in my house. What a relief to see the floor – and the surface of the tables again! i will not say everything is fixed now, it was only a quick make-over, but at least I can recognize and enjoy my home now…
06.01.06
Limited space
For the last days (weeks) the space of my studio and living room has grown smaller day-by-day because I’ve been preparing for my crafting exhibition/examination. Books, notes, photocopies, clothes, samples and patterns all over the place. At last I hardly could find an empty place at my desk! My living room has become a blend between a second-hand shop and a dump.
Yesterday I brought everything to the Teachers College and put up my exhibition – and today I went for my examination, and YES I passed, so I’m now officially a crafting teacher!
I’ve now brought everything back home again and once more the house looks a mess. But tonight I’ve decided to enjoy a cup of tea and maybe even a crimi at TV. No books, no revision, no tasks, no organizing knitting patterns., No obligations! It’ll have to wait until tomorrow…
