Philosophy Friday - Change can be good !

" All great changes are preceded by chaos"          
                      - Deepak Chopra  



Truer words were never spoken!   Chaos was the operative word around here this week beginning with a bit of a thermal meltdown in the old pc.  I've thrown enough money out the window on it in recent times, so I opted to invest in a new one.  On the way home with our new prize, the brakes on my car acted up. A one day repair in the shop turned into three and so it goes. I was also side swiped by a few other little glitches that rather drove me to distraction. It never rains but it pours.

One of my good buddies informed me that Mercury is in Retrograde as a way of trying to cheer me with a valid explanation for my misfortunes. I'm not really buying into that one but I do believe that fate has played a hand in things.

We are so often set in our ways and don't like change of any kind - it's a human trait that we all seem to share.  Change can be scary, challenging, and daunting . It takes us out of our comfort zone and can be frustrating and stressful, especially when we don't set out to seek the changes.

Whether we like it or not, it's a fact that change is the one constant in our lives and who we are as individuals is the grand sum of all the changes we've ever experienced. Therefore change is not always a bad thing is it?  It can be freeing, rewarding, and positive.  Change affords us opportunities to move forward, to be flexible and can offer a myriad of new possibilites we had not considered previously.  For me personally, this has proven to be the case.
The new pc has definitely been a learning curve for me but I am finding that is not necessarily a bad thing.  I am rather enjoying the challenges and I am beginning to see how this updated programming might open some new doors for me.  Out of chaos, does come change and that can be a good thing.
I've learned that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks and I think I am barking up the right tree!

                                   

Philosophy Friday - Listen to your gut !

                                                       

" Always trust your intuition; it will rarely lead you astray.  If it doesn't feel right in your gut, then it probably isn't. "

" Don't make a decision based solely on popularity.  Just because other people are doing it doesn't mean it's the best choice for you. "

Two very powerful and meaningful quotes this week which definitely reflect on the upcoming blog post.  These are ones to mull over for a day, and tomorrow I will follow up with the results from the Moral Dilemma poll and some very interesting opinions from other artists and intellectuals.

Meanwhile, it is stinking sultry hot here ( read oppressive) with 100+ degree  F temps and it feels like we're in the tropics so this calls for a tropical remedy:

     CHEERS !!   CHIMO !!  SANTE !!

           From Canada !

                

Philosophy Friday - Feeling at home....

" Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts
 and accomplishments love to sew, especially
as they are never more at home with their own

 hearts than while so occupied. "

               - Nathaniel Hawthorne          

                    The Marble Faun 1859

                                                          

                                                             

                                                                                                        

Philosophy Friday - On a lighter note......

but still stitching/sewing related......

                                                                    

"I hate a woman who offers herself because she ought to do so, and, cold and dry, thinks of her sewing when she's making love. "   ~Ovid

Yes, THAT Ovid - the writer of at least three volumes of  love poetry, self professed expert in love and the man who described himself as " praeceptor amoiris"  or " teacher of Love " - well it seems that some female called his bluff !  (-:

 I  smile at  his use of the word " hate " - wow that gal must have been something else!  I would have loved to have heard her version of the story !

It's  an established fact that I am devoted to my art  BUT what man could be that dull or stuck on  himself that a woman could not be enamoured by his sweet charms or think of anything else in a moment of passion?  Jeesh ........Ovid, be damned !

Philosophy Friday - Three Rules of Work

Three Rules of Work: 

Out of clutter, find simplicity
From discord, find harmony
In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.
                               .....Albert Einstein

                            

                            

Philosophy Friday - The Child Within

" Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
                                                                                          - Pablo Picasso

Yes indeed Mr. Picasso, it can be a problem.  As children, we had an innate sense of curiosity.  We questioned everything.  We experimented with things and we never had that sense of failure or dread that seems to come with adulthood. If we drew a picture and it did not really turn out as we had envisioned - did we agonize over it ?  NO - we usually tossed it aside, took up another piece of paper and started anew. We had a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around us. We had an eagerness to know about things and to learn.  Our minds were open, free flowing and uncluttered.

As adults, our world is more complicated -  filled with responsibilites, work commitments, obligations,  and social expectations.  Our minds are constantly littered with the debris of day to day activities and bound by the chains of routine.   We are all too aware of being judged and we too easily bow to the opinions of others. We care too much what others think of us, instead of being comfortable in our own skin and marching to our own drummer.

Maybe it's time to start looking through a child's eyes once again.  To experience the wonder of the world, to seek and question, to see new and extraordinary things. Ignite that creative spark and embrace the joy of looking with eyes wide open, feeling the bliss and the sense of freedom and innocence we enjoyed as a child.  Put fears of failure aside and enjoy learning to play again.  Look, see, do ......

                                      

" All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten.  Remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all --- LOOK. "
                                                   - Robert Fulgham ( in"Importance of Kingergarten")

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Dreaming is allowed

" Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning "

                                         

                                        - Gloria Steinem

LHH - photo credit

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - True Inspiration for our Times

“All great achievements require time.” ~ Maya Angelou 

  
My, this lady should know!  What an inspiration to hear her lecture.







Dr. Maya Angelou at the
University of Western Ontario 2012
-photo credit LHH

                                                                                 

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - The Creative Process

" The creative process is also the most terrifying part because you don't know exactly what's going to happen or where it is going to lead. You don't know what new dangers and challenges you'll find. It takes an enormous amount of internal security to begin with the spirit of adventure, discovery, and creativity. Without doubt, you have to leave the comfort zone of base camp and confront an entirely new and unknown wilderness. "
                                          -Stephen Covey

I came across this quote by Mr. Covey, which I think sums up the feelings, excitement, fears and challenges one experiences when faced with a new creative endeavour. 

Inspiration presents itself anywhere and at any time, sometimes at the most inconvenient moments when it is difficult to pursue it to the degree you would like.  Turning inspiration into something of substance involves the creative work,  which takes a massive amount of time and energy and where one becomes deeply engrossed in the process, sometimes to the exclusion of everything else.  This initial period conjures up deep feelings of adventure and emotional highs.  It is stimulating, almost intoxicating and one's ideas run rampant , free flowing and there are elements of risk involved which you find exciting.

However, this" high" can only go on for so long and you have to call upon your self-discipline to allow you to focus on your goals. You ask yourself the pertinent questions, " what am I trying to say? " " how can I develop these ideas?"  " what do I wish to achieve?"  "How do I picture the final piece in my mind's eye?"  This is the more analytical and logical stage where you have to ask yourself some difficult questions.  What technical aspects, supports, structures must be considered? What techniques must I employ to reach my end goals? Colours? Textures?   Fibres? Threads?  This is the area where things can get dangerous. The part where you begin to seek out the special objects that will create this masterpiece.   In some instances, the ongoing seeking of the perfect materials becomes the cover-up for fears, self-doubts and procrastination........... the ultimate fear of actually starting the piece.

It takes courage to jump in, putting aside all self-doubts and being positive of your vision.  As you proceed, you will come upon stumbling blocks ; there will be challenges, difficulties and yes, in some cases failures, and you will have to trust in yourself to find your way around them and learn from them.   You will walk a thin line shrouded in uncertainty and self criticism and might be displeased with yourself over perceived weaknesses. There will be anxious moments when you need to remain objective and see these hurdles as opportunities for growth and self-discovery . You have to trust yourself to move forward and stay on track.

After small set backs, which are inevitable , you become even more determined and persistent in your efforts to achieve your goal.  Your enthusiasm returns and  your deep commitment to your work resumes with even more conviction and intensity.  Your deeper identification with the work  becomes more of a spiritual nature and you have a clear sense of purpose which is most gratifying.  Creativity is pushing new ideas and boundaries while stepping out of your comfort zone and charting new territories.

I believe that sharing my ideas on the creative process has been a reawakening and a stimulus for me to take the plunge in commencing a huge undertaking that has been in the design phase for over five years.  My initial idea has grown from the proverbial mole hill into a mountain and has been re-designed more times than I've had hot dinners.  However, I am at a more peaceful place in my life right now, where I can turn my hand to this long awaited project and once it is implemented there will no doubt be many more changes as the stitching progresses.  More to come in a while.......                                                              

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Making mistakes!

                                           
" A man's errors are his portals of discovery." .....James Joyce


Do you remember being in school where you were chastised for making mistakes, sometimes to a point of embarrassment and feeling guilt ridden about them?  If you did not make the grade on a test, you were considered a failure? There was a fear of criticism and being " centred out"?  NAH, didn't think you did!  (-:

This fear of failure was engrained in many of us as kids and yes, this fear still haunts us as adults.  Many are still reticent to try anything new or to take risks in our work because of that dreaded feeling of " failure". 

To make mistakes is human and normal.  It lets us know we are alive and kicking and to address them and face them is an act of maturity. It takes self-confidence and courage to admit to our mistakes.  Even brilliant men like Einstein made stupid mistakes.  Yes, even the stupid one like I made last week.  It was the ultimate case of taking a stupid pill on an empty stomach!

After finishing all of the embellishing on the Olympic pennant, only the construction work remained.  Oh be joy - I was so happy to finally be at that stage.  I decided I needed a lining and carefully measured and precision cut a flannel lining and backing for the pennant.  It was very late night and I was overtired but I was feeling pretty cocky at this point and anxious to get this baby done and off to the UK.  So, I laid out all three pieces carefully and hearing the immortal words of my Mother ringing in my ears, " Baste, baste, baste" - I proceeded to baste the living hell out of it, dodging the photos and embellishments in the process.   There was no way after all that work there would be any signs of slippage or crooked seams - it would be perfection!  I went to the machine and carefuly stitched all around the outsides in a steady rhythm.  Voila - lovely.  I was so pleased that I went around it a second time to reinforce it as I knew these pennants would be handled a lot. I was so proud of how it looked, I trimmed the flannel lining and clipped my curved seams etc. so it would turn inside out beautifully and lay flat.

Baste, Baste, Baste !

I then proceeded to turn the pennant inside out and about halfway through the process, my heart sank to my ankles. This couldn't be! But yes, as that sickening feeling grew stronger, I realized that the lining was now on the outside of the back panel of the pennant and not neatly inside where it was supposed to be. I sat for a few minutes in stunned silence, absolutely gobsmacked that I could have done something so inanely stupid. I then stood up quietly and walked out of the studio into the sunroom and just plunked myself down in a big easy chair and stared into space for about 15 minutes. That was the smartest thing I did all night, for if I had stayed in the studio that mistake would have snowballed into even more panicked stupidity. I wisely turned off the lights and went to bed.  I went into the studio next morning refreshed and meticulously unpicked all the stitching and rebasted the notched edges and clipped lining as I went - it took me ages and was enough to turn a purist's hair grey.  However, I faced my demons,  rectified my mistakes and all turned out well. This indeed was a personal learning experience, one I know will sit with me for a long time. William Jordan once stated " Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom" and I think I grew about a foot last week!

OK, now that was a stupid mistake to which I admitted.  What about mistakes that can be stepping stones and oppportunities?  Well, Janet Jo Smith, a seasoned dye artist who creates exquisite fabrics, commented recently about what she initially referred to as a " failure" but which actually turned out to be a bit of a triumph and in her words " it could be a whole new direction ".  With my theme this week already in the works, I asked Janet if I could link to the post on her site and she graciously agreed.  Read how Janet had a positive outcome from her " mistake"  http://dyesmithy.com/what-to-do-when-the-project-fails/

Mistakes or failures are an essential part of personal learning, significant changes and sometimes a pre-requisite for innovation.  So, what have we learned? 
Admit the mistake.
Don't beat yourself up.
Rectify the mistake if you can
If not, accept it and learn from it.
MOVE ON !

Don't fear trying something new or taking risks, especially in your art.  When we make mistakes, we grow.

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - friendships

" In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.  It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.  We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle our inner spirit. " Albert Schweitzer

AND who rekindles your spirit more than the love, consideration and thoughtfulness of friends?
Friends,who read you so well, sometimes when you cannot read yourself.  On a dreary February afternoon last week, frustrated with work, struggling with a health issue and generally just having " one of those days" that we all get from time to time,  my life was brightened by the beauty, goodness and sweet thoughts of two dear friends.  Out of the blue, a ring on the door bell brought a box of unbelievable joy from my friend Stephanie Novatski.  In the plain brown box, was another beautiful hand made box with my name on it.  When I opened it, there lay the most incredible work of her hands.  An amazing journal filled with loving thoughts and memories of our friendship and the time we spent together working on the Art Bra projects. The hours of work designing meticulous embellishments, delightful sayings and photo holders boggled my mind and I was overwhelmed to think she would invest so much time in creating such a delightful gift for me. Each page I turned brought such joy and heartfelt emotion.  Such talent she possesses!

 As I gently leafed through her book a second time taking in all the intricate details, the door bell rang once again.  When I answered, there stood a delivery man holding a box of flowers.  Not being a holiday, or special occasion, I could not imagine who would be sending me a gift of flowers?  As I carefully removed the wrapping, with the help of my two feline studio assistants (-:  a card dropped out, " Love Vic ".  This gorgeous breath of fresh air was sent from my friend Victoria Adams Brown, " just because", as she explained. Another spirit lifter of the highest order, most unexpected and deeply appreciated.

 I am amazed, pleased, grateful, delighted - my spirits lifted and my soul nourished. To say, the least, I am feeling loved and most appreciative that art has brought two such beautiful, intuitive women and their loyal and loving friendships into my life.  I am truly blessed.

" The sincere friends of this world are as ship lights in the stormiest of nights."

 - Giotto di Bondone

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Divine Sleep

 Flight into Fantasy  ( in progress)

"The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep." --E. Joseph Cossman

I often work late into the night in my studio - how about you?  How often have you been working on a creation and hit a brick wall?  That disheartening moment when things just don't look right or won't fall into place?  You think you've tried all the angles, you move fabrics around, you re-stitch and unpick threads - you're stymied -  frustrated to hell! You want to keep going but you are weary of it all.  You finally say   "ENOUGH"  - I just can't look at this another minute and I'm getting no where fast.  You tidy up a little, head toward the light switch and yes, you do take that one last glance over your shoulder at the demon piece, before closing up for the night.  Perhaps, like me, you lay in bed still mentally trying to fathom out what either went wrong or what needs to be done, until you finally give in, drifting off into the arms of Morpheus.
Morning - you walk into the studio, still in your jammies - you look on the work wall or the table,  and as sure as the sun rises - there's a " eureka moment" and it all falls into place.
Ah, sweet sleep, how it nourishes our bodies and souls.

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Respect !

 " To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research ".
 -  a quote by comedian, Steven Wright.

I had other plans today to kick off my first post for Philosophy Friday but a most timely post by master beader and fellow teacher, Robin Atkins of Beadlust  This link gave me further food for thought.  With the SOPA bill being current in the news,  many artists, writers and musicians have once again, been discussing and mulling over copyright issues.  One walks a very thin line with copyright - there are many grey areas and to complicate matters, there are varying copyright laws in numerous countries.

By blogging, or being active on the internet, one puts themselves out there so to speak and one is, or should be aware of the fact that there will be people in cyberspace who either have no idea about copyright, or claim not to, or people who just have no scruples or manners when it comes to copying other's work or literally stealing it.

When I look at Robin's work, I see mastery, passion and personality, and I feel it would be hard put for anyone to truly copy her work and have it look the same.  As she says, any infringements have not impeded her abilities to fill classrooms or show a decline in the sales of her books etc.  It's pretty damned hard to copy a true original but there are many who will try.  However, I still honestly believe that courtesy should be foremost when showing off her work or showing work that has been inspired by her.

Much like Robin's situation, in recent times, I had an offending student, who literally took my handouts from a class and put it on her blog as HER tutorial, along with a couple of my diagrams that actually had a printed copyright notice on them with my name on it. And it was in fact, a fellow student, who very graciously informed me of the demeanour.

I think because of the anonymity and vastness of the internet, people do not look on these type of acts as " stealing".  To me, it's no different than being a pick pocket!

As a teacher in the fiberarts, I am happy to be able to share information with others and I'm delighted to inform those who are eager to learn and have an appreciation for beading and textiles.  When we put our photos online, we are at risk of the copycat syndrome but our love for the art and willingness to teach and share information supercedes most minor infringements.  However, I do draw the line at blatant piracy. 

Many folks copy photos from blogs and keep them in a personal file for " inspiration" or reminders of particular techniques.  To a point, that's one thing, unless, someone copies that work totally and then says " Look at what I did" etc. However, to pluck someone else's pictures and show them on your blog or for " show and tell " at a guild or other public gathering, or to photograph my work in a gallery setting or a show and display it elsewhere,  I rather take issue with that.  It is so very easy to contact the artist or writer or whoever's work it is and politely ask if you can show their work or at the very least, if photographed at a show and then blogged about,  give credit to the creating artist with the picture. I think many people would be surprised actually as to how gracious and generous most artists are when someone approaches them in that regard.  Acknowledgement and attribution are key !!  To me, it boils down to COURTESY and RESPECT and I feel that as teachers, we have a duty to inform our students and others about copyright issues, as much as we do about educating them in our craft.  Awareness and education are essential tools in creating a better understanding of privacy and copyright issues and I personally, make a point of bringing up this topic in a general way, not a lecture,  in my classes and workshops in order to make people more cognizant of some of the issues.

Now, we could ask the ever provocative question " but what is original ? " - however, let's leave that for another day (-: