I can't remember how much I told you about this bee I'm participating in. It's my first. There are 15 participants, I believe. Each of us claimed one month out of the next 15 as ours. (Mine is sometime next year.) When it's your month, you cut up strips, squares, whatevers, of fabric and send it to the list of 14 other participants along with instructions, links to tutorials and photos, whatever you think will help your peeps make your blocks.
We have a Flickr group, so we post photos of our blocks, inspiration photos. And we talk about our blocks and our eventual quilts and basically have a very jolly time.
As you might remember, I'm a titch behind. Harumph. These are my July blocks, which were wonderfully fun to make, albeit late. Susan was very free-spirited about her block design...basically, she wanted wonky squares-in-squares, which is sooooooo my thing.
Creatively speaking, I'm trying lots of new things this summer. I just wasn't feeling my creative groove earlier in the spring. Couldn't get things finished. Wasn't feeling the artsyfartsylove. It was raining way too much. Whatever the source, my muse and I just were not in sync. Recently, I was talking to a brilliant artist friend of mine, and she said a lot of artists she'd talked to were feeling the same thing. She went on to say (and this is why I love her so much) that she thinks "the universe just opened up a portal of some kind and new earth energies are coming through, forcing us to find the areas we should be focusing on. It's all good, of course. We all need to take a break and look at things differently sometimes." (She's groovy like that. I could sit and listen to her all day. I think she might be my artistic-creativity-guru.)
And, I think she's on to something, because my creative juju is uber-juiced-up, and I have more ideas than I have time to bring out of the sketchbook and make real. And, that is not a complaint...I'm really excited about this stuff. It's like someone slipped me a creative micky, I drank all the right kool-aid, or something. Life is pretty. I feel creative. La-la-la.
I'm just doing stuff. I'm not worrying about the outcome, or how it's going, or what's going to happen to it. I'm just do-ing.the.thing. (Don't you love those Home Depot ads: "let's open up a big can of do-ing..." LOVE THAT!) Anyhoo. I'm do-ing. Paint-ing. Draw-ing. Stitch-ing. All together. Lots of layers. Tons of fun! And enjoying the journey, rather than focusing on the destination. What a gift. What a RELIEF. What fun! And so free-ing! I feel like I've been given an unlimited hall pass to the universe, with a note from my teacher that says, "be brave, be creative, take risks, who cares." And guess what. I. Love. This. Mode.
Love it.
I think it's opened up an entirely new creative vein for me, and I think I'm bleeding in technicolor (of course).
As an added bonus, My Beloved is taking off for the weekend with my brother and another friend. They are headed to the Olympic Peninsula on their Harleys for three days. I said, "Have a great time and be careful, Honey!", then ran immediately to collage and Trader Joe's for supplies (of the art and chocolate persuasion).
I'm calling this my do-it-yourself-art-retreat-and-spa-weekend. I plan to create, play music, cook yummy thing, and give myself a badly-needed pedicure. CanNOT WAIT!! So...until tomorrow, my friends...so long, I'm off to purchase rations.
Your friend sounds very smart! Love the wonky squares and the other pics were very intriguing.
Posted by: Vickie | August 13, 2010 at 05:37 AM
Oh I'm so glad your creative juices are flowing again! I love your creations. Have fun during your mini-spa weekend, I sooo wish I had one of those! Blessings
Posted by: Cassie Shella | August 17, 2010 at 07:01 AM