Before and After...Everything Creative in its Place

Nestle and Soar Desk Before

Nestle and Soar Workstation Before

There are those who tell me that the creative personality is messy. Having an artistic stash is almost a permission slip to have too much; too many materials and supplies, anyway. I certainly appreciate the messiness that comes from having multiple projects going at once in my studio and in my office. Maybe that is a learned habit that moms develop, like making sure each of her children is thriving simultaneously.

Nestle and Soar Desk After

Nestle and Soar Workstation After

Mostly though, I enjoy simplicity and tidiness. It is not unusual for me to spend the last 20 minutes of each day walking around my home and my studio, putting items back where they belong. And I do have designated places where items belong! A chaotic home makes me feel a little twitchy, just as I imagine my tidiness prowls before bedtime make my family a little twitchy!

I did thoroughly enjoy emptying out my office last week and taking responsibility for the mess it had become. I convinced myself that the piles of paperwork I was building slowly over time were logical, but really, they were just an excuse for incomplete work. I also couldn't make myself admit that some of the paperwork I was saving (with the excuse that they were important) were never actually going to be acted upon by me. I needed to get real with myself. I am so glad that I did! By cleaning out the office -- literally taking everything off of each surface --I knew that I would have to justify everything I brought back into the space after the dusting was finished. And let me tell you, it feels wonderful to kiss many of those important papers good bye!

I think my next tidying project will be refurbishing my Dream Board which is above the workstation in photo four...as if dreams are ever actually a tidy experience!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

I am a Craft Show Survivor!

I am sure a few of you have gotten by in this life just fine without staging a craft show. I was among those number until May 1st when I participated in the Mother's Day Art and Craft Gift Fair. I am now a craft show survivor, and I feel great! There were 13 friendly ladies at this local event, held at the quaint Westminster Grange Hall. Two months of preparation went into making this a fun and well-attended event. It was a good opportunity to get to know the other artists, decide how I could best display my folk art, and listen while potential customers handled and fussed over art. I learned a lot and I'm glad that the whole team made this craft show happen! I did not leave the show with publishable photos from everyone - I regret that. I'm including six photos here to show the wide variety of art and craft that was represented. I'm glad I was part of the team that organized this event and I'd like to share some of their lovely items with you today!

Soft Energy

Can energy really be soft? Isn't energy about energizing, vigorous action, and potential forces?

A synonym for energy is strength. Can you think of strength and power in combination and still think of the word "soft"?

My heart tells me that animals like birds know soft energy because they can glide. They can move forward with great strength while yielding or relaxing in the breeze. Mothers can use soft energy when they gather up their strength and power in patience toward an ill child. I've felt soft energy in my folk art when I am gently persistent with organic fibers that would melt away should I be agressive as I twist and turn them.

When I sew patchwork I think about the amazing difference that is seen with incremental change over time. In patchwork, we sew using a 1/4" seam allowance. If that seam is larger than 1/4" wide, the resulting patchwork block will be way too small. And this happens if the seam allowance is just slightly wider than 1/4"! This is incremental change over time in action. There are many seams in a patchwork block, so this small error in seam width becomes magnified.

Perhaps that is another way I think about soft energy. Gentle effort can have a profound impact. Like a gliding bird, or a comforting mom, or a quilter at the sewing machine, we can take focused action that is small yet powerful.

How do you think of this?

I am attaching a photo of a patchwork tote I made using many small seams and soft fabrics. It is quite sturdy however, and can handle a successful trip to the grocery store or library with ease! All of my folk art can be seen at http://nestleandsoar.etsy.com.

Hope to talk with you soon!