Exercise Good Ideas

It has happened to me again. After 30 years of this type of thing, you'd think I wouldn't be so surprised. Today I had another exercise-induced Good Idea. Has this ever happened to you? Maybe you are taking a nice, long walk through a tree-filled park, and like a bolt from the blue, a great idea comes to mind. Or perhaps you are riding away on the stationary bike and you forgot your ear buds, so you are just minding your own business, thinking about silly little things. Then, without any warning, the solution to a nagging problem is handed to you from the heavens! I've been known to say, "What?"

What is it about exercise that gets the good idea juices flowing?  When I was a young mom, 30 or so years ago, I started a small in-home business that I named Gifted Ideas. I did this because I kept coming up with genius new product ideas while I was pushing one of my kids in a stroller around the block. Genius may be an exaggeration, but they did certainly feel like little gifts.

In questioning how this happens to me and lots of other people, I learned from Leo Widrich that our brains are much more active during exercise than they are when we are on the couch. Belle Beth Cooper agrees. She says, "A lifetime of exercise can result in a sometimes astonishing elevation in cognitive performance, compared with those who are sedentary. Exercisers outperform couch potatoes in tests that measure long-term memory, reasoning, attention, problem-solving, even so-called fluid-intelligence tasks." There you go.

Crochet Brain, filled with great ideas!

Our brains truly are amazing in their ability to support us and our best interests. They secrete a particular type of protein that acts like a memory enhancer as well as a reset switch. This same protein will add endorphins to your blood and increase your good mood, which is perhaps why I believe my ideas are so wonderful. All I have to do to get these great ideas flowing is to get off my couch, perhaps even out of my fiber art studio, and move my body for 20 minutes. The next time I get a great idea while exercising, it will not be a surprise. My memory enhancers will make sure I don't forget how all of this works. That's the plan.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Studio Scene --- Fiber Folk Art at Nestle and Soar

There are few places I enjoy spending time in more than my fiber folk art studio. I am convinced that when I descend the stairs into this large work/play space, the atmosphere is charged with good energy. It doesn't matter if I am in good mood or bad, entering into my creative space is consistently serene. I often bless my space and walk around feeling gratitude for all the options and tools that are waiting there for me! And I also take the time to tidy up the studio after each work day, as it seems that an environment so important to my well-being should be respected. I think it is a privilege to have a job that often allows me to walk into the room, look around, and ask myself, "What is calling to me today?" It is almost as if the project directs me instead of me forcing a result. Do you think this is weird? Has this sort of object-driven calling been part of your creative time? I'd love to hear about it!

I am including a few photos from my studio today...there is a gentle dusting of snow coming down outside, so the lighting is soft. 

New pillow design in process...100% wool on organic linen.

My favorite Nancy Drew book is ready for a re-read!

I enjoy collecting pincushions and buttons.


This sweet Robin in a Cherry Tree is a pillow design that is showing promise...lots of hand sewn French knots in this beauty!


The sun was starting to peek through the snow clouds by the time I took this third photo. If you look closely, you can see a photo of my last marathon...this one took place in Boulder, Colorado in 2007. I wonder if I have any more marathons in me?


Thanks for stopping by my studio!
Georgianne

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!