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Last night the rain rolled in and continues down pouring today. After years of heat and drought it is wonderful…and weird, as water streams everywhere, puddles turning into ponds and creeks appear in unexpected places. Will I be able to get through the road dip tomorrow? Some roads are already closed. Busy-ness is what best describes these blurry 3 months. A 4-week lock-down moved right into 2 weeks of school holidays…which were filled with unexpected library shifts, online courses, creative activities, artistic collaborations, then back into term 4, which is now halfway through. It feels there has been barely space to breathe in between! Around me, I notice I am not alone in feeling weary and fatigued. Seasonal changes, weather, and the strain of pandemic anxiety over the last 18 months has worn us ragged around the edges, whether we realise it or not. As December approaches, it’s almost eight months since I last saw family and friends on the coast. The strange thing is that time is feeling slow and fast, and though things have been busy, I feel like I’m suspended in slow motion; doing, yet not doing, simultaneously…lets do the time warp again! During this time, I have been…
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relinquishing control, hidden layers, feeling fragrant & exploring centres and peripheries...  relinquishing control... Sometimes that’s all you can do… How much control do we think we have anyway? It’s either too much, too little or none! Perhaps the only thing to do is to go with the flow… Describe your relationship with control? Are you a control freak or just chilling?  hidden layers... Lay it on…lavish. Onions come to mind, peeling off the layers, crying all the while… Or sewing layers of fabric for a quilt, stitch by stitch. It would seem our layers either hide or reveal…getting to the truth, the basics or spreading the richness thickly. How do layers speak for you?  feeling fragrant...? Odours, scent, perfume, fragrance, aroma... If you were a bottled essence, what would your personal bouquet consist of?  centres and peripheries
- Outer limits or edge of an area or object. - A marginal or secondary position in, or aspect of, a group, subject, or sphere of activity. “a shift in power from the centre to the periphery.” I’m binding books for a collaborative arts project and the theme is centres and peripheries. It’s thought provoking. Everything is connected, so a little peripheral tracing, pencil in your limits, place the middle wherever it feels right...are you edgy or centred? lurve letters, collecting, poetry & titles... Love letters Making #vessel4loveletters reminded me of thousands of years of letter writing history. When did you last write or receive a letter? Revisit the tactile romance of paper and ink, write a love letter…to a place, a person, a thing, an idea or to yourself.  What do you collect? Write a tale in ten lines about your collectibles.  #30in30 poetry month at Red Room Poetry was full of inspiring prompts…try this one. 
A title can be pivotal or subtle, or we go untitled... Here is your title, what will it inspire? ...Antique anatomy... We are vessels of everyday magic, elemental strength & amazing achievements! I AM A VESSEL OF… Vessel /ˈvɛs(ə)l/ Noun 1. a ship or large boat. Similar: boat sailing boat ship yacht craft watercraft barque keel 2. a hollow container, especially one used to hold liquid, such as a bowl or cask. Similar: container receptacle repository holder carrier basin bowl dish pan pot can tin jar jug pitcher carafe flask decanter urn tub bin tank drum canister butt vat cask barrel box case chest casket reservatory Last month I began a book arts project called #vesselsofcreativeconnection So far three vessels have been released into the wild #vessel1blackandwhite #vessel2weathered #vessel3authenticity Likewise, many thoughts and ideas have been turning in my mind including the phrase I am a vessel of… There is something about this word that strikes a chord with me, our bodies are often referred to as vessels for the soul or spirit. What does your vessel contain? What are you a vessel for?  DAILY GRIND As restrictions continue around the globe in varying degrees, it has become important to re-imagine and reinvent our routines and rituals. Ground yourself in your daily grind and sniff out the aromas of significance, where does your everyday magic lie?  ELEMENTAL Take a moment, close your eyes, breathe and let your mind wander. Think of the elements, fire water air earth… which element/s do you connect with? Imagine an elemental version of yourself, how balanced are you? What does the elemental you look and feel like?
A LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS Goals, plans, hopes, dreams, wishes… We often think about what we would like to do, but how about celebrating what we have already done! The task is simple: write a list of anything and everything you have achieved. You will be surprised by how long it is! ...books with wings...Everything has to start somewhere & this not so little book is the first in a series of handmade journals on a journey! It was made for the #areyoubookenough monthly book arts challenge & in the process it has turned into a new adventure! I am sending handmade themed books out into the wild, inviting people to respond to the theme with a creative contribution, then reminiscent of pass the parcel, the books will move on to someone new. As their pages are filled, they will slowly find their way back home and become part of an exhibition, which I envisage for late 2023. Some time ago, a friend & I discovered that we were musing on a similar theme, the power of words, so we decided to work together. It is a long way off yet but I know it will be amazing. We have exhibited together in the past and I feel our work and energies blend harmoniously. The vessels project will be a part of that. I have been wanting to do something more interactive with my book art and these travelling books decided now is the time! In saying that, there is so much inspiration behind this idea like @thesketchbookproject #1000journals by @someguy.is as well as a long list of books I've read and good old #bookcrossing. Yesterday I handed the first book, black & white over to the first contributor! How exciting, yet letting go is nerve racking! It is part of the process that I have to trust will unfold organically and I can't wait to see the results when they begin to trickle in. I hope you will follow them with me on Instagram and Facebook #vesselsofcreativeconnection maybe you will find one?! If you would like to know more go to www.metissagesdecoeur.com or email me at vesselsofcreativeconnection@gmail.com P.S #vessel2weathered is almost ready to go!  Books that inspire and community challenges that urge creative action! It seems the writing pace may have slowed for some of us, or the focus has changed, (I know mine does constantly!). There is nothing predictable about living in the age of covid! We are one week into school holidays here and a spread of lock downs began at the same time. Living in the country means fewer restrictions, however, my plans to catch up with family and friends on the coast are on hold, so the effects are far reaching as we all continue to adapt and navigate our way. Fortunately, I have plenty of creative projects to help balance my disappointment. I have been making the most of my studio spaces, sewing and bookbinding, as well as enjoying slow time, pots of tea, writing and good reads. Books are always a source of joy and inspiration for me. I have just finished reading two great stories that scream creative writing prompts! 100 REMARKABLE FEATS OF XANDER MAZE by Clayton Zane Comber I do love a list, even more with a touching story behind it. This story has the feel of real life about it, the kind of thing you can imagine happened. So what are we waiting for?
 THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT by Clare Pooley This one is perhaps a little closer to the bone… The story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship, and even love. Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren't really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes--in a plain, green journal--the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. I listened to the audio version of this story in one day! What an incredible idea and a thought provoking read. How authentic are you? How satisfied are you? What are your truths? Will you write them down and leave them somewhere or start your own travelling journal, or keep them for yourself?  BLACK & WHITE... I am part of some incredible online bookbinding communities and participate in regular challenges that help me stretch my creative limits, leading me into tempting and unexpected territories! In June, the #areyoubookenough theme was black & white. My mind map took me in the direction of opposed forces, so I made a textured black book, wrote a poem in white and sewed in some opposites. The exciting part is that this journal is one of the first in a series of themed #vesselsofcreativeconnection that I will soon be sending out into the wilderness for others to respond to with a contribution. I love making books, but I love it even more when they are filled up with the musings of life, be it writing, drawing or whatever takes your fancy. Responding to themes is an easy way of collaborating, often with fruitful and fulfilling results, not to mention banishing great distances and bringing people together! How will you interpret black & white?  50 WORD NOVEL
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Feast of Words at Coonabarabran High, so the theme is TIN or ALUMINIUM FOIL. It took me a little while to find inspiration but I stuck with it and found what felt right. I do love interpretations of a theme; you are only 50 words away! What will it be…tin cans, tinny sounds or a cat on a hot tin roof? possibility, word releasing, marginal thoughts & toilet philosophy...As usual, I have been reading and listening to some wonderfully inspiring books. I am a soft touch for stories written in verse, so I borrowed a handful in excited anticipation! I’ve read a few books by David Levithan, and love how cleverly he captures the emotions of the moment. This month’s prompts have been collected from one book:  The realm of possibility Let’s start with this wonderful title. What does it evoke for you?  ‘We are so used to releasing words’ How are we doing this? Releasing them from what? Write about how you release words.  …thoughts in the margins…marginal thoughts… My thoughts stretch in every which direction and don’t hesitate wandering into the margins! What thoughts have you found or written in the margins? Follow the formula:
 Graffiti/toilet wall philosophy
What is the most interesting piece of life advice you have seen or written, outside or on a toilet wall?  This totally colourful book is a creation in itself! For anyone with a curious mind and who loves exploring, it is a treasure trove. Even better - it has list making activities. My creative dabbling always has me honing in on the senses and wondering about things. This book helps (re)connect your creativity and senses through daily practice activities and observations. Chances are you may be doing these things already without really thinking about it. Try out these questions from the first chapter and why not check out her inspiring website. https://www.5ftinf.com/    Get into the zone… what are your favourite sensations? Make a list.  Describe what this image evokes for you.  Chose a book off your shelf that you have not read yet.
Let the pages fall open randomly and write down the first sentence you see. Go to page 5 – write down the first sentence you see. Go to your birthday page - write down the first sentence you see. Find the page of your age - write down the first sentence you see. Go to the last page - write down the first sentence you see.   Apologies for being WAY behind schedule this month! I’ve been road tripping, one year late I finally celebrated my 50th and 51st and it was fabulous! The last week of March was a whirl, then I was off, which means we have less time for the writing ideas that have been swirling in my head, never mind, write as and when you will. I listened to The Midnight Library by Matt Haig on the drive home and LOVED it! The big question(s)…if I had made that choice, where would my life be today? We’ve all played the ‘what if’ game, imagine some of them here, what do some of your infinite life paths look like? Cycling… my treat was a 4 day self-guided cycling tour along the East Gippsland rail trails in Victoria. It was certainly challenging though I loved it. The trail, in nature, peaceful motion, movement and freedom. Do you have a cycling story, poem, thoughts? I recently came across this quote above by CONFUCIUS. Find a Confucius quote that resonates with you and share it with us. Check out The Temple of Literature in Vietnamhttp://vanmieu.gov.vn/en/ BIRTHDAYS… we have one every year, whether you love them or loathe them, we all experience them differently. Share a birthday story here. show day, handmade books, paper fortunes & messages in the cards... A certain amount of busy-ness...spent my time preparing for the Baradine show, anxious in a relaxed way if that's possible! Making books, sewing and absorbing tarot! Plenty of magic in the process from dress-ups to make-up (what's that?!), setting up, everything dancing in the mischievous breeze! Craft, colour and my first experiences in reading cards for strangers...how incredible! I went with the day as it presented itself and trusted my intuition. In all, I did nine 30 minute readings...a little intro, 3 cards past present future, finishing with an oracle card. The response and feedback was positive. Some were very open and outspoken, others quiet and contemplative. What an unusual and intimate exchange, powerfully humbling, exhilarating and exhausting! I am still processing the wonder and enormity of it! The day wrapped up with spontaneous rides on the cha cha and dodgem cars, crazy laughter and sharing a drink with friends. Magical moments. |
AuthorFor me, it seems there is not much difference between wondering and wandering. It has always helped me find inspiration. Creative dabbling is good for the soul, I couldn't imagine life without it and often surprise myself by what I come up with. Archives
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