creative soul work...

Are you a creative person?  Have you experienced the natural high you get when you are deep into a project of any type, when it's all coming together.  When the mental road blocks disappear and you can just dig in? I am that person.  I have so many "hobbies" that I never truly get bored or feel at completely loose ends.  The biggest challenge I often face is what to work on.  

I am so thankful for the skills that I have acquired in this lifetime. I have had very little formal training in any of my creative outlets.  The most I've had was probably in spinning.  Andrea was the name of the wonderful woman that placed that first drop spindle in my hands and encouraged me to try it.  I was hooked instantly, it felt familiar even though I had never tried it before.  She helped me work on my tension and spin. From there I was off and running. 

I often find myself getting stuck as I work through a project in my mind, getting ready to start and complete a project.  For me it is crazy important to be able to completely visualize what I am going to do before I start. I have been in various stages of working on a double sided quilt.  My brain was stuck, it is critical that both sides are the same size in order to create this quilt and it literally had me frozen.  All the shirts were prepped, I just couldn't make myself cut into the tops until I could visualize.  I also had to be able to stand, bend and sit for a few hours at a time in a desk chair.  I was nervous. 

I don't know what connected the other day, I don't know what piece finally fell into place.  But by tonight that quilt will be ready to go on the longarm frame.  I was struggling with ideas on binding, but that popped into my brain the other night also. I am excited!  I didn't sleep well that night as my brain was in high speed, my body was loving life and I was lost in the whirr of my dear old Pfaff.  T-shirt quilts require a bit more power and strength than my sweet little featherweights.  

By the time I had laid out the second side, it was hours past my normal bedtime and my eyes were getting blurry.  Honestly, if my eyes hadn't been so tired, I have a feeling I would have made a cup of coffee and kept on going.  I love making quilts, especially t-shirt quilts, because of what they will mean to the person that I am making it for.  I am really in love with this one, although I probably say that about all of them.  

Years of being a Tetris fan has definitely paid off when making the bits go together into a balanced and beautiful finished quilt. 

baby alpaca yarn... so soft!

I am currently doing a few things at once (yes, I know that sums me up) and my little travel bag was packed beside me to take with me yesterday.  Hubs had to work down south and I was catching a ride.  While he is working, I took a nice long walk at one of my favorite places around!  I couldn't wait, I don't often get to leave the neighborhood during the day and I was ready for a bit of adventure.  It's a pretty good amount of drive time about 90 minutes.  I figured I would have most if not all of a hat made, I was right, I have 6 rows left, maybe another 20 minutes or so.  

Creating can also come in the joy of photography - not that I am very good at it - but it captures beautiful moments in time.  I managed 3 hikes during the course of the day, granted none of them were longer than a mile, I can't really handle longer than that at a time, but all together, three miles happened.  It was wonderful!

If everything goes according to plan by next week I will be making some soaps, they need four to six weeks of cure time.  Not sure if I am going to give them for the holiday's or not.  Or if I am just going to keep stocking up for myself and my "shop".  I am feeling ready to start seriously exploring this new path I am on.  

In fact I finally feel like I am healed enough to completely dive into my "work" again.  I overcame some serious mental and physical blocks as I worked on the quilt.  I was afraid.  I lay my quilts on the floor to design them, so that I can get the correct perspective and be sure that I enjoy the flow of the colors and designs.  As I am still not able to get down on the floor and kneeling may forever be a thing of the past, I had to wrap my head around new ways to approach it all. Overcoming those mental and physical obstacles was huge for me. 

Creativity for me is where I lose myself and find my soul.  I need to be creating.  But it is super important to me that what I create has a physical value, it is practical and useful.  I find the greatest joy comes from seeing someone using the things I have created for them.  

The burnt up candle, the half a bar of soap on the side of the sink.  The blankets being snuggled in, cozy socks to warm your toes, you get the idea.  

My creativity even expands to cooking.  I can get lost in the alchemy of cooking.  Adding a bit of this and a touch of that. My friend that I have been cooking for showed up at my house the other day with a fabulous collection of mason jars for me.  All different sizes.  I was stunned.  I'm not cooking for him for that reason.  Although I am so thankful for this new collection.  One can never have too many mason jars. 

I don't know what today holds, what promises are laid out before me.  I am torn, sweet Hubs says we can do whatever I want and there are tons of things going on that I wouldn't mind taking in, but the other side of my brain is feeling like I don't want to spend money, I don't feel confident and strong enough to go rock digging, I simply want to stay closer to home.  I want to finish getting the quilt on the longarm, clean up the front garden, tidy up around the house, cook some yummy meals for us and maybe go for a hike close to home. Hubs has offered to take me back to Meramec to hike, or to Cadet to go to the outdoor craft show (for the record it's 30 degrees outside and a fire seems a bit more inviting), honestly he's offered to do whatever I would like.  

I think I am going to make some cinnamon roll muffins, have a fire in the fireplace and slowly decide to join this day.  After I do that, well then who knows what adventure will wait for us... It just feels like a slow day. 

Tomorrow can be for adventures...